The Hilliard Beacon Podcast

On this episode of the Hilliard Beacon Audio Companion Tim, Jordan and Kevin sit down with good friend of the show Jason Kent to talk all things information security , the recent Columbus city hack and - on a more local level - the latest from a resident’s perspective regarding the ongoing zoning dispute over development in Brown Township. Jason Kent is a 25 year veteran of the information securit...

Kevin kicks off the podcast with a quick explainer of National Night Out . This year the event is taking place in Hilliard at Lakewood Park. You can access the city event page by clicking on the image below for more details! We shift over to some fun talk about The Greenbrier and current owner Jim Justice’s auction woes. By now it’s common knowledge but for almost 30 years the luxury resort held t...

We catch up with the guys mid-summer as Tim dodges a replacement trampoline, Kevin deals with a malfunctioning garage door and Jordan gets run over by the responsibility of putting a teen driver on the streets. Topics for this week’s show include: * — Tim Burkhammer adds another piece to his burgeoning restaurant empire by acquiring the LAST York Steak House with plans to not only continue in its...

(Hi all! Remember, the audio will be locked for free subscribers for a period of five days to remind folks of our needs for additional paid subscribers - but please, read on to get involved with Patches of Light today!) Mindy Atwood has spent the past 25 years working through the Patches of Light organization - offering hope and impactful material help to keep families going through tough times. W...

We kick things off with a bit of a roundtable wherein Tim catches us up on the latest from the Westerville Market with a delicious brickle from Bake a Difference . Kevin outlines the Clippers up and down early season (things are looking up!) Jordan describes the ridiculous state of affairs in the services / repair industry. The right to repair and your ability to do so is getting more and more imp...

A life-long relationship with music has brought Thomas Stanley into a most interesting “side-hustle” that threatens to become a major part of his life. With larger and ever more successful outings under his belt in the last year this vinyl explorer is bringing more and more of his wares to Hilliard based events. In the world of “old is new again” nothing has hit the mark quite like vinyl records....

As part of an effort to remind readers and listeners of our ongoing need for paid support we will initially be publishing the interviews in our Summer Series behind a temporary paywall that will be dropped after seven days - Check back for eventual access or better yet, subscribe and support us today! The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work,...

As part of an effort to remind readers and listeners of our ongoing need for paid support we will initially be publishing the interviews in our Summer Series behind a temporary paywall that will be dropped after seven days. We recently welcomed Ohio Capital Journal Editor David DeWitt into the virtual Franklin Street Studio to give us the low-down on the highest offices in State Government. We dis...

We all consider ourselves lucky to know Irma and be a small, small part of her volunteer network. Get to know the remarkable person, the team of people she works with and some of the exciting new projects being driven by those that have gotten (and are now giving) a helping hand. We talk: * History and the “long way” back to the garden * Building a Network of Support * Those most in need and how t...

In this episode we discuss: * Receipt of documents for City Council related to Resolution No. 24-R-31 (Resolution for Peace) and why we think it’s important to understand what happened around this issue. * Kevin’s continuing coverage of LifeWise Academy’s growing presence in Ohio Education. * An update on a previous story covered at the Beacon regarding public parking on ill-suited roads near city...

In this episode we discuss: * The resignation of the Council Presidency by Cynthia Vermillion * The recent “No Confidence” vote at Tolles Career and Technical School * Brief updates on developments at Firefly Winery and TruePointe * With temps climbing we highlight the Hilliard Express service for residents 55 and older * Jordan dropped fifteen pounds through a bout of bronchitis - does not recomm...

Good Tuesday afternoon to everyone! In today’s episode we discuss: * Kevin’s piece on potential developments to rural and township zoning at the state level via the bipartisan Ohio Senate Bill #243 * Tolles Career and Technical Center in Plain City is undergoing a leadership challenge as a vote of no confidence has emerged from the Tolles Education Association. We discuss the benefits of the highl...

Before what is sure to be a packed City Council session Monday May 13th the Beacon crew discuss the many modes of development as well as a few more immediate and resident oriented matters. * Hilliard’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors had another successful outing (Contact Info for those needing assistance email: Parks2@hilliardohio.gov ) * The City plans to install five “No Turn on Red” signs to impro...

The Beacon welcomes the renowned Glenn Stout to discuss his 2009 book “Young Woman and the Sea.” We first get a sense of remarkable athlete Gertrude Ederle and what it took in 1926 to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. We discuss what fame looked like in this era and how it battled with Trudy’s love of family and dedication to swimming. And finally, we talk converting the book to...

In our ‘Double Shot’ format we package a fully written story by Kevin Corvo with one of our audio shows. This week: * We get a better handle on the PR-6 zoning issue at play in Brown Township * We discuss the collapse of the Harlem / Westerville merger committee and how that approach and others might relate to our local issues * We also have a chuckle at the disaster that is the rail crossing on S...

* We discuss the parking situation around Ridgewood and unpack some of the history that shows this to be both a specific moment and a general occurrence in areas of growth and change. * Then we consider the situation developing in and around Westerville ahead of Intel development and in light of some recent, unfortunate news. * Then Kevin and Tim help preview an upcoming story regarding 23 acres o...

Our friend and collaborator Tim is playing a show with close friends of the pod and compatriots Dadband 5000 for a good cause tomorrow night at Natalie’s Grandview Come on out! In Township business… Kevin previews some reporting on a school drop-off / neighborhood parking situation, moves us into a bit of major pushback by residents relating to new proposed development off Davis and Alton Darby Rd...

We have a nostalgic chat about the Columbus of our past and how one writer is choosing to preserve their memory of it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome! In this episode we run through our usual wide variety of topics in a tidy 30 minute episode: * Local Election Results https://vote.franklincountyohio.gov/elections * Hilliard Schools MFP Survey Results November 2023 * Jordan takes a moment to discuss the FBI comments on the conviction of Larry Householder as 10 new state charges are announced . (h/t Columbus Axios Newsletter) * We discuss...

In the play window above - our interview with Chief Baird and Assistant Chief Wells. Below - our final article before the March 19th Election. For the first time in a decade , Hilliard and Norwich Township voters are being asked on Tuesday to approve a new permanent levy to meet the operating costs of the Norwich Township Fire Department which includes the construction and equipping of a fourth st...

10TV Reports on Hilliard Tornado Touchdown In this short, week ending HBAC we talk about the intensity of the storms and tornado that touched the southern boundary of the city - leaving serious damage to homes and landscape in its wake. We also discuss the cancellation of Guy Fieri’s “Flavortown Fest” and some of our own history with high stakes - single day / festival / convention planning and at...

As we head towards “Bonus Day” at the end of February the crew get together to talk about a few questions they’d like to keep track of as the year deepens. Right off the bat, Jordan is still curious about what moves across the city via railroad. Given we are a little over a year removed from the billion dollar “bad day” in East Palestine, Ohio it’s worth considering what we know and have learned a...

Thrilled to have Robin Brenneman back in the studio and on the pod to talk about: * Mary Poppins success - the high level of staging, outside hiring, stage magic and a huge diverse cast * How last season influenced this season and how you always want to build in a solid “ Plan B ” * What goes into show selection in community theater and what differentiates it as a production style and company * Ho...

This week we had Tim Burkhammer stop by the Franklin Street Studio to share his journey through the local food business - culminating with his arrival in Hilliard as the new owner of not one but *two* local legends. We get: * The background and history of both concepts including Tim’s connections and experiences with each restaurant. * The devastating cycle of business and circumstances in 2020 th...

FIRST! A significant update to our story from earlier this week: Now then, in this episode we discuss the latest updates in the ongoing growth and development of the Norwich Township Fire Department. We also delve into Kevin’s opening piece on the city’s operating fund budget and some of the changes this year in structure and overall size. This serves as preview and primer for a core document we w...