CALENDAR

Streaming consciousness

Ohio podcasters share their stories around the world.

BY PATTY YODER

Aweek after Paula Schleis retired from the Akron Beacon Journal, she received a text message from her nephew:

I know what you’re going to do in retirement — do a podcast with me. Schleis texted back: What’s a podcast?

Paula Schleis and Stephen Yoder untangle state lore on their Ohio Mysteries podcast. Podcasts, she soon learned, are digital audio programs that listeners can stream or download. The technology emerged in 2004, allowing people to play internet radio shows on iPods and other early devices — hence the name. Today, Apple’s iTunes is home to more than 1.5 million programs covering nearly every topic imaginable.

After several brainstorming sessions, Schleis and her nephew, Stephen Yoder, created Ohio Mysteries, a podcast that explores unsolved crimes, local legends, and interesting stories with an Ohio connection. They use Facebook and Instagram to interact with a growing community of armchair detectives — some of whom occasionally provide additional details or a family connection to that week’s episode.

“We’ve told the story of everything from the gold of Minerva to the monsters that live in Lake Erie,” says Yoder, the show’s host and producer. “People sometimes stop me on the street and say, ‘You were talking about my aunt on your show.’”

Schleis, the storyteller, relies on her newsroom experience to research each mystery. She has a gift for pulling out details that paint a clear — and sometimes harrowing — picture, as in the 1846 Donner party’s doomed trek west.

Not all stories are grim. The show also explores Wooster’s claim of having the first American Christmas tree and why buzzards visit Hinkley every March 15. To Schleis, Ohio Mysteries is part entertainment and part crowdsourcing unsolved crimes.

Kim Jump, host of OOD Works, interviews horticulturist and business owner Floyd Poruban in his home for episode 9: “Floyd Poruban Runs Successful Nursery.”

Paula Schleis, a former Akron Beacon Journal reporter, relies on her newsroom experience to research her podcast. “It’s a long shot — it would be like winning the lottery if you can solve a crime that way, but it can happen,” she says. “To us, this is a labor of love.”

Mysteries and true crime are popular podcast themes, but they’re not for everyone. Listeners who want a positive boost to their day can look to Kim Jump, creator of the OOD Works podcast, which shares success stories from the state’s Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. To Jump, OOD’s chief of communications, it’s a platform to connect people to employment, disability determinations, and independence.

“The longer format of podcasts allows us to share details, and there’s just something about listening to an individual’s voice that highlights their personalities,” she says. It’s impossible to miss the enthusiasm in an episode featuring Brock Ewing, a Marion resident determined to “prove to the world that just because my eyes don’t work doesn’t mean I can’t do things that you can do or out-achieve the things you do.”

A longtime podcast listener herself, Jump learned the technical aspects of sound mixing and editing by reading articles, watching YouTube videos, and taking online

Josh White (left) and Tyler Cassidy (not pictured) say they knew they'd made it onto the podcast scene with their mysterybased series when they got their first troll in the comments section.

classes. Building new skills can be frustrating, but Jump says she finds inspiration through OOD clients, who, by necessity, have to find workarounds in everyday life.

“The individuals we serve are so unique, and they have incredible stories to share,” she says. “It’s an honor to lift them up and reaffirm the progress they’ve made in their lives and celebrate that.”

Podcast newcomers Josh White and Tyler Cassidy parlayed their love of scary movies and murder-mystery dinners into The One That Got Away, a weekly show about bizarre crimes, with plenty of comic banter (and salty language, so listener beware) thrown in. Their stories span government scandals, giggling grannies, and the infamous Cecil Hotel, home to multiple grisly activities since it opened in 1927.

If you have a smartphone, you probably have a podcast app already, or you can download one from

Google Play or the App Store. Once it’s installed, use it to browse a list of popular podcasts or search for specific topics, like “Buckeyes” or “NPR.” When you find something that interests you, download individual episodes or subscribe to the entire series. “So many crazy events happened in that one location, and when you think things couldn’t get any more bizarre, it gets worse,” White says.

The longtime friends are surprised by the amount of attention the show has received since its 2020 debut.

“We have dedicated fans who message us after the show,” White says. “They’re an off group, kind of like us, and we really enjoy interacting with them.”

Listeners around the world give the TOTGA high ratings, and the show once reached the top 200 podcasts in the U.S. and No. 2 in Bolivia, of all places.

“The five-star reviews are great, but it was a two-star review that got our attention,” Cassidy says. “We knew we

Never tried it? Here’s how to listen to a podcast

made it when we finally got our first troll.” No smartphone? Many podcasts have websites that list and stream each episode. If a friend tells you about a can’t-miss story from Ohio Folklore, for example, you can visit www.ohiofolklore.com, select the episode you want to hear, and click “Play.” It will stream right into your computer speakers.

Advanced Rechargeable Rechargeable Digital Hearing Aid Technology Only $ 229!*

FREE TELECARE CALL US TODAY!

(*Each when you buy a pair) A) Microphone Enjoy your limited-time sale price on this B) Program Bu� on incredible member of our affordable, rechargeable C) Volume Control hearing aid family! D) USB Charging Port & Rechargeable Ba� ery 5 Star Reviews! E) New Advanced R3 Digital Processor Outstanding Product! F) Receiver (Speaker) “So happy with this purchase. G) Sound Tube Can fi nally hear conversa� ons again. Thanks guys for making an aff ordable Simple. hearing aid possible. ” Affordable. - Nancy V. Rechargeable Digital Hearing Aid - For Only $229!*

HCR3 Features!

New Advanced Third-Genera� on

American Technology

Digital sound processing chip provides clear sound and makes speech easier to understand with less feedback than old analog technology Don’t worry about replacing ba� eries! Full Charge Gives 16

Hours of Use! (Charger Included)

Automa� c Noise Reduc� on and Feedback Cancella� on

100% Money Back Guarantee

4 Programs for diff erent listening situa� ons

Telecare Convenience!

No costly professional appointments needed! With our free telecare, you can call our friendly and caring staff from the comfort and safety of your home to discuss your hearing care. You’ll enjoy ongoing assistance to help you achieve the best hearing experience with your hearing aids!

HearClear hearing aids have been clinically proven to show

signifi cant improvement in

speech understanding. (University of Memphis, 2018) e HearClear HCR3 Rechargeable Digital Hearing Aid is a popular member of our rechargeable hearing aid family for a good reason: it combines great performance with incredible value! is hearing aid features advanced third-generation digital technology at an unbelievably a ordable price. e HCR3 is packed with the same key technologies that all high end digital hearing aids share while leaving out the extra bells NOW ON SALE! and whistles that increase costs and require expensive adjustments. is helps you hear

better while saving you a lot of money.

Your new HearClear HCR3 hearing aids work at a fraction of the cost of name-brand hearing aids, and you won’t have to keep changing the batteries! You’ll love the discreet, lightweight, open- t design. e HCR3 is pre-programmed for most moderate to signi cant hearing losses, so you won’t need professional appointments to make costly adjustments. It is shipped directly to you and will help you hear better

right out of the box!

You can spend thousands for an expensive hearing aid, or you can spend just $249 for a hearing aid that is great for most hearing losses

(only $229 each when you buy a pair – hear up to 3 times better than

wearing just one). We are so sure you will love your hearing aids that we o er a 100% Money Back Guarantee - Risk Free if you are not satis ed for any reason.

FOR THE LOWEST PRICE CALL! 1-888-465-7870 Use Coupon Code: CL12

*Only $229 Each When You Buy A Pair! (Coupon Code & Price Valid For A Limited Time Only)

Questions?

Call Us!

TM

Aff ordable Quality Since 1996!

FDA REGISTERED

US Company Owned And Operated