Season 3, Episode 5

Riding The Cat Bus for 35 years!

Terry Hanson

Today’s guest is someone who’s logged more miles on the backroads of Columbia County than most of us could count. Terry Hanson has been driving a school bus for the Magnolia School District for 35 years — and that’s not counting the year he spent subbing before that. He drives Bus 72, known to the kids as the “Cat Bus,” and in some ways it’s a reflection of his career — reliable, steady, and still rolling strong.

Terry’s day begins out in the Mt. Vernon community, where Lafayette County is practically in his backyard. From there, he heads down those familiar roads, past places like Frog Level — the original county seat of Columbia County — gathering his students one by one on the way into town.

He’s seen a lot of changes over the years: from cranking open doors by hand — which has given his right arm quite a workout — to the new high-tech buses with automatic transmissions, mounted tablets, cameras, and safety systems that make sure no child is ever left behind. And somewhere along the way, he’s driven not just children, but the children of his first riders — which tells you something about how deeply rooted he is in this community. And many of those riders have grown up to become outstanding citizens, and some have become personal friends. It demonstrates the importance of sticking with an endeavor.

Terry was recognized last June as one of a handful of district employees with over 30 years of service, and it’s a safe bet he’ll be honored again when this school year wraps up.

So, buckle up and ride along as we hear the story of Terry Hanson — 35 years behind the wheel, thousands of students safely carried, and a legacy of dedication that’s pure Magnolia through and through.

You know the routine: press the play button below or tune in wherever you get your podcasts to catch today’s episode.

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Season 3, Episode 4

 From pews to pastures, Jack does it all

Jack and Sunny Daniels

His father either had a great sense of humor or a knack for coming up with names. He named the acreage he farmed around the Red River Miracle Farms, based on a favorite saying of his: “God grants the miracle, we do the work.”

But why did Mr. Daniel’s name his son Jack?

“I have a lot of fun with the name,” Jack told me. 
“Apparently my dad had a pretty good sense of humor.”

In today’s episode, I sit down with Jack to talk about the story behind Miracle Farms — its roots, its name, and the faith that still shapes the work that happens on the farm out near the Bodcaw community in Nevada County. And along the way we learn a few amazing facts about the man who keeps things rolling at the farm.

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Season 3, Episode 3

 Stories from the man behind the chair

Today on Life in LA, I sat down with a man who’s been part of Magnolia’s story for nearly six decades. Don Higdon began barbering on the square back in 1966, when a shop might have just one pair of electric clippers that all three barbers shared. Since then, he’s seen every hairstyle imaginable come and go — from the flat top and the GI cut to the mullet and beyond — and he’s had a front-row seat to the conversations, laughter, and life stories that passed through his chair.

But there’s a lot more to Don than just a good haircut. In our conversation, I learned about the wedding he once kept secret from his father-in-law, the seasons he spent working in the oil field between barbering, and even his hidden talent for writing — short stories, a novel, and a little freelance journalism along the way.

These days, Don and his wife, Carla, still keep busy helping their daughter and son-in-law, Sunny and Jack Daniels, at the Pumpkin Patch at Miracle Farms in Bodcaw. The old sign for Don’s Barbershop still stands on North Vine Street, though the building now serves as a deer camp — a fitting reminder of a long and colorful career.

I really enjoyed visiting with Don, swapping stories, and reminiscing about what it was like to get a haircut in the good old days — and I’ll admit, I wish I still had as much hair today as I did back then.

So, settle in and enjoy this conversation with Magnolia’s longtime barber and storyteller, Don Higdon.

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