Today – A major anonymous gift has moved the Mansfield Playhouse another half-million dollars closer to turning its vision for a new downtown theater into reality.

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Today – A young black bear is turning heads around Mohican State Park, but wildlife officials say the animal appears to be a traveler rather than a new permanent resident.

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This week on News Man Weekly, it's Richland County Fair week and Carl gives his top 5 fair foods. The crew also digs into the latest Richland County headlines, including the investigation into the May killing of 18-year-old Le’Ondra Messner, new economic development projects taking shape across the county and a debate at Mansfield City Council over whether more resources should be directed toward proactive youth violence prevention.

Later, we sit down with Mansfield native Tom Joudrey, creator of Passenger Seat, a three-part podcast revisiting the harrowing 2012 kidnapping of Jennifer Hurst. Joudrey explains what drew him back to a story from his hometown, how he reconstructed Hurst’s 12-hour ordeal and why the series ultimately became about much more than the crime itself. 

The conversation explores Hurst’s remarkable composure during the kidnapping, the collateral damage of addiction, Joudrey’s trip to Grafton Correctional Institution to interview Nathan Taylor and the ethical challenges of telling a true-crime story involving real people and lasting trauma. Joudrey also discusses why, more than a decade later, Hurst still feels compelled to tell her story — and what creating Passenger Seat taught him about storytelling, journalism and his hometown.

This episode is powered by the great folks at Relax, It's Just Coffee.
Relevant links:

• Listen to Passenger Seat on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
• Mansfield police seek public help in finding 4 'persons of interest' from May homicide
• Prevention vs. OT: Mansfield lawmaker pushes city to target root causes of youth violence
• Manufacturing expansions and historic revivals anchor Richland County growth, officials say
• Find all of our 2026 Fair coverage

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Today – Richland County leaders say years of behind-the-scenes economic development work are now paying off in a wave of manufacturing expansions, downtown redevelopment and new opportunities across the county.

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Today – Two Columbus men are in custody after authorities recovered 27 firearms and a taser stolen during an early-morning break-in at Fin Feather Fur Outfitters in Ashland.

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Today – A Mansfield councilwoman is urging city leaders to invest more directly in preventing youth violence, rather than relying primarily on police overtime and crime analysis after violence occurs.

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Today – A suspicious early-morning fire at a Mansfield transitional housing facility sent two men to the hospital and brought both fire and police investigators to the scene.

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This week on News Man Weekly, Carl, Zac and Hayden mark the unofficial beginning of Ohio's march toward fall with another edition of Carl's Top 5. The crew also discusses several major local headlines, including Buc-ee's officially purchasing land in Mansfield, a $20 million fiber optic expansion along U.S. Route 30 and the opening of the new Bad Magic Skatepark at Maple Lake Park.

Later, we sit down with Mansfield actor, filmmaker and videographer Beau Roberts. From his starring role as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls at the Renaissance Theatre to his work in independent films and behind the camera at DRM Productions, Beau shares stories from decades in the performing arts. We talk about the differences between stage and screen, memorable moments from live theater, the realities of pursuing an acting career and why Mansfield's arts community continues to punch above its weight.

This episode is powered by the great folks at Relax, It's Just Coffee.
Relevant links:

• Broadway Blowout: Case from 'Guys & Dolls' celebrates with the audience at the Renaissance
• Get tickets to Guys & Dolls at the Renaissance
• See Beau's IMDB page
• Mansfield Lahm Airport Day offers up-close look at aircraft and automobiles
• Property transfers: Buc-ee's closes on $2.6 million land purchase in Madison Twp.
• Lincoln Highway to broadband internet: Contract signed for $20 million U.S. 30 high-speed connection across Ohio
• From tennis courts to kickflips: Skat Ohio opens new Bad Magic Skatepark in Mansfield

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Today: A first-year soap box derby racer turned a win in Mansfield into a third-place finish on the world championship stage in Akron.

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Today: Former Butler Mayor Wesley Dingus will face a judge rather than a jury in his Mansfield Municipal Court voyeurism case, but the bench trial cannot be scheduled until the Ohio Supreme Court selects a visiting judge.

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