Some robins stay during winter
It’s very possible, likely for many years, that you haven’t observed any American robins through the winter months.
So, when there is a sighting of a so-called first robin in spring, we feel as though spring weather has truly arrived.
The real story is that some robins stay with us all winter. Where they might gather and be seen depends on where they find the food – mostly fruit and berries — they need to survive.
This small flock was observed and photographed several winters ago in the Oak Openings Region, but this heated water bath has been consistently visited all winter by a similar sized flock.
Behind the Byline: The rise of LifeWise
On this episode of Behind the Byline, host Jaden Jefferson continues coverage of the limited series on LifeWise Academy, written by TFP reporter Laurie Bertke.
Joining them on the show is one of her story sources, Keith Comer, who created a map and website that shows the proliferation of LifeWise within school districts.
Talking points include how Bertke and Comer became aware of LifeWise; what LifeWise Academy is; how one Ohio politician made it a mandate for schools to allow for Released Time for religious instruction (RTRI); the discriminatory principals of LifeWise Academy; and how northwest Ohio schools are dealing with it.
New episodes of the Behind the Byline drop every Wednesday.
Behind the Byline is a production of the Toledo Free Press.
The hypocrisy of Hickory Farms
Seven years has passed since Hickory Farms delivered what might be its most bitter holiday offering to Toledo – not a gift box of summer sausage and cheese, but a stinging farewell wrapped in corporate disdain.
The year was 2017. Then-CEO Diane Pearse declared that Hickory Farms needed a “world-class city with great talent,” a parting shot that still echoes throughout our community.
As reported in the Toledo Blade: “We need to attract talent that has experience in retail product development and merchandising. We have to attract talent that has experience in retail marketing. We have to have talent that has e-commerce marketing and e-commerce sales experience,” Pearse said. “That quite frankly isn’t the focus for Toledo. Toledo is a manufacturing town.”
They say you will do better in Toledo. Apparently, that wasn’t true for Pearse.
For more than 65 years Toledo nurtured the company from a small local business founded in Toledo in 1951 into a national brand.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone who visits Franklin Park Mall during the holiday season.
Each December and January, like clockwork, Hickory Farms returns to the very city it deemed insufficient, setting up shop in Franklin Park Mall, betting on the loyalty of Toledo consumers.
The display is lined with the same signature products that were once proudly made and marketed by Toledo talent. Yet, any detail-oriented consumer who scans the back of the product packaging knows any product purchased during this past holiday season was “distributed and manufactured” not in Toledo — but Chicago.
The company that couldn’t find enough local retail and marketing expertise still manages to find plenty of local customers.
The company turned its back on Toledo. Toledo didn’t turn its back on it.
More peculiar still? We keep showing up. Seven years later.
Perhaps there’s something telling in this annual ritual and funky juxtaposition. While Hickory Farms may have found its “world-class talent” in Chicago, it can’t seem to quit Toledo entirely.
We’re still here, still buying beef sticks and cheese balls, still making their products part of our holiday traditions.
While it’s no doubt Chicago has access to a larger talent pool than Toledo, and a firm leaving a smaller city for a larger one isn’t unique – the dismissive departure was notably harsh for a brand rooted in Toledo and built on Midwestern values and hospitality.
The company’s success story began here in 1951. From that initial store set it Maumee in 1959, Richard Ransom’s vision of quality food gifts flourished. For decades, Toledo’s supposedly insufficient talent pool managed to build Hickory Farms into a holiday household name. Somehow, we managed just fine.
Companies may leave, but communities still endure. Toledo continues to grow and evolve, attracting new businesses and nurturing local talent – the very talent Hickory Farms claimed it couldn’t find.
Seven years after its corporate departure, but consistent holiday retail presence, perhaps it’s time to appreciate the irony: Hickory Farms still needs Toledo.
As for Toledo? We’ve moved forward, even if we occasionally stop by their mall kiosk for old times’ sake.
That’s the thing about Midwestern hospitality. We’ll still welcome you back, even after you’ve told us we weren’t good enough. Maybe that’s what you might call world-class.
Toledo Kava Culture Bar celebrates grand opening
TOLEDO – There’s a new bar in town but don’t expect to belly up to the counter and order a beer or cocktail.
Kava Culture Bar is a unique place. The drink of choice is actually kava, an herbal supplement and extract from the shrub Piper methysticum, which is naturally found in Micronesia and Polynesia.
Kava is known for its relaxing and sedative effects, so this alcohol-free establishment serves energy and good feelings, but, unlike alcohol, will not impair the consumer or cause hangovers the next morning.
Rooted in Pacific traditions, the Toledo Kava Culture, owned by Chris and Rachel Kaminski, celebrated its grand opening Feb. 15.
Kava Culture is a franchise originally started in Florida, where Rachel Kaminski said they first tried Kava. The couple said they were looking for an after-retirement plan; something they could do together. As frequent visitors to Florida, they stumbled across a Kava Culture while on vacation and loved it so much they opened their own bar in Toledo.
Rachel Kaminski said their main goal was to help people find a community. “I just want everybody to feel like they have a fun place to go, and I’ll tell you what – our drinks really do make you feel joyful,” she said.
While the kava roots are shipped to the Toledo Kava Culture from Botanical Brewing Company in Cape Coral, the brewing of the kava is done in-house using a reverse osmosis system, and customers can watch the process through an open window.
Chris Kaminski said they’ve been successful with the business so far. He noted that about 120 attendees attended the soft launch, making it the most successful soft opening of any Kava Culture franchise, and they packed the house during its grand opening on Saturday.
Kava Culture is not limited to a specific age range and invites people of any age to come and enjoy their beverages. It has a variety of games, and even offers seven guitars for customers to play.
The Kaminskis’ said they plan to host events, including live music, comedy shows, bingo and country line dancing.
The bar also features drinks with other natural supplements, such as kratom, Kanna and CBD. Though the drinks promote good feelings, they do so naturally and won’t get consumers high. In addition to the herbal supplements, Kava Culture also has coffee and tea drinks, such as cold brew, matcha and espresso.
Chris Kaminski said all their drinks are organic and sweetened only with agave. They have a variety of flavors for their kava drinks including orange dream, blueberry lemonade and tiki apple, served on tap. While the taste of the drinks differs depending on the flavor, the profile is a mixture of sparkling water, green tea and fruit juice. There are unsweetened choices, as well.
Kava Culture also sells growlers and cans.
Colton Carpenter, a self-employed commercial contractor who helped work on the construction of Kava Culture before it opened, talked about why the place is unique.
“I’m not a big drinker. It’s a nice way to unwind but wake up feeling good still,” he said as he played Tic-Tac-Toe with his daughter Elizabeth, 6.
Carpenter added that the social element of Kava Culture is a compelling reason for him to keep coming back.
“Here, you get that same environment [as a bar] without the alcohol, so it’s cool. There aren’t a lot of spots like that, especially around here.”
Carpenter said his favorite drink is either the lemon pound cake Kanna or the orange dream kava.
The Kaminskis said they are working on opening another Kava Culture location in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
If you're on prescribed medication, consult with your doctor before ingesting kava.
The Flyby: BG, UT football draft standouts
On this episode of The Flyby, co-hosts and school rivals Max Alfonso and Chas McNeil talk about BGSU and UToledo players who are now wearing Super Bowl rings; choose their school’s draft pics for next season; recap this past week’s sports news; and choose their athletes of the week.
New episodes of the The Flyby Sports Podcast drop every Saturday.
419singles changes dating scene
TOLEDO – While Valentine’s Day as a celebration of romance and love comes once a year, a new group for single adults aims to spark those feelings — and more, with an eye to safety — year-round.
419singles arrived on the northwest Ohio social scene with a kickoff party on Feb. 8 at Bar Louie in Perrysburg.
“It brings together like-minded singles looking to intentionally date and find a singles community,” said founder Lisa Dunn.
To attend upcoming events, a single must apply to become a member and then pay a $45 application fee. “It’s for purposes of vetting and safety,” said Dunn, a Sylvania resident and a local business manager.
She said the goal is to keep events based around singles who have good intentions and to make sure there’s a level of security, especially for women. And while she’s not doing a background check, Dunn said she’s looking at applicants’ social media handles and whether they’re on a sex offender list.
“We want to have some level of quality of those who are at the events,” she said.
She plans to hold three to four events a month, including a monthly happy hour. Some events will be free, and some will have a ticketed cost to cover food, beverages and entertainment.
419singles for adults 21 and over in about a 60-mile radius of Toledo – hence “419,” the region’s area code. There will also be events based on different age groups, like 50 and over.
For the first few months, Dunn said she’ll review the demographics of applicants to see what groups need to be addressed. “Maybe the LDBTQA+ community,” Dunn said. “We’re open to all.”
Dunn said when she was looking at how singles currently meet, she felt a need for something new, yet old. “Everything is so online-based today. It was time to bring something into our community to get back to meeting in person.
Bumble and Tinder; those are a nightmare,” she said of existing dating applications. “It’s nice to create something where people can actually meet and get to know someone instead of over an app on their phone.
“In general, people have gotten away from doing more meetings in person. It’s better now, but still, people are a little more home bodies. Trying to put yourself back out there and find a partner and other single moms you can relate to, how do you navigate that?
“My hope is to bring people where they can find them. This makes the potential to find partners a little easier,” she said.
Dunn started 419singles in part because of her experiences. “This is unfortunately my second time being single as an adult, not by my choice,” she admitted. “I’ve been through the ups and downs of adult dating. It’s very difficult — even more difficult in a community like Toledo. This is not Chicago or Cleveland. We don’t have a lot of places to go to meet other singles.”
Dunn said her friends encouraged her to start the app. “My first time around being divorced, I did not have a singles community. I felt isolated. I dived into a relationship that was not right for me. This time around, I feel like I have a solid singles network. Having that community helps.”
I feel strongly that part of my mission with this is not to just help people find love, but a singles community and a support system. That’s a vital part of being single. When you don’t have that community, you make choices in dating that aren’t the best choices for you.”
Dunn’s project is drawing praise.
“Dating has become very difficult. I know — I have been looking for other ways to meet people outside of dating apps,” Steve Stallard said. “When Lisa explained her idea for 419singles to me, I thought it was amazing because it feels more personal and is geared toward people who are looking to date intentionally.”
“This gives the Toledo community another option to get out and meet someone face-to-face in a more comfortable environment,” he added.
Speaking about 419singles’ planned events, Lauren Holub said that “sometimes first dates can be scary, so at these events you can come and talk to others and get to know them to see if you have a connection first, instead of just jumping into a first date. Toledo doesn’t have any dating groups or groups for singles that I know of, so it’s also a good way to form a community to meet others who are in the same situation as you, and you can relate to them.
“Lisa is a good friend of mine and a fellow single mom,” she added. “She has heard my frustrations with dating and putting yourself out there, so what better way to meet others than by giving this a shot?”
Dunn is happy about the timing of introducing 419singles to Northwest Ohio, and the potential for success. “It’s the perfect time to get people involved, right before Valentine’s Day. I can’t wait to see what happens.”
Details can be found on their Facebook page, and by email at 419singles@gmail.com.
Behind the Byline Podcast
On this inaugural episode of Behind the Byline, host Jaden Jefferson continues coverage by TFP reporter Stephen Zenner on the City of Toledo 2025 budget with podcast guest Toledo city councilman George Sarantou.
Talking points include the power of grants and how they’re dispersed; the rebuilding of neighborhoods; funds to hire within the police and fire departments; and taking care of all residents.
New episodes of the Behind the Byline drop every Wednesday.
Behind the Byline is a production of the Toledo Free Press.
Ohio’s state budget talks, Medicaid
This story was originally published by Signal Statewide. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalOhio.org/StateSignals. Statewide is a nonprofit media partner of the Toledo Free Press.
By Andrew Tobias | Signal Statehouse
Gov. Mike DeWine released his budget plan this week. The two-year, $60.9 billion plan is a blueprint for funding basic state operations. But, as always, it’s also a vehicle for state policy changes.
I wrote articles this week detailing DeWine’s proposal to fund the Cleveland Browns’ and Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium projects by doubling taxes on sports betting. I also added context to his plan to spend $50 million on getting schools to bring back driver’s ed programs that largely have shifted to private operators.
There are many other meaty proposals that merit a deeper look, such as his proposal to change the state’s K-12 school funding formula by curtailing funding “guarantees” for school districts with shrinking enrollment. DeWine also proposed creating a new refundable $1,000 per-child tax credit for qualifying families and called for paying for the final two years of the landmark Fair School Funding Plan lawmakers passed in 2021.
More details will be available next week, when the governor is supposed to introduce the full text of his budget bill.
Lawmakers’ budget dealing will likely deflate DeWine’s dreams
But it’s always worth remembering DeWine’s budget proposal is just that — a proposal. His dreams don’t always become budget reality. DeWine is not especially influential with the GOP-controlled legislature, even though many items of his “children’s agenda” have made it through in the past.
Watch for taxes to be a focus of upcoming budget talks. A key dynamic of budget negotiations during DeWine’s tenure has been his position that the state has cut taxes enough already. That position bumps against the Legislature’s insistence that state taxes need to be cut even more. In the past, the two sides ended up in the middle, where some of DeWine’s programs got funded and the Legislature got its tax cuts.
In this budget, DeWine has proposed some major tax hikes – doubling the state’s gambling tax to fund the stadium projects and a separate big hike on tobacco products to pay for the proposed child tax credit. He also proposed doubling taxes on recreational marijuana to pay for policing and jail services. It remains to be seen whether Republican lawmakers will play ball.
My goal at Signal is to dig into the most important, impactful policies. So let me know if there’s anything you’re wondering about.
Advocates of Medicaid funding for autism therapy speak out
Ohio’s Department of Medicaid is required to cover Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, a leading treatment for autism. But providers and advocates say the state isn’t doing enough to provide this treatment for more people.
The state’s lack of standardized coverage rules leads to a patchwork of regulations that providers say make it hard to get paid. As a result, advocates estimate only 8% of eligible kids on Ohio Medicaid plans are receiving ABA therapy, and most ABA providers haven’t signed up to accept Medicaid, advocates say.
Find out more about this issue in my story here. In it, I talk to families in the real world about how they are affected by ABA therapy, and I discuss the recent steps by the state’s Medicaid department to create coverage rules.
More jockeying for 2026 governor’s horse race
Wednesday brought a significant development in the ongoing maneuvering ahead of the 2026 statewide elections.
Republican State Treasurer Robert Sprague announced he is dropping out of the governor’s race and instead is running for Ohio Secretary of State. He’s also throwing his support behind Vivek Ramaswamy, who’s expected to officially announce his bid for governor later this month.
The development leaves a less crowded GOP primary for governor, which also features Attorney General Dave Yost, and a more crowded one for Secretary of State, which also features former state senator Niraj Antani. Ohio Sen. Theresa Gavarone of Bowling Green is also thinking about running.
(Update: Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, announced Thursday morning that he will run for state auditor in 2026.)
Sprague’s decision follows a Friday campaign-finance deadline that shows how much money the various candidates have to work with. Yost reported raising $1 million in the second half of 2024, giving him $2.4 million in the bank. Sprague raised $100,000, giving him $2.1 million. A big chunk of Sprague’s money – $935,000 – is a personal loan, which will go further in a lower-profile race if he decides to spend it.
Jon Husted reported having $6 million, the largest campaign bank account of any statewide candidate by far. But now that he’s in the U.S. Senate, he’ll have to figure out how to convert the money into his new federal campaign account.
Other Ohio candidates with sizable campaign bank accounts include Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber ($1.7 million), former Republican State Representatives Jay Edwards ($773,000), and Dr. Brian Hambley of the Cincinnati area ($362,000.) Faber is expected to run for state attorney general. Hambley, a Democrat, recently announced a run for Secretary of State. Edwards has yet to announce his political plans.
Signal Statewide is a nonprofit news organization covering government, education, health, economy and public safety.
