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 Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 theatre actors, having performed in five productions so far in 2025, including two lead roles. He also recently released his fully Columbus-made EP Anywhere and Everywhere but Still Nowhere at All.
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 state. During this episode we talk about Ohio’s future, AI, how campaigning as a lesser-known candidate has been, his hopes for a primary debate, and much more.
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 shares his thoughts on the future of the city, and his favorite places to eat. Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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" series, Ohio State, the story of how JT's Pizza & Pub came to be, and much more.
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 and the growth of the city, and his favorite places to eat, drink, and hang out in the Columbus.
0:00 Intro
0:49 How BJ came to Columbus
2:09 BJ’s restaurants
3:30 Early years and BJ’s why
10:08 How BJ spots talent in the kitchen
13:33 BJ Lieberman: beer brewer?
15:19 Culinary school
18:16 Opening a restaurant
23:21 Chapman’s Eat Market
29:33 How Columbus received BJ & Chapmans
31:37 Ginger Rabbit
38:20 Metsi’s
43:06 Closing Chapman’s Eat Market
48:45 State of restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, and the nation
53:29 Columbus’ growth & future
59:30 Favorite places to eat, drink, and hangout
1:05:31 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 Impact of Munira’s family on her life
6:18 Early years in Columbus, seeing inequities
10:31 After college
12:18 Deciding to run for office
17:02 Since taking office
19:27 Special interest in Ohio politics
22:08 Munira’s biggest issues she’s focusing on
25:49 Ohio House District 9
28:27 Concerns for Ohio’s future
31:48 Advice for those feeling disenfranchised
33:23 Excitement and concerns for the future of Columbus
39:29 Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout in Columbus
40:53 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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’ journey, how one goes about creating a brewery, his favorite beers, what you can expect at Honest Friend Brewing Company, and much more.
0:00 Chris' intro
1:25 Who is Chris Carter?
4:07 The idea for Honest Friend Brewing Company
9:04 Developing Honest Friend for the last four years
11:35 Picking the location
14:23 History behind the name
17:00 the “vibe” they’re trying to create
20:21: Process from idea to creation
27:16: Chris’ music career
28:28 Chris’ favorite beer he’s brewed at Seventh Son
31:00 Beers to expect at Honest Friend Brewing Company
34:21 Official opening date for Honest Friend Brewing Company
35:19 Excitement and concerns for Columbus’ future
38:00 Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout in Columbus
40:10 Closing thoughts, how to find Honest Friend Brewing Company
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 Finding recovery
9:35 Life after leaving treatment
11:22 Getting to Columbus
16:17 “Teaching” yourself to run a company
19:24 Second chance employment and profit on purpose
27:10 Private equity in the home services space
27:47 Growing a business in Columbus
29:40 Finding faith
31:48 Excitement and concerns about the future of Columbus
35:46 Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout in Columbus
36:40 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 drink in CBus, and much more
0:00 Joey's Intro
1:20 How Joey ended up in Columbus
2:30 Early years
4:47 importance of writing
6:03 Joey’s family’s influence
8:06 Time at Denison University
8:50 Moving to Columbus, establishing roots
13:19 Music career since moving to Columbus
14:51 Going “all in” on upcoming album
16:02 Favorite venues
16:50 Inspiration
20:08 Introducing The Headband
23:11 Biggest challenges
25:09 Message to new upcoming Columbus artists
29:06 Does Columbus have a hiphop scene?
31:31 Local artists that inspire Joey Aich
37:45 We Amplify Voices volunteer work
43:02 Excitement dance concern for the future of Columbus
45:36 Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout in Columbus
46:26 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 2016-2017. In this epsiode we talk about everything from Zach's upbringing, deciding to go into politics, issues facing the city now, his hope for the city's future, and even the time Larry Bird (yes, that Larry Bird) cursed him out.
0:00 Intro
0:56 How Zach Klein came to Columbus
3:02 Importance of his parents, family, wife
6:27 Life after graduation OSU
11:26 The decision to run for elected office
14:25 Reflections on time in Columbus City Council
18:33 Early political work, learning he was a democrat
20:25 An issue that’s underreported or deserves more attention in Columbus
23:26 Lawsuits against Trump
26:36 Nuisance properties
30:50 Why become city attorney after city council?
32:00 Any cases as city attorney that stick with you? And talking about common sense gun laws
34:02 Properties owned by out of start corporations
35:33 Growing responsibly in Columbus, ideas on how to grow
39:48 Concerns from the his POV as city attorney
42:05 Columbus data breach whistleblower gag order
42:35 Mayoral run?
43:52 Time as a basketball ref, the Larry Bird story
50:30 Excitement and concerns about the future of Columbus
52:08 Favorite places to eat, drink, and hangout
53:21 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 Columbus?
10:40 Impact of tariffs
15:16 Why small game makers can’t manufacture in the U.S.
18:00 How Rookie Mage Games grew
20:20 Going full time
22:36 Evict Private Equity Columbus
31:13 Data about private equity and home ownership in Columbus
33:30 How to get involved
35:47 Excitement and concern for Columbus’ future
41:35 Best reuben in Columbus? And favorite places to frequent
44:19 Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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.
Learn more about their upcoming event on Aug. 9 here:
https://www.rockforchoices2025.com/
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 StreetColumbus, OH
Thursday, August 7 – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.1650 Lockbourne RoadColumbus, OH
Northern Lights Community Center Block PartyThursday, August 14 – 3 – 5 p.m.3233 Cleveland Avenue Columbus, OH
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 something new in this episode. You can learn more about their work here as well: https://liveunitedcentralohio.org
This episode was filmed on July 15
0:00: Michael’s Intro
0:45: Michael’s storu
3:48: How Michael got to Columbus
4:52: How did Michael Wilkes end up at the United Way of Central Ohio?
5:27: What does UWCO do?
9:33: How poverty is moving/shifting in Franklin County
16:14: How do we manage Columbus’ growth?
20:24: Housing in Columbus
26:44: What can the average person do to help?
34:28: Zone-In, LinkUS
48:43: How non-profit partnerships work
53:44: Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 a few months ago, they've collected over 1,500 full bags of garbage, dozens of discarded tires, 50 shopping carts, hundreds of propane tanks, and many other bulk items. Nearly 19,000 pounds of trash! Collin and his group hope to continue to grow and lead Columbus in a positive direction. With all the support and love they've received from the community so far, and with many local partnerships with businesses and other organizations starting to take shape, they're excited about their future in the city and what they can do to help the most people. Link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3y31wwyAx46On4KJfXg8O_KvN65olFSVcmgHw0T9k68YADA/viewform
0:00: Collin Intro
1:01: What is Trash Party?
9:33: Collin’s story coming to Columbus
12:44: Geeking out about the Franklinton Flood Wall
17:33: Flood mitigation projects happening in Columbus
21:15: Developing community by picking up trash
26:25: Trash Party’s Growth
30:19: Partnership with Keep Columbus Beautiful
32:42: What the first couple cleanups were like
33:51: How to help
35:51: Excitement and concerns about the future of Columbus
38:31: Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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 ways you can donate there.
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
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: Realizing Columbus was home
10:03: Work at the Ohio State University
14:58: Bumble’s Story (The Dog)
18:10: The story of Bumble’s Backyard
38:29: What goes into creating a space that cultivates community?
43:34: Advice for someone who just moved to Columbus
47:42: Excitements and concerns for Columbus’ future
53:48: Favorite places to eat, drink, and hangout in Columbus
56:07: Closing thoughts
57:08: Do you need a dog to hang out at Bumble’s Backyard?!
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
Madison Tracy is a central-Ohio native, Ohio State graduate, and a volunteer with Ohio 50501, they are one of the main groups that organizes and spreads awareness about protests in Ohio. In this episode we talk about what that all entails, what issues are facing Ohio and Columbus, common misconceptions about what they do, and more.
0:00: Intro
1:40: Idea to reality: How does a protest happen?
6:02: What is 50501?
6:29: How do small Ohio towns get involved?
11:14: How Madison got involved in politics
30:06: Common misconceptions
34:43: Mutual aid efforts
44:36: Biggest issues facing Columbus and Ohio
55:37: Excitement and concerns for Columbus’ future
1:02:23: Favorite places to eat, drink, hangout in Columbus
1:04:39: Closing thoughts
Welcome to the Columbus Chronicle! This is a podcast dedicated to Columbus and central Ohio. Join host Connor Dunwoodie and meet the people, learn the places, and hear the stories from the people who make this city what it is.
