For close to three decades, she was the silky-smooth radio voice Nashville-area commuters trusted for real-time updates on the always adventurous traffic conditions.

“U-Turn LaVern,” aka LaVern Vivio, may not be reporting on the daily demolition derby anymore, but she’s not faded off into the sunset.

Far from it.

The Robertson County resident views ‘retirement’ as a four-letter word. These days, you’ll find the 61-year-old’s schedule as packed as I-65 during rush hour.

Not only is LaVern back on the radio, hosting “One Street Over” weekdays from 7-8 a.m. on WSGI in Springfield, but she’s also a devoted grandmother of four, a tireless spiritual leader and volunteer and, along with her husband, Mark, has steered her career path into the classroom.

LaVern just completed her second year of leading the Audio/Visual program at Greenbrier High School, while Mark finished year number one of teaching Criminal Justice at Springfield High (where he was designated a “Rockstar Rookie”). Instead of helping listeners navigate the highways and byways, the goal now is to influence students to achieve excellence.

“It’s been an amazing reinvention,” says LaVern, who was raised on a farm in Boaz, Ky., and went on to complete her college degree at Lipscomb University. “I had always told [former Robertson County Schools Superintendent] Dr. [Chris] Causey that I had an interest in teaching, and he continued to pursue and encourage me. The way God has worked everything out for both Mark and me has been incredible.”

Getting to this point, LaVern is quick to admit, has involved many twists and turns, ups and downs. The Vivio family was forced to shutter its successful business, Cardinal Roofing, after 20 years when Mark developed health issues. LaVern was told her 28-year radio career, primarily spent at WLAC, was coming to an end via a phone call in 2012.

“We had to take things a day at a time,” admits LaVern. “That same year, both my dad and Mark’s died a couple of weeks apart. I spent a couple of months just helping my mom survive.”

It was a bittersweet farewell to an era LaVern calls “old school Nashville radio.” She says her best memories were early in her career, before huge companies that owned multiple stations across the country came into the picture.

“Early on, it was local radio all based in Nashville,” she says. “That was cool. I made friendships I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

“U-Turn LaVern” had become a household name, and at the time of her departure her duties had grown to delivering traffic reports for four different stations.

An opportunity for LaVern would soon come through a past radio ally, Glenn Beck, who had launched a nationally syndicated program, The Blaze.  While she jumped at the chance to work alongside someone who shared her conservative ideals, the show was based in Dallas. The wear and tear of commuting back and forth eventually took its toll. Her run at The Blaze would end after two years.

“It was great to be in that space for a while with friendly, incredible people,” LaVern says. “It was a fun place to be. I just wish it hadn’t been so far from home!”

The Blaze fueled LaVern’s fire to make a difference in the political world. Encouraged by her friends and family, she launched a 2018 campaign for the vacant District 6 U.S. House of Representatives seat. Signs urging voters to choose “U-Turn” LaVern Vivio for Congress were colorfully displayed along the campaign trail. And though she didn’t win the election, her courage and conviction to enter the race left a lasting impact. She even befriended the eventual winner, John Rose, who still holds the seat.

“Thank you to all of those who supported me, voted for me and cheered me on,” she wrote after the election. “This didn’t end as I had hoped, but actually it is not and ending at all, but the beginning of what God has stirred within me. God bless you all!”

What He stirred was, in reality, something that was in LaVern all along. To make an impact in people’s lives. To help. To care.

It’s all led to her current contentment. Every day is a new 24-hour opportunity to hit the ground running. She’s a published author and writes constantly … could there be more books in the works?

Retirement? Pfft.

“Being a wife, mother, and grandmother is my most favorite job of all, of course,” she explains, “but I love teaching and will do it as long as I feel like I’m bringing something of value to the students. I love the ministry I do. I love doing volunteer work. I love dabbling in music. And I love radio; it’s just who I am. 

I’ve got a lot left to offer. I live my best life in God’s kingdom with peace and understanding. I give God first fruits and he keeps getting them all day. That keeps me positive.”