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Toombs County athletics and Recreational Department games. In addition to athletics, Barney presides over two shows: “The Morning Show with Barney,” which runs from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and “The Midday Memories Show with Barney” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and features classic country music. Barney’s Morning Show has introduced Toombs County to a variety of local characters who are regular callers including Elmira, R. A. Basher, The Legend, Bubba “Trump,” Kalli Jo, Waterhead, Eddie from Alamo, Geraldine, Phillip and Henrietta, Habeeb, the Lawn Jockey, Emmie Lou Harris Fan and Mount Misery. “At 6:25 a.m. R. A. Basher comes on to chat for a while and then asks a question for young people age 18 and under to answer,” said Barney. “Today’s question was: ‘On this day in 1865, Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman meet to discuss the ending of the Civil War. Lincoln emphasized the Union’s aims upon surrender of the South. What were they?’ The answer was, ‘Emancipation and a pledge for equality of the freed slaves.’ Nobody got it today.” A weekly winner receives $50. According to Barney, $25 comes from him and $25 from People’s Bank. But it’s the unscripted calls from children that have become a trademark of Barney’s morning shows. The first is at 6:55 a.m. with 12-year-old Cassie from Jeff Davis. “When Cassie first started calling four years ago, she had to talk to me from the school bus,” said Barney. “What kind of things did she talk about?” I asked. “She does cross country, track, soft ball and she’s going to do competition cheerleading this year. She won the State Championship in recreational swimming in her age group,” said Barney. Two weeks ago, Cassie dropped by the station to sing the “Y101 Family Song,” a song her daddy wrote. (Barney posted the video on youtube.com). At 7:07 a.m., Jayce gives Barney a call. “He’s a student at Toombs Central,” said Barney. “He likes basketball. There’s been a lot of kids in that time slot through the years.” Before Jayce filled the 7:07 a.m. time slot, there was Dylan. And before him, Bryce. “Bryce was a three-time Y101 ‘Caller of the Year.’ He’s a freshman at Toombs County High School now. Traffic and Weather with the Road Runner comes next. “We do traffic, and the weather together and then he gives us the ‘Joke of the Day.’ The Road Runner replaced his sister, Taylor.” The Meredith Show begins at about 7:52 a.m. and goes to 8:00 a.m. every morning during the week. Meredith Durden began calling when she was four and still sat in a car seat. “One day, she decided she wanted her own show,” said Barney. Now 10 years old, Meredith calls on her way to school at Robert Toombs Christian Academy where she is soon to finish the fourth grade. “I begin my show with, ‘Good Morning, Barney,’” said Meredith, “and end with, ‘It’s news time at the Y101, and bye chicken Barney. You’re so silly.’ I wanted to create a cool catch phrase for the end of the show. Me and Daddy sat down and talked about it, and it hit me right then. Barney is so silly.” She laughed. “I love how Barney is really funny.” When I met Meredith, I was immediately struck by her poise and confidence. So many children today lack self-confidence and struggle to even look an adult in the eye when they’re spoken to. It was something my husband felt strongly about. “If you’re with an adult,” he’d say, “and someone speaks to you, you look them in the eye and answer.” If you know our children, you know there’s not a one of the four that would hesitate to engage in a respectful conversation with the greatest or the least in the eyes of the world. It’s a virtue that’s proves invaluable to self-confidence and character. BELOW Meredith has her own regular show with Barney, and listeners get sports updates and hear about whatever she has going on that day. She loves how the show has connected her to so many people. 16 Toombs County Magazine


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