Let's Talk Clermont

• Ham radio 101: where it came from, what it’s used for, and why call signs matter
• How contacts work (CQ, DX, nets, and why you can’t “call” a country like it’s a phone)
• Licensing tiers (Technician, General, Amateur Extra) and what it takes to get started
• Emergency comms: what ham operators can do during disasters when cell towers and lines are down
• Radio etiquette + enforcement (including “fox hunting” and how bad actors can get found)
• QSL cards, special event stations, and the collecting side of the hobby
• The community side of ham radio, plus how Cincinnati Hamfest helps fund the club and keeps the hobby growing

• Clermont County AEDs: local law enforcement agencies are set to receive new automated external defibrillators through Project Heart Restart.
• Moscow: the 2025 annual financial report is available for public inspection, plus notice of recently passed ordinances and resolutions (by appointment).
• Loveland: the police department is hiring a full-time police officer.
• Loveland utility bills: some January water meter reads may have been delayed due to extreme weather, so March billing may reflect an estimate vs. an actual read.

• Young Innovators: Superman in Ohio — Feb 26 (4:30 PM), Amelia Branch Library (ages 8–12)
• Maple Murder Mystery — Feb 27 (5:30–7:30 PM), Pattison Park Lodge (registration required, adults)
• Appalachian Music (Dulcimers) — Feb 28 (11 AM), Miami Township Branch Library (all ages)
• Raptor Rampage — Mar 1 (2–3 PM), Clingman Park (free, all ages)
• Bug Bonanza — Mar 3 (4:30 PM), Bethel Branch Library (all ages)
• Bee Hotel — Mar 3 (6–7 PM), Bethel Branch Library (registration required)
• Writer’s Group — Mar 3 (6 PM), Batavia Branch Library (adults)
• Teen Craftapalooza — Mar 3 (6:30 PM), Goshen Branch Library (ages 12–18)
• Virtual: Intro to Spring Wildflowers — Mar 4 (6–7 PM), Zoom
• SCAT Tracks & Animal Signs Hike — Mar 5 (5–6:30 PM), Clingman Park (free, preregistration required)
• Art in the Park: Bamboo Paintbrushes — Mar 7 (11 AM–12 PM), Clingman Park (ages 12+, registration required)
• King Records & Herzog Studios — Mar 7 (2–3 PM), New Richmond Branch Library

• LoRa + line-of-sight basics and why height matters
• What “mesh” actually means (hops, repeaters, routers)
• Real-world uses: hiking, travel, storms, privacy-minded comms, GPS sharing
• Starter hardware recommendations (cheap nodes vs. nicer keyboard devices)
• Why some folks love/hate MQTT (bridging traffic over the internet)
• How to plug into the local community and help the Cincinnati mesh grow

• Batavia Township Fire/EMS levy info: a new site + Facebook page from producer Brandon Hicks with details ahead of the vote
• Milford: council approved steps toward acquiring multiple downtown parcels (including the Fountain Specialist and Gun Haven Armory buildings) to increase control and make redevelopment easier
• New Richmond / Liberty Landing: retaining wall work advancing; utilities work coming up
• Clermont Northeastern Schools: kindergarten registration is open for the 2026–2027 school year (eligibility: age 5 by Aug. 13)
• Fish fry season is here (St. Louis in Owensville gets a big recommendation)

• Thanks to the anonymous producers who came in under $50—appreciate you supporting the show!

• Homeschool Discovery Day: Sap to Syrup — Feb 20 (1–2 PM), Pattison Park
• Maple Sugaring Hikes — Feb 21 (1 PM / 2 PM / 3 PM), Cincinnati Nature Center (registration required)
• Saturday Play Date — Feb 21 (10:30 AM), library program (ages ~0–8)
• Foraged Tea Time + Hike (Maple Tea) — Feb 21 (1–2 PM), Clingman Park (registration required)
• Hiking for Lichen — Feb 22 (11 AM–12 PM), Pattison Park (free)
• Young Innovators: Ohio Food Innovations — Feb 23 (4:30 PM), New Richmond Branch Library
• Feelin’ Froggy Fiber Arts — Feb 23 (6 PM), Goshen Branch Library (adults)
• Young Innovators: Superman in Ohio — Feb 26 (4:30 PM), Amelia Branch Library (ages 8–12)
• Maple Murder Mystery — Feb 27 (5:30–7:30 PM), Pattison Park Lodge (registration required, adults)
• Appalachian Music (Dulcimers) — Feb 28 (11 AM), Miami Township Branch Library
• Raptor Rampage — Mar 1 (2–3 PM), Clingman Park (free)

• Bethel-Tate Schools placing a replacement operating levy on the May 5, 2026 ballot
• A Monroe Township rescue that feels extremely on-brand for Clermont County: firefighters pulling a horse out of an icy pool
• A progress update on Loveland’s PFAS (“forever chemicals”) treatment project, including a clip from Chris Wojnicz on the Loveland Beacon podcast as the city hits a major design milestone

• May levies approved for the ballot: Commissioners approve three levies for May including a Developmental Disabilities additional 0.75 mil continuous levy (about $26 per $100,000 of home value, roughly $5.3M/year), Children’s Protective Services 1.0 mil total (a 0.8 mil renewal + 0.2 mil increase, about $23 per $100,000, running 2027–2031), and a Senior Services 1.31 mil renewal (about $26 per $100,000, also 2027–2031).
• Mt. Orab megasite NDAs: Public comments raise concerns about nondisclosure agreements tied to the project. Patrick notes it’s mainly a Brown County story for now but worth watching, and points listeners to Chris Hicks’ reporting on Watchdog Wire.
• Defense manufacturing contract: A Clermont County defense manufacturing facility tied to L3Harris is linked to a U.S. Department of Defense award up to $18.4M for safety and arming devices for the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.
• Tate Township cleanup dates (2026): June 26–27, 7 AM–5 PM, Tate residents only (ID check). Some prohibited items apply, mattresses must be wrapped, and tire fees are cash.

• Brandon Hicks with a $50 “50 for 50” donation. Thank you, Brandon.

• Love Bugs — Feb 6, 6–7 PM, Clingman Park. Adults-only nature program on insect mating behavior. Registration required (18+).
• Art in the Park: Handmade Paper Valentines — Feb 7, 11 AM–12:30 PM, Hartman Log Cabin. Family craft workshop making plantable paper valentines with wildflower seeds.
• DIY Maple Demonstration — Feb 7, 2 PM, Pattison Park (Lodge). Drop-in demo on tapping maples and boiling sap into syrup. Free, all ages.
• Don Quixote Storytime and Ballet — Feb 7, 10:30 AM, Loveland Branch Library. Kids storytime with live ballet. Registration required.
• Maple Sugaring Hike — Feb 14, 1–3 PM, Cincinnati Nature Center (Rowe Woods). Guided hike and sugaring demo. Final date of the season. Free for members, $14 non-members.
• Heartbent Album Release Concert — Feb 15, 7:30 PM, Hybrid Moments (Milford). Emo/pop-punk show with local openers. Doors typically around 7 PM.

Episode 49: Utopia, Floods, and Clermont’s Hidden History

Snowpocalypse is here, but we’re still recording. In this episode, we run through a few timely local updates, including a tax update from the Clermont County Treasurer as second half tax bills get recalculated and a reminder that first half real estate taxes are due Friday, February 13, 2026. We also preview two Batavia Township public hearings on Tuesday, February 3 at 6 PM covering proposed State Route 125 overlay updates and a new process for administering previously approved planned developments. Plus, a quick look at New Richmond Schools’ fiscal caution plan and the next steps toward a May levy, and an invitation to weigh in on Pierce Township’s proposed improvements to the White Oak and SR 125 intersection.

Then it’s time for history. We sit down with Cindy Johnson of the Clermont County Historical Society for a wild ride through the real story of Utopia, Ohio. You’ll hear about three different attempts at building a “perfect” community on the river, a Fourierist-style commune that fizzled fast, a spiritualist settlement with a tragic flood collapse, and the later Utopia experiment built on barter and big ideas. Cindy also shares what the Historical Society is working on now, including digitization efforts and a massive project to identify Revolutionary War veterans buried across Clermont County, with some of their pension stories still preserved in local records.

We wrap with a packed events rundown, from library book sales and job fairs to maple syrup demos and a Don Quixote story time with live ballet.

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• A 1.3 mil Senior Services levy is headed to the May 5 ballot. We listen to a clip from the County Commissioners presentation and why the levy matters as Clermont’s older adult population grows.
• Batavia Village has a newly sworn-in council, a search for a new council member, and a search for a new village administrator. The Taylor Road annexation is back up for a vote in February, plus talk of airport-area zoning and limiting pre-annexation authority.
• Milford City Council swears in new members and selects leadership for the year, including mayor and vice mayor appointments.

 
Ep. 47 — Inside Stonelick Ridge: A Developer’s Vision, PUD Politics and What “Responsible Growth” Looks Like


It’s a quiet January week in Clermont County, so we skip the news segment and jump straight into the main event. We also give a quick Value for Value update, thanks recent supporters, and put out the call for more boots-on-the-ground reports from around the county.


Interview — Dan Griffin and Rod Sabo (Stonelick Ridge)

 Dan Griffin, the developer behind the proposed Stonelick Ridge project off Ross Road near Lexington Run, joins the show with architect Rod Sabo to explain how a project like this actually gets built. Dan walks through his path from real estate law into land development and lays out what he’s trying to build here: a long-term, village-style community designed for multiple life stages, not a cookie-cutter subdivision.


We talk about the real development process from land acquisition to zoning meetings, why projects can burn millions before breaking ground, and how recession risk can derail communities if the plan isn’t structured right. Rod breaks down the architectural vision, including distinct “neighborhoods” within the development, design guidelines that builders must follow, and features like front-porch streetscapes, alley-loaded garages, street trees, and preserved tree stands that aim to make the place feel cohesive and walkable.


The conversation also gets into the political friction around growth in Batavia Township, including planned unit developments (PUDs) and what it means after voters repealed Article 36, the threat and reality of development referendums, annexation pressure between the township and the village, tax abatements, and the hard logistics like traffic planning, access management, and why roundabouts keep showing up in Ohio.


Events (roundup at the end of the show)

 Nature Storytime and Craft at the Hartman Log Cabin, a free CPR certification class for Union Township residents, Foraged Tea Time at Clingman Park, Maple Sugaring hikes at Cincinnati Nature Center, Promont House Museum tours, an essential oils workshop at the Batavia Branch Library, penguin family night, virtual bedtime stories, kids story times and sensory play, and a Euchre club meetup in New Richmond.


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 Ep. 46 — Clermont County Reorg and Everything 4-H
 
It’s a light first-week-of-the-year news cycle, so we hit a few local updates, then spend most of the episode with Carlie Newman, Clermont County’s 4-H Youth Development Educator with OSU Extension.

Interview — Carlie Newman

 Carlie talks about what 4-H actually looks like today. It’s the largest youth organization in the country, with around 6 million youth involved nationwide, and a goal of reaching 10 million by 2030. We talk Cloverbuds for the youngest kids, how clubs work, how enrollment works, and how 4-H builds confidence by letting kids chase real projects and real responsibility.

We also get into the stuff most people never associate with 4-H. Rockets. Personal finance. Sewing. Genealogy. Dogs. Camp. Shooting sports. Plus how OSU Extension supports the community beyond 4-H, from pressure canner testing to soil sampling to parenting education and youth driver safety programs.


News

Clermont County Commissioners held their annual reorganization meeting on January 5 and selected new leadership for the year.

Goshen Board of Education holds its organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 7 at 5:30 PM at Goshen High School.

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• Winter Solstice Celebration — Dec. 19, 5PM at Sycamore Park
• Natural Wreath-Making Workshop — Dec. 20, 1–2PM at Klingman Park (registration required)
• Milford Community Fire Department Santa Sunday — Dec. 21, 1–6PM (neighborhood tour)
• Union Township Santa Neighborhood Tour — Dec. 23 (daytime route through neighborhoods)
• Live music: The Great Blur — Dec. 27, 7:30PM at Little Miami Brewing