Least of these provides a sober living home for women, the home is not actually located in Knox County, but it is open to women of all around to support people there and they help with women at the county jail to reach Christ. They’re currently working on preparing the house and developing their programing.
Amy founded and is the sitting president of Least of These Ministries, she started by just doing Bible study at the Knox County jail, the women were coming to jail and hating it, vowing not to come back yet still returning; it was at this moment that she realized how powerful addiction is and it inspired her help others deal with addiction, have a place to go, and be transformed in Christ.
You can reach out to Amy at their website at tlot2540.org to volunteer. She asks that you pray for them to remain faithful to what the lord asks them to do and that the right women would find their program.
WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger is joined by Sherri and John Penko from faith Baptist Church to talk about the ministries they have there.
Click HERE to listen to the conversation, or click the image below!
At Faith Baptist, they help with the Children’s ministries including Awana club, they have handbook time, game time, and large group lessons. Sherri helps with American Heritage girls, while John helps with Trail Life USA, they’re both faith based scouting programs focusing on God. Awana club is designed to come along side families to help kids come to Christ. All their ministries are located at 8764 Martinsburg road in mount Vernon. Both American Heritage Girls and Trail Life have annual service projects in the community; their Awana Club helps with food for the hungry.
You can get involved with their Trail Life, and American Heritage Girls on Tuesdays at 6:45 and Awana Club on Wednesdays at 6:30 and you can show up a little bit early to learn about the program and get registered. You can get connected by calling the Church at 740-397-4502. To get connected with trail life, visit traillifeusa.com, and for American Heritage Girls, visit americanheritagegirls.org. You can pray for young men and women to learn about integrity, hope, and truth in Christ; they want to stay focused on teaching them. Trail life wants to build relationships between leaders and young men’s, they want to build Godly men. Awana wants kids to have fun and learn about God.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart got to talk with Lacey Filkins, Executive Director of Experience Mount Vernon, about downtown events and upcoming community activities.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image at the bottom of the blog!
Lacey looks back on a successful 2026 First Friday season, which welcomed more than 15,000 visitors to downtown Mount Vernon. She highlights the expanded Kids Zone, popular passport program, live entertainment, and community participation. Lacey also shares how the events helped support downtown businesses while creating fun experiences for families throughout the summer. She talks about the 6th Annual Johnny Appleseed Fall Festival, taking place Sunday, October 11, at the Schnormeier Event Center in Ariel-Foundation Park from 3 to 5pm.
Lacey also mentions the activity zone for this year includes different exciting events at ariel foundation park for the Johnny Appleseed fall festival. They have more room for this event and she highlights events like hayrides, face painting, balloon animals, pumpkin painting, fishing, antique tractors, and a petting zoo featuring animals from Traveling Acres. Entertainment includes a Bluegrass band Blue Diggity will provide live music inside the event center, creating a festive autumn atmosphere.
Food options available at the Johnny Appleseed Fall Festival include different food trucks featuring local favorites, sweet treats, funnel cakes, drinks, and Mexican street food. You will be able to park at various lots around the Schnormeier event center and around ariel foundation park or walk from a local lot to the park. Lacey thanks the many sponsors and community partners who help make the festival possible each year and she goes into detail what each partner provides to this event.
Lacey shares details about the upcoming Winter in Downtown season, themed “Holiday Movie Magic,” and she’s excited to see what different people bring to events. She talks about Shop Small Saturday, the first event in the Winter in Downtown series. The lighting of Public Square kicks off soon on Monday November 30 from 5 to 6pm. The annual Christmas Parade is moving to Sunday December 6 which leans into the theme of Holiday Movie Magic. Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus on that same day on December 6 and December 12. The Festival of Lights kicks off on December 12 till December 15. Lacey explains how the expanded schedule will provide holiday-themed activities throughout November and December while continuing to support downtown businesses and encouraging residents to shop locally.
Lacey explains Experience Mount Vernon’s mission of creating a vibrant downtown through events, beautification, business support, and community engagement. She discusses maintaining hanging baskets, holiday decorations, sidewalk maintenance, and promotional efforts for downtown merchants. Lacey discusses the organization’s purchase of a permanent home at 10 East Vine Street and shares plans to move into the new downtown location before the end of the year. You can stay connected through Experience Mount Vernon’s website experiencemv.org, monthly newsletter, and social media channels for updates on downtown events and activities.
The 57th Annual Dove Awards are airing on Friday, October 9th at 7:30pm on TBN! To celebrate, The Morning Thing co-hosts share their favorite Dove Award nominated song!
Click HERE to listen to the hosts Friday Favorites, or click the image below!
These were the hosts’ favorites songsfrom this year’s list!
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart got to talk with Lisa Lloyd of the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon about the annual Coats for Kids campaign.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Lisa shares her history with Kiwanis, dating back to her high school Key Club involvement, and explains the organization’s mission of serving children throughout Knox County. She talks about how the Mount Vernon club focuses on helping local families and discusses the long-running Coats for Kids program, which began in 1987 and has provided more than 20,000 coats to children in the community.
Lisa explains how community members can donate coats at nearly 40 collection sites across Knox County, including schools, banks, health agencies, and community organizations. She also discusses the partnership with Gault’s Plaza Cleaners, which cleans every donated coat at no cost before they are distributed through the Salvation Army and Interchurch to families in need. The collection runs throughout the entire month, collection ends on October 31st.
Click HERE for a complete list of drop-off locations for the kids coat collections!
Lisa also talks about how the collection has been going on for 40 years and they have collected over 20,000 coats over the 40 years that they have been doing this collection They have a need for all coat sizes because many teens wear adult-sized clothing. She highlights the ongoing need for warm winter coats in Knox County and encourages businesses and offices to organize their own collection drives to support local families. She talks about how people ask about the drive in august and the excitement and need always exists. Kids grow out of coats, or they get damaged, and the need never ends.
Lisa encourages listeners to find collection locations through the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon Facebook page and also shares other upcoming Kiwanis projects, including a chili supper fundraiser, the Boots for Kids campaign, Salvation Army bell ringing, and helping with Food for the Hungry. Lisa also explains how people can become involved with the club by attending meetings and serving alongside other community volunteers or checking out their website at knoxcf.org.
Click HERE to learn more about the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon and their Coats For Kids Collection!
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart and Olivia Skillings got to talk with Dr. Henry Smith, who was the original WNZR Communication Professor and Station Manager!
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Henry shares with us what he is doing today! He is in Zambia, Africa, helping to start a Wesleyan University in Zambia. Henry shares a funny story with us about a former student of his that has been helping him. He also talks about the dream that he and others had for the radio station at WNZR. There was a nucleus of people who had already started raising money for the station and he helped them to get it started.
Henry tells how the initial planning was a learning opportunity for him because he didn’t because he really wasn’t a radio guy at that time. There was a lot of learning that was done from other stations and even the FCC!
Henry explains to us what his prayer was at the beginning of WNZR. They had an unexpected obstacle when starting up, which was a local TV station petitioning to deny them starting WNZR due to their conflicting dial positions. The supporters of the radio station prayed for the barriers to be removed so they could make a difference with their radio station.
Henry talks about the 4 year waiting period that they experienced while trying to get an FCC license. The TV station in Columbus was the primary cause of that. The students tried to keep the quality of the station high even though they weren’t on the air yet.
He explains his biggest challenge in it was trying to keep the dream alive for the students.
Henry also explains that the things he remembers most is the people from that time. He has always enjoyed working with students the most and recalls how excited they were when they finally received the permission that they needed from the FCC.
Here are pictures from Dr. Smith’s trip to the top of our radio tower. He talked about taking pictures of the MVNC campus in 1986!
Marcy also shares a funny story that current MVNU Professor Alan Reed has about Dr. Smith on that day!
Dr. Smith details the process of what it took to get 90.9FM WNZR on the air! He talks about what he learned about himself throughout those years. Impact has always been his greatest motivator as a person whether that be as a professor, a university president, or a missionary.
Henry talks about the importance of waiting and being patient. The lessons that he and the students learned while waiting were so important and have stayed with him throughout his life.
Dr. Smith explains how important community support was in starting WNZR. Starting the radio station was something that rallied people in the area and the share-a-thons that they did played a huge role in the station’s birth.
Henry and Marcy joke about a potential trip to Zambia so MVNU Communication students can help with the radio station that he is starting there.
Henry speaks on the importance of students learning about broadcasting while studying Communication. The more experiences you can have will lead to students being better communicators. He says that it helps sharpen your communication skills in ways that you don’t even realize.
WNZR’s Josiah Styer talks with Katie Adams, Client Services Director for Starting Point Pregnancy & Family Resource Center.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Katie explains that one of Starting Point’s primary ministries is the Start Here Program, which provides pregnancy and parenting education for pregnant women, couples, and families. Participants earn points through educational appointments that can be used to shop in the ministry’s boutique for items such as diapers, wipes, formula, and other baby essentials.
She says Starting Point’s services are available to anyone in the community without income restrictions or insurance requirements. The ministry serves single parents, families, grandparents, and individuals seeking resources related to unexpected pregnancies, parenting, relationships, and family life. Starting Point strives to meet practical needs while also providing support for all.
Katie shares her personal journey with Starting Point, beginning as a field experience intern through MVNU Online. Shortly after arriving, she learned of an opening for the Client Care Coordinator position, volunteered with the ministry, and eventually joined the staff. After serving as Client Care Coordinator for a year and a half, she recently stepped into the role of Client Services Director.
She also discusses opportunities for community members to become involved with the ministry. Starting Point is currently seeking volunteers in several areas, including nurses, ultrasound technicians, boutique workers, and client advocates. The ministry also welcomes men to serve through its men’s mentoring and support programs. They need volunteers, contact Starting Point directly at 740-393-0370 to learn more about available opportunities. She concludes by expressing excitement for the upcoming 5K and Family Glow Night.
Click HERE for more information about Starting Point Pregnancy & Family Resource Center!
WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger talks with Carrie Haver, who plays Nettie Norton in Bull in a China Shop.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click on the image below!
Carrie describes Nettie as one of six older women living together in the show. She says the character is humorous, often says the wrong thing, and brings plenty of laughs to the production.
She shares that the cast has been rehearsing since the summer, spending time reading through the script and developing the relationships between the characters. Carrie says memorizing lines comes through repetition and listening to recordings of rehearsals.
Carrie says one of her favorite things about playing Nettie is that the character is very different from roles she has played in the past. She enjoys portraying an older woman and bringing the character’s unique personality to life.
A theater veteran, Carrie has appeared in numerous productions with both Orange Barrel Productions and MTVarts. She recalls playing Glinda in The Wizard of Oz as one of her favorite theater experiences. Carrie also says the humor in Bull in a China Shop is what makes the show especially enjoyable and believes audiences will find many opportunities to laugh.
Carrie says one of the highlights of the production has been the strong chemistry and camaraderie among the cast. Many of the actors have worked together before, creating a comfortable and enjoyable rehearsal environment.
She also discusses the show’s costumes and makeup, explaining that the cast uses special makeup and costumes to portray older women living in the 1950s. Carrie encourages anyone interested in theater to get involved, noting there are opportunities for people of all ages both on stage and behind the scenes. She hopes the community will come see Bull in a China Shop, enjoy a good laugh, and support local theater.
Click HERE to learn more about Orange Barrel Production Company!
WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger talks with Brook Abella, senior at MVNU and her band, who are one of the artists performing at Sonfest 2026.
Click HERE to hear the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Brook Abella’s band is made up of Elijah Yoder, guitarist and vocalist, Robert Eggebrect, drummer, and Luke Tibbe, pianist.
Brook Abella grew up in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and found many opportunities to worship in different places in her town.
Luke Tibbe, pianist, is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has been participating in music for about 6 years. Since then, he has really enjoyed being on worship teams and praising Jesus.
Robbert Eggebrect, drummer, is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and an engineer student from Cedarville University. Elijah Yoder, guitarist and vocalist, has been leading worship at his church for about a year and has been playing guitar for about 4 years.
Brook Abella’s music influence has come from sources like Christian radio and artists like TobyMac and Mandisa. She enjoys listening to the messages of inspiration and hope and putting that same message into the songs she makes. When writing and making music, her inspiration comes from God’s Word and the quiet, still moments she has with God.
Brook Abella is looking forward to seeing this year’s Sonfest headliner, Chris Renzema, at MVNU. She is a fan of his musicianship and his songwriting. In her band’s set, they normally perform a song written by Chris Renzema called “Adoni”.
Luke Tibbe, pianist, is also looking forward to seeing Chris Renzema at this year’s Sonfest. He really enjoys Renzema’s music and lyrics, which have played a big influence on Luke.
Elijah Yoder, guitarist and vocalist, is excited to worship at Sonfest this year. With all the preparation the band has done, he is excited to worship with everyone. Robbert Eggebrect, drummer, is excited to meet gio., who is another artist at Sonfest 2026.
Brook Abella hopes that while she and the band are onstage, the audience will experience the presence of God. She and the band invite the Holy Spirit into any atmosphere they are in and hope that people who may not know Jesus will begin to ask who He is and start to learn more about Him.
Luke Tibbe, pianist, wants the audience to know “how livable” The Gospel message is through worship.
Elijah Yoder, guitarist and vocalist, is looking forward for the band and audience to be unashamed in worship. Robbert Eggebrect, drummer, is hoping that the Sonfest artist arrives with an open mind and worship with no limits.
Click HERE for ticket information and more about Sonfest 2026!
