Summer is a great time to get out with the family so here are some great places to visit. Here are 14 of the Best National and Sate Parks in Ohio. Click HERE to see the parks and links to their websites.
National and State Parks in Ohio
Pet Appreciation Week Continues on The Morning Thing
We appreciate and love our pets no matter what weird shenanigans they get up to! Our topic definitely shows that.
Today for Pet Appreciation Week we shared 16 stories from people who’s pets had weird quirks. You can read the full list HERE.
Pet Appreciation Week!
This week is pet appreciation week and Neda Torabi, founder of Houndstone, has just the tips and fun ideas you need to celebrate like:
- Give your pet an extra fun snack or surprise
Pick up your pet’s favorite treats at the store or take them to a local spot to get their own dog “ice cream.”
- Take the time to ensure your pet is fully up to date on vet appointments and shots
You want to appreciate your pet for as long as you’re able, so take this week to get up to date on any appointments or shots, they’re overdue for!
- Take your pet somewhere new
Change up your everyday walk route for somewhere new – whether that be a new park, a local beach to swim, a hike, or in the car with the window down. Your pet is sure to enjoy a change of scenery!
- Have at-home pup spa
Treat your pet to a “spa day” in the bath with relaxing music and be sure to check out Houndstone’s all natural and hypoallergenic canine shampoo to enhance this experience!
- Volunteer at a local animal shelter
If you don’t have a pet and would like to appreciate more than just one, check out your local shelter to see how you can help out or stop by and bring some needed products!
June First Friday is Tonight!
First Fridays are back! The Big Blue Crew is excited to join Experience Mount Vernon downtown tonight for the first First Friday of 2022. We had the opportunity to speak with Anthony McNeal, Downtown Manager with Experience Mount Vernon, about this event. You can hear the entire conversation HERE.
Don’t forget to come find WNZR at First Friday on the corner of Main and Gambier in front of the Dog Fountain. Stop by and register to win a special “Clean Up, Drink Up and Soak Up” prize basket featuring:
- An entire house cleaning from Carefree Cleaning Company. Amy McDougale gives you 4 hours of house cleaning (Valued at $120)
- One $15.00 gift card to Happy Bean Coffee Shop and a Happy Bean Steel Water Bottle (Valued at $35)
- A Family 4 Pack of One-Day Passes to the Hiawatha Water Park and Pool (Valued at $32)
- Plus, WNZR goodies including an “On the Road with Big Blue” t-shirt, NIV Bible, coasters, water bottles, cups, micro-fiber cloths, hand fans, Frisbees, guitar flyswatter, magnets, chip clips and more! The prize package is valued at over $220!
For more information about what you can look forward to experiencing at First Friday, check out our website! We’ll see you downtown!
It’s National Leave the Office Early Day!
Here’s another holiday I can get behind- and for once it has nothing to do with food! Today is National Leave the Office Early Day, though perhaps we are telling you this too late and you aren’t able to celebrate it today. That’s okay! The point of the day is to encourage and increase worker efficiency and productivity by recognizing that taking breaks is better in the long run for everyone, employees and employers alike.
Today on the show we dug into why that is. We looked at why we need breaks, both the benefits of taking them and the risks of not. It can be difficult to find the time to take breaks depending on your situation. Your job may not offer paid time off, and you can’t afford to miss any hours. You might shoulder many responsibilities from which you don’t think you or your company can afford you stepping away, so the vacation days keep accruing. Whatever the situation, the base reality is the same: God did not design us to work nonstop. He instituted a day of rest for a reason.
You can find all the information on the importance of taking a break HERE. If you’re interested in learning more about National Leave the Office Early Day, click HERE. Even if you can only get a small break, it’s still good for you and doing so consistently will bring about benefits for you, your family, and your work.
WNZR Talks with Joe Bell of the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival!
WNZR talked with Joe Bell from the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival on the Morning Thing.
Joe shared information about the show Love What Matters which is a fundraiser for the festival happening on Saturday, June 4th.
He also gave us some sneak preview details for this year’s festival.
Click HERE to hear Joe Bell’s conversation with WNZR’s Alyssa Sidle.
WNZR Talks with Tina Cockrell of KSAAT!
WNZR talked with Tina Cockrell from KSAAT on the Morning Thing.
Tina shared information about her role with the health department and how she is involved with KSAAT.
She also talked about the upcoming Communities Coming Together Conference.
Click HERE to hear Tina Cockrell’s conversation with WNZR’s Brogan Campbell.
How will you celebrate Memorial Day?
Kevin, Henthorn, Executive Director for the Knox County Veteran’s Service Office talked with The Morning Thing today. He shared highlights of Memorial Day activities around the county.
He also shared the importance of Memorial Day and why we should stop saying “Happy” Memorial Day.
Click HERE to hear the conversation.
Please take time to remember our fallen heroes and their incredible sacrifice for our freedom today.
Here is a schedule of events happening today around Knox County:
Memorial Day Parade lineup
Mount Vernon’s Patriotic Memorial Day Committee invites you to honor those who gave their lives to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.
The 2022 Memorial Day Parade theme is “Honor and Reflect”. The Parade starts this morning at 10:30, traveling west on East High Street to Gay Street, then exiting south on Gay Street to Vine Street. The staging area at East High Street and George Street opens at 8:00 and arrival Entries are asked to get to the staging area by way of Edgewood Road.
Parade entries are announced from the steps of the Knox Memorial on East High Street. A special Memorial Day program follows at the Memorial porch after the parade ends.
Danville’s parade starts at 10 this morning, traveling south on South Market Street, beginning north of the square, and ending at Memorial Park. A service at Memorial Park will follow.
Fredericktown begins the Memorial Day remembrance at 10 this morning on the Village Square, with a flag-raising, the National Anthem, and the laying of a ceremonial wreath. The parade will then go from the square to Forest Cemetery, with a formal ceremony at 10:30.
Centerburg’s parade starts at 10:45 this morning at the corner of Church Street and Hartford Avenue and continues to Eastview Cemetery. The ceremony starts at 11 and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the death of Capt. Peter Hayden Chapman II, a Centerburg native who died in the Vietnam War. The U.S. Air Force Band of Flight provides a free concert at 2 p.m. at the Centerburg High School auditorium.
May 2022 Spotlight on Mount Vernon with Mayor Matt Starr
Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr shared updates on the City with The Morning Thing on Friday, 5/27/22.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
Topics included:
- Updates on current construction projects including new projects that will be starting in June
- Details about Community Development Block Grants
- Information about getting steel to fix issues at the City Parking Garage
- The Project of building a new Court House and the impact on retailers in downtown
- Updates from City Council include:
- Discussion on the Bird Scooters
- Updates from the Employee and Community Relations Committees
- the creation of a Workforce Development Fund
- Childcare study was completed by the Area Development Foundation. There is a great need for daycare services in our community.
- Updates from the Police and Fire Departments
- Updates from the Mount Vernon City Parks and Hiawatha Water Park and Pool. The pool opens on Saturday, 5/28!
- Mount Vernon’s plans for Memorial Day
- Goals for the Mayoral Office in June
- Events on the City’s Calendar
To stay in touch with the City, go to:
- Website – http://www.mountvernonohio.org
- Facebook – The City of Mount Vernon
- Twitter – CityMV1805
Utica Sertoma Ice Cream Festival Conversations
The Utica-Sertoma Ice Cream Festival returns for 2022 after two years of cancellations! The Big Blue Crew is excited to get On the Road this weekend to join this great event. We had the opportunity to talk to representatives of Utica Sertoma and Velvet Ice Cream about this year’s Festival.
Al Shoemaker, Treasurer of Sertoma in Utica, told us about the history of the Festival and all the activities happening this year- including the parade! You can hear the entire conversation HERE.
Luconda Dager, President of Velvet Ice Cream, gave us an update on the company and shared how they will be involved in this year’s Festival. You can catch our conversation with her HERE.
For more information on how WNZR is involved in the 2022 Festival- and how you can win a gift card for ice cream!- be sure to visit our website!
Rise and Shine 