Author: themorningthing

From Fancy Ducks to Fair Announcing, Taylor Vance Stays Busy at the Knox County Fair

Taylor Vance doesn’t limit herself to just one project at the Knox County Fair. Between livestock, gardening, clothing, and helping behind the scenes, she enjoys being involved wherever she can.

WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger recently talked with Taylor, a member of the Knox County Junior Fair Board and the 2026 Junior Poultry Ambassador, about what keeps her coming back to the fair each year.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Although Taylor originally lived in Muskingum County, she recently moved to Mount Vernon and is now a freshman at Mount Vernon High School. She serves as secretary of the Clinton Clovers 4-H Club, has been involved in 4-H for six years, and is in her second year on the Knox County Junior Fair Board.

Helping with livestock shows has become one of her favorite parts of fair week. Last year, she had the opportunity to announce one of the shows, an experience she said went well, and she’s excited to help again this year.

Taylor also has a full slate of projects. She’ll be exhibiting market turkeys, fancy chickens, fancy ducks, a gardening project, and a clothing project.

One of her favorite projects involves her ducks, which originally came from Texas. She started with three birds and has continued growing her flock over the past year. She said keeping them clean and ready for competition can be one of the biggest challenges leading up to the fair.

When the Knox County Fair concludes, Taylor won’t have much time to slow down. She’ll head directly to the Ohio State Fair to continue exhibiting her projects.

Looking back on her years in 4-H, Taylor said one of the greatest things she’s gained isn’t just experience showing animals—it’s the friendships she’s made. She believes those relationships will last a lifetime.

Taylor also reflected on being named Junior Poultry Ambassador last year and shared the reaction of one of her teachers, who wasn’t surprised to see her take on the role.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Ellie Boggs Balances Leadership, Livestock, and a Love for Writing

Ellie Boggs enjoys being involved in many different parts of the Knox County Fair. Whether she’s helping exhibitors in the goat barn, showing her own projects, or working on a writing project, she likes finding new ways to grow through 4-H.

WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger recently talked with Ellie about serving as a Knox County Junior Fair Board liaison, her fair projects, and the experiences that have shaped her along the way.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Ellie is from Mount Vernon and will be a sophomore at Mount Vernon High School this fall. She is a member of the Down on the Farm 4-H Club and has been involved in 4-H for four years. After serving as a fair ambassador last year, she is now in her second year on the Junior Fair Board and is serving as the Goat Liaison.

In that role, Ellie helps keep the goat barn running smoothly by assisting with shows, making sure things stay organized, and helping exhibitors throughout the week. She’ll also be exhibiting a pack goat, a project that she said has become one of her favorites. During the interview, she also reflected on winning Grand Champion with her goat in a previous year.

Ellie said she’s especially looking forward to helping on sale day and spending time around the cattle shows during this year’s fair.

In addition to her livestock projects, Ellie is entering a writing project. She explained that she’s writing a book and plans to submit its first two chapters for the fair. She said a BookTuber inspired her to begin writing, and her work-in-progress currently carries the title I Love You Forever?

Outside of the fair, Ellie stays active as the reporter for her school’s FFA chapter, where she helps with photography and social media. She also works at a local swimming pool and is working toward becoming a manager.

Looking back on her time in 4-H, Ellie said the program has helped her become more confident and develop leadership skills. One of her favorite memories came when she won Grand Champion with her goat, a day she said brought her a great deal of joy.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Reece Landers Looks Forward to Fair Week While Giving Back Through the Junior Fair Board

Planning for the Knox County Fair isn’t just about preparing his own projects for Reece Landers. As a first-year member of the Knox County Junior Fair Board, he’s also helping prepare for one of the county’s biggest events of the year.

WNZR’s Josiah Styer recently sat down with Reece to talk about his involvement in 4-H, his responsibilities on the Junior Fair Board, and what he’s looking forward to during fair week.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Reece, who is from Centerburg, attends the Knox County Career Center, where he is studying precision machining. He is a member of the Liberty Livestock 4-H Club and has been involved in 4-H for nine years.

As a Junior Fair Board member, Reece helps plan and prepare for the fair by attending meetings and assisting with projects leading up to fair week. He said he’s especially looking forward to the rodeo, helping with the pig shows, and being involved with the turkey show.

Preparing his turkey for competition takes time and consistency. Reece said he gets his bird ready for the show by spending time walking it and making sure it’s well fed throughout the summer.

Once the fair is over, Reece plans to continue working, make new connections, and enjoy the rest of his summer before returning to school. He said one of the biggest lessons 4-H has taught him is responsibility, especially when it comes to caring for animals.

Reece also shared one of his funniest fair memories. While showing a rabbit one year, it jumped off the table and took off running around the show ring.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Luci Byler Shares Her Passion for Horses, Sheep, and the Knox County Fair

Whether she’s answering questions, helping exhibitors, or preparing her own animals for competition, Luci Byler enjoys staying busy during fair week.

Luci recently joined WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger to talk about her role as a Knox County Junior Fair Board liaison, her years in 4-H, and what she’s looking forward to at this year’s Knox County Fair.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Luci, who is from Brinkhaven, will be a sophomore at Loudonville High School this fall. She is a member of the Barnyard Bunch and Dreamcatchers 4-H clubs and has been involved in 4-H since she was nine years old. This is her second year serving on the Knox County Junior Fair Board.

As a liaison, Luci helps keep events running smoothly by assisting with livestock shows, supporting other liaisons, helping animal caretakers, and answering questions from exhibitors and fairgoers. She currently serves as a horse liaison and enjoys being available to lend a hand whenever it’s needed.

While she enjoys helping behind the scenes, Luci is also preparing for competition herself. This year she’ll be exhibiting both her horse and sheep at the Knox County Fair, and she’s especially looking forward to the sheep shows because she enjoys watching other exhibitors compete.

Preparing for the show ring takes plenty of work. Luci said she studies horse patterns, watches other exhibitors to learn from them, and spends a great deal of time practicing before fair week arrives.

Outside of 4-H, Luci is also involved in FFA and will continue participating in those activities during the upcoming school year. She also plans to exhibit her sheep at the Ohio State Fair after the Knox County Fair concludes.

Reflecting on what 4-H has taught her over the years, Luci said one of the biggest lessons has been learning to do what’s best for herself instead of letting others tell her what to do.

She also shared one of her funniest fair memories—a time when her horse nearly ran over the judge during a show.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Logan Daubenmire Balances Leadership, Livestock, and Service Through 4-H

While many fairgoers only see the events taking place in the show ring, Logan Daubenmire enjoys being part of the work that helps make those events happen.

Logan recently joined WNZR’s Josiah Styer to talk about his years in 4-H, serving on the Knox County Junior Fair Board, and the livestock projects that keep him busy throughout the year.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

A Mount Vernon High School senior, Logan is a member of the Knox County Career Center FFA Chapter. He has been involved in 4-H for eight years and is serving his fourth year on the Knox County Junior Fair Board.

As a board member, Logan helps announce shows, steps in wherever help is needed, and assists with caring for some of the animals during fair week. He said he’s especially looking forward to this year’s truck and tractor pull, along with the livestock shows.

Logan is also involved in the Limitless Livestock Show, which he described as a great opportunity for participants. Along with that event, he’ll be exhibiting dairy beef feeders and dairy beef steers during the fair.

When the fair comes to a close, Logan stays involved by helping with auctioneering before turning his attention to the upcoming school year, when he’ll assist with landscape competitions.

Reflecting on his time in 4-H, Logan said one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is the importance of putting in the work to achieve success. He also said one of his favorite memories was joining the Junior Fair Board and getting to know the other members.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Hayley Unger Finds Leadership and Friendship Through 4-H and the Knox County Fair

Showing market hogs wasn’t always part of Hayley Unger’s plans. In fact, she said she became involved with the project because of a friend. Today, it’s one of the highlights of her fair experience.

Hayley recently joined WNZR’s Josiah Styer to talk about preparing for the Knox County Fair, serving as a 2026 Junior Fair Queen nominee, and the lessons she has learned through six years in 4-H.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

A Utica native, Hayley is a senior at Utica High School and a member of the Animals R Us 4-H Club. Along with preparing for her livestock projects, she has also taken on the responsibilities that come with being a Junior Fair Queen candidate.

Hayley explained that getting ready for the fair takes plenty of planning. In addition to preparing for the Queen competition, she spends time training and washing her market hogs to have them ready for the show ring.

When fair week comes to an end, Hayley doesn’t plan on slowing down. She serves as president of the Utica FFA Chapter and expects to stay busy with those responsibilities before spending time with family and friends.

Looking back on her years in 4-H, Hayley said one of the biggest lessons she’s learned is that making mistakes is part of the process. She also said the program has taught her how to rely on the people around her when challenges arise.

Some of her favorite memories have come from the friendships she’s made. Hayley said one memory that stands out is meeting new people when she first joined the Junior Fair Board.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Ava Page Prepares for Fair Week as an Exhibitor and Junior Fair Board Member

While many people see the Knox County Fair through the eyes of an exhibitor or spectator, Ava Page also gets to experience it behind the scenes.

Ava recently joined WNZR’s Sue McDonald to talk about serving on the Knox County Junior Fair Board while preparing her own projects for this year’s fair.

Click HERE to hear the full interview!

A Bladensburg native, Ava is a senior at East Knox High School and is enrolled in the College Credit Plus program through Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She is active in the Outsiders 4-H Club and East Knox FFA, has participated in 4-H for five years and FFA for three years, and is now serving her second year on the Junior Fair Board.

As a board member, Ava helps keep events organized throughout fair week. She said her responsibilities include making sure shows run smoothly, helping people get where they need to be, and assisting with the overall management of fair activities.

In the show ring, Ava will be exhibiting Dutch and Dwarf Pavilion breeding rabbits. She is also entering a woodworking project after building a stool. She said preparing her rabbits includes making sure they are well-fed and properly groomed before competition, while her woodworking project required many hours of hard work.

Although much of her summer has been spent preparing for the fair, Ava said her family was able to take a trip to Alaska before the busy season began.

She is especially looking forward to this year’s rabbit show and enjoys seeing the hard work of exhibitors come together during fair week.

Reflecting on her years in 4-H, Ava said the program has taught her responsibility. She also shared that one of her favorite memories has been spending time at the fair with her sister, who also serves on the Knox County Junior Fair Board.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Ryleigh Scarpitti Reflects on Leadership, 4-H, and the Knox County Fair

WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger recently sat down with Ryleigh Scarpitti, a member of the 2026 Knox County Junior Fair Board, to talk about her involvement in 4-H, her projects for this year’s fair, and the lessons she has learned through the program.

Click HERE to hear the full interview!

Ryleigh is from Centerburg and is homeschooled. She also shared how her brother plays football for Centerburg.

She is a member of Liberty Livestock and is in her third year with the club. Ryleigh has been involved in 4-H for eight years and is serving her second year on the Knox County Junior Fair Board.

During the interview, she talked about the responsibilities that come with serving on the Junior Fair Board while also preparing her own projects for fair week.

This year, Ryleigh is looking forward to taking both quilting and turkey projects to the Ohio State Fair. She is also exhibiting turkeys at the Knox County Fair and explained some of the work that goes into preparing them for the show ring, including flipping the birds for judging.

She said she is especially excited about her quilting project because she has invested a great deal of time and effort into it. This will be her second year exhibiting quilting at the Ohio State Fair.

Once the Knox County Fair wraps up, Ryleigh plans to exhibit at the Hartford Fair before spending time with friends.

Looking back on her years in 4-H, Ryleigh said one of the biggest lessons she has learned is responsibility. She also said the program has taught her how to stay calm while working with animals, be reliable, make new friends, and become more confident by stepping outside of her comfort zone.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

(Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography)

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Sophie Wolf Balances Fair Leadership, College, and Service as a Junior Fair Queen Nominee

WNZR’s Josiah Styer recently sat down with Sophie Wolf, a member of the Knox County Junior Fair Board and a 2026 Knox County Junior Fair Queen nominee, to talk about her involvement with the fair, her future plans, and the lessons she’s learned through 4-H.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Sophie is originally from Chile, South America, but now lives in Mount Vernon. After taking a gap year, she will begin classes this fall at Central Ohio Technical College, where she plans to study Radiologic Technology.

She has been a member of the Down on the Farm 4-H Club for five years and has served on the Knox County Junior Fair Board for the past three years.

As a Junior Fair Board member, Sophie helps prepare for the fair throughout the year. Her responsibilities include planning meetings, organizing activities, helping run livestock shows, and assisting with animal weigh-ins. She said she’s especially looking forward to this year’s rough truck competition and demolition derby.

Sophie also talked about becoming a candidate for the 2026 Knox County Fair Queen. She discussed the application process and the opportunities the Fair Queen has to represent the Knox County Fair. If selected, she said she would encourage people to attend the fair, support the different shows, and visit other county fairs to gather ideas that could benefit Knox County in the future.

This year, Sophie will be exhibiting market and breeding rabbits, market broilers, and a pack goat. Like many exhibitors, much of her time leading up to the fair is spent preparing and caring for her animals.

After fair week, Sophie plans to begin classes at COTC while also serving with LifePoint Church as it launches a new church in Bellville, where she will be a worship leader. She also works at Knox Community Hospital, North Main Café, and her church.

Looking back on her years in 4-H and at the fair, Sophie said one of the biggest lessons she has learned is to take opportunities when they come and to be willing to lead when given the chance.

Whether or not she is crowned Fair Queen, Sophie said she plans to celebrate with her family because enjoying the experience is what matters most.

She also shared a lighthearted story about transporting her goats to the fair in the back of her family’s Suburban since they don’t have a truck.

Click HERE to learn more about the Knox County Fair!

Photo Credit: Jenelle Doup, Saved by Grace Photography

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Kaci’s Camp Honors a Life That Continues to Inspire Hope and Inclusion

Kristin and Coach Jared Ronai recently joined WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart to talk about Kaci’s Camp, a free sports camp created in memory of their daughter, Kaci Ronai. The camp is designed for children with Down syndrome and reflects the Ronais’ desire to honor Kaci’s life while encouraging other families.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Jared shared that more than a year ago, he and Kristin learned they were expecting their fourth child. Later in the pregnancy, they found out Kaci would be born with Down syndrome.

Kaci was born on November 29th, 2025, and spent her first month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Jared said the family was able to bring her home on New Year’s Eve, which became a very special day for their family. He also reflected on the memories they were able to make together during Kaci’s time at home.

Kaci became sick, and because of medical complications, she passed away on March 22nd, 2026.

Following her passing, the Ronais wanted to create something that would continue Kaci’s legacy. That vision became Kaci’s Camp.

The camp will be held on Saturday, August 8th, at Ariel Arena on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. It is open to children ages 6 through 18 with Down syndrome and will feature basketball, volleyball, soccer, and wiffle ball.

Kristin said their family was always focused on helping Kaci thrive, and they hope the camp will provide that same encouragement for other children. Jared said the goal is to give participants an opportunity to feel celebrated, build confidence around others like them, and enjoy a day where they can thrive through sports and activities.

The event is completely free for participating families. While donations are accepted, the Ronais said those gifts will help provide educational resources for parents of children with Down syndrome. They also shared that approximately one in every 700 babies is born with Down syndrome, and they hope the camp helps raise awareness within the community.

Kaci’s Camp is designed as a full-day event. Registration will take place from 9:30 until 10 a.m., with activities running from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Campers will participate in two sports during the morning, followed by lunch and breaks before taking part in two additional sports during the afternoon.

Kristin said they want every child who attends to feel like they are part of something and know they are welcomed. She also said that while the camp is centered on the children, she hopes volunteers and everyone involved will leave with a greater appreciation for the Down syndrome community.

Jared shared that he hopes Kaci’s Camp continues to grow in the years ahead, helping raise awareness about Down syndrome while honoring Kaci’s life and the impact she had on their family. Kristin also offered encouragement to parents who may receive a Down syndrome diagnosis for their child, saying that children with Down syndrome are a gift from God and sharing that Kaci was a tremendous blessing to their family.

As they prepare for the first Kaci’s Camp, the Ronais are asking the community to pray for the event, for enough volunteers to serve, and that every child who attends will have a positive experience and feel loved.

Registration is open through August 1st.

The Ronais are also seeking volunteers, and anyone interested in serving can use the same email address to learn more about available opportunities.

Click HERE to find out more or register!

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