Will Hartley, Fredericktown's new head football coach

Last Friday night, Kristi Allen made history, becoming one of the first Knox County residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Allen, of Fredericktown, is a staff nurse in the emergency department at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. She's served on the front lines of the pandemic for the last nine months, helping care for some of Ohio's sickest individuals.

Knox Pages reporter Grant Pepper made the trip to Columbus on Friday to witness history. He spoke with Allen about her experience during the pandemic, her history in healthcare, and her perspective on a historic week in the fight against COVID-19.

Story: 'I feel relieved and blessed': Meet Kristi Allen, one of Knox County's first COVID-19 vaccine recipients

Additional reading: How the COVID-19 vaccination process will work in Knox County

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What happens inside of our brains when we give – and receive – thanks? And how does that influence our behavior moving forward?

This Thanksgiving, amid one of America’s most contentious years to date, we spoke with Kenyon College professor Leah Dickens to better understand the science of gratitude.

Dickens, an assistant professor of psychology, has spent the last several years researching gratitude and how it can be beneficial to the self and relationships. She shared her findings with us, and she also explained how gratitude might hold the key to a happier and healthier human experience as 2020 winds down.

If you live in Knox County and you’ve been on Facebook lately, you’ve probably seen a group called Knox Foodies.

It began in September and has already attracted nearly 4,000 members. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a place where local people can talk about local food.

But over the past six months, it’s become more than that. It’s become a forum where local food establishments can advertise new hours, specials and services. It’s become a place where community members can talk about a new meal they tried, or a new restaurant they visited.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s become a vehicle for bringing our community together – a virtual community dinner table, if you will, where people from all walks of life can bond over the topic of food.

This week, we spoke with the woman who made this group happen.

Ann Weisent is a Knox County native, and she talked about why she started the group; how it’s grown so quickly; what kind of impact it’s had on the local dining scene; and where it goes from here on this edition of Stories from the heart of Ohio.

Knox Pages/Knox Foodies collaborative restaurant list: Eating local during COVID-19: Here's who's open

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This week, we have talked with local experts about how to stay healthy during the coronavirus outbreak. Emily Morrison, from Mental Health and Recovery of Licking and Knox Counties, shared tips on how to protect your mental health. Natalie Brenneman, from Knox Community Hospital, shared advice on how to maintain a healthy diet.

Today, in our final episode of this series, we’ll talk about the third key aspect of health – something many are likely struggling with right now – physical fitness.

How are we supposed to stay physically fit if we’re at home all day? How are we supposed to start – or maintain – workout routines when the gym is closed? What kind of mentality do we need to take to view this period of self-isolation as a physical fitness opportunity, as opposed to a burden?

I spoke with Nick Fiorilli, who owns CrossFit 1808 in Mount Vernon. He answered those questions and more in our conversation this week.

For more local coronavirus coverage: https://www.knoxpages.com/news/covid19

Yesterday, we focused on mental health. Today, we're talking about what should go on your plate.

Reporter Grant Pepper spoke with Natalie Brenneman, a registered dietitian and certified Diabetes educator with Knox Community Hospital, about how to maintain a healthy diet during the COVID-19 outbreak. Brenneman answered questions she's frequently being asked right now, including:

• If I want to stock up on food, do canned and frozen vegetables offer the same nutrients as fresh vegetables?
• How do I shop for healthy foods that also have a shelf-life? In other words, if I can’t shop regularly for fresh fruits and vegetables, what are my other options?
• What daily supplements are recommended for adults?
• What can people with Diabetes do at home to better control their blood sugar?
• Now that I’m home 24/7, my urge to snack – either out of boredom or proximity – has increased. How do I ‘snack’ healthy?

She also touched on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet during this time, and the mindset we should take from a dietary perspective.

Tomorrow, we will talk about how to stay physically fit during the outbreak. For more local coronavirus coverage: https://www.knoxpages.com/news/covid19/

As the coronavirus pandemic has swept across America and infiltrated Ohio, many local residents are following the advice of Gov. Mike DeWine and state health director Amy Acton and staying home.

In doing this, many are experiencing a tremendous lifestyle change. People who used to spend their days with co-workers and friends – eating at local restaurants, going to the gym and seeing movies – are now spending their days at home, either by themselves or with family.

It’s unclear how long we’ll need to self-isolate to fight this pandemic. But one thing is clear: we will need to get creative to stay mentally and physically healthy during this time.

This week, reporter Grant Pepper spoke with three local experts about how to stay healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Today, we will cover mental health. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about dietary tips. And Friday, we’ll talk about physical fitness.

Our first guest on this expert local health panel is Emily Morrison. She’s the community relations coordinator with Mental Health and Recovery of Licking and Knox Counties, and she’s going to give you five tips for enhancing your mental health while staying at home, as well as five ways you can help others, from a mental health perspective, during this time.

We hope you’ll find these conversations helpful as we try to navigate these unprecedented times together.

For more local coronavirus coverage: https://www.knoxpages.com/news/covid19/

The year is 1945. The U.S. has just won World War II and soldiers are returning home. They’re expecting a fresh start – the opportunity to reunite with their stateside lovers, find a job and begin a family. Only, there’s one problem: the U.S. is experiencing a housing crisis. With the influx of home-bound soldiers, the demand for housing quickly outpaced the supply.

So, what was the U.S. to do?

Luckily, a Swedish-born engineer by the name of Carl Strandlund had an idea. What if we manufactured quick-to-build, relatively inexpensive, all-metal houses, funded through government loans, which could be distributed across the country?

It was a grand idea, this factory-built house, and Strandlund ran with it. He established the Lustron Corporation, headquartered in Columbus, and his concept blossomed. Backed by government support, the Lustron Corporation distributed over 2,000 homes across America from 1947-1950. It helped patch the nation’s housing crisis, as young families were able to begin new lives in the trendy, brightly colored bungalows.

Over time, Lustron’s success faded. Various factors led to the company’s demise. But even after Lustron Corporation folded, the homes remained, scattered among neighborhoods across the country, a metallic emblem of post-war ambition.

Over the years, many of these properties have been sold, or demolished, or taken to the scrap yard. In Ohio, the Lustron Corporation’s home state, only 200 or so remain, according to the Ohio History Connection. There used to be several in Knox County – now, there is only one.

This week, we spoke with the man most involved with preserving this local historic relic. His name is Jeff Gottke, board president for the Knox County Landmarks Foundation, which currently owns the property.

What’s the history behind Mount Vernon’s last remaining Lustron Home? What kind of condition is it in now? And what are the Landmarks Foundation’s plans for it?

We answer those questions and more on this edition of Stories from the heart of Ohio.

For more information on Carl Strandlund and the Lustron Corporation, visit the Ohio History Connection's website: https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/exhibits/ohio-history-center-exhibits/1950s-building-the-american-dream/lustron-about/help-for-lustrons/meet-the-lustrons/meet-history

“They came for the American Dream. They came for freedom, safety, and opportunities they could only imagine in their mother country. They eschewed large cities where they would have found religious support – a synagogue or temple, a Jewish burial society, a Jewish cemetery, and a kosher butcher. They braved the religious wilderness and settled in Mount Vernon, Ohio where they made personal and economic decisions about how to practice their religion publicly and privately.”

That’s an excerpt from a recently published book that was 10 years in the making – a book written by Lois Hanson, manager of Paragraphs Bookstore in downtown Mount Vernon. The book is titled Our Worthy Townsmen: The Forgotten Lives of Mount Vernon, Ohio’s Jewish Families 1847-1920. It’s a deeply researched account of the first Jewish families to settle in Mount Vernon – who they were and what became of them.

In this episode of Stories from the heart of Ohio, you’ll hear from the author, Lois Hanson, who is a longtime member of Mount Vernon’s tight-knit Jewish community. You’ll hear about why she wrote the book, how she did it, and what she found. You’ll understand that, for Hanson, this was far more than just a passion project.

Stories from the heart of Ohio is edited and produced by Grant Pepper. Want to hear more podcasts like this? Join our team. Become a Knox Pages Member today: https://www.sourcemembers.com/knox

On Nov. 23, Mount Vernon resident Kevin Verhoff published a blog post titled, “Crazy idea: Let’s build a rail network in Ohio!” It outlined a new way of thinking about public transportation, proposing the creation of a $9 billion passenger rail system that would serve 83 percent of Ohioans.

To his surprise, the post took off. It received regional and national attention, as journalists and transportation advocates latched onto Verhoff’s concept.

This week, our Grant Pepper spoke with Verhoff about his idea – where it came from, how it would work, and how people from Knox County would benefit from it.

Before listening to this week’s episode, make sure to read the following articles:

Verhoff’s original blog post: https://kevinverhoff.com/index.php/2019/11/23/crazy-idea-lets-build-a-rail-network-in-ohio/

The first story written about Verhoff’s idea, by Tyler Buchanan of the Ohio Capital Journal: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2019/12/05/passenger-rail-system-in-ohio-one-data-nerd-has-an-idea-on-how-to-make-it-possible/

Stories from the heart of Ohio is edited and produced by Grant Pepper.

Will Hartley is the newly appointed head coach of the Fredericktown High School football team. The Freddies are coming off of two straight 1-9 seasons, placing last in the KMAC in 2019. Before stepping down in 2017, Hartley had coached at Fredericktown for 16 years, serving as head coach for the last three. In this interview, Hartley discusses his history in Fredericktown, why he chose to return to the helm, and how he plans to rebuild the program.