The Local Exchange

Episode 17: Stephanie Ernest | Bath School Board In this episode of Local Exchange, we sit down with Stephanie Ernst, a member of the Bath Local School District Board of Education, to talk about the proposed Bath High School project that is expected to be on the ballot in May. We discuss how the project came together, the planning process so far, and the role the school board plays in long-term fa...

Episode 16: Chief Miller’s Hearing Results In this episode, Matt and I react to the outcome of Chief Austin Miller’s termination hearing, where all charges against him were dismissed with prejudice. We share our immediate thoughts on what the decision means for the fire department, the township, and the community, and discuss the broader implications moving forward.

We share our thoughts on the federal lawsuit filed by Shawnee Township Fire Chief Austin Miller and discuss what it could mean for the township, the fire department, and the community. The conversation focuses on potential implications, the legal process, and why this situation matters moving forward.

Episode 14: Chris Cross - Treasurer of Shawnee Schools In this episode, we sit down with Chris Cross, Treasurer of Shawnee Schools, to discuss the financial landscape of the district. We cover the history behind Shawnee’s past deficit spending, the plan now in place to stabilize the budget, and what the community should understand about how school funding works. Chris walks us through the challeng...

Episode 13: Todd Washam : Shawnee School Board VP In this episode we talk with Todd Washam, Vice President of the Shawnee School Board, about the key issues facing Shawnee Schools. We discuss efforts to improve academics, classroom sizes, staffing challenges, aging facilities, and how the board approaches long-term planning for the district’s future.

Episode 12: Shawnee Township November meetings review. Jon and Matt discuss the pre-disciplinary meeting of Chief Austin Miller on November 24th and the November Trustee meeting.

Episode 11: In this episode Matt sits down with Mark Triplett, Head Boys Basketball Coach at Shawnee High School and they discuss a wide variety of things young athletes and coaches deal with during the season, and preview what to look forward to this upcoming season.

Episode 10: Kelly Martino In this episode of The Local Exchange , Jon and Matt sit down with Kelly Martino , head of fundraising for the Shawnee Stadium Capital Campaign . Kelly shares the history behind the stadium project, how the effort began, and the challenges and community teamwork that have kept it moving forward. They also talk about the many ways people can get involved, including sponsor...

Episode 9: Election Results Recap In this episode of The Local Exchange , Jon and Matt break down the results of the recent Shawnee Township election — with Kenny Gross and Paul Neff set to take office as trustees in January. They look at voting trends, turnout, and how social media engagement stacked up against the final numbers. The conversation also turns toward what’s next for the community, i...

In this episode of Local Exchange , we sit down with Tug Taviano , a lifelong Lima native, community connector, and event organizer known for bringing people together through faith, music, and service. Tug shares his personal journey, from his early days in the community to building meaningful relationships with athletes, musicians, and community leaders through Unicent Marketing. We talk about th...

In Episode 7 of Local Exchange , we sit down with John Hollenbacher , a lifelong Shawnee resident and strong advocate for our community. John has deep family roots in local government and has spent years staying informed and engaged in township issues. He talks about his passion for bringing people together , the importance of civil conversation , and his message to the community — “Be Kind.” John...

In the final run up to the election, we chat with Aaron Cunningham, who is running for Elida School Board. We talk about the role of a board member, and some of the challenges facing Elida as a district.

We had an opportunity to sit down with recently retired firefighter Ryan Schott to discuss the firestations current state of affairs. With 26 years of experience in the Shawnee Fire Department, he is a wealth of knowledge on all the things happening in the station.

On this episode we sit down with Mindy Molaski, candidate for Trustee in Shawnee Township. Mindy shares her thoughts on the township and some ideas about how to bring the community together and share some Shawnee pride.

Today we are talking with our 3rd candidate for Shawnee Trustee, Paul Neff. Paul gives some insight on being a firefighter and farmer and shares some of his knowledge of the history of Shawnee.

Today we got the opportunity to chat with Chad Myers, candidate for Shawnee Trustee, and to hear his thoughts on the election, food, and motocross.

We had a chance to sit down with Kenny Gross, candidate for Shawnee Trustee, to hear his thoughts on the township today, and where he would like to see it go if he gets elected.

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