Shows
HyperLocal(s)Through Purple Eyes and Story Snapshots.Two previous guests, Emily Donohoe (#114) and Shauna Boatright (#180), bring along a new face to the podcast, Sherrie Carter, to talk about a photographic project, Through Purple Eyes. Listen as these three women, all with different backgrounds and stories, come together to talk about a project they are collaborating on. Mahomet fine art photographer, Emily Donohoe of Pixels by Emily, currently has two willing participants in an ongoing creative endeavor: Through Purple Eyes. The artist project honors resilience, courage and the quiet strength found on the other side of abuse-domestic, emotional and psychological. Donohoe wants to increase her p...
2026-02-2454 min
HyperLocal(s)Blakely (Harrington) & Kristian Gallivan. In Sickness and in Health, a Couple's Story, Part 2.The following week, Blakely comes into the studio again, this time on mic and accompanied by her now husband, Kristian. This beautiful couple lays out their perspective of before, during and after those unforgettable two months where everything could have, and medically should have, gone horribly wrong. Listen as these locals talk about the American Heart Association, the importance of lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), navigating the future-son-in-law role during such a sensitive time, Team Blakely's round-the-clock support efforts, mistakes made in health care, bracing for the worst, hoping for the best, life's forever changed perspective, prioritizing health a...
2026-02-1757 min
HyperLocal(s)Kris Harrington. Living Through a Nightmare and Witnessing a Miracle, a Mother's Story, Part 1.Interviewing family is a funny thing. The words and stories feel precious and protected, sacred and special. This effervescent sparkler defines what it means to be a mom: devoted, selfless, caring and strong.Michigan transplant, but to all that have the pleasure of knowing her, she is a townie, lover of friends and family and a great time. Listen as Kris Harrington relives her young, seemingly healthy daughter's, fast and steep decline due to off-the-charts triglyceride levels/pancreatitis. Anything that could have gone wrong, did. How did Kris navigate the complicated twists and turns of Bl...
2026-02-1055 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Tuesdays with Roger and Remembering the Piano Man.My husband and I reflect on the completely unexpected responsibility given to us. This responsibility would become a gift that we will never forget or take for granted. With no family or children, my husband became the caretaker for a recently widowed man with a newly discovered dementia diagnosis. Listen as my husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" better half returns to talk about a years-in-the-making arrangement that came to fruition, spending each lunch hour with a heartbroken, rapidly aging former piano teacher with no kids or family to rely on, going from the position of s...
2025-12-2954 min
HyperLocal(s)REWIND. Andrew & Emily Harrington. The Halloween Special and the Stolen Skeleton.I am adding video podcasting to my repertoire of podcast mediums. This is in addition to just the audio version. Kitchen-Table-Studios turned professional- recording-studio. Elevate. Progress. Change. Difficult. During this transition, I have banked a batch of episodes in the new studio. The infrastructure and powers that be aren't quiteeeee ready. Any. Day. Now. this new launch will happen. If you want to listen to the audio version as normal, NOTHING will change for you. However, if you want to WATCH the full-length podcast, that option will now be available. In the meantime, st...
2025-10-2845 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. The Lost Man on the Lake and the Dave Mathews Band.Back by popular demand, my only recurring guest, Andrew Harrington, graces the studio on wheels in this travel pod discussing summer on the first day of fall.Listen as my husband, co-townie, BFF4E, producer and attorney talk smoothies, summer camp drops, Michigan summers, McDonald's lately, fireworks foibles, bike riding, rain, rain, rain, having NFL players over for dinner and concerts. This episode is sandwiched in between some very serious and difficult topics as a way to reset and smile.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast...
2025-09-2346 min
LET's Network: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and ChangemakersIt’s OK to Not Be OK – Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health at Work & Beyond with LET's NetworkIn this powerful episode of LET’s Network: The Podcast, hosts Emily Harrington and Talia Hreljac open up about the realities of mental health, especially in the context of parenting, entrepreneurship, and professional life. Together, they challenge the culture of toxic positivity and emphasize the importance of acknowledging our struggles—because it’s OK to not be OK.This conversation explores the emotional weight of balancing personal and professional responsibilities, the value of vulnerability in networking, and the need to build support systems that truly support emotional well-being. Emily and Talia also share insights on workplace wellness, time management, and ho...
2025-08-2249 min
The Stokecast33: Training Your Weakness, with Emily HarringtonEmily Harrington is one of the most well-rounded and accomplished outdoor athletes alive, male or female. From crushing 5.14b climbs to skiing volcanoes, and El Capitan to Mount Everest, her pursuits are nothing short of mind-blowing.In this episode, your hosts chat with Emily about her recent adventures, learning to pivot, adapt, and embrace change in your career, and how it feels to realize you're a role model. Also, hear about Emily's recent TEDx talk on Finding Fear, why she decided to only train her weaknesses, and the announcement of Danger Stik TV, the new YouTube channel...
2025-07-301h 14
HyperLocal(s)Emily Young. The World of Bodybuilding and Taking Up Space.Talk about a champion of both physical and mental growth. Emily is the epitome of discipline, control and practicing what you preach. The world of natural bodybuilding is layered and admirable. Listen as this Carbondale gal talks about the fascinating world of bodybuilding, prepping your body for competition, earning pro status, posing, the world of steroid use and natural competitions, reintroducing your body to a norm after competition, trauma and disordered eating and exercise, adding tools to your toolbox, letting go of control, certifications, playing macro Tetris, art and art therapy, putting puzzles together for others, being a...
2025-07-291h 04
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Teaching a Kid to Ride a Bike and Teaching a Kid the Birds and the Bees.My husband and I download this non-stop season of life. Listen as my husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, returns to talk wrapping basement construction, "stolen" haybales, parent failures, having "the talk" as kids and with our own, the neighborhood car chase and accident, In Retrospect: A HyperLocal(s) Project, teaching Science Olympiad, tree troubles, having a dramatic child, challenging your kid to get uncomfortable, the deal with choosing the same side of the bed and Andrew's dysfunctional handyman process. Thank you for listening to our beautiful mess.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wi...
2025-07-081h 08
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. The Oldywed Game and Kids Say the Darndest Things.My family of four gather around our dining table aka Kitchen Table Studios to excitedly provide content. Listen as my children, husband and the "Tales From Two Townies" most requested, graciously provide content during a rousing Q & A game, expose family secrets, tell us why they know mom and dad love them, what are mom and dad not good at, lots of secret fast food content, what makes our kids laugh, what are least favorite article of clothing for each other is, the first thing we bought together and if Andrew and I were a traffic sign wha...
2025-04-081h 04
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Keeping Austin Weird and a Special Guest.An early flight. A long-awaited couple's getaway. A welcome third wheel. Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" road trip warrior talks with our dear friend, Jamie Wellman, on our way to the airport. We reminisce, discuss our Austin plans, talk music and get to know this repeat podcast guest a little better. Festivals, wookies, concerts, interrupting, lunch dating, caregiver stories, being a landlord, Veo bikes, a rogue bug and so much more. Need a random stream of consciousness? This is it. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the...
2025-01-281h 05
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. The Wheels Fell Off and Listener Complaints.On one of our MANY road trips this summer, in the wee hours of the morning, we talk and talk and talk about everything and nothing. Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" segment producer talk more basement sewage problems, stress, the Illinois Football NIL deal, the band no one has ever heard of, the disaster of a camp drop off, Andrew's unfulfilled dreams of becoming a comedian while workshopping bits and finally listener complaints about the podcast content.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) P...
2024-09-241h 21
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. We’ve Run Out of Content and What’s the One Thing We Don’t Know About Each Other.This pod is an oldie but a goodie. We pushed this episode back to release the Boston ep for timeliness reasons. When we have nothing left to talk about, we play a game. Art imitating life. We do this sometimes when walking or waiting impatiently for something. Listen as my husband and "Tales From Two Townies" segment star talk "bringing the funk, upping the energy and being a basic bitch," voice mocking and a Q&A game. Find out where we want to be in the future? What we want our legacy to be? What we value i...
2024-07-021h 04
HyperLocal(s)Emily Donohoe. Back Breaking Work and Done at One.I met Emily D. when I was an eager mom who has since peaked at parenthood. Sign up for all the things. Take all the notes. Fill up the calendar. She was president of our pre-k board and patient with my onslaught of questions. At this time, Emily was laid up and recovering from one of MANY surgeries to repair and reconstruct the bones that keep failing her. Listen as this Florida native, 4th generation in fact, talks about what brought her to the Midwest, her Certified Public Accountant background, her now passion and successful photography business, th...
2024-05-211h 18
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. The Boston Massacre and Andrew the Male Nurse.My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from our Boston hotel room. Our third guest, the hotel housekeeper, makes multiple off-MIC cameos. We are in Massachusetts in an effort to follow the Illini Basketball Team through March Madness. This obsession (of Andrews) leads to an achilleas injury from overuse of the gas pedal during these 14-hour up and back drives. Listen as we discuss if the injury effect Andrew's marathon training? How did he fare in his past marathons? How did hernia surgery go and was Andrew a good nurse? The beginning of this "Tales From Two To...
2024-04-161h 13
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Hawaii 4-0 and Calls from School.My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from our honeymoon spot 13 years and a lot more literal baggage later. In Maui we touch on a WIDE range of topics and Andrew tries not to mock my voice. Listen as these two townies talk about renovation PTSD, frozen poo in a bucket, our son calling incessantly from school, young love, my previous work bully and my current call out on social media from an old schoolmate. While Andrew tries to divert the conversation into safe waters—Emily dives right in! Lastly, we acknowledge the 100th episode of the podc...
2024-02-1351 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Peel and Stick Wallpaper is a Scam and Four Stitches Later.My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I podcast from Thanksgiving vacation in Florida, "the land of do as you please." An impromptu evening podcast (post Illini loss) and early morning addition (post endorphin-spiking run), round out the latest edition of, "Tales From Two Townies." Listen as these two townies talk about the funny and not-so-funny current goings on where they often laugh so they don't cry. Bullying, social anxiety, falling on the treadmill, my latest personal endeavor and family Halloween costumes are all discussed in this latest ep.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison an...
2023-12-051h 03
HyperLocal(s)Mike Fitzgerald. Wanting to Change the World by Joining the Peace Corps and Asking for a Mother’s Blessing to Leave.My husband’s uncle, mother-in-law’s brother, Champaign native and a man I feel like I just really met as he lived in Africa for most of my indoctrination into my husband’s family. Every few years he would be an honored guest and the life-of-the party when he made it back to the states in full African regalia—a stark contrast from the button-ups and pressed skirts that surrounded him. Listen as Mike reflects on unimaginable adventures in rural villages in Africa, claustrophobic flights, a reference book provided as health care, stream baths, meeting his future wife and...
2023-10-101h 00
HyperLocal(s)Katherine (Grace) Chavez. Postpartum Depression and Anxiety.My BFF’s sister, mother of three, Urbana born and raised farmer’s daughter turned Chicago suburbanite talks candidly about what happens when motherhood just doesn’t “click.” The maternal instinct and excitement that is glorified is replaced with feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Listen as this eloquent and self-aware mom talks about panic attacks, therapy, medication, pregnancy, asking for and receiving help, postpartum lows, viewing a trip to Target as a win and ultimately valuing having a family over your need for control and calm. Lastly, Katherine discusses how her father’s failing health and ultimate passing playe...
2023-10-0351 min
HyperLocal(s)Jon Carpenter. Stay-at-Home Dadding and Never in a Million Years.My former Savoy neighbor and fellow grocery shopper, camp dropper-offer, fast casual dining consumer and YMCA member talk about how and why his family planted roots in Champaign. Jon explains why he never thought he’d add a decade-long line item of “Stay-at-home dad” to his resume. Listen as these fellow play daters and lunch makers talk about Jon filling this typically female for the good of the family, keeping his doctor wife in the loop and still deferring to her for parenting decisions, the awkwardness of navigating a majority female playscape and what the next years look lik...
2023-09-2635 min
HyperLocal(s)Terry von Thaden. Liam Gasser's Mom Speaks Out and Triggered by the Term "Road Rage."On October 24, 2021 Terry searched her house for any random bits and pieces that could help her son, Liam, finish his Halloween costume for a party he was anxiously anticipating. At the same time, 24-year-old Urbana High School graduate and recent University of Illinois graduate, Liam Gasser, went to North Prospect to look for materials at the local craft stores. Listen as two moms reflect on this scene, this picture, this situation which is not unlike so many moms come October. Frustrations with last minute preparations, unrealistic expectations between mother and son and ultimately apologies and pushed aside pla...
2023-09-191h 12
HyperLocal(s)She’s a Farmer Girl in a Man’s World and Bringing a Fresh Take on an Ancient Trade.My high school golf teammate, and overall sweetheart of a person, start our talk discussing the tribulations of being the only freshman on our upper-classmen heavy Central High School Girls Golf Team. We go through the podcast discussing what it's like being the minority gender in a vastly male career. Listen as these townies talk corn, the new methodology behind cover crops, working with family while living with family, the mental health ramifications of a career controlled by mother nature, the upcoming predictions for this year's harvest and the thoughts behind raising a family in such a d...
2023-09-1237 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew, Emily, Fletcher & Nolan Harrington. The Family that Pods Together, Stays Together and So Long Summer.My husband, Andrew Harrington, and I try to wrangle in our two little (or not so little anymore) sons on this special family episode. Listen as these four townies reflect on the new activities they are trying this fall, what they did and learned over the summer, my colorful cosmetic procedure and change-of-seasons depression, passing out in public and a snot rocket from an aerodynamic biker. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of...
2023-09-051h 06
HyperLocal(s)Kristofer & Abigail Guerrero. What Happens in Vegas Comes to Champaign and Facing the School Year With Confidence, Discipline and Respect.Mr. Guerrero, born in Kentucky and raised in Vegas and Mrs. Guerrero of South Bend, IN met on the mat. These well-credentialed black belts sparred their way into marriage and a big move to Champaign where they took over the responsibility of owning and teaching at Leaders for Life Martial Arts. Listen as the power couple talk about their roles in life and in the business. Where he concentrates on teaching and instruction, she handles the bulk of paperwork and complaints. The perfect partnership. These two martial arts leaders are also researched experts in coaching, teaching, children an...
2023-08-2952 min
HyperLocal(s)Ashley (Teare) Daly. Mourning Maui and What Went Wrong.This Champaign city girl turned to the Sadorus countryside to raise her own son near the same farm that raised her up just a few decades ago. The flatlands and drying corn are a far cry from the lush tropics of where she spent her twenties—Maui, HI. Listen as Ashley describes the preserved history that surrounded the once coveted town of Lahaina. Ashley and her now husband traveled to this area with nothing but wanderlust and a backpack. Ashley worked in a small schoolhouse teaching native islanders and soaking up smells and sunsets while making lifelong frien...
2023-08-2235 min
HyperLocal(s)Matt Stuckey. Born to Serve and Right Place, Right Time.This Paxton-Buckley-Loda graduate faced a few back-to-back, dream-crushing disappointments that changed the direction he was going each time. A knee injury and something as seemingly benign as not being picked up for an appointment, led Matt where he always wanted to be. After leaving a few steady labor jobs and a downward turn in our nation's overall perception of law enforcement, Matt became a Champaign Police Officer. Listen as Matt tries to enter the military twice and finally listens to the universe's advice to find another dream. This dream comes from an overall need to serve others. In...
2023-08-1548 min
HyperLocal(s)Dave & Heidi Wisher. Saving Your Own Life and Proving You're Not Crazy.These Champaign-adjacent residents of Pesotum were born in Paxton (Dave) and Ivesdale (Heidi). To say this couple has been through it would be an understatement. For much of their married life, Heidi has fought to be understood, heard and taken seriously for a rare health condition which caused her misery. While Heidi fought to be heard, Dave listened, remodeled a basement, took care of the kids and worked at the Urbana Fire Department. Listen as these once exhausted lovebirds tell their story of meeting in a Dallas & Co., dressing room while learning about pirate dickies! These two re...
2023-08-081h 24
HyperLocal(s)Thomas Holmes. Running the Streets as a Gang Banger and Running the Recovery House as a Leader.This transplant from the Chicago projects and sweet soul meets me at Kitchen Table Studios to tell me his come up story. From childhood instability and addiction coupled with poor choices and rough crowds, Thomas was destined to fall through the cracks. Listen as Thomas rebounds from getting shot twice in one week, losing jobs, losing relationships, losing kids, selling drugs, abusing booze and several DUIs. Along the way he functioned through work and coaching his daughter's basketball team; fueled by ego and pride. Thomas missed the final opportunity to see his sister the night before she d...
2023-08-011h 24
HyperLocal(s)A Love Letter to an Exceptional Dad and Dying Doing What You Love.Jenna (Yambert) Galli. HyperLocal(s) Podcast episode 71.My dear, sweet fellow classmate from Champaign Central High School 02' shares the haunting and beautiful story of her father's unexpected and unusual death. Listen as Jenna worries about doing her dad's memory justice within the words of this podcast. Through tears and pure admiration for her late father, Jenna explains her dad's quirky personality. The oldest of five siblings, Jenna describes a local ER doctor, lifelong learner, avid hiker, outdoorsman and engaged father. Specifically he would come home from a 12-hour shift in the ER and shoot ho...
2023-07-2552 min
HyperLocal(s)Terry Andrews. Passing on Bad Genes and Tears of Pure Gratitude.This now sweet, small-town guy from Whitehall, IL (yes, I’ve never heard of it either) was once self-admittedly not-so-sweet, living in one of two opposing worlds: having no self-worth whatsoever or the mindset of, “I’m better than everybody else.” Listen as Terry starts the pod stating his mother gave birth to him, was married and widowed before the age of 16. This premature start and the immediate absence of his alcoholic, biological father set Terry up for a tough road. This road included, but was not limited to, a daughter he discovered when she was 6, a Hepatitis...
2023-07-181h 04
HyperLocal(s)Amanda Wallace. Healing Through Sound and Battling Monkey Brain.A Mahomet athlete, turned bartender, turned soldier, turned law office personnel, turned Reiki Practitioner, turned sound healer, turned real estate entrepreneur turned wife and mom (and not necessarily in that order) has lived a thousand lives. Amanda uses hard work, serenity and a mindset of evolution as the basis for her personal growth. Listen as Amanda tells me about carrying crystals in her pocket during basic training, choosing a (mobile) home as a place to spread seeds over planting roots, changing the trajectory of her life after a DUI, learning from failed and abusive relationships, marrying the nic...
2023-07-111h 05
HyperLocal(s)Ozie Hammond. A Smart Guy Gets Treatment for an Addiction Trifecta and Helps Others Battle Their Own Demons All the While.An East Coast transplant has landed in our town to change the lives of those struggling with addiction. Passionate, smart and well versed in the complexities of the addict mind, Ozie has trudged through many treatment paths. From his own alcohol-ism to alcohol-wasm, he has educated himself on how to help others and pursued careers that do just that. Listen as Ozie takes me through the buried traumas of his youth, the unavoidable genetic component that killed his dad, high school years fueled by liquor stashed in his locker, multiple failed marriages and gambling losses that started in...
2023-07-031h 05
HyperLocal(s)Gayle Schlabach. Breaking Away from the Amish Community and Reflecting on the Principles Behind the Culture.An Atwood-born, Arthur adjacent, former Amish congregant talks candidly about leaving the church at age 11 with her immediate family. Why? In broad terms, her parents wanted to emphasize the family’s relationship with God and worry less about the stringent rules set forth by the church. Listen as this fearless young woman confidently explains why the rules: using a riding lawnmower, going to a play, taking part in meals with people outside the church led to ex-communication until a formal apology is issued. Gayle talks about how she just wanted to be like everyone else, how her fami...
2023-06-2756 min
HyperLocal(s)Steve Flynn. The Legend Behind a Campus Born Delicacy and Shots Fired. EpisodeMy dad's childhood friend and townie in the truest sense of the word, Steve Flynn, and I talk about his family's involvement in the Deluxe Restaurant. This 1935 billiards and bar establishment is now home to Legends on Green Street in our beloved campustown. Listen as one generation tells the other about a time when everyone knew your name, neighborhoods were neighborly and safe and food was fresh, fast and sought after. The Deluxe fish sandwich was the backbone of this restaurant. Steve's dad literally gave everything he had to ensure its success. He was shot right outside th...
2023-06-2052 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Man's Best Friend and Woman's Pain in the Patoot.My husband and dog whisperer, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in about our overly anxious and under trained mini-Australian Shepherd, General Heppenheimer Harrington aka Hep. Listen as two townies tell their revisionist sides of history regarding who wanted to bring a puppy into the fold, who trained or improperly trained the canine, who considers him a comrade and who considers him an enemy, who endures the wrath of his spite poops and exactly how many people has he bit? Tune in for some tales of a dog who only remains in our house because my husband is lo...
2023-06-1346 min
HyperLocal(s)Nicole Gorman. Taking a Break and a Miscarriage that Realigned Priorities.This Malaysian beauty may not look like her neighbors within small town Homer. However, she is fully embedded in the community and close-knit culture of Midwest Americana. From mompreneur to marketing maven, Nicole has been more than busy. This summer she, and many others, have decided to take a step back and slow down. Listen as Nicole talks about looking different than her childhood classmates, how she handles the haters, growing a thriving online boutique business and a loyal community of women from the ground up, why our generation is scared to stop, slow down, lose followers, l...
2023-06-0653 min
HyperLocal(s)Prudence Adams. Live Like Drew and Keeping Your Son's Memory Alive.A long-ago St. Louis area transplant now has roots deeply embedded in our community. She has seen first hand how coaches, schools, parents and the youth in our area can lift you up when you are down. Share a kind word. Spread a message. Keep one young man's name alive and well so that your biggest fear following the loss of a child isn't realized--that child being forgotten. Listen as Prudence talks about the tragic accident that caused her to lose her only son and first born exactly three years ago to the date of this podcast's r...
2023-05-301h 01
HyperLocal(s)Garrett Anderson. The Wounded Warrior and Having No Regrets.Blue Ridge School graduate, Retired Sergeant in the U.S. Army, stay-at-home dad turned Community Outreach Coordinator and Student Recruiter for the University of Illinois Chez Veterans Center tells his story of a post-September 11th war with humor and zero regrets. Listen as Garrett talks about 130-degree days in full body armor, marrying his now wife of 17-plus-years on a whim just days before deployment, trying to build relationships with Iraqis while never knowing a good guy from a bad guy with an AK-47 and how it wasn’t uncommon for women and children to literally become hum...
2023-05-2359 min
HyperLocal(s)Dan Church & Greg Bugbee. Organ Transplant and Anything for Family.This Champaign-based father and son (in-law) duo shares much more than business ventures. At the time of this recording, Dan and Greg were celebrating their 2nd year “kidneyversary.” When Greg’s kidneys were poisoned because of an undiagnosed prostate issue, family and friends around the globe stepped up to help in many ways. Listen as they retell the story of Greg’s dramatic health decline. A previously energetic and youthful Greg shares the moment things went down, literally, as he was dancing the Cha-Cha at a wedding and could not get up after “going down low.” From that point man...
2023-05-161h 23
HyperLocal(s)Larcina Chappell. Having a Baby as a Teen, Losing a Child as an Adult and Choosing Not to Wear Your Struggle.This townie actually attended middle school and high school at the same time as me! Different paths never intersected our stories, however, until this interview. Larcina hasn’t had an easy road, but she has remained steady and consistent in her choices—putting food, shelter and her two children at the top of her priorities. Listen as this Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) talks about finding out she was pregnant in high school, never actually talking to her mom about the pregnancy, her obsessive budgeting, growing up too fast and getting behind in her studies—ultimately failing to graduate...
2023-05-091h 14
HyperLocal(s)Brian Hanson. 24-Hour Notice and Stationed in the Middle East.This Centennial grad chose to enlist in the military to gain discipline, direction and to see the world. He got much more than he bargained for after September 11th tested the defensive infrastructure of our nation. Thousands of men and women were sent overseas to fight in a war no one was anticipating or prepared for. Listen as this United States Army Veteran talks about going from working at Bagelmen’s one day to being deployed to the Middle East the next, saying goodbye to his dad, his friends and all of his possessions except for a backp...
2023-05-021h 03
HyperLocal(s)Tara Martin. Saying Goodbye to Your Person and Saving Yourself.This Decatur diva moved to the big city of Champaign to accelerate her career in hair design. Tara found that her destructive behavior followed her no matter what her zip code was. She found and partied with “connects” after hours until the party had to stop. After all, nothing changes if nothing changes. Listen as this creative, dynamic, outspoken beacon of light explains why she always aspired to be a “drug dealers’ girlfriend,” what was happening at home that made her want to escape, getting shot at, dropping out of high school TWICE, saying goodbye to her love for the b...
2023-04-251h 01
HyperLocal(s)Andrew Harrington. Addiction and Recovering, Part II.My husband returns from the FIRST podcast episode over a year ago to document in real time, rather than reflecting on the past, the latest challenge in his recovery story. Listen as Andrew, fellow townie, shares the continuation of his battle to live a life free of substances. And not just any life. A life of peace, contentment and calm. As mentioned in the first episode with Andrew, pot has been a huge point of contention between us. His addiction to marijuana caused him to lie and keep secrets while creating an overall lack of trust on my...
2023-04-1856 min
HyperLocal(s)Erin Tarr. How Not to Screw Up Your Kids and Being the Benchmark.This Southern Illinois transplant found her talents wasted as an accountant wanting a lucrative career. She turned her focus on education and coaching in order to empower tweens and teens (and their parents) who made need a lesson in confidence and realizing their self-worth. Listen as this author, coach, speaker and unapologetically authentic lipsticked, top-knotted mom, leaves us with these little pearls of wisdom each day on social media and all throughout this podcast. Erin created the backbone of her principles from the acronym: FIERCE. “Feel gratitude.” “I am statements (affirmations).” “Exercise (not just physical).” “Read (a quote each day...
2023-04-111h 04
HyperLocal(s)Leah (Kirby) Hendrix. Prime of Your Life Bone Cancer Diagnosis and Reflecting on the Ones that Reached Out.This townie tried to escape when touring the country as a traveling nurse. Now married to a farmer, living in the country and mothering to a little boy and girl, she has planted her roots firmly in the Midwest while working as a nurse practitioner. Listen as this guest (and fellow Franklin Magnet Middle School Knight) reunite to explain how she made friends while moving rapidly from city-to-city in the world of health care. A slip in the grocery store and a mom’s intuition turned what Leah thought as an unsightly bump into a life changing mass...
2023-04-041h 08
HyperLocal(s)Brian Deters. Always be Closing and Pivoting Under Pressure.This townie turned Golden State golden boy is one of our nearest and dearest, oldest and bestest. He has made a life and a family on the west coast using his charm and knack for sales as a springboard into a new, booming venture with seemingly endless possibilities. Listen as this guest explains how losing his sales job in an ailing company propelled him into the frenetic world of cannabis sales. Brian explains how the game of cat and mouse is a huge part of the appeal of the vast world of sales—from cold call to close. On t...
2023-03-281h 01
HyperLocal(s)Karen Pope. Hoarding and Building Trust.This longtime Champaign resident and neighbor of mine is a kindred spirit. She has created businesses based on her knack for organizing and her ability to disarm those she helps with a non-judgmental, sweet-natured approach. Listen as this guest explains the cluttered, unsafe and unhygienic environments she has found herself spanning the past 15 years in this business. Karen explains the endless amounts of books, files and papers she has found herself surrounded by. Literally piece by piece and under the watchful of the client, she has to coach the client into letting go. Usually born of a tra...
2023-03-2147 min
HyperLocal(s)Emily Harrington. Celebrating One Year of Podcasts with a Contest and a Storytime.If you keep sharing stories and keep listening—I will keep going CU (and beyond). I recorded a storytime after a meeting that was decades in the making. I was waiting and debating about when to put it out. This seemed like the right moment—this milestone episode celebrating the podcast. I’ve also included an opportunity to win a $100 gift card to any of the previous sponsors. Prove that you’ve shared this podcast (audio note, screenshot, email forward, etc.) to my email efletcharr@gmail.com, and you will be in the running to win! Listen as this h...
2023-03-1429 min
HyperLocal(s)Steve Beckman. Wild "Tails" from Animal Control and the Crazy Rabbit Lady.This retired City of Champaign employee, owner of Anything Wild Animal Control and rural Urbana resident tells some crazy tails (pun intended) of the most common animals in our area: beaver, coyote, fox, geese, possum, racoon, skunks and more. Listen as this guest explains the behaviors of area troublemakers with decades of knowledge and field experience behind his encounters. Skunk sprays, subduing angry geese, cockroach couches and midnight bat emergencies are all on Steve’s extensive list of house calls. Following licensing, rules and protocol to an absolute “T,” he traps, transfers, releases or euthanizes animals depending on thei...
2023-03-071h 18
HyperLocal(s)Alyssa Hudson. Disordered Eating and Body Image.This honest mama and Villa Grove native talks candidly about body image, mental health, disordered eating and the connection with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and a childhood that caused the need for peace and stability. Listen as the self-appointed CEO of ACE Homes, workhorse, content creator and full-time working woman, Alyssa, talks about building a 13K social media following while documenting the creation of their dream home and an aching struggle with mental health post-baby. Why did she choose to be a family of three? This episode focuses mostly on body image and why we never appreciate ou...
2023-02-281h 01
HyperLocal(s)Mike & Jordan Aquino. IVF and Hope, Part II.My couple friends return from episode 7 to talk about what happened after we stopped recording 10 months ago. Listen as Mike, Champaign native, and Jordan (Oakes), Tolono honey, share the continuation of their fight to conceive, the importance of advocating for yourself within the labyrinth of the medical system, chilly nurses, resentments and never shaking the feeling that something will go wrong. Did this couple get what they have invested, stressed and dreamed over? Download to find out.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I br...
2023-02-2158 min
HyperLocal(s)Kayla Brown. The Renaissance Woman and Rising from Rock Bottom.This Urbana native has limitless talents and titles. She can sing, play multiple instruments, landscape, build outbuildings, nurse and has made a business out of being a chandler. AKA a candlemaker! Kayla did it all until she couldn't anymore. Listen as this member of three local bands talks about how a personal need turned into a thriving business, Fire Doll Studios, why her "interesting" childhood led to a few bad habits and why she graduated high school with a different class than her own. For over a year now Kayla has lived a sober life after finding h...
2023-02-1456 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. The 24-Hour Road Trip and Tensions are High.My husband and defensive driving expert, Andrew Harrington, and I travel with our two little ones overnight (and well into the next day) from Illinois to Florida. While making our own memories, we reflect on the road trips of our own childhood. Listen as two townies hit the dusty trail already behind schedule and with bad moods setting in. Vomit, coffee-cup pees and an expensive meet-and-greet with a Georgia police officer are all documented periodically during the course of this long trip where my husband refuses to let me drive and verbalizes his resentment for his sleeping p...
2023-02-071h 00
HyperLocal(s)Deb Stewart. Intuitives, Psychics and Mediums, Oh My.This spirited townie has an intuitive nature. She senses, sees and feels what a typical passerby may not. From local haunted houses, to premonitions regarding someone's future to guiding the lost through a potential minefield, Deb has a way with interpreting someone's thoughts and feelings. Listen as this former flower child, costume designer, creative and current intuitive talks about the resurgence in popularity of mystical practices like crystals, saging and reading tarot and the difference in psychics, mediums and her title of intuitive. Finally Deb sees something from my own life that rings true and zeros in o...
2023-01-3143 min
HyperLocal(s)Scott Beatty. Dreams that Never Die and the 29-Year-Old Intern.This Naperville transplant has a voice that likely everyone in the Champaign-Urbana area has heard. From WDWS to the University Of Illinois sports announcements, Scott is there covering games wherever he is needed for the love of sports, for the love of transmitting information and for the love of a dream that he will never let die. Listen as this broadcaster talks about pivoting from engineering and music to broadcast journalism, how being the one answering the personal questions is a lot harder than asking them, reflecting on your own life after a tragedy and ultimately having to d...
2023-01-2348 min
HyperLocal(s)Amy Armstrong. Hidden Disabilities and Filing for Legal Guardianship.In the fall of 2008 I went to Amy Armstrong's house as green as her front lawn. She was one of my first interviews as a big girl, full-time journalist. I was there to talk to Amy about her toddler, Larkin, and Amy's advocacy initiative, Larkin's Place at the Stephens Family YMCA. Fifteen years later, Amy and I talk about the next phase of Larkin's life and how Amy and her husband have to prepare to legally take control of Larkin before the age of 18 hits. Listen as this momologist and long-time resident explains the list of Larkin's d...
2023-01-1747 min
HyperLocal(s)Trent & Theresa Meacham. Love and Basketball.One well-known townie and one transplant fall in love and move overseas to continue his dream of playing basketball for a living. A traumatic birth to twins and a need for familial support brought the couple back to the states TWICE to start a more pedestrian life filled with familial support and two more baby boys. Listen (literally, as two littles were at the recording) to how this thoughtful mom and dad function as a family of six. Moving through life with a team mentality and a lens of "us," this unit uses their own personality traits t...
2023-01-101h 03
HyperLocal(s)Devin (Richardson) Lietz. Choosing Adoption and Nature vs. NurtureFellow townie, Central Maroon and thoughtful, "I need to sleep on it," personality, Devin Lietz, talks about her no-second-guesses needed road to adoption. The road, however, had a few false starts. Listen as this former social worker details her process and decision to adopt rather than pursue other interventions. Devin always had adoption in the back of her mind as she married and then started "trying" to get pregnant. A miscarriage led her and her husband to believe getting pregnant may be more complicated than expected. Adoption was their next step to finding baby Jane, her biological mo...
2023-01-0342 min
HyperLocal(s)Johnny Newton and Keith Randolph. Tampa Bowl and Future Goals.University of Illinois student athletes, Jer'Zhan Newton (St. Petersburg) and Keith Randolph Jr. (Belleville) are powerhouses on the defensive line this year. This dynamic duo was even given the moniker the "Law Firm" by their fearless leader Bret Bielema for their exceptional teamwork. Listen as these two friends, roommates and teammates tease each other while expressing what the true life of a student athlete looks like. Their different personalities show through as they discuss the pressures, time constraints, fear of injury and tough transitions through coaching changes. Most importantly, Newton & Randolph talk about their future in football: T...
2022-12-2755 min
HyperLocal(s)Tony Comtois. Unhoused and Rehabilitated.Rantoul resident turned Urbana homeowner tells tales that the best fiction writer could not put into words. Tony's childhood debauchery quickly goes from juvenile to criminal spanning coast-to-coast. Listen to Tony discuss his wrap sheet starting in early adolescence with a legitimate wildfire. This spark began a snowball effect of moves, booze, drugs, arrests and a baby girl. After too much being sick and tired of being sick and tired, Tony resorts to homelessness to rehab himself and clean up his act. Tony talks passionately about helping improve the growing homeless population in our own community. He a...
2022-12-201h 24
HyperLocal(s)Lindsey (Yanchus) Lepp. Public Defending and Advocating for Your Client No Matter What They Did.Former Centennial Charger explains how a recession landed her in a position that is never boring, mostly stressful and always comes with a long line of upset customers. This boy mom to two little ones impresses with legalese and consistent compassion for her clients as a local public defender. Listen to Lindsey talk candidly about how much she makes, theft versus burglary, defending a former classmate, finding the good in even the most wanted, how poverty and how someone grew up should plays a part in someone's case, getting called fat behind plate glass, the difference between i...
2022-12-1357 min
HyperLocal(s)Steve Layman. Three Life Changing Events and Doing More to Get More.A Champaign townie and former local media young gun turned Nashville anchor, spends his time tracking wins and losses, baskets, touchdowns and RBIs. With a face for TV, Steve transitioned from radio to primetime and has even made it to the big show on ESPN+. Listen as Steve recalls three pivotal moments that changed the trajectory of his life: a career-ending sports injury, being in the right place at the right time during a momentous sports moment and a critical car accident. The recent car accident led Steve to an epiphany rooted in contentment, living in the p...
2022-12-0650 min
HyperLocal(s)Jackie (Hughes) Martinie. Losing Your Mom to a Chronic Battle with Depression and How Witnessing the Struggle Shapes the Parent and Person You Become.A Champaign born-and-raised dear friend and female BOSS recently leapt up the corporate ladder into a new position in Nebraska. Champaign’s loss and a big gain for the Huskies. We first met when she stole my middle school boyfriend, but we became fast friends in high school. This is where I met her family and her mom for the first time. Behind closed doors, you never know what someone is dealing with. I surely didn’t know. Listen as Jackie, a tough, strong and typically unemotional person, stoically talks about her mom’s battle with depression and how...
2022-11-2950 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Mary Jane, Bud and a Contest.My husband and podcast super fan, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about our terrible, horrible and no good experiences (mostly mine) with the once illegal, now legal and more and more prevalent, wacky tobacky. Listen as two townies swap stories of brazen lunch-hour busts in open air Jeeps, the smell of skunk permeating chemistry class, drinking lemon juice to kill a buzz, watching Die Hard and the clock, uncontrollable leg tweaking and the 72-hour high that I never came down from. Tune in for some more tales of debauchery and utter youthful stupidity. **BONUS**Somewhere wi...
2022-11-2242 min
HyperLocal(s)Shanovia Netter-Bailey & Abby Hobbs. How Not to Become a Product of Your Environment and Pouring Into Others.Shanovia (NoNo) landed in Champaign after being taken out of Chicago with the intention of a happier upbringing. She left behind sadness, poverty and ailing or deceased caregivers. With little food and living conditions unfit to thrive in, Shanovia and her sisters moved to Champaign to face a new set of challenges. Listen to why NoNo didn't let her environment define her. Why her inner light would shine on the path that would lead her to a future of service for others, further education and the desire to be a mother her daughter would look up to. NoN...
2022-11-151h 12
HyperLocal(s)Your Honor Sam Limentato. Judgement Day and Campaigning to Keep Your Job.Immigrant parents planted the Limentato roots in Illinois, growing the branches of Sam into the Champaign family. Currently, Judge Sam Limentato has found himself working tirelessly over the past months to retain his position as Circuit Judge in Champaign County. Listen to why Sam found it difficult to label himself as one political party over the other since he's in a position of inherent neutrality, why the need to serve others caused him to take a leap away from his law firm and into the uncertain position of circuit judge, why he wears a red judge's robe o...
2022-11-0854 min
HyperLocal(s)Amy Miller & Theresa Kane. Winning, Moving and Living One Game at a Time with the Coaches' Wives.These welcome transplants under Bielema's reign are no strangers to packing up and heading to a new town with little (or no) notice. For the love of the game and their husbands, these independent women move themselves and their kids to a new city, new home and new school ultimately creating new loyalties and allegiances. Listen at how these women transport their families across country, how their kids handle the many, many moves, how the family handles losing, living in a house sight unseen, never being able to grow roots, the re-entry period for a husband who de...
2022-11-0158 min
HyperLocal(s)Nathan Gunn. International Opera Superstar and Reluctant People Magazine List Topper.After circling Danville and Indiana in his younger years, Nathan laid strong roots with wife and teammate, Julie Gunn, in Central Champaign raising five kids while traveling the world as a baritone operatic performer. The duo met on their first days at the University of Illinois in the program they now run together, the Lyric Theater @ Illinois. Listen as the man behind this rich voice describes singing at the MET, how the pandemic changed his lifestyle for the better, how being hidden by corn and soybeans allows him and his students to take risks they couldn't i...
2022-10-2555 min
HyperLocal(s)Taylor (Lykins) Workman & Gina Lykins. Multiple Sclerosis and a Stem Cell Miracle.Mahomet mother-daughter duo may now live states apart but their love is so palpable in this episode as they describe the sharp and severe health decline of a young, healthy woman with her whole life in front of her. Listen as the women behind the popular area hobby breeder enterprise-Snow Angel Retrievers-discuss why Gina couldn't trust Taylor to carry a glass of milk, how Gina ceremoniously cut Taylor's hair off as she was rapidly losing it during treatment, Taylor meeting her now husband sans wig in the Midwest summer, how they raised and were gifted a large am...
2022-10-1847 min
HyperLocal(s)Erin (Grace) Watson. Fights and Friendship.An Urbana farmer’s daughter turned Villa Grove farmer’s wife and my BFF, talks about her transition from city girl to queen of the cornfields as her married status uprooted her to a life with prettier views and different priorities. Listen as Erin and I talk about making new friends and keeping the old, quality over quantity, unreciprocated friendships, pushing each other to be better, picking up with old and true friends right where you left off, FOMO, friendship jealousy, putting yourself in new and vulnerable situations in an effort to make new friends and friendship dating...
2022-10-1144 min
HyperLocal(s)Bre & Griffin Mulcahey. Finding a Brain Tumor and Asking for Help.Former Champaign resident and podcast guest, Griffin Mulcahey takes the back seat as his wife and my friend, Bre, takes center stage in their makeshift, Austin studio during a recent trip to visit this Midwest-turned-Texan couple. The visit was in response to a call for help when the couple was overwhelmed with healing and emotions and exhaustion.Listen as Bre relives the life changing call from her doctor during a mushroom microdose session, saying goodbye to her baby and toddler before undergoing brain surgery, the extreme precision in which the surgery must be performed to survive, the...
2022-10-0457 min
HyperLocal(s)Grace Lamb. Influencing and Social Media.Champaign townie shares her secrets to social media: the good, the bad and the viral. This branding and marketing professional uses her education and field experience to curate and spread beauty-one post at a time. Listen as Grace explains why her day job is the least interesting thing about her, inauthentic vs. authentic content, her self-taught side hustle for lucky brides, wacky algorithms, how to take the best picture and why social media should be viewed as a fun tool and not a recipe for FOMO and jealousy. This millennial disproves the common stereotypes, showing how articulate, m...
2022-09-271h 06
HyperLocal(s)Dan Thurston. Mortality and Genetics.Champaign townie, sadly now a Minnesotan, and one of my oldest friends shares feelings on a subject that he is often reluctant to talk about–the loss of his dad, Paul Senior, and his slow battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Listen as Dan emotionally recalls his dad as his number one coach, the first Christmas where a tradition was regretfully forgot, losing him at an Illini game and saying goodbye over and over. Dan has become an incredible dad of four because of the lessons he gleaned from his coach, this is clear in this...
2022-09-2020 min
HyperLocal(s)Mahala Kneller. Spontaneous Parenthood and Filing for Adoption.Urbana-born twenty something shares a story of falling head over heels for a little redheaded firecracker, managing his abandonment issues, figuring out how to balance a job while becoming a single mom overnight and thoughts on dating at this stage in her life. Listen as Mahala explains how a weekend babysitting stint never ended, how her experience growing up in a loving family prepared her for a toddler, what it was like when she was called mom for the first time, what she ultimately wants for the little boy that swept her off her feet and how sh...
2022-09-1334 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Urination and Public Humiliation.My loves-the-spotlight husband and podcast super fan, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about excessive bathroom lines at a Yankees game, uncontrollable sweating, the event that inspired my brother-in-law's speech at our wedding and grounds for getting fired from our first jobs. Listen as two townies swap stories of treading water down Mattis Avenue, ultra-moist public speaking, bathroom negotiations and making it on Jay Leno for all the wrong reasons. Turn up for some skin crawling embarrassing moments!Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each w...
2022-09-0633 min
HyperLocal(s)Christy (Burge) Crouch. Patriotism and 84 Painful Reminders.Champaign townie turned Mahomet resident and Monticello teacher tells the story on behalf of her husband, Cameron Crouch, of young love, loyalty and the sacrifices her and her future husband endured for the love of each other and the love of the country. Listen as Christy explains how as a teenager she sent her boyfriend off to war on July 4th in a post-September 11th world. After a year in Iraq, Cam was injured in a way that would change the quality of his life forever, but not their future as a couple. After 84 surgeries, two kids, in...
2022-08-3054 min
HyperLocal(s)Robert Rosenthal. ILL and INI.St. Louis transplant, Illiniboard.com creator and host of the podcast We Love No Other talks Illini obsessions in preparation for the 2022 football season. Listen as Robert Rosenthal explains how he retired from his landscape architecture job in pursuit of his love and loyalty for all things Illini (right before the pandemic shut down college sports.) Robert schools me on why my husband's white knuckling through games is actually a healthy outlet for emotions, why losses hurt more than wins feel good and why he is one of the few that appreciate Illini football over Illini basketball...
2022-08-231h 00
HyperLocal(s)Michelle Biggs. Surviving the Last Two Years and Thriving this School Year.Bible belt transplant and coach's wife plays by her own rules as principal of St. Matthew Catholic School in Champaign. Listen as Michelle Biggs explains how her plans to be a stay-at-home mom were derailed when her daughters' new school needed her to take on a position only her pumps could fill. Mrs. Biggs reflects on the last two emotional and exhausting years for herself, her staff, her own kids and her students. With an end presumably here, Mrs. Biggs predicts this school year is going to be the best yet with an emphasis on higher expectations an...
2022-08-1655 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrea Hunt-Shelton. Losing a Husband and Finding Yourself.Townie dreamcatcher and flourishing florist speaks candidly about her West Coast divorce. Listen as her story seemingly ends with a complex entanglement between a frenemy, husband and the future father of her two sons. With sunshine, blooms and new friends, Andrea slowly rewrites the future focusing on the main character this time around. In take THREE of this podcast, Andrea explains how she went from literally shoveling **** to coming up roses.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies a...
2022-08-0944 min
HyperLocal(s)John Brown. Protecting and Serving.Champaign County lifelong resident, Mayor of Savoy and retired University of Illinois lieutenant talks about the pendulum swinging back in favor of local police. Listen as John discusses three cases that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. **Trigger warning** one of the cases involves an infant death. He also gives insight into the rumors behind police quotas, how to get out of a ticket and if there's really a 5 MPH buffer on speeding. John is an open book willing to bust misconceptions and myths surrounding local police.Emily Harrington, he...
2022-08-0246 min
HyperLocal(s)Amariah Hays. Abused and Neglected.Champaign townie discusses her tumultuous upbringing with five brothers and two parents: one that neglected and one that abused. Listen as Amariah discusses the slap heard round-the-world, foster care, the grandparents that saved her, why her unstable beginning doesn't define her present, her self-admitted overprotective grasp on her two boys, her book deal and her commitment and passion for social services. You may need a cry and a nap after this episode featuring one resilient, strong, boundary-building queen. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Ea...
2022-07-2645 min
HyperLocal(s)Griffin Mulcahey. Going for Broke and Reinventing the Wheel.Chicago suburbanite, turned Champaign sweetheart, now Austin weirdo talks about abandoning the security of his post-college corporate gig to navigate telehealth and tech. Listen as Griffin discusses spinning his wheels while trying different start ups, losing a year of sleep and moonlighting to make ends meet, never giving up the hope and dream of one day hitting the mark. And, finally, working tirelessly to create a "unicorn" business valued at more than one billion dollars and retiring at age 38!Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each we...
2022-07-1956 min
HyperLocal(s)Emily (Fletcher) Harrington. Anxiety and OCD.The tables have been turned. It's my turn to share as many others have in the weeks prior. My story. My problem. My secret. My issues. As with all the episodes, the hope is that the content makes others atypical feel typical, their abnormal feel normal, their quirks and idiosyncrasies a part of what makes them uniquely them-their superpower. Listen as reoccurring guest Andrew Harrington interviews his townie wife and podcast host on her day-to-day internal struggles. Learn how anxiety manifested into OCD after kids, how it's her greatest strength and biggest weakness, how they can never ha...
2022-07-1232 min
HyperLocal(s)Cam Williams. Coming Out and Acting Up.Cameron Williams aka Barry White, a college friend and once townie, calls in from the hills of Tennessee by way of New York by way of Los Angeles, to explain how my former formal date went from a straight, single make to a married, gay father of five since the last time we spoke. Listen as this dancing king talks about coming out of the closet, being outed before he was ready, being an actor and now voice actor in both NY and LA and finding love and a ready made family with a man who not on...
2022-07-0531 min
HyperLocal(s)Amber Oberheim. Widowed and Fighting Back.I reached out. She graciously answered. Amber Oberheim, wife of the tragically slain Police Officer Chris Oberheim, rehashes the details of her husband's death-one year later. Amber talks openly and honestly about life before May 19, 2021, the details of the domestic disturbance that Chris responded to, the early morning knock on the door, writing eulogies and why she won't listen to any 911 calls or video from that night. Listen as this empowered advocate explains how and why she has taken the lead and stage in the wake of a heart wrenching loss, turning tragedy into an opportunity to p...
2022-06-2848 min
HyperLocal(s)Phillip Kalantzis-Cope & Tamsyn Gilbert. American Dreams and Planting Roots.My expat neighbors talk about reclaiming land from Phill's family village in Greece, souls being lost in purgatory and surviving a political coup at seven days old. Listen as these Australian/Greek transplants to C-U talk about transhumance lifestyles, pandemic pressures and the importance of art and photography in their wanderlust lives. Download to find out how this creative couple's love story was founded in grit and commitment and why the conversation with these intellectuals left me feeling like a dumb American. For no other reason, listen for their charming accents!Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wi...
2022-06-2157 min
HyperLocal(s)Kelly Hieronymus Whiting. Alcoholism and Mental Health.My old and dear friend from a past life explains her rock bottom return to her hometown, why she started therapy and medication at a young age, her recent medical epiphany and why she is no longer on any Rx. Listen as townie friends discuss triple threat diagnoses, the "everyone hates me syndrome," the art of being a chameleon and why her husband is a saint. Download to find out how this creative soul's constant passion for art has never wavered-only changed its palette. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of th...
2022-06-1444 min
HyperLocal(s)Will Barker. Coaching Today's Athletes and the Parents Who Cheer them on.This household name amongst area parents describes the TWO times he got thrown up on in the pool, parents battling in the bleachers and navigating the uncharted waters of transgender athletes in competitive swimming. Listen as this townie, former water polo player and current amateur drummer outlines his no nonsense coaching philosophy, why learning to swim should be considered a necessary life skill and why one bad apple can spoil the bunch in a team environment. Download to find out why Will has spanned the coaching scene from my high school girlfriends to my girlfriend's kids. This c...
2022-06-0744 min
HyperLocal(s)Mary English Enright. Cochlear Implants and Second Opinions.This Hunny Bunny boss babe relives the details of watching her first born hear sounds clearly for the first time after surgery. Listen as Mary English Enright (Ratcliffe), Champaign native turned Chicken Bristle baddie, shares her side-by-side ride with son Hank as they navigate interventions in order to hear his sister's laughter and parent's praises. Download to find out why Mary lives for CAOS, why a search party was called at school and why she will always trust her mother's intuition.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Po...
2022-05-3142 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew & Emily Harrington. Handcuffs and Headlines.My back-by-popular demand mic hog, husband and BFF4L, Andrew Harrington, and I talk in detail about contributing to minors (allegedly), bailing my dad out of jail and the bust that made the Sunday newspaper and grounded me indefinitely. Listen as two townies swap stories of fence jumping, house alarms, running from the authorities and the one party that will live in infamy. If you are missing a cooler, DM me. It's still at my parent's house. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bri...
2022-05-2428 min
HyperLocal(s)Chapin Rose. Community Concerns and the Road to Politics.My new and reluctant best friend, Illinois State Senator and local attorney, Mr. Chapin Rose, tells me that I'm normal for not "picking a side" in politics but why it's not OK to flip a coin in the voting booth. Listen as Mahomet's very own Chapin Rose explains the three things that should matter to everyone regardless of political stance, what his REAL first name is, why he shovels snow in shorts and why not to focus so much on the presidency but more on who fills the political seats at the local level. E...
2022-05-1740 min
HyperLocal(s)Katy (Murphy) Behnke. Forgetting and Remembering.My much younger mom friend talks about watching the slow burn of her father's diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer's. Listen as Katy, Champaign born and raised, describes the moment they found out what their patriarch's inevitable decline would look like. The oldest of three looks back on their family's decade-long experience with watching their dad mentally age in reverse, the pain of not being able to see him during the pandemic and how she will forever remember him. Download to find out why the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with this life-of-the party daddy's g...
2022-05-1041 min
HyperLocal(s)Mike & Jordan Aquino. IVF and Hope.My couple friends talk about their struggles to conceive, reproductive testing, infertility treatments and mounting medical bills. Listen as Mike, Champaign native, and Jordan (Oakes), Tolono honey, simultaneously share laughs and tears over this heartbreaking topic. Download to find out why we are all crying, why fluorescent lighting isn't sexy, why Mike gives shots to citrus fruits and why there is no budget when it comes to getting a baby in the baby carriage.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a po...
2022-05-0247 min
HyperLocal(s)Johnna Barger. Relapse and Unconditional Love.My more-than-just-a hair stylist talks about her son's seemingly unbreakable struggle with heroin, his recent hospitalization, the three paths ahead and why she worries every time the phone rings. Listen as Urbana mom to a Brady Bunch-sized brood talks about why she will provide her son endless opportunities to get sober. Tune in to find out why our third guest never made it to the interview, but why he will always be invited back to the table.Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I b...
2022-04-2634 min
HyperLocal(s)Kristin (Weatherford) Sandone. Infidelity and Forgiveness.My once bridesmaid talks about the strain of having a business and two babies in quick succession, the implications of stress on a marriage, becoming a single parent, co-parenting and finally inviting your husband back in your heart. Listen as townie best friends have a tough and honest chat about how love can hurt. This episode was a hard one for both husband and wife to confront. Thank you to both for letting the toothpaste out of the tube, so to speak. Listen up to find out why we will never eat at Subway again.E...
2022-04-1934 min
HyperLocal(s)Jamie Wellman. ADHD and Interventions.My former prom date talks about being sidetracked by ADHD, to medicate or not to medicate, the latest Tik Tok sub-culture and color coding files to stay sane. Listen as long time townie pals compare adult ADHD with my son's recent diagnosis. This episode is rounded out with the sweet sounds of Jamie's constant pen clicking. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In an effort to...
2022-04-1248 min
HyperLocal(s)Terri Reifsteck. Champaign and Urbana.Visit Champaign County's Vice President of Marketing & Community Engagement breaks down C-U into five areas: agriculture, food, nature, arts & culture and technology. Terri dials in the best spots to visit in each area as we compare our favorite restaurants and date spots. Listen as a Peoria transplant schools this townie on why Champaign is more than corn and soybeans. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants share their tales of tears and triumphs, losses and wins. In...
2022-04-0541 min
HyperLocal(s)Linda (&) Fletcher. Accidents and Healing.My mom talks about being literally sick to your stomach with dread, PTSD and playing the blame game. Linda and I point fingers at Peter Rabbit and nail home the old adage, "Look both ways before you cross the street." Listen as mother and daughter recount the worst day of their lives. **Stay tuned until the very end for special guest, son, grandson and survivor.**Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where townies and transplants s...
2022-03-2935 min
HyperLocal(s)Andrew Harrington. Addiction and Recovering.As a show of support for the inaugural podcast, my typically closed book husband opens all the way up about his 15 year recovery with alcohol. Just when he was able to legally drink, at the ripe age of 22, Andrew took a path away from Guido's and into a life of higher education, marriage, fatherhood and novice landscaping. Listen as two townies regale their worst nights out and why they no longer imbibe. Emily Harrington, here! Mom, wife, retired communications liaison and host of the HyperLocal(s) Podcast. Each week I bring you a pod where tow...
2022-03-0739 min