HyperLocal(s)

This Urbana born and Tolono grown retired University of Illinois employee has heated up the chili competition circuit for 45 years! From Vegas, Missouri, Palm Springs and Myrtle Beach and back, Mark has thousands of dollars invested and countless wins, including nine state titles, under his belt.

 Listen as Mark expertly explains the fascinating world of chili competitions. From participant to competition organizer, Mark leans on one rule of thumb: "If you were stranded on a desert island, what would be the chili you would want to eat for the rest of your life?" Mark’s recipe originated from an old newspaper column, “Mostly for Men.” From its inception, Mark has tweaked the recipe now using beer and mostly all his homegrown ingredients. Beans? Much to Mark’s chagrin, there are no beans allowed in traditional red chili and can lead to disqualification. Mark also talks about cheating among chili cooks and competing against your wife! Just in time for cool weather, give Mark’s award winning chili a try this fall and winter. **The recipe will follow on social media.**

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This newish Urbana resident and newish CEO to the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club (DMGBC) is a much needed and welcome addition to our community. Her sweet demeanor, extensive experience in the non-profit sector and tireless work ethic is beyond commendable.

 Listen as Amy talks about raising babies while going to school and working as a housekeeper, becoming a temporary guardian simply because there were kids in her orbit who needed a home, why she signs her emails "peace," the overall increase in guns and violence since she got her specialized degree a few decades ago and the overall decrease in violence in our community since she started at the DMBGC and why her house was the one kids gravitated towards. Lastly, Amy plugs a spectacular fundraiser: Dancing With the CU Stars on November 3, vote at one.bidpal.net/dwtcus23.

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My husband’s uncle, mother-in-law’s brother, Champaign native and a man I feel like I just really met as he lived in Africa for most of my indoctrination into my husband’s family. Every few years he would be an honored guest and the life-of-the party when he made it back to the states in full African regalia—a stark contrast from the button-ups and pressed skirts that surrounded him.

 Listen as Mike reflects on unimaginable adventures in rural villages in Africa, claustrophobic flights, a reference book provided as health care, stream baths, meeting his future wife and the days-long process of marriage and dowry details. Mike also tearily talks about raising his three kids abroad and the regrets and tough talks surrounding going in and out of stateside schools. When I referred to him as selfless he scoffs at the label, but you don’t meet many people who drop everything to go make the world a better place. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My BFF’s sister, mother of three, Urbana born and raised farmer’s daughter turned Chicago suburbanite talks candidly about what happens when motherhood just doesn’t “click.” The maternal instinct and excitement that is glorified is replaced with feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.

  Listen as this eloquent and self-aware mom talks about panic attacks, therapy, medication, pregnancy, asking for and receiving help, postpartum lows, viewing a trip to Target as a win and ultimately valuing having a family over your need for control and calm. Lastly, Katherine discusses how her father’s failing health and ultimate passing played into these early days of motherhood when perceived joy was replaced with suffocating grief.
 ..........................................................................................
 Please, please subscribe (so you know when new episodes drop) and share! Find at linktr.ee/hyperlocals_cu or wherever you find podcasts. Also, find the podcast on Facebook and Twitter at HyperLocals C-U Podcast. Need more, hyperlocalscu.com

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My former Savoy neighbor and fellow grocery shopper, camp dropper-offer, fast casual dining consumer and YMCA member talk about how and why his family planted roots in Champaign. Jon explains why he never thought he’d add a decade-long line item of “Stay-at-home dad” to his resume.
 
 Listen as these fellow play daters and lunch makers talk about Jon filling this typically female for the good of the family, keeping his doctor wife in the loop and still deferring to her for parenting decisions, the awkwardness of navigating a majority female playscape and what the next years look like as his three children grow. Jon shows his true and wholehearted love for his wife and children in this unique perspective from a stay-at-home dad.

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

On October 24, 2021 Terry searched her house for any random bits and pieces  that could help her son, Liam, finish his Halloween costume for a party he was anxiously anticipating. At the same time, 24-year-old Urbana High School graduate and recent University of Illinois graduate, Liam Gasser, went to North Prospect to look for materials at the local craft stores. 

 Listen as two moms reflect on this scene, this picture, this situation which is not unlike so many moms come October. Frustrations with last minute preparations, unrealistic expectations between mother and son and ultimately apologies and pushed aside plans in order to prioritize the child's needs. When we send our kids out the door, no matter their age, we expect they will come back to us as they left us. On this October day, Terry never expected the call from the hospital chaplain. Liam had been shot. In the head. The tip of the proverbial iceberg after a childhood peppered with health issues and a more recent loss of Liam's dad, her husband, to cancer. In late spring 2022 the alleged shooter was arrested. In the months to come Liam's mom will listen, learn, heed advice, research and prepare to see justice for the life sentence her son was given that day. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My high school golf teammate, and overall sweetheart of a person, start our talk discussing the tribulations of being the only freshman on our upper-classmen heavy Central High School Girls Golf Team. We go through the podcast discussing what it's like being the minority gender in a vastly male career.

 Listen as these townies talk corn, the new methodology behind cover crops, working with family while living with family, the mental health ramifications of a career controlled by mother nature, the upcoming predictions for this year's harvest and the thoughts behind raising a family in such a demanding and stressful lifestyle. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I try to wrangle in our two little (or not so little anymore) sons on this special family episode. 

 Listen as these four townies reflect on the new activities they are trying this fall, what they did and learned over the summer, my colorful cosmetic procedure and change-of-seasons depression, passing out in public and a snot rocket from an aerodynamic biker. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

Mr. Guerrero, born in Kentucky and raised in Vegas and Mrs. Guerrero of South Bend, IN met on the mat. These well-credentialed black belts sparred their way into marriage and a big move to Champaign where they took over the responsibility of owning and teaching at Leaders for Life Martial Arts. 

 Listen as the power couple talk about their roles in life and in the business. Where he concentrates on teaching and instruction, she handles the bulk of paperwork and complaints. The perfect partnership. These two martial arts leaders are also researched experts in coaching, teaching, children and the desire to improve and grow. During our interview we talk about why they encourage parents to stay during classes and cheer their kids on rather than silence themselves behind glass, the three pillars of confidence, discipline and respect, promoting a team atmosphere with teachers and parents, when it's OK to quit, what the philosophy behind "1 percent improvements" is, giving specific praise to your kiddo over a general "good job," facing bullying and maybe the hardest thing to hear: why giving a kid a phone will end their childhood. Gulp. 

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.

This Champaign city girl turned to the Sadorus countryside to raise her own son near the same farm that raised her up just a few decades ago. The flatlands and drying corn are a far cry from the lush tropics of where she spent her twenties—Maui, HI. 
 
 Listen as Ashley describes the preserved history that surrounded the once coveted town of Lahaina. Ashley and her now husband traveled to this area with nothing but wanderlust and a backpack. Ashley worked in a small schoolhouse teaching native islanders and soaking up smells and sunsets while making lifelong friends and memories. These friends are on the ground and communicating the hell firsthand. It’s not just a vacation spot or a blip in their life’s timeline. A piece of her, of them, is gone, forever lost, not unlike the hundreds of missing—many children—that are yet to be found amongst the indiscernible ash and ruin. Polluted water, looting and land grabbing are just a short list of the concerns the residents face. Inoperable fire hydrants, few and unsafe exits of evacuation and inaudible warnings only magnified the wildfire catastrophe. A U.S. gem was lost. Ashley encourages everyone to keep visiting Maui—keep talking about what happened. Ultimately, she doesn’t want this event to be easily forgotten. Her final hope is that Lahaina is able to rebuild to its former glory rather than a commercialized version of what other islands have become.

Thank you so much for listening! However your podcast host of choice allows, please positively: rate, review, comment and give all the stars! Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, share and ring that notification bell so you know when the next episode drops!

Also, search and follow hyperlocalscu on all social media. If I forgot anything or you need me, visit my website at HyperLocalsCU.com. Byee.