The Columbus Chronicle

In this episode we chat with Joe Lombardi, who is the executive director of the SWACO, which manages Franklin County's landfill. I was really curious about what the future of the landfill looked like after reading an article saying it would be full in roughly 40 years. In this episode we talk about that, what goes in to managing a landfill, and much more.

Alissa Henry works as on air talent at ABC 6 (WSYX) here in Columbus, most recently she's moved to the traffic anchor role on Good Day Columbus in the morning. A CBus native, she's also able to do feature reporting on the communities she grew up in. She is also Columbus and the host of Ohio’s long-running lottery game show, Cash Explosion. In this episode we talk about about a lot of things, from...

Kathleen Day is the owner and founder of Katalina's, multiple cafes here in Columbus that have been featured in plenty of local media, and on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. In this episode Kathleen shares how she ended up in Columbus, and why she chose to make it her home, she also talks about how restaurants are facing a tough time right now, and much more. P.S. The pancake balls slap. Welcome...

This episode highlights Columbus’ role in building the atomic bomb, and our focus of the story is Lyman Kilgore, a man from modest means who built one of Columbus’ largest black owned businesses. We look at the impact of his company’s work in building the atomic weapon, and the lingering effects that had.  Show notes: https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/african/id/65...

Brett Langolf is the founder of contentEXP Group (CXG), and is the creative mind behind a new docu-series that’s in the works. The project “Lines of Hope” was awarded a financial grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. The series focuses on a group that helps veterans here in central Ohio get outdoors and the veterans they help, through things like fly fishing downtown on the Scioto. And whi...

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Ohio is a nonprofit here in Columbus that works directly inside schools to connect students with the resources and support they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. They focus on addressing barriers like food insecurity, mental health, and academic challenges. Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join h...

Tiara Ross is one of the candidates running for Columbus City Council. She and Jesse Vogel will be the two names that will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot for Columbus City Council District 7. In this episode she talks about her upbringing, shares why she is running for city council, and her hopes for the future of Columbus.  Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Colu...

Jesse Vogel is one of the candidates running for Columbus City Council. He and Tiara Ross will be the two names that will appear on the Nov. 4, 2025 ballot for Columbus City Council District 7. In this episode he talks about his upbringing, shares why he is running for city council, and his hopes for the future of Columbus. Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus...

Richard "Slimetimerich" Wright is a multitalented actor, director, and creator based here in Columbus. In this episode we talk about his upbringing in Columbus, why he came back to create in the city, how to get involved in the Columbus theatre & arts scene. In this episode he shares how he feels this city, like him, is hitting a new phase. He's one of Columbus’ main upcoming the...

Chris Volpe is one of the lesser-known candidates on the running for senate in this upcoming election, where the frontrunners are Sherrod Brown on the Democrat side and John Husted on the Republican side. He’s the founder & president of Multivarious, a Founder & Executive Director of GDEX, an event focusing on video gaming in the midwest. He’s passionate about the gaming industry in the st...

Mounir Lynch is a public health educator, community advocate, and candidate for the Columbus City Schools Board of Education. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Mounir is a graduate of Columbus Alternative High School. In this episode he shares what he would do if he were elected to the board, issues facing the district now, and many other topics around education in Ohio and in Columbus. He also s...

Joe Hartnett is the owner of JT's Pizza & Pub here in Columbus. Since opening their original location 18 years ago, Joe has seen Columbus grow and change. He opened a new place in Grandview just a few years ago, and have plans to open another soon in Jerome Village. In this episode we talk about what "Columbus-style" pizza is, his thoughts on a recent review from Dave Portnoy's "One Bite" seri...

BJ Lieberman is the chef and restaurateur who owns Metsi’s and Ginger Rabbit. He also owned Chapman’s Eat Market, which it has since closed - we talk about that in this episode too. BJ helped put Columbus on the culinary map when it made the New York Time’s restaurant list in 2021. In this episode BJ shares his story on how he became a chef and why, his thoughts on the culinary scene in Columbus a...

Munira Yasin Abdullahi is the representative for Ohio House District 9, which encompasses some of the more northern parts of Columbus. She’s the first Muslim woman to serve in the state house and one of the first two Somali American representatives in the state. In this episode we talk Ohio politics, her journey into public office, and much more. 0:00: Intro 0:35 Who is Munira Abdullahi? 4:10 Impa...

Chris Carter is one of the three founders of Honest Friend Brewing Company, a new brewery coming to Columbus. Chris is the former head brewer from Seventh Son Brewing Company. He’s spent over a decade making beer. This new brewery, located in Steelton Village on Columbus’ south end, is set to open this October (2025) after nearly five years of planning. In this episode we talk about his Chris’ jou...

Christian Rattin is the CEO of Five Star Home Services. Christian has experienced homelessness and drug addiction and since finding recovery, has become a huge advocate for second chance employment and non-profit work. In this episode we talk about his story, private equity in the home services space, Columbus' future, his faith, and more. 0:00 Christain's Intro 0:40 Who is Christian Rattain? 4:28...

Joey Aich (Joseph Holbert) is a Columbus-based hip-hop artist and rapper who's got a new album coming out this fall, which you can find on all streaming platforms. He's also got some great music already out. He's a big advocate for community. In this episode we talk about everything from his musical journey, venues he enjoys playing, other Columbus artists, favorite places to eat and d...

Zach Klein is Columbus' city attorney, an elected position here in the city. The city's website says the role "focuses on three fundamental principles: protecting public health and safety, strengthening our neighborhoods, and defending your civil rights." Before being elected as the city attorney in 2017, he was on Columbus City Council, and served as council president from 2016-...

Jordan McLaughlin is the founder of Rookie Mage Games, a gaming company based in Columbus. Jordan is also leading the charge to see what can be done to limit how many homes private equity can buy here in Columbus 0:00 Jordan’s Intro 0:43 How Jordan ended up in Columbus, Founding Rookie Mage Games 5:07 How does a game go from idea to reality? 6:49 More about Rookie Mage Games 8:28 Why stay in Colum...

Central Ohio Women Who Rock is a local group of women musicians who have come together to support each other and the Central Ohio/Columbus community. Leslie & Beth are two of the many folks who are part of this organization. They talk about Central Ohio's music scene, their stories, and their upcoming event to raise money for CHOICES, Franklin County’s only domestic violence emergency shelter....

Erica Wicks and Marlon Platt are Community Managers for Chase Bank here in Columbus. Their goal is to serve as a free education arm of the bank to help the community understand finances, avoid common scams, and more. In this episode they also mention some upcoming events that are useful for parents as back to school starts: East Long Street Block PartyFriday, July 25 – 3 – 6 p.m.1245 E Long Street...

Michael Wilkos is Vice President of Community Engagement at United Way of Central Ohio. Michael is a WEALTH of knowledge when it comes to all things Columbus. In this episode, we talk about -- and he shares tons of data on -- the future of Columbus in terms of housing, how poverty is shifting, his story, the work United Way of Central Ohio's does, and a lot more. You'll definitely learn so...

Trash Party is a local grassroots cleanup group that started earlier this spring and has expanded in growth over the past few months. What started as one person cleaning up trash has now grown into weekly events that draw 30-40 Columbus residents who all share the desire to make the city a little bit cleaner and a whole lot better, while also fostering community across the city. Since they started...

Bobby Ray Kazoo Man, whose real name is Robert Holmes, has spent nearly his entire life in Columbus. Born and raised here, he reflects on his life, family, current battle with cancer while being Columbus’ only busker (that I know of). Bobby Ray Kazoo Man typically plans tin-pan alley tunes throughout downtown Columbus. You can see all the ways to follow him on https://kazooman.com . He also has wa...

Lauryn Betterton founded Columbus’ first dog park bar, Bumble’s Backyard, which is located in Franklinton. In this episode we talk about everything from the founding of Bumble’s Backyard to good vegetarian places to eat, and even advice on how to make the most of Columbus for someone new to the city.  0:00: Lauryn’s Intro 0:46: Overview of Bumble’s Backyard 3:51: How Lauryn got to Columbus 9:03: R...