WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with Katie Ellis, Executive Director and Walt Lewis, Resource Navigator for the United Way of Knox County. Click HERE for the full conversation.
They shared the good news that the free tax assistance program is back for 2025. Katie shared how volunteers and donors make this program available for the residents of Knox County. Walk shared the details of how to make an appointment and how to prepare for the appointment. This program is designed for low to moderate income families – individuals with an income of $35,000 or less or married couples with a $95,000 income or less. The program runs from February 3, 2025 – April 10, 2025. Appointments are required. Call (740) 397-5721 to schedule your free tax appointment. The United Way office is located at 305 East High Street in Mount Vernon.
On Friday, 1/31/25, Experience Mount Vernon handed out the 2024 Investor Awards. WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart and Eric Brown talked with the winners. Click HERE to hear the conversations.
Congratulations to: Janis Stone – Walter Rudin Award Paragraphs Bookstore – Small Business of the Year TD Landscape – Mid-Size Business of the Year Park National Bank – Large Business of the Year Mount Vernon Arts Consortium – Non-Profit of the Year Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau – Community Pride Award Emily Morrison – Spirit of Heritage Award
This prestigious Walter Rudin Award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and impact on the Downtown Mount Vernon community. Janis Stone’s unwavering commitment to enhancing our city’s vibrancy through the performing arts and fostering a spirit of collaboration has made her a cornerstone of our community’s growth and success.
Janis Stone has played a transformative role in shaping our cultural landscape through her remarkable dedication to the arts and tireless efforts to enrich Downtown Mount Vernon. Her unwavering commitment to downtown Mount Vernon and various arts initiatives has made high-quality, accessible arts programming a cornerstone of our community. Janis’ leadership and vision have brought unforgettable performances to Mount Vernon’s heart and fostered a deeper connection to the arts for residents and visitors alike.
Janis Stone’s influence extends beyond her work with MTVarts. She has actively engaged with local businesses, collaborated with fellow arts organizations, and passionately contributed to Experience Mount Vernon events, all while advocating for the vibrancy of our downtown area. Through her leadership, countless individuals have been inspired to explore the arts, and Downtown Mount Vernon has become a cultural hub that draws people together through shared creative experiences.
In addition to the Walter Rudin Award, Experience Mount Vernon awarded six additional business and community awards at its Annual Investor & Awards Breakfast on January 31st: ● Small Business of the Year: Paragraphs Bookstore, for its outstanding service to the community and dedication to fostering connections in Downtown Mount Vernon. ● Mid-Size Business of the Year: TD Landscape, for its exemplary work in enhancing vibrancy in Downtown Mount Vernon. ● Large Business of the Year: Park National Bank, for its long-standing commitment to outstanding leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to fostering local partnerships. ● Non-Profit of the Year: Mount Vernon Arts Consortium, for enriching the cultural fabric of our city through innovative programming and tireless advocacy for the arts. ● Community Pride Award: Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau, for unwavering commitment to enhancing the beauty and pride of Mount Vernon and for promoting Mount Vernon as a top destination in Ohio. ● Spirit of Heritage Award: Emily Morrison, for her selfless volunteerism and a deep passion for capturing our community’s spirit through her photography.
Experience Mount Vernon extends heartfelt thanks to the sponsors who made these awards possible: The Mount Vernon Grand Hotel for the Small Business of the Year Award; Dumbaugh Insurance for the Mid-Size Business of the Year Award; Flappers Bar & Grille for the Large Business of the Year Award; Kidwell & Cunningham for the Non-Profit of the Year Award; Griffin Insurance for the Community Pride Award; CES Credit Union for the Spirit of Heritage Award; and Park National Bank for the Walter Rudin Award. Their generosity and dedication to supporting our community’s leaders and businesses help make this recognition possible.
“Each of these award winners exemplifies the best of what Mount Vernon has to offer,” said Lacey Filkins, Executive Director of Experience Mount Vernon. “Their collective efforts contribute to the ongoing transformation of our community into a thriving and inspiring place to live, work, and visit.”
Experience Mount Vernon is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the vibrancy of Downtown Mount Vernon through events, programs, and partnerships that celebrate its unique charm and foster community pride.
For more information about Experience Mount Vernon, visit experiencemv.org.
Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr shared updates on the City with The Morning Thing on Friday, 1/31/25. Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
Topics included: A discussion about current construction and maintenance projects for the city. He shares the progress of these projects: – the Splashpad. – the Mansfield Avenue Shared Use Path – the Dan Emmett Community Development Block Grant area. – Fairgrounds Water Line and resurfacing project.
Mayor Starr gives updates on the Wastewater Treatment Plant project: He says that other mandated upgrades will have a price tag of $45 million. He says they are trying to find various sources of funding to help with the cost.
Mayor Starr says that City Auditor Pay Mayville has resigned effective February 14. The Republican Central Committee will be tasked with finding a replacement once he officially leaves office.
Mayor Starr Mayor Starr gives an update on other city departments. – He gives an update on the city filling potholes and if someone sees a pothole to report it to the street department at 393-9501. – He gives kudos to the plow drivers for going above and beyond their normal duties during snow events. Park and Pavilion reservations are now available online at the city’s website at (currently) mountvernonohio-dot-com – They will also be launching a new website soon and re-doing the city’s business videos on their website.
Mayor Starr talks about the listening tours for the new facilities. – There has been concern about how the facilities will look. – He says the public comment period for the new police department will end February 23. – More listening tour dates are planned in February and March. – He adds that there is an online survey for the public to see if they would like to give input.
Mayor Starr talks about the happenings of Liberty Crossing, the major development on Newark Road. – Result in 230 apartments, 90 townhouses and 43 patio homes and 93 traditional homes. – He says that this project has been in the works for quite a while.
Mayor Starr shares updates from Mount Vernon City Council: – Oppose an ATT tariff revision that shifts the cost of relocating lines to the city. – He says if the revision would have been approved, the city and taxpayers would have had to pay for the re-location. – He says they have 80 volunteers to serve on committees and boards for the city. – They had a second reading for re-zoning at 0 Parrot Street. He says the decision could be precedent setting in the state of Ohio. – The city received permission from the council to apply to the Federal Community Project Funding program to find funding for buildings and other pieces of infrastructure.
Mayor Starr shares an update from the Mount Vernon Police Department – He says they are updating information regarding the public comments for the new facility. – He says the police department is fully staffed. – He says the Police Department’s award ceremony is tomorrow.
Mayor Starr shares an update from the Mount Vernon Fire Department. – He says that they are constantly working on training including completing ice rescue training. – He adds that the entire department is fully staffed. – He also gives award recipients from the Fire Department Award Ceremony.
Mayor Starr shares his immediate goals for February: – He is proud that they did not use an interim budget. They passed the budget which allows decisions to be made now as opposed to waiting for an interim budget to be finalized. – He wants to have the design team picked for planning the new buildings – He says they also will be releasing an employee handbook and handbook for board members for the first time in the city’s history.
Mayor Starr shares his goals for 2025: – He wants to make sure that the auditor’s office runs smoothly – He says they are in the process of property acquisition for the South Sandusky Street Corridor Project. – He says the buildings in Memorial Park are being replaced.
Mayor Starr gives some calendar events for February. – Groundbreaking on Liberty Crossing on February 5. – The Mount Vernon Arts Consortium will give an update on the season February 8. – There will also be a joint meeting of Mount Vernon Council, Knox County Commissioners and regional planning commission meeting to talk about the comprehensive plan.
He also shares the way you can pray for him and the city.
To stay in touch with the City, go to: Website – http://www.mountvernonohio.org Facebook – The City of Mount Vernon X – CityMV1805 YouTube – The City of Mount Vernon LinkedIn – City of Mount Vernon, Ohio
On Friday’s show, The Morning Thing shined the spotlight on the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and the ministry of Starting Point Pregnancy and Family Resource Center. We talked with Jenn Furay, Executive Director of Starting Point. Click HERE to hear the full conversation or watch the Soundcloud link below. She shared with us how the celebration of life happens throughout the month of January.
She also shared some amazing stats:
Fingernails start to develop at 12 weeks gestation
the heart beats 54 million times between conception and birth
a baby that is delivered at only 24 weeks gestation has a 60-70% chance of survival
a baby delivered at 28 weeks (12 weeks pre-mature) has an 80-90% chance of survival with only a 10% chance of having any long-term health problems
Jenn also talked about the option of abortion pill reversal. Starting Point’s Medical Director, Dr. Hardin is part of a network that has saved over 1,200 lives with this method.
Jenn also shared how knowledge is power. Starting Point offers:
an informational video for churches or online sharing
speakers for small groups or churches
tours of the Starting Point facilities
training for volunteers
For more information about Starting Point Pregnancy and Family Resource Center, go to www.FriendsofKSP.com
Food For The Hungry Executive Director Kathy Brechler and Digital Content and Marketing Director Olivia talk about the excitement around the Food For The Hungry Live event!
Olivia gives a stat that 14,000 folks do not have enough food in the home to feed their family while Kathy talks about her first time in her role with the event.
Olivia talks about the different events that were held beginning in the summer all the way through today including the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving raising $1,600 and over 600 cans of food.
Kathy talks about the Centerburg Wreath Silent auction that closes today at the Park National Bank location at 12pm. The Danville Wreath Silent Auction at Park National branch closes at 2pm.
Olivia adds the Knox County Career Center auction features almost 20 items including over a dozen baskets and ends today at 3pm.
Olivia and Kathy that totals from the Food For The Hungry Live event will not be announced until next Monday, but more importantly, the entire Food For The Hungry campaign does not end until December 31st.
Click HERE to find out more about Food For The Hungry!
Sheryl O’Neill with the Centerburg Branch of Interchurch Social Services and Cindy Martin, the Danville Branch Manager for Interchurch Social Services talk about the return of the silent wreath auction in their towns!
They say the wreaths can be seen at the Centerburg and Danville Branches of Park National Bank during regular business hours and on Facebook. Bids can be placed at the branch. The auction ends Friday and arrangements for payment and pickup will be addressed at that time.
Donations raised will be used to purchase food through the Mid Ohio Food Collective.
For more information on the Centerburg Wreath Auction, click HERE.
For more information on the Danville Wreath Auction, click HERE.
Jacob Doup with WRP CPAs talks about 2024 Food For The Hungry.
Click HERE for the full conversation. Jacob about the services WRP CPAs provides to Food For the Hungry including bookkeeping and keeping track of donations. Jacob says that wages have not keep with the economy and more people are struggling. He talks about how donations for Food for the Hungry can equate to an enormous buying power at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Jacob details the different ways people can donate to Food For The Hungry including the checkpoints around Knox County, online, through Venmo, during drive day and by calling (740) 397-9084.
Rise and Shine 