Published October 26, 2021.

LOVELAND, Ohio — There are three candidates for Loveland City Council who chose not participate in the Coffee with the Candidate podcast, so we decided to invite a local political watcher to help analyze what’s going on with their campaigns.

Incumbents Neal Oury and Ted Phelps never responded to multiple requests to be on the podcast.

Newcomer John Hart, a Loveland Intermediate School vice principal and longtime math teacher and coach in the Loveland City School District, declined. He said Loveland Local News asking for his employee file from the school district – a very common tactic for any public official – was uncalled for and refused to participate.

So, Loveland Local News Publisher Joe Wessels brought on Ryan Kulik, a political consultant on local campaigns around the country who has a Master’s in political science and lives in Loveland, to talk about what he sees. And he sees a lot. He often talks about it on his own local podcast, and, well, what he sees he often does not like.

Wessels and Kulik go deep into these three men, issues in Loveland, and discuss where things stand just days before Election Day (that’s Tuesday, November 2, 2021, by the way).

Listen and let us know what you think.

Published October 24, 2021.

LOVELAND, Ohio — Elizabeth Mason wants to be on the school board to get things back on track.

Mason met with Loveland Local News Publisher Joe Wessels at the Loveland branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County to discuss why she is running, why she chose to run with Al Juram and Colette Boyko on a slate, and how she hopes to bring back some old-fashioned values to Loveland schools – including getting student and teachers away from depending on laptops for so much of their learning.

The married mother of two talks about why her age – she’s 38, though we really do hate to have to ask that as is mentioned – has become a bit of a talking point as she’s campaigned – and a whole lot more.

Duration: 40:17

Recorded on 10/5/2021.

Published October 24, 2021.

LOVELAND, Ohio — Kim Lukens would make a few changes if she were elected to the Loveland City Council.

The first-time candidate and counselor told Loveland Local News she sees problems in the city and wants to be on City Council to make things right. One of her big issues? Development in the city, a topic many on social media in and around Loveland are talking about.

She sat down with Loveland Local News Publisher Joe Wessels in the amphitheater at Nisbet Park on a gorgeous fall Sunday morning to talk about the city, what she sees as wrong, and her approach to fixing things.

Duration: 47:20

Recorded on 10/3/2021.