Left to Right: Brandon Peloquin & Dustin Pearce “We’re all kind of in it for the same cause there—to try and save lives and protect people during times of hazardous weather,” said Brandon Peloquin, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Wilmington. The NWS office in Wilmington covers 52 counties in southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana. The building is occupied 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The weather service has 122 offices across the United States. While the state is monitored by five offices, only two are located in Ohio. Prior to the modernization of the NWS in the 1990s, there were offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton. However, due to technological advancements, the three offices closed and combined into the Wilmington office. According to Brandon, a NWS office should be in an open area with a clear view that is not obstructed by large buildings. This made Wilmington the ideal location, in addition to its central location for Southwest Ohio.  Brandon also discussed the “ensemble approach”. He stated, “The job has changed. Forecasting still exists but it’s different… The job of a NWS meteorologist is more about messaging, getting the message out to partners and to the public.” Brandon mentioned the importance of forecasting the weather to ensure that decision-makers have an time to warn the public of incoming severe weather.   In addition to other community involvement, the NWS has a SkyWarn program, where individuals may attend a training session to become volunteers for the weather service. These volunteers assist the NWS by providing reports and information on the weather occurring directly at their location.  Learn more about the NWS at weather.gov/iln Listen to episode 63 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, ' Protecting Life & Property at the National Weather Service Office in Wilmington ' with Brandon Peloquin , on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

Paul Jellison, General Chairman of WIOH 95.9 FM “The bottom line about radio is you can get in your car… and turn it on and hear the radio station. You don’t have to have a streaming service. You don’t have to have a data plan. You don’t have to have any of that. It’s free,” said Paul Jellison, the General Chairman of WIOH 95.9 FM. WIOH aired for the first time in June of 2024. The radio station, initiated by Paul and the Clinton County Amateur Radio Association (CCARA), aims to give Wilmington a “local voice.” They play rock, oldies, and more. They also air two weather updates per hour. According to Paul, WIOH tries to keep the music “appropriate for business” during the day to encourage local businesses to tune in. In addition to the radio channel, they also stream the station on their website. The idea for the station started in October of 2023 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that they would be opening a window for organizations to register for a low-power FM radio station. Paul approached the CCARA and proposed the idea of a low-power, Wilmington-focused radio station. After receiving assistance from an attorney, they obtained a license for WIOH. In February of 2024, they received a construction permit and then began airing in June of the same year. WIOH’s studio is located at Paul’s house. The amateur radio association has also partnered with the City of Wilmington to place the radio station’s repeater, an amateur radio filter, on a city water tower by Ahresty. WIOH is hoping  to cover local news and sporting events in the future. In addition, the CCARA members provide a pool of trained operators to work with the National Weather Service, and are able to help in times of severe weather emergencies. The station is self-funded and is looking for donations, sponsors, and partners to continue funding the programs and music licenses necessary, according to Paul. Listen to Paul’s full story on episode 64 of The Real Change Podcast. Listen to WIOH 95.9 FM at wioh.org .

Left to Right: Debbie Duquette, Dustin Pearce, and Sarah Armstrong Debbie Duquette and Sarah Armstrong with PAWS Humane Society on OH-68 join the podcast to share about community pet care and volunteer opportunities. Listen to episode 62 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, 'The Volunteers Behind PAWS Humane Society' with Debbie Duquette and Sarah Armstrong, on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

Left to Right: Dustin Pearce & Jeremy Kaehler Busam Ford's General Manager, Jeremy Kaehler, joins the podcast to share about the history of Busam Ford that dates back to Henry Ford himself who offered the Busam family a Ford Service Dealership after they were able to fix his car while passing through Cincinnati back in 1909. Jeremy also shares about the dealership's plans to move from their current location on Main Street by the Clinton County Fairgrounds to a new building on OH-73 across from Pot-Luck Greenhouse in 2025. Listen to episode 61 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, ' The History of Busam Ford from Main Street to OH-73 ' with Jeremy Kaehler , on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

“I feel like people think starting something is a lot more complicated than it really is, and it really just takes being brave and doing it,” said Doughlena Irwin. “And having good support around you, too,” added her sister, Ashlee Cupp. Doughlena and Ashlee are co-owners and operators of Salon 92, located at 712 S. South Street in Wilmington. The salon, named after their late sister’s birth year, opened on August 22nd of this year, honoring her birthday. She tragically passed away from a drug overdose, instilling in Doughlena and Ashlee how valuable life is because it can be “taken very quickly.” The sisters grew up between the Cincinnati and Wilmington areas. Ashlee became a stylist upon her high school graduation, after attending cosmetology school. Doughlena first became a banker and was taking steps to become a mortgage lender. However, upon the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doughlena needed a different schedule to care for her daughter. Ashlee encouraged her to pursue cosmetology. Once both sisters were active stylists, Doughlena encouraged the two to begin their own hair salon. With the help of their family, the two refinished and decorated the building they are currently in to create Salon 92. The salon features neutral, welcoming decor, creating a “comfortable space” for both genders. Ashlee specializes in men’s haircuts and offers a unique spa treatment after the haircut. In addition to washing, drying, and styling the hair, she provides a scalp massage, a hot facial towel, and a back and shoulder massage. Doughlena specializes in color, bridal styles, and curly hair. Despite offering similar services to other local salons, Doughlena believes her honesty and care for clients set her apart. In addition to their work at the salon, Doughlena and Ashlee hope to host events around their salon in the future to help people suffering from addiction. The two emphasized the importance of empathy and compassion for people regardless of their labels. Learn more about Salon 92 by visiting their page on Facebook or listen to Doughlena and Ashlee’s’ full story on episode 59 of The Real Change Podcast .

“Every time you walk in, you’re going to find something different, something that wasn’t here the last time, something that you won’t find anyplace else,” said Joni Palmer, owner of Alma’s Attic, now located at 201 E. Locust Street in Wilmington. The store features a variety of items, including farm toys, furniture, artwork, Christmas items, candles, jams, and more. All items are organized similar to a traditional retail and grouped by categories. Following her childhood on a farm in Kansas, Joni moved to Missouri for college and began working at a local Walmart. Through that job, she “fell in love” with retail and was transferred to Ohio where she met her now husband, Brad. Joni has always enjoyed antiques and maintained antique booths in various places as a hobby, calling them ‘Palmer’s Antiques’. Upon the elimination of her position at Walmart in 2018, Joni and Brad decided that they would finally open their own brick and mortar store. When brainstorming a name, Joni determined she wanted to use an alliteration. After playing with several options, she ultimately chose to use her grandmother’s name, “Alma”, and pair it with “Attic”. In addition to their physical store, Alma’s Attic also sells items online, which makes up 50–60% of their total sales. Still, Joni emphasized the importance of local businesses, acknowledging while big companies and events bring people to Wilmington, it’s the small and unique businesses that keep the people here. Joni is also a Certified Estate Appraiser for the couple’s other business, Palmer Appraisal Services. According to Brad, this license is rare and provides extra comfort to customers. Joni stressed the importance of community and shared hopes to partner with Kava Haus. She stated, “The only way that we’re going to make our community a better place to live is if we can just embrace each other as humans and see 0ur likeness instead of our difference.” Listen to Joni’s full story on episode 60 of The Real Change Podcast .

Chloe, a Great Dane/Lab mix, is a spunky, loving pup. She loves pets, treats, and tug-of-war. Though Chloe can be choosy with other dogs, she gets along with cats. At just one year old, Chloe has plenty of energy. Want to meet Chloe or her friends? Visit pawshumane.weebly.com .

WCS is currently facing transportation challenges, as 2 bus drivers are out on sick leave. These vacant positions have affected 2 of their 16 regular routes and sporting event transportation. To further complicate the issue, they have a shortage of substitute drivers, stretching the bus dispatcher and mechanic beyond their normal duties. According to Interim Superintendent Tim Dettwiller, transportation is parents’ “biggest area of concern” as indicated on an online survey. In response, he stated, “We’re throwing time, effort, and money at this problem.” Dettwiller detailed the ‘Bus Driver Recruiting Incentive Plan’ that was set to be ratified at the November 25 school board meeting. The proposed plan is a “beefed up” version of a pre-existing plan that expired in June. The plan consists of bonuses up to $2,500 in addition to the $18.93 per hour starting rate. According to Dettwiller, “we’ve got the money to hire, we’ve got the desire to hire, it’s just getting [bus drivers] in the door”, specifically mentioning that it can take 4–6 weeks to get a driver on the road. He also mentioned cutting high school busing as a last resort; however, he doesn’t expect or want to be in that situation. Despite this, some parents are still frustrated. Eric Hayslett, WCS parent, stated, “WCS has faced persistent transportation issues since before 2018, long before COVID-19, and while transparency is appreciated, repeated excuses are not a solution—immediate, tangible action is required to address these long-standing problems.” Dettwiller acknowledged frustrations and the effect it has had on morale across the school district. He encouraged people to “talk about the good things that are happening, too.” At the PTO meeting, Dettwiller also encouraged parents to reach out to him or school board members with questions regarding school issues. If you are interested in driving for WCS, email Jessica Miller at Jessica.Miller@wilmington.k12.oh.us .

“I think we’re putting a lot of good people in place, and we’re starting to get things moving in the right direction… People are starting to come back and I’m excited about that continuing,” said Jeremy Kaehler, General Manager of Busam Ford, currently located at 1182 W. Main Street in Wilmington. Busam, a Ford and Lincoln franchise, sells new and used vehicles. They also have a full service department, parts shop, body shop, mobile car service, and pick-up and delivery service. Busam’s Ford franchise began in 1909 after Henry Ford passed through Cincinnati and experienced vehicle issues. He enlisted help from “Old Man Busam”, according to Jeremy, and was so pleased with Busam’s repair job that he offered him a service dealership. That dealership grew into today’s Busam Ford. Jeremy began his involvement with the car industry after making a bet with a friend. After spending over 20 years at other dealerships, one day Jeremy received a call from Busam Ford. Upon meeting with Joe Busam Jr. at the local Gold Star, he accepted the position and has been at Busam since March of 2023. When it comes to Jeremy’s car-selling philosophy, he believes it’s  “really just about people.” He mentioned the importance of customers enjoying their experience, stating that he would “want to have fun” if he were purchasing a car. He emphasized the uniqueness of car sales is that a consumer can negotiate the price of what they are purchasing. Jeremy also mentioned Busam’s upcoming expansion. The dealership is planning to move to a 36-acre lot out by US-71 and OH-73. The building construction is projected to start in late 2024. Once built, the new location will feature 18 service bays and a heavy truck lift. They hope to sell from the new location by this time next year. It is unknown what will happen with the current Busam Ford lot. Listen to Jeremy’s full story on episode 61 of The Real Change Podcast . Learn more about Busam Ford at busamford.com .

Since the late 1950s, Buckley Brothers Inc., located at 258 E. Main Street in Wilmington, has displayed a star on top of its grain tanks to celebrate the holiday season. “I think it’s a focal point, we like to see it, everybody likes to see it lit up for Christmas time,” said Mark Buckley, Owner of Buckley Brothers Inc. The star stands over ten feet tall and is placed roughly 150 feet in the air. It was originally welded together with the help of a local farmer, Ed Keiter. Traditionally, Buckley Brothers lights the star after Thanksgiving. According to Buckley, “my father used to tell me that years ago, that if the star wasn’t lit by Thanksgiving, they’d [the store] get phone calls wanting to know why the star wasn’t lit.” In recent years, however, they have been lighting the star to commence the beginning of the HoliDazzle parade. According to Mark Ostermeier, the star’s mechanic, the parade organizers contact Buckley to light the star. Once it’s lit, the parade begins. Until roughly five years ago, Buckley Brothers used to lay the star down in the months prior to the holiday season. However, upon the installation of antennas, they are unable to lay the star down and have left it upright. According to Buckley, they’ve only taken the star down from the top of the grain tanks once, in order to refurbish it. This year, the store has made several changes to the star. The lights on the star have been converted to LED. In addition to changing the type of lights, they added nine lights to the star, giving it a total of 48 LED light bulbs. In the future, they would like to add more lights to the grain tanks; however, the wind at that height can limit their ability to add lights. Buckley Brothers also added a Christmas light at the bottom of the grain tanks that shines upwards and flashes on the tanks.  Learn more about Buckley Brothers Inc. at buckleybrosinc.com .

Owners of Alma’s Attic, husband and wife Brad and Joni Palmer, join the podcast to share how they grew their small consignment business into a full retail store, and the value local businesses have to making a community feel like home. Listen to episode 60 of the Real Change Wilmington Podcast, 'Unique Is Guaranteed at Alma's Attic' with Brad and Joni Palmer, on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: bit.ly/rcwp-website

At both November City Council meetings, the council held several hearings regarding L.T. Land Development’s request for the rezoning of several properties to “light industrial.” According to Wilmington’s Code of Ordinance, light industrial zoning should “provide for appropriate areas within the city for light industrial manufacturing and warehouse uses with limited objectionable external effects.” This land totals over 600 acres and includes farmland around Nelson Avenue to US-68. During the public hearings, Mary Moyer, an attorney speaking on behalf of L.T. Land Development, issued a similar explanation for each request. She stated that the company is not currently proposing builds and would like to change the zoning in order to make the property more marketable. Mary mentioned that developments on the property would be addressed at a later date. To ease community concerns, she emphasized that any business on the property would have to follow city codes. Throughout the public hearings, many citizens shared their confusion and opposition to the rezoning of the acreage, with many citing similar concerns. Several individuals cited the ‘Clinton County 2040 Comprehensive Plan’, emphasizing the work that went into that plan and arguing that this would negate that. Residents also argued that an industrial presence would cause traffic issues, increase noise, and lower property values. Homeowners and landowners shared their concerns about rain flow and water drainage on their properties. Tim Inwood, State Central Committeeman and local farmer, expressed his concerns about wildlife displacement negatively affecting neighboring properties and farms. In response to the rezoning of certain lots, residents argued that they do not want industrial buildings close to their children, the schools, and community centers. One resident suggested that the potential development would prevent Cape May from expanding.  Community members also mentioned the scarcity of residential land and housing in Wilmington. They argued that if the proposed development brought jobs and people into the county, the county would not have enough housing for additional people. Several residents questioned why land on the other side of town, already zoned “light industrial”, could not be used for this project. They argued that rezoning the land benefits the developers, rather than local residents. David Raizk, adjacent property owner and former mayor, argued that the city statute requires undeveloped land to come into the city in the most restrictive zone to protect citizens and allowing this change would create a dangerous precedent. Overall, residents were frustrated with the lack of information provided. In response to concerns, Council Member Jamie Knowles stated, “within those confidentiality agreements, we will never know what’s coming until it’s here.” He continued to mention that not allowing the rezoning of land without knowledge of its expected use could lead to never rezoning land at all. Drew DeMarsh, Executive Director of CCRPC, also attempted to ease concerns by citing Wilmington’s Code of Ordinance. The code of ordinance mentions that operations from light industrial properties should be within the buildings and should not negatively impact the surrounding properties. He also stated that there should be a physical buffer on those properties, whether that be vegetation, mounds, or space. Drew emphasized that the city engineer would ensure water would not be pushed onto neighboring properties. He also noted that if those properties remained zoned for residential use, a developer would be required to invest a significant amount of money to ensure adequate infrastructure. Toward the end of the hearing, Bill Peelle, an attorney representing L.T. Land Development, shared that they were contacted by a buyer, who requested the entirety of the acreage be rezoned “light industrial”. He argued that the opportunity is “fairly substantial” for the community and will go away unless the land is rezoned. However, there is a non-disclosure agreement prohibiting them from disclosing any details. Bill stated that the potential buyer would be reviewed when the building permit and site plan were brought to the city. Larry Roberts also spoke in support of his company’s request to rezone the land. He stated that the opportunity was a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.” Both Bill and Larry mentioned Larry’s positive impact on the community, arguing that he would not harm the community. Larry mentioned that the infrastructure costs associated with the development of the property would be passed on to the potential developer. He also mentioned that he would not sacrifice 600 acres of his farmland unless he believed in the opportunity. In response to community suggestions, the two claimed that the airpark is full and that the acreage on the other side of town is “not near big enough for this.” Alex Beres, Executive Director of the Port Authority, also responded to community concerns. He stated that there is a significant amount of development interest in Clinton County that would require “light industrial” zoned land. In response to community concerns about the 2040 plan, he argued that technology advancements were not present then for proper plan-making. Alex also claimed that growth opportunities have been “choked off” because of inadequate infrastructure. Originally, City Council planned to have both the second and third readings of the rezoning requests on November 21, 2024; however, in order to allow more public input, they have moved the third reading to the December 5 City Council meeting. If you have any questions or concerns about the issue, reach out to City Council or attend their next meeting. Learn more at wilmingtonohio.gov .