The Morning Thing Friday Favorites – Memories from MVNU

Today for our Friday Favorites, we celebrate Homecoming at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
The Morning Thing hosts share some of their favorite memories from their time at MVNU. Enjoy!

Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Wesley and Allison.

WNZR welcomes all alumni home to campus this weekend!

Play Cornhole and Raise Money for Food For The Hungry!

MacKenzie Ernsberger, KCCC Senior studying Landscaping and Design and Keeleigh Johnston, KCCC alum share about the upcoming Cornhole Tournament on November 13 to benefit Food For The Hungry.

The ladies share about their involvement at the Knox County Career Center. MacKenzie tells us the story of how her Junior class ended the school year last Spring by playing cornhole, and she had the idea to make a fundraiser with this fun game!

You can register by email nursecampbell@gmail.com or by calling 740-501-1315.

The 1st place winners will receive a $500 prize, and the 2nd place winners will receive coupons for 1 hour of axe throwing.

All the money raised at this fundraiser will be donated to Food For The Hungry.

MacKenzie and Keeleigh share how their lab at KCCC is involved with raising money for FFTH.

They also share their thoughts about the Food For The Hungry slogan – “Working Together to Care for Our Neighbors.” They also share their passion in working to raise money for this campaign.

Click HERE to listen to the conversation.

WNZR talks with the 2022 Food For The Hungry Marketing Team

WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with Katelynn Mast and Olivia Stern, Marketing Directors for the 2002 Food For The Hungry Drive.
The Campaign is underway for this year and there are many exciting events coming up!

Click HERE to hear the full conversation.

Topics covered include:

  • Katelynn shares some big changes that are coming to her life and how those changes will impact Food For The Hungry.
  • She introduces us to the new FFTH Marketing Director, Olivia Stern.
  • The ladies share what has been happening since Kick-Off Day on 11/1.
  • Dates for this year’s drive 
  • 2022 goal
  • The highlight of the 2022 Food For The Hungry Calendar of events
  • How we can stay connected to what is happening on the FFTH calendar?
  • The ladies talk about the power and meaning of the Food For The Hungry slogan – “Working Together to Care for Our Neighbors”

You can help with Food For The Hungry this year. Stay up to date on all the events at www.foodforthehungrycares.org

You can email Lisa at LisaM.ffth@gmail.com or call 740-398-0569.

WNZR talks with Lisa Mazzari, Food For The Hungry Executive Director

The 2022 Food For The Hungry Drive kicked off on Tuesday, 11/1!

WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart sat down with FFTH Executive Director, Lisa Mazzari to talk about this year’s campaign.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation.

They talked about the following:

  • Her history with Food For The Hungry
  • Her role as Executive Director
  • Food For The Hungry has been raising money to feed families in our community for 40 years. 2022 marks the 41st annual drive.
  • Recognition of the Food For The Hungry partners that make up the board and serve on many committees.
  • Food For The Hungry volunteers and how to get involved.
  • Food For The Hungry is local, all money and food collected stays here in Knox County to support families in Knox County.
  • 2022 goal and how people can give to Food For The Hungry
  • Food For The Hungry’s summer food-related grants
  • Grant Program for the 2002 drive and how food initiatives can apply

You can help with Food For The Hungry this year. Stay up to date on all the events at www.foodforthehungrycares.org

You can email Lisa at LisaM.ffth@gmail.com or call 740-398-0569.


Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from today! Are you ready?

AAHHHH! Did you scream a little when you read the title of this blog? We did when writing it! 🙂

Time has been flying by so quickly this fall. You are probably just like us, wondering how we will get everything done before our family is ready to sit down to the Thanksgiving table.

Don’t worry. The Morning Thing, and the Food Network, are here to help!

Click HERE to find an amazing Thanksgiving Countdown, complete with tips on how to prepare for the meal like a pro.

This planner breaks your task list down by using the calendar to your advantage. See the tips for 3 weeks before (which is actually today), 2 weeks before, 1 week before, 4 days before, 2 days before, 1 day before and then tips for Thanksgiving Day. Be sure to see the info-graphic below too.

We would love to see some pictures of your Thanksgiving Day feast. Send them to wnzr@mvnu.edu

You can change a child’s life by just packing a shoebox!

Christmas may be over a month away, but now is the time to start packing your shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child! National Collection Week is November 14-21, and many local churches are participating as drop-off collection points.

Click HERE for a list of participating churches and their drop-off times.

The Shoeboxes have had such a positive impact on children’s lives around the world. They don’t just get a fantastic gift of toys, personal care items, and school supplies, but they also get to hear the Good News of Jesus when they get their gifts!

Click HERE to read stories from people who got a Shoebox as a child. Many of them have gone on to form their own ministries!

Feeling inspired yet? Click HERE to learn how to pack your shoebox.

Need some gift ideas? Click HERE for ideas and to see what cannot go in a shoebox.

Click HERE for the Samaritan’s Purse homepage where you can learn all about Operation Christmas Child.

The Friends of the Knox County Animal Shelter have released their 2023 Dog Calendar

The Friends of the Knox County Animal Shelter have released their 2023 calendar! Phil Samuell, who produces the adorable calendars, talked with us about them.

Phil tells us how he and his wife got connected to the Dog Shelter, and how they got started taking pictures of the dogs for the fundraiser. He shares how the dogs are chosen for the calendar. The dog who gets the most votes and raises the most money at the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival gets featured! Phil also told us where and how to get this calendar. All of the money goes directly to the shelter dogs! It also gives these dogs a chance to find forever homes. Click HERE to hear the conversation. dog-shelter-calendar-poster-1

Today is National Stress Awareness Day

We often think of stress as solely a bad thing, but the truth is, in its intended design stress serves a good purpose similar to pain. It tells us that something is wrong and warns our brain that we are in danger. However, in the modern world we find ourselves experiencing stress when there is no present danger. Our minds react with warnings to our day to day lives. This is not how God intended us to live. The problem goes even further, because many of us don’t even realize that we’re stressed. Our culture values productivity more than almost anything else, so we have been conditioned to believe that if we are not pushing ourselves to the limit and feeling exhausted at the end of the day that we haven’t done enough. Warning signs of stress are accepted as part of normal life.

That is why we are promoting National Stress Awareness Day. We not only want you to take care of your physical health, but also your emotional and spiritual health, so that you can live the life God intended and experience his love and peace. The first step is identifying how stress is revealing itself in your life. It can take many forms- tense muscles, sore jaws, little sleep, extra sleep, headaches… It varies from person to person. Today on the show we shared a list of various signs of stress. Check it out HERE and see if stress has snuck up on you without you realizing it.

Maybe you are already aware of your stress though. Those signs may be perfectly clear and you just don’t know how to reduce it, which in turn creates more stress. It’s a vicious cycle. There is hope though. God in His mercy and love equips us with ways to reduce stress and feel His peace. We shared advice from Pastor Chip Ingram on Biblical ways to reduce the stress in our lives. You can find his great advice HERE.

Remember what Casting Crowns sings: We are made to do more than just survive. We were made to thrive. We cannot do that when shackled to the burden of stress. I pray that you will experience God’s peace today and that we will provide you with relief from life’s stressors so that you can live life abundantly once again.

To learn more about National Stress Awareness Day, click HERE.

The Morning Thing celebrates CANDY!

Today (10/31), The Morning Thing talked about Candy!

USA Today did an insightful article about the most popular candy choices in the USA.

Here are the top 10 candies in America, according to CandyStore.com:

  1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  2. Skittles
  3. M&M’s
  4. Starburst
  5. Hot Tamales
  6. Sour Patch Kids
  7. Hershey Kisses
  8. Snickers
  9. Tootsie Pops 
  10. Candy corn

The Top 3 candy choices in Ohio were:
1. M & Ms
2. Blow Pops
3. Starburst

Do you agree?

Check out the full article from USA Today HERE.

We shared thoughts from some of our Big Blue Crew members.

Click HERE to hear from the WNZR Staff about their favorite candy choices.

October 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, 10/28/22.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation.

Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr shared updates on the City with The Morning Thing on Friday, 10/28/22.

Topics included:

  • An update on current construction and maintenance projects
    • Finishing the Municipal Parking Garage
    • Columbus Rd / South Main intersection curbing and guttering
  • Budgeting for projects in the upcoming 3 years
  • An update on the City’s plans for snow removal this winter.
  • The City is currently hiring seasonal workers to help with leaf removal.
  • An update about the funding the City received from the Ohio Department of Development to help with community improvements.
    • Mount Vernon is receiving a $500,000 critical infrastructure grant that will fund repairs to the brick streets and other improvements for North Catherine Street.
    • Mount Vernon is also receiving a $750,000 neighborhood revitalization grant that will be used to:
      • Solve water line problems around Dan Emmett Elementary School, Mansfield Avenue, Taylor Avenue, Nuce Road, and Nash Street.
      • Along with an ODOT grant, create a multi-use path on Mansfield Road to give Dan Emmett students a safe path to walk or bike to school.
  • Mayor Matt Starr gives us an update from the Mount Vernon Municipal Planning Commission regarding a preliminary plat for Heartland Commerce Park (formerly known as Cooper Progress Park) and the comprehensive development plan for the area. He shares that the site plan has allowed the real estate agents to sell or rent the sectioned-off parcels of property. He tells us that there is interest in the properties.
  • Updates from Mount Vernon City Council:
    • A public hearing was held regarding rezoning a parcel of real estate on State Route 13 for a developer who wants to put a housing development. In the next 60 days, a public presentation will be held by the developer to go over the site plan.
    • A committee meeting was held regarding the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) with the Parks and Public Lands committee
    • A reorganizational meeting was held by the Utilities Department as they said farewell to Brian McKeever, the pre-treatment coordinator and operator.
    • Mayor Matt Starr shares that the City Council approved $2,000 to be used on a workforce development and employee recognition program to honor those who’ve dedicated many years of their life to public service.
  • Mayor Matt Starr encourages Mount Vernon residents to give their opinions on the Zoning Code Survey. The survey can be accessed from the City’s website and social media accounts. They can rate different pictures of ideas for housing and design in Mount Vernon. This will help the City plan for various kinds of housing.
  • Update from the Mount Vernon Police Department.
    • Continued training for officers
    • The increase in speed violations was reported, and this is due to an officer dedicated to patrolling areas of the City, specifically in school zones and neighborhoods.
  • Update from the Mount Vernon Fire Department including updates on recent training.
    • October is Fire Prevention Month, and Mayor Starr shares fire safety advice regarding electricity.
    • The Fire Department has also been performing driver’s training and physical fitness tests.
  • Mount Vernon’s designation as an Official Bee City
  • Mayor Starr shares a list of events planned for the City in November.
    • Planning budgets for upcoming projects.
    • Trick or Treat on Oct. 31
    • Veteran’s Day ceremony on Public Square on 11/11 at 11am
    • Preparing for snow
  • Mayor Starr shares the immediate goals for October

To stay in touch with the City, go to:

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