The Wake Up Call with Benji Snead Podcast

Benji Snead had a chance to talk with Lubbock mayor Mark McBrayer and outgoing councilman Brayden Rose. Mayor McBrayer was just reelected for another two years, and Brayden is a city councilman from District 4. The mayor shares what it means to be reelected, what low turnout in the election means, what accomplishments he's proud of from his first term, and what issues and priorities he wants to face in his next term. Later in the podcast, councilman Rose shares why he is stepping down from his position.

Benji Snead had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Dr. Charles Addington. Charles is the mayor of Wolfforth and Lubbock County medical examiner. Benji asks Doc about how he balances life and his jobs, what the main source of growth in Wolfforth is, and what projects are in the works for the county. Charles also shares what has changed about the city over the years and talks about how he was involved in putting together a medical examiner facility in the county.

Benji Snead had the chance to sit down and talk to his brother and award-winning film director Jeremy Snead, who is also the founder of Mediajuice Studios. Jeremy promotes his feature film "Matter of Time" starring Sean Astin and breaks down what went into creating the film. He also talks about his background and what he's learned from filmmaking.

For this episode, Benji Snead is joined by Taylor Peters, who is the Director of Video Storytelling for Texas Tech's Marketing and Communications department. She is also a former reporter for KCBD News Channel 11. Taylor talks about how she got into media and started her podcast Fearless Unscripted, where interviews different Tech personalities and alum. She also explains how the seasons change what she does, how producing content differs from reporting, and shares the best lesson she's learned in media.

Benji Snead is joined in the studio by Lubbock Cooper school board member and now candidate Trey Strong. Trey discusses how he got on the board a year ago, what challenges LCISD faces, what voters need to understand ahead of election day, how the school district is managing growth, and what his top priorities as a board member are.

In this episode, Benji Snead talks to local on-air personality Kurt Kiser. Benji and Kurt cover a variety of topics, like how Kurt got started in the media industry, what he does in media now, what he thinks about NIL, Lubbock election turnout, and what's changed about Lubbock over the years.

Benji sits down and revisits with Roxzine Stinson, who is the Lubbock county elections administrator Roxzine Stinson. She talks about how the county did with turnout for early voting, what happened with the voting machines on the first day of early voting, and what voters should expect different from early voting to election day on Saturday. She also dives into how voters find results of each election and what dates voters need to know coming up.

Benji is joined by Nick Atwood, who is the CEO of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. Benji and Nick break down Nick's vision for the chamber, what defines success for the chamber, and what it does for the community of Lubbock. Nick also informs listeners why someone should join the chamber and how the chamber advocates for the businesses and people of the city.

Benji Snead talks with local campaign manager and election guru Mike Stevens. Mike comes back to the studio to share an update on the county turnout numbers in early voting. He talks about what trends he's seeing with elections and turnouts and, behind the low turnout numbers, and if that trend will continue throughout elections. Mike explains how he makes his election predictions, what elections outside of Lubbock that he's following, and what the biggest issues are that the city faces.

Benji Snead sits down with the city manager of Wolfforth Randy Criswell. Randy shares the projects he's been a part of for the city, how the city is handling the growth it's going through, and how Wolfforth has developed neighborhoods. Benji asks Randy about his relationship with the Wolfforth mayor, the biggest challenges the city faces, and why people are choosing to move out to Wolfforth.

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock city councilwoman Dr. Jennifer Wilson and former mayor Mark McDougal. The trio goes over a variety of Lubbock-related topics, including the progress on completed and current road projects, how Lubbock is handling rapid growth, and where the city stands as far as plans for the Civic Center expansion. They also talk about what's changed from Mark's time in office to now, what the citizens want done in the city, and what the city needs to build off of.

Benji Snead chats with Gary Boren, who has been placed on the ballot for City Council - District 4 after the Seventh Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Gary. Benji gets a reaction from Gary on the ruling and asks him about what precedence the ruling sets, what issues he wants to tackle moving forward, and has Gary elaborate on what his vision for District 4 and the city is. Gary also talks about his background as a concert promoter and what it takes to pull off a major concert like the George Strait concert this past weekend.

Benji Snead talks with KAMC news anchor Bryan Mudd as Bryan gives his opinion and takes on an array of different topics. Bryan talks about how he got into the news industry, how college students are getting into the media and journalism field, and what the role of media in a region like Lubbock's should be. Bryan gives his thoughts on local politics, the trend on crime in Lubbock, and what's going on with Texas Tech Athletics.

Benji Snead sits down with the president and CEO of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance John Osborne. John talks about the impact that the upcoming George Strait concerts will have on the Lubbock economy, what the purpose of LEDA is and what they are doing with tax-funded money. He also breaks down what makes a deal and kills a deal for LEDA, how the city's economic development compares the other cities, and what the current state of the Lubbock economy looks like.

Benji Snead talks to Mike Stevens, who is a veteran campaign manager in the Lubbock area and across the state of Texas. Benji asks Mike about his background, how he helped shaped the current election process in Lubbock county, and how he has learned to understand the statistics behind elections. Mike also explains how some campaigns win and lose and shares what current local and state races he's covering.

Benji Snead sits down with the Texas Tech senior associate athletic director for external operations Robert Giovannetti. In this podcast, Benji and Gio talk about Texas Tech hosting a George Strait concert at the Jones and what fans need to know before they go. They cover the biggest challenges Tech athletics is facing, the dynamic of the transfer portal, and how Tech has capitalized off NIL. Gio also gives his thoughts on fans being upset with Tech Baseball, how the softball team can sustain long-time success, and what Red Raiders could be drafted in the NFL Draft.

Benji Snead is joined by Greg Garland, who is the president of Capra Bank in Lubbock. Benji and Greg discuss how the bank has become the fastest growing bank in the country, how relationships drive the bank's business, and what makes their bank unique.

Benji Snead is joined by the owner of the Cactus Theater Darryl Holland. Darryl talks about the history of the Cactus Theater, what it takes to run and maintain the upkeep of a historical venue, and what's the future of the theater. Darryl also shares what's going on this weekend at the Cactus as an alternative to the George Strait concert in town.

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock city council-District 3 candidate David Bruegel. Benji gets to know David by learning about David's background, his priorities for his district, his vision for the city, and how he plans to handle issues he'd face as a councilman. Benji and David cover a multitude of issues, including if Lubbock should bring back impact fees, how to approach AI data centers popping up in the area, and how Lubbock is handling public safety and first response.

Benji Snead is joined by Terry Greenberg, who is the editor the publication Lubbock Lights, a nonprofit news site. Benji and Terri talk about the mission of Lubbock Lights, how they got started, where they stand in the community and what kind of growth they seen in their viewership. Terry also shares how they determine what stories need be covered and gives his take on the future of newspaper.

Benji Snead is joined by Buffalo Springs mayor and Texas Tech athletics bus driver Dennis Wardroup. Dennis talk about his experience as mayor and what his job entails, and shares what he enjoys about getting to drive all the different Texas Tech teams around the state and country.

Benji Snead is joined by former city councilman and Texas radio hall of famer Paul R. Bean and co-founder of the 806 Land Group Jordan Wheatley. Paul  reflects on his time as a councilman and radio host while also sharing stories of Lubbock's past, while Jordan shares his impact story about a life-changing accident has brought him to where he is today. Benji also discusses what's driving growth in Lubbock, what the city is doing right, and other local matters with Paul and Jordan.

Benji Snead is joined by District 1-City Council candidates Christy Martinez-Garcia and Pat Kelly. The candidates make their case on why they should be voted in to represent their district and debate on a multitude of issues that matter to the city of Lubbock, such as the Student Housing Project, how the city is handling public safety, if the city spending money correctly, and how they would secure the future of water in Lubbock.

Benji Snead is joined by outgoing Lubbock city councilman David Glasheen and mayor Mark McBrayer to address the biggest issues the city of Lubbock is facing, like concerns with data centers popping up, plans for the Civic Center and downtown area, and other issues that should be making headlines but are not. They also discuss why the councilman is stepping away from his position and what his future plans are moving forward.

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock county elections administrator Roxzine Stinson to talk about early voting in the city, how easy it is for the community to get out and vote, and what changes need to be made to make voting more accessible. They also discuss the process of safeguards for these elections and what important dates you need to know for upcoming elections.

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock county sheriff Kelly Rowe.

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock city manager Jarrett Atkinson.  

Benji Snead is joined by KCBD News Channel 11 reporters Kase Wilbanks and Christy Hartin to talk about their involvement in the Texas South Plains Honor Flight.

Benji Snead is joined by potential District 4 candidate for Lubbock city council Gary Boren.