Episodes
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Candidate Shawn Kaeser (R) State Representative District 11 - HBAC Interview
In the final week of the 2026 midterms the Hilliard Beacon was able to secure interviews with Republican Shawn Kaesar and Incumbent Democrat Crystal Lett both competing November 3rd for the State Representative seat in District 11 currently held by Lett. In the interest of fairness and in order…
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Incumbent Crystal Lett (D) State Representative District 11 - HBAC Interview
In the final week of the 2026 midterms the Hilliard Beacon was able to secure interviews with Republican Shawn Kaesar and Incumbent Democrat Crystal Lett both competing November 3rd for the State Representative seat in District 11 currently held by Lett. In the interest of fairness and in order…
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‘Hilliard Schools, Columbus Taxes,’ was a familiar refrain for decades. Who pays now?
Paul LambertOriginally published on EducateHilliard Ever since the 1980s, when the population of the Hilliard School District began exploding in response to the Penick vs Columbus Board of Education desegregation lawsuit, we’ve heard the phrase “Hilliard Schools, Columbus Taxes.” It was a…
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HBAC 171: Robin Brenneman
We were happy to renew an annual tradition by hosting Artistic Director of the Hilliard Arts Council, Robin Brenneman, for another fun conversation around the thrill of putting on a show… Upcoming Season A Renewal of Voice We discussed Robin’s commitment to vocal performance and a re-emphasis on...
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HBAC 170: Electric Aggravation, Flock Vexation
On this edition of the Audio Companion we sift through a full week of Hilliard happenings and big decisions affecting you! In a first since 2011… After a brief discussion of the shooting we reflect on our chat from last week with other local journalists and share our thoughts on their approach…
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HBAC 169: Local News Roundtable
Telling it like it is… For the latest HBAC Jordan, Tim and Kevin called in the big guns, bringing together three pioneering local publishers for a conversation about the state of news and reporting in our region. We spend an hour with the the trio of bestsellers describing their individual…
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HBAC 167: ‘Leisure Club’ Founder Matt Barnes
We had a great time talking with pal and local legend Matt Barnes for this edition of the HBAC. We go through the arc of Matt’s career and unearth some great stories and bits of wisdom for people taking the unconventional route through working life. Risk, Transition, and Making it Go We talked...
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HBAC 166: Summertime and the people are busy
Kevin returns from his vacation to the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras. Related: Check out what some of the richest people in the world are getting up to with the Prospera “economic development zone.” Local Weather Continues The Franklinton flood wall erected and additional images…
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HBAC #165 - Hilliard, Unfiltered
This episode was recorded just prior to the severe storms that rocked the area Tuesday morning. The Beacon passes our sincere best wishes to those affected and thanks profusely those responding to all our neighbors in need. If you’d like to tell your storm story or discuss other local matters...
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HBAC 164: Cicada Summer w/ Don Kloss
Tim bangs drums on this record! For this installment of the Hilliard Beacon our usual hosts Jordan, Tim and Kevin welcome local certified naturalist and author Don Kloss to hold court on a range of important issues and bring light to some lesser known or fading Hilliard history. EPA Gives Tech...
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HBAC: Summer Madness Edition
As you’ll hear, we’re always in the Heat Dome at the Beacon and never more so than mid-July. We intro a new segment, Tim's "Tubi Corner,” with Bronx Executioner & Heavy Metal.On a personal note we talk recent and (not so recent) International travel stories and how the embedded family is an ideal...
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HBAC 163: Franklin County Fair w/ Amy Fleshman
Amy Fleshman, the year round manager of the fair stops by to get us up to date on this special community tradition! This episode of the Beacon offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to stage one of central Ohio's longest-running community traditions. The guys are joined by Amy Fleshman,...
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HBAC 161: Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano
The wider ‘Ax the Tax’ movement came up short for the November ballot this year but nonetheless provided a challenging spur to the status quo. On this installment, the usual Beacon Boys and local ace Paul Lambert host the Franklin County Auditor as projected home values hit doorsteps around...
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HBAC 160: Tristan Rader - State Representative District 13
Ohio’s rapid expansion of data centers is building stress around electric reliability, rising utility costs and who ultimately bears the burden of responsibility for billions of dollars in new infrastructure. Those issues were the focus of our conversation with State Rep. Tristan Rader who serves...
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HBAC #159 - Food for the Fourth and City Housing Policy
A HOT hello to you all! We interview a quadruplet of guests this week, starting off with returning brothers Sam and Charlie Owsley who join us to hype the second annual Food for the Fourth donation event benefiting Hilliard Food Pantry. Every donation helps local families, and just $1 donated...
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HBAC #158: Cosmic Confab with Jason Hissong
Join us for a night of stargazing and Stellar Conversation, won’t you? If you like what you see and hear in this episode then take the plunge and explore the skies with the Columbus Astronomical Society, spend a Friday evening at historic Perkins Observatory or travel to some of the darkest skies...
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HBAC 157: Head, Heart, Hands and Health
We open the latest episode of the Audio Companion by welcoming Sam Swank, a longtime member of 4-H, who discussed his experiences with the organization and his current project studying yeast breads. Sam, who joined 4-H at age six, described the program as a place where you learn about nature,...
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HBAC 156: Hilliard Short Film Festival
We were recently joined in studio by Austin Rutherford and Megan Miracle as they promoted Hilliard’s upcoming short film festival. Both Austin and Megan are former students in Hilliard and we’re very pleased to see them developing their passion into local opportunities for fellow creators. 0:00 -...
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HBAC #155: The Coffee Connection w/ Nate Grenier
It was a real treat to host old friend Nate Grenier for a chat about our shared history and the business he, his wife and family have grown in Hilliard. 0:00-5:30 - In the beginning...two ‘wild and crazy’ guys. 5:30-10:30 - Building a local coffee culture 10:30-16:30 - Family, marriage, and...
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HBAC# 154: Public / Private Eyes are Watching You
Thanks for listening, everyone! In this episode: * We review our recent interview with Chief Woods. * We spend a good portion of the episode discussing expanding surveillance technology in Hilliard, including the prevalence of residential cameras and growing police use of Flock license plate…
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HBAC #151: Hilliard Division of Police Chief Michael Woods
With the latest episode of the HBAC the guys welcome Hilliard Police Chief Michael Woods to the program for a focused conversation on our burgeoning suburb. Community Policing Woods described community policing as a core operational philosophy beginning at the hiring stage. Officers, he said, are...
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HBAC #150: w/ Jake Trubiano of Gold Path Solar
All jokes aside… * Milestone episode (No. 150) and recap of recent studio activity, including filming a documentary segment with Nicolette Jaworski on our Data Center reporting. Her team recently produced a documentary short on another Ohio story. * We then kick off the episode proper with the...
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HBAC #149: Hilliard City Council President Emily Cole
We welcome back Council President Emily Cole this episode for a great conversation on the realities of local governance in our rapidly growing city. Cole, now roughly two and a half years into her first term, described a role full of rewards and demands where meeting preparation alone can range...
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HBAC #148: Adam Miller OH-15 Democratic Primary candidate
Last Week, The Audio Companion sat down with our second congressional interview of the cycle as we spoke to former state representative Adam Miller on his way to the May 5th primary against Don Leonard. https://www.adammillerforamerica.com Still no interest from the Republican side of the...
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HBAC #147: Empowering lives through soccer
On the latest episode of the Audio Companion Jordan and Tim sit down with guests Katie Bondy and Jeff Sanderson for a conversation that (pardon my dad joke) moved well beyond the touchlines. Centered on the Greater Ohio Amputee Soccer Team, the discussion arrives during Limb Loss Awareness Month...
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HBAC 146: And the wind cried...enough already
«This Episode was recorded March 20th - The day after Hilliard’s punishing windstorm and the afternoon of the public Ohio EPA meeting at The Well» Welcome everyone! Our show opens with a look at the aftermath of high winds ripping across Hilliard leaving behind scattered damage but a quick...
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HBAC #145: Three MC's
Kevin Corvo leads the first segment with an update on the Norwich Township trustee appointment process. The position drew 13 candidates and was very fast moving. Looking forward and back this conversation took place a few days before the interviews and we now know their outcome. Corvo highlights...
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HBAC #144: OH-15 Congressional Democratic Primary Candidate Don Leonard
Editor- Just so readers are aware, we are reaching out to all candidates for the seat and offering equal time In a first for us, a Democratic primary challenger for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, Don Leonard, joined the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion for a wide-ranging discussion of…
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HBAC #143
Trustee Rick Tidd Resigns; Appointment Process Underway * View the full application / guidelines page HERE Big Darby Accord Revision Enters Public Phase * View the full Draft of the updated Accord HERE Ridgewood Parking Restrictions Rescinded * Decision came after improper public meeting rules....
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HBAC #142: Suburban Life at Speed
As we experience the shifting pace of life here in Hilliard we give consideration to the pressing issues of the day and the pacing issues that will determine our shared future. The last few weeks have provided example after example of that kaleidoscopic effect; whether it be another historic...
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HBAC #141: Destination Hilliard Leader Samantha Brill
On the latest edition of the HBAC we were really pleased to welcome Exec. Director and lifelong Hilliard resident Samantha Brill for a long overdue visit to the studio! Destination Hilliard, the nonprofit organization charged with promoting tourism, is increasingly positioning its work not only...
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HBAC #140: Paul Lambert and Cathy Cowan Becker - Data Center Interregnum
As Hilliard faces fast-approaching deadlines tied to state and federal permitting for the proposed Amazon data center along Scioto-Darby Road, local advocates Paul Lambert and Cathy Cowan-Becker joined the us to outline the rapidly escalating number of changes affecting community interests,...
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HBAC # 139: Community Advocate Annette Singh
For our first fresh Audio Companion of the new year we featured an in-depth conversation with Annette Singh, a Hilliard resident who has emerged as a leading local advocate around the environmental and governance implications of Amazon’s expanding data center footprint on Scioto Darby Road. Singh...
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HBAC #138 - The 2025 Roundup
We pass the torch to 2026 and recommit to our mission: keeping you reliably informed about the dynamic city of Hilliard! David Letterman Style…here are our TOP 10 stories of the year by view count! Number 10 https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/p/new-shared-use-path-on-dublin-road Number 9 Number…
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HBAC 137: It gets dark at 4:15 now, Hilliard
(Music and Production by Tim Hofmann for Franklin Street Creative) Folks, we’re back. Been a minute…sorry about it! In the latest episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion we opened with a community-wide call to action centered on Hilliard Food Pantry Plus. Hosts Jordan, Tim, and Kevin Corvo...
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HBAC #136: Election Reflection
In the latest episode of the HBAC, the hosts sat down to unpack the results of Hilliard’s most consequential local election in years, discuss the future of city leadership, and close out another election season of community coverage. A Historic Sweep for Hilliard Democrats Corvo opened with final...
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HBAC 135: Save Ohio Parks - Cathy Cowan Becker
City Updates and Meeting Highlights We opened this episode with an update on several city developments discussed in the latest Hilliard Happening newsletter and recent council meetings. * Local Heroes Recognized: Four Darby High School and Tolles Career Center students (Future potential first...
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HBAC #134: City Council Candidate Nadia Rasul
Hilliard City Council Democratic candidate Nadia Rasul returned to the Beacon studio to reflect on a campaign she described as humbling and energetic. Rasul, who previously ran in the spring primary, shared stories from the campaign trail, her focus on community inclusion, and her views on...
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HBAC #133 with City Council Candidate Kathy Parker-Jones
Educator and longtime Hilliard resident Kathy Parker-Jones joined the Hilliard Beacon for a sharp conversation in the waning days of campaign season (Thursday October 16th), outlining her bid for City Council as an extension of a career spent working on solutions and building consensus. A 30-year...
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Fuel Cell Roundtable with Doug Williams
Our guest is Hilliard resident, electrician and substation safety specialist Doug Williams. Together, we convened to discuss and examine Amazon’s decision to power its Scioto Darby data center using what could become the largest fuel cell installation in the United States. Williams, an AEP…
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HBAC 132: w/ Tina Cottone and Andy Teater -Incumbent City Council Candidates
In their return visit to The Hilliard Beacon, sitting council members and current candidates Tina Cottone and Andy Teater discussed the evolving landscape of Hilliard’s growth. We touched on Amazon’s proposed on-site fuel cell power generation, the city’s developing community plan and the…
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HBAC #130 w/ Council Candidate Les Carrier
Incumbent Councilmember Les Carrier joined hosts Jordan, Tim, and reporter Kevin Corvo for Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion #130 (during a happier moment when Cleveland was still in the playoffs - back on October 2nd) to discuss his decision to seek a fourth term on Hilliard City Council and…
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HBAC 129: Mike McMeans - Norwich Township Trustee Candidate
For our ongoing election series, the Hilliard Beacon team sat down with Republican Norwich Township trustee candidate Mike McMeans, a lifelong Hilliard resident whose family roots stretch back to the late 1970s. McMeans spoke about his professional journey from state government to financial...
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HBAC 128: Jim Martin - City Council Candidate
Republican candidate Jim Martin joined the Hilliard Beacon audio companion to discuss his run for Hilliard City Council, marking his first election campaign for local office. Martin described how his interest in city governance began with a neighborhood zoning dispute over a vacant church…
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HBAC 127 School Board Trifecta: Sarah Byler, Kara Crowley, Tony Moog
For the first time in recent memory, the Hilliard City Schools Board of Education race is uncontested. Candidates Kara Crowley (incumbent board president), Tony Moog, and Sarah Byler joined the Beacon to reflect on what that means, and where the district is headed. All three emphasized the heavy...
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HBAC 126: Dublin City Council Candidate Wendy Johnson
NOTE: One of our hosts, Tim Hoffman, has known Wendy Johnson for about 25 years through Tim’s wife Casey - Wendy’s sister. We’ll let you decide whether that makes his questions tougher or easier, but either way, we figured you should know, lol. On this episode, the Beacon team sat down with…
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HBAC #125: Candidate Bevan Schneck
In our latest election conversation, The Hilliard Beacon sat down with Bevan Schneck, longtime Planning & Zoning Commission member and one of three Republican candidates for Hilliard City Council in November. Schneck shared his journey from small-town beginnings in Pandora, Ohio, to six years...
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HBAC #124 Candidates Kelli Hykes and Brian Rothenberg
The Beacon continues its election-season series with Democratic candidates Brian Rothenberg and Kelli Hykes, both seeking seats as Norwich Township Trustees. Campaign Trails and Backgrounds Rothenberg, with decades in political communications and labor advocacy including work with the Ohio…
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HBAC# 123: Andy Warnock
In this week’s Audio Companion, the extended Beacon crew (Hi, Brad!) sat down with developer Andy Warnock for a conversation on the past, present, and future of Hilliard. From his roots in Delaware, Ohio, to twenty years of projects throughout Hilliard and beyond, Warnock spoke candidly about...
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HBAC #122 w/ Columbus Clippers General Manager Tyler Parsons
This week all three Beacon batters sit down with Columbus Clippers General Manager Tyler Parsons to talk about baseball’s past, present, and future in Central Ohio. Kevin sets the stage with a quick history of Columbus baseball, tracing the journey from Cooper Stadium and the Redbirds to today’s...