We got to talk with Amy Seward, who is the Deputy Director of the KCEMA! In honor of it being National Preparedness Month, Amy wanted to tell us why and how we should be preparing for disasters. She also details her role, what they do, and how you can stay connected!
For more information on National Preparedness Month, click HERE!
Click HERE if you want to know more about the Knox County Emergency Management Agency!
Mount Vernon’s Mayor Matt Starr joins us for our monthly update! He lets us know about many things regarding our community. The mayor details deer hunting, construction, his prayer breakfast that is coming up, and many more important topics!
Go check out the full conversation!
WNZR joins MVNU’s celebration of New Student Move In Day.
We talked with Campus leaders about this special day and their goals for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
MVNU’s Director of Residence Life, Sarah Mowry
MVNU’s NEW Executive Director of Enrollment, Jon Nicholas
MVNU’s VP of Student Life, Dr. Matt Spraker
MVNU’s VP of Spiritual Life and Church Relations, Dave Mills
MVNU’s Assistant Director of Traditional Enrollment, Ben Slater
We know activities start to snowball when school starts in the Fall.
But don’t forget your family still needs to stay connected.
On Tuesday’s edition of the Morning Thing, Eric shared simple ways to stay connected as a family during the school year.
Some of the ideas included:
Click HERE for some more ideas from the website First Things
We got to sit down with Tara Severence and Danielle England from the Hospice of the Western Reserve! Tara and Danielle provide us with information about themselves, their organization, and all the services they provide. They also detail their open house they have coming up, where you can learn about hospice, meet team members, and check out their new facilities!
Hospice of the Western Reserve Invites You to an Open House
Mount Vernon, OH— Hospice of the Western Reserve in Mount Vernon (formerly HNCO/Hospice of Knox County), invites you to join us for an open house event on August 21, 2025 from 11am-3pm.
HNCO/Hospice of Knox County was acquired by Hospice of the Western Reserve on August 1, 2024. We are an Ohio-based non-profit organization dedicated to end-of-life care in the community for over 40 years. This partnership allowed us to expand our services and comprehensive care.
The open house is an opportunity to bring the community together to learn about our hospice and palliative care services, meet our local team members, and to see our newly renovated space.
During the open house you can enjoy local food trucks, music, and light refreshments while touring our facility and learning about the care, comfort, and support we provide for patients and families. A table of informational materials will be available as well as goody bags for the first 100 visitors.
We will also share ways you can make a difference as a volunteer.
On the Rise Bar-B-Que and Round Hill Dairy will be selling and serving food and ice cream from their food trucks. The local band Side Effects is scheduled to perform from 11am-1pm followed by Granny Creek from 1pm-3pm on our back patio, a relaxing space with a beautiful view of nature and a granite water fountain.
All are welcome to attend!
Hospice of the Western Reserve is located at 17700 Coshocton Road in Mount Vernon. We are just past the health department on the right-hand side of the road. There is a big blue sign in our yard that you cannot miss!
To RSVP or for questions, contact Tara at 740-507-0072 or tseverance@hospicewr.org.
To learn more about their organization, click HERE!
WNZR gets to talk with Ben Staats and Dave Ewert from the team at Praisestock! They share with us all of the information on this year’s Praisestock event. There will be speakers, worship, ministries you can visit, and a ton of events for kids! Your not going to want to miss this year’s event.
To learn more about Praisestock’s mission and their annual event, click HERE!
We got to chat with several members of the Teen Advisory Counsel about their program and the upcoming Color Run! Their members tell us all about the TAC, why they are involved, and they highlight the fun event coming this weekend!
To learn more about the TAC or their Color Run, click HERE!
We got to sit down with Terry Schulz and Sarah Scott from Habitat for Humanity! They tell us all about Habitat’s mission and goals to help in our community.
They also highlight their new Welcome Home Ohio Project which is in the works right now and will help numerous people. There is a lot of work going into right now and it is for a great cause!
To stay connected with their ministry, click HERE!
Marcy got a chance to speak with some very special people: Jen Odenweller from Friends of the Dog Fountain, Wynne Morgan from The Annex, and Alisagrace Raynak who is an artist that participated in the exhibit! They all talked about the famous dog fountain and the amazing exhibit that is being shown right now downtown. Go check out the Schnormeier Gallery and The Annex downtown to get in on the fun!
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Twenty-seven dog-fountain-inspired artworks from 16 community artists are now on display at the Schnormeier Gallery. The Dog Fountain Exhibit is the Friends of South Main Plaza’s free community art show, running from July 28-August 28, 2025 at the Schnormeier Gallery, in celebration of the fifth anniversary of downtown Mount Vernon’s beloved dog fountain.
The special community anniversary celebration also involves an additional fountain-inspired exhibit in the making at The Annex, where community members can visit and create their own dog masterpieces to be placed around a large watercolor fountain created by Annex instructor and professional painter Jim Leitz.
This free community art show honors the whimsical spirit of South Main Plaza, home to hand-painted, cast aluminum sculptures of 18 dogs, one cat, two pairs of birds, a pony, an apple, and the cherished golden dog bone. Recently voted “2025 Best City Street Art in Ohio” by Midwestern Traveler Magazine, Mount Vernon’s dog fountain has been a joyful community hub where residents and visitors have gathered over the past five years for friendly conversation, memorable photos, and creative inspiration.
The exhibit is made possible through the collaboration of Schnormeier Gallery, The Annex, and the Ariel Foundation — partners in the Friends of South Main Plaza initiative. Special recognition is given to Phil and Mary Samuell of Gambier, the original visionaries behind the fountain. Inspired by the late Claude Cormier, the internationally renowned landscape architect who designed the original Dog Fountain in Toronto’s Berczy Park, the Samuells brought their dream to life in Mount Vernon through a unique community partnership.
About Schnormeier Gallery Located at 221 S. Main St., Mount Vernon, on the first floor of MVNU’s Buchwald Center, Schnormeier Gallery is dedicated to showcasing diverse artistic expressions. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 1-5 p.m., Friday from 1-7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free, and all are welcome to experience the transformative power of art in this vibrant community space. For more information, contact the Schnormeier Gallery at artgallery@mvnu.edu.
About The Annex Located in a restored storefront at 12 E. Gambier St., Mount Vernon, The Annex is an extension of Kenyon College’s teaching museum, The Gund. Through programs informed by The Gund’s growing permanent collection, we reimagine what it means to “learn with art” as a community. We invite neighbors, families, students, and lifelong learners to discover new connections to art, ideas, and each other through free workshops, creative activities, and events.
Xander got to talk multiple members of the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival Board! They tell us about their involvement with the MVMAF and give us details on different events that are going on this year. They also tell us some advice and what they are looking forward to. This is going to be an amazing event and a special year!
Come on down to the MVMAF and see all these great events!
For more information click HERE!
Rise and Shine 