HBAC 157: Head, Heart, Hands and Health

HBAC 157: Head, Heart, Hands and Health

We open the latest episode of the Audio Companion by welcoming Sam Swank, a longtime member of 4-H [https://ohio4h.org/], who discussed his experiences with the organization and his current project studying yeast breads. Sam, who joined 4-H at age six, described the program as a place where you learn about nature, practical skills and career interests while pursuing projects that match your passions. His own interests have ranged from birding and fishing to baking. Currently working on a yeast bread project for the county fair, Sam turned the tables on Jordan and asked thoughtful questions about donut making, including how yeast is activated, how commercial baking differs from home baking, and what kind of training is needed to become a professional baker. The conversation highlighted one of 4-H’s enduring strengths: its ability to introduce young people to skilled trades, science, agriculture and entrepreneurship through hands-on learning. Founded more than a century ago, with deep roots in Ohio, 4-H remains one of the nation’s largest youth development organizations, reaching millions of participants through local clubs and county fairs. The second half of the program shifted to a much more contentious and now familiar subject: the rapid expansion of data centers across Ohio. Joining the second half of our show was Amy Swank, Sam’s mother and a prominent grassroots advocate who has become one of the state’s most active voices examining the impacts of large-scale data center development. Swank said her interest began when a proposed facility was slated for construction near her home. Since then, she has traveled the state speaking with communities facing similar projects and helping residents understand zoning processes, public records requests and the economics behind fast-moving data center agreements. According to Swank, concerns raised by residents are remarkably consistent regardless of geography or politics. “It didn’t matter if I was in Pickaway County or Madison County or Franklin County,” she said. “They all kind of shared the same concerns. It always evolved around transparency.” Swank argued that many communities are being asked to accept projects with limited information about long-term environmental impacts, energy demands and tax arrangements. She expressed particular concern about backup diesel generators, electrical grid capacity and the use of unaffordable tax abatements to attract facilities. The discussion also explored the mixed response at the Ohio Statehouse, where lawmakers have formed a select committee to study data centers after separate legislation establishing a more formal commission stalled in the state senate. Swank said she hopes legislators will make more legitimate efforts to slow things down while taking a much closer look at the economics of the industry and carefully examining whether promised benefits match public investment. The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe [https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

HBAC 156: Hilliard Short Film Festival

We were recently joined in studio by Austin Rutherford and Megan Miracle as they promoted Hilliard’s upcoming short film festival. Both Austin and Megan are former students in Hilliard and we’re very pleased to see them developing their passion into local opportunities for fellow creators. 0:00 - 17:34 Intro with the guys… 17:35 - 19:21 Meet Austin and Megan! 19:21 - 21:56 Origins and structure of the festival 21:56 - 24:24 AI and filmmaking 24:23 - 29:28 Record participation (100+ submissions) and FilmFreeway [https://filmfreeway.com/HilliardShortFilmFestival] 29:28 - 31:31 Establishing Hilliard’s film culture 31:31 - 35:04 Creative careers and entrepreneurship 35:04 - 40:01 Early mentorship and building a film ecosystem 40:01 - 42:15 Production and momentum 42:15 - 45:50 Future goals 45:50 - 48:45 Festival details and closing * Date: June 20 * Time: 5:00 PM * Location: Hilliard Civic & Cultural Arts Center * Final lineup: * 6 student films * 14 animated films * 10 open submission films The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe [https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

HBAC #155: The Coffee Connection w/ Nate Grenier

It was a real treat to host old friend Nate Grenier for a chat about our shared history and the business he, his wife and family have grown in Hilliard. 0:00-5:30 - In the beginning...two ‘wild and crazy’ guys [https://coffeeconnectionhilliard.wordpress.com/2018/03/26/values-serve-your-city/]. 5:30-10:30 - Building a local coffee culture 10:30-16:30 - Family, marriage, and entrepreneurship 16:30-20:30 - Expansion and COVID’s hard lessons 20:30-23:30 - The economics of Main Street 23:30-25:00 - “It’s no Stonehenge…” 25:00-31:30 - Rent vs Ownership in small business survival 31:30-34:45 - Business incubators and community building 34:45-37:15 - ‘Small-Town’ identity under growth pressure and what it reveals 37:15-41:15 - Counseling, mental health, and coffee shop as touchstone 41:15-45:00 - Faith, diversity and the enduring value of ‘Main Street’ Thanks again to Nate for coming out! It only took us 3 years to get one of our oldest friends on the pod! The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe [https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

HBAC# 154: Public / Private Eyes are Watching You

Thanks for listening, everyone! In this episode: * We review our recent interview with Chief Woods. * We spend a good portion of the episode discussing expanding surveillance technology in Hilliard, including the prevalence of residential cameras and growing police use of Flock license plate reader systems [https://hilliardohio.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Policy-426-Automated-License-Plate-Reader-ALPR-1.pdf]. * The growing resistance to the data center buildout at local, state, national levels * Attention then turned to Hilliard City Council’s postponed vote on allowing Capital Church to operate out of the Makoy Center property. (Postponed 5/11 - Vote occuring 5/26 Tuesday) [https://hilliardohio.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&id=4701] * We discuss perceptions surrounding the vote. * Discussion broadened to overall religious growth in Hilliard. * Housing Study Open House coming 5/28 from 5-7 pm [https://hilliardohio.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=4747]. * School construction and almost certain naming drama. * Corvo might re-start work on his 1967 Silver Bridge [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bridge] project and related historical reporting! The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe [https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

HBAC #151: Hilliard Division of Police Chief Michael Woods

With the latest episode of the HBAC the guys welcome Hilliard Police Chief Michael Woods to the program for a focused conversation on our burgeoning suburb. Community Policing Woods described community policing as a core operational philosophy beginning at the hiring stage. Officers, he said, are expected to be visible and approachable whether that means walking neighborhood events, interacting with children at city celebrations, teaching self-defense classes or participating in programs like the Citizens Police Academy and Youth Safety Academy. The chief emphasized that officers are encouraged to build relationships before crises occur hoping residents view police as a resource rather than a distant enforcement mechanism. Growth in Population and the Staffing Challenge The conversation also explored the realities of policing a rapidly growing suburb. Woods explained that roughly two-thirds of Hilliard’s officers are assigned to patrol functions with specialized units focus on investigations, school resource operations, traffic safety and crime analysis. He discussed how the department uses a newer civilian intelligence analyst to identify crime patterns, analyze digital evidence and direct patrol resources toward emerging trouble spots such as vehicle break-ins and theft clusters. Chief Woods acknowledged ongoing concerns over reckless driving along Interstate 270 and major corridors throughout Hilliard and Norwich Township, noting that the department works jointly with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and neighboring jurisdictions on targeted enforcement operations. As Hilliard continues adding residents and commercial development, Woods said the department is always monitoring and revising staffing projections. A recent recurring analysis determined that four additional officers will likely be needed over the next two years to maintain service levels as areas like TruePointe continue building out for businesses and residents. Woods also detailed the department’s extensive vetting process for lateral hires, emphasizing that prior police experience does not exempt applicants from undergoing the same scrutiny and background review as new recruits. Technology Technology and transparency formed another major thread throughout. The chief discussed the city’s emerging drone first-responder program [https://hilliardohio.gov/collaborations-for-technology/], describing scenarios where aerial response can help locate missing individuals, assess highway crashes or direct medics to emergency scenes more quickly. He also addressed public concerns surrounding Flock license plate reader cameras, stressing that the system does not use facial recognition and that all searches are logged, audited and publicly reported [https://transparency.flocksafety.com/hilliard-oh-pd]. The interview concluded with discussion of the district’s threat assessment partnership with Hilliard City Schools. Woods described the initiative as an effort to identify students displaying troubling behavioral patterns and connect families with resources before situations escalate into violence. He framed the program as preventative rather than punitive, centered on intervention, counseling and coordination between schools, police and community support systems. Topics Discussed and approx. timestamps 00:00 – 02:00 Introduction of Chief Michael Woods and discussion of a past Hilliard infant death investigation handled by the department. 02:00 – 05:15 Community policing philosophy, officer visibility, Citizens Police Academy, Youth Safety Academy and public outreach programs. 05:15 – 06:40 Discussion of policing culture differences between Hilliard and larger cities like Baltimore. 06:40 – 10:55 Breakdown of department structure, patrol staffing, investigations, school resource officers and the civilian crime analyst role. 11:00 – 13:15 Traffic enforcement strategy, speeding concerns, drag racing complaints and regional coordination on Interstate 270. 13:15 – 16:20 Norwich Township policing contract, jurisdictional boundaries and patrol zone deployment. 16:20 – 19:35 Population growth, staffing studies, future hiring needs and development pressures on police services. 19:35 – 26:50 Lateral hiring, officer vetting, field training and maintaining departmental culture and standards. 26:50 – 30:30 School resource officers, post 2020 policing debates and the “Parks, Passes and Pools” summer initiative. 30:30 – 32:55 Drone first-responder program and examples of emergency deployment scenarios. 32:55 – 36:15 Flock license plate reader cameras, transparency reporting, privacy concerns and investigative uses. 36:15 – 37:30 Mayor’s Court operations and local traffic citation handling. 37:30 – 40:00 Threat assessment partnership with Hilliard City Schools aimed at identifying and assisting at-risk students before violence occurs. The Hilliard Beacon is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe [https://hilliardbeacon.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]