Per-Olof Kippel is back in Frederick this week to try to earn a second trophy to put in his bike shop. Kippel, the defending champion, joined the Frederick Uncut podcast this week with host Colin McGuire and reporter Allen Etzler to chat about high wheel bicycles and the upcoming race.

Kippel discussed shipping his high wheel bicycles from Sweden to Pennsylvania, where he traveled to pick them up Monday and assemble them before taking them to Frederick.

Kippel, who will compete in high wheel races in Belgium and Frederick this year, talked about his affinity for Frederick’s race course — a nearly half-mile course he said provides the perfect blend of slight hills and straightaways.

The race is on Saturday with events scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The championship race is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Through juggling duties as a Frederick city alderman and Frederick County’s director of government affairs and public policy, Roger Wilson averages roughly 14-hour workdays.

This week, the first-term alderman also found some time to sit down with Frederick Uncut host Colin McGuire and News-Post reporter Mallory Panuska to talk about a variety of topics, including balancing the two jobs, for the latest episode of Uncut.

Wilson was one of the three new aldermen elected to the board in November, and within eight months he has already managed to spearhead an ordinance to form a Youth Advisory Council, co-sponsor legislation to create a senior citizen tax credit for low-income city homeowners and help allocate money for sidewalks in the fiscal 2019 budget.

Wilson also talked about his goal to bring back bulk trash pickup to the city, his dedication to transparency and ethics and the candidate he is endorsing in the 6th District congressional race.

Brian Staiger is a busy man in the summer months.

Taking a leadership role on school construction projects this year, Staiger is working to shepherd to completion what will become the new Rock Creek School on the Walkersville Middle School site.

Rock Creek School is a school for children ages 3 to 21 who have severe intellectual, physical, emotional, hearing, visual and learning disabilities. A number of benefits have been found for these children when their schools are adjacent to another school, Staiger said. For example, Rock Creek students can interact with other students. But determining which school would be the new home for Rock Creek students was arduous from the start.

On the latest episode of Frederick Uncut, Staiger sat down with podcast host Colin McGuire and News-Post education reporter Emma Kerr to walk through the early, contentious stages of finding a location for the new school through to addressing the latest "bait-and-switch" allegations from Walkersville officials.

He also tells you a few bits about his journey to FCPS and answers a question about his favorite restaurant in a bait-and-switch of our own.

Kevin McMullen, the outgoing athletic director at Catoctin High School, looks back on a long career of coaching and teaching in Maryland. After 26 years in Frederick County Public Schools and 14 in Anne Arundel County before that, McMullen discusses the role athletics plays in the educational career of many students he's worked with.

After months of preparation and many long days, Frederick County Election Director Stuart Harvey can finally take a breather — at least a short one.

Not only will Harvey and his staff soon transition to the general election in November, but they’ll also assist with the upcoming city election in Brunswick.

Harvey took some time this week to stop by the studio for the latest episode of Frederick Uncut, with host Colin McGuire and News-Post City Editor Pete McCarthy.

Harvey opened up about what first got him interested in politics, which resulted in a career overseeing elections. On this week's episode, find out the greatest challenges associated with preparing for an election, including what happens when unforeseen issues pop up at the last minute.

Harvey also explained what the typical days and weeks are like leading up to the primary. Here's a hint: Picture 80-hour workweeks.

The team is taking the week off, but we'll be back with a new episode featuring news maker next week.

On this week's episode of Frederick Uncut, James Tucker, superintendent of Maryland School for the Deaf, joins host Colin McGuire and News-Post reporter Hannah Dellinger to discuss his philosophy on deaf education as well as challenges that the deaf community has historically faced in education.

Tucker discusses his role in protests at Gallaudet University that led to the hiring of the school's first deaf president in 1988, and the deaf community's early adoption to advances in communication technology.

Kris Fair caught his first glimpse of a gay relationship watching "Queer as Folk" through his family's home TV.

It was the early 2000s and Fair, then a student at Linganore High School, didn't know anyone who was "out" as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ): none of his classmates, his teachers or community members. Fair himself was unsure of his sexual orientation; he thought he liked men, but was somewhat convinced by the systemic mantra that it was "just a phase."

A chance perusal through the Sunday night TV options led him to the Showtime TV series, which he could only view through a scrambled picture because his family did not subscribe to that channel.

Fast forward almost two decades, and Fair's then-concealed and uncertain identity as a gay man has become an integral part of his life and advocacy for LGBTQ rights, including as president of the board of directors for The Frederick Center.

On the latest episode of Frederick Uncut, Fair sat down with host Colin McGuire and News-Post reporter Nancy Lavin to detail the journey of acceptance, both personally and community-wide, that has occurred with regard to the LGBTQ community. Among the many signs of progress is the expansion of Frederick Pride, which will hold its 7th annual event Saturday in downtown Frederick.

What began as a small community picnic in Ballenger Creek — not even titled a "Pride" event to avoid some controversy, according to Fair — has blossomed into a full celebration along Carroll Creek Linear Park.

Fair also shares his own "coming out" story, reflections on his recent bid for political office, and his favorite TV show ... which, surprisingly, is not "Queer as Folk."

In a special episode of the Frederick Uncut podcast, host Colin McGuire and News-Post reporter Allen Etzler discuss the flooding in May, which stranded motorists, train passengers and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.

The two are joined by staff reporters Mallory Panuska and Hannah Dellinger, as well as photographer Graham Cullen, as they recount their reporting from during and after the flood.

Hear from county residents Linsey and Louie Ashton, whose Feagaville neighborhood sustained extensive damage from floodwater, which swept away animals, vehicles and brought down a garage.

Listen as downtown business owners Ashley Goldston, owner of Indellibelle, and Bob Berberich, co-owner of Vinyl Acres, speak to Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor as he visits with downtown proprietors affected by the flood.

Stona Cosner, superintendent of Frederick’s Wastewater Treatment Plant also discusses how the facility couldn’t keep up with the amount of water entering the system, which led to wastewater backing up into some basements in the city.

Daniel Phoenix Singh wants everyone to be closer to the arts — and to integrate arts and creativity into more aspects of everyday life.

Singh, who has been executive director of New Spire Arts since January, has a big vision for artists in Frederick and bringing more creative influence to areas like urban planning and education.

He wants Frederick’s children to explore art and dance and music in new ways and apply those skills to other areas of life like conflict resolution. And he wants New Spire Studios to be a place where artists of all ages can learn new skills without fear of failure or judgment.

On the latest episode of Frederick Uncut, Singh sat down with podcast host Colin McGuire and News-Post reporter Danielle E. Gaines to talk about embracing his love of arts in the U.S. after immigrating from India in his late teens. He also shares his Bollywood favorites and the role of art in his personal development.