Update 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 14: Bill Rinehart's OKI Wanna Know feature premeires on WVXU Wednesday, July 15, during Morning Edition at 7:44 and 9:44 a.m., and repeats during All Things Considered at 5:44 p.m.
It runs four and a half minutes.
Original post Thursday, July 10: Why is Mariemont pronounced MARY-mont? Who named Loveland and Pisgah? Where was the college in College Hill? What did Knowlton and Peebles do to get their namesake Cincinnati corners?
And who the heck was Brent Spence, anyway?
Bill Rinehart, WVXU reporter and host ofAll Things Considered on weekday afternoons, sets out to answer in a new feature called OKI Wanna Know.
"Ever wondered about something and then worried that you’d get laughed at if you asked? That’s what OKI Wanna Know is all about: Asking the questions that everyone wants to know, (or maybe just you), but are too embarrassed to bring up," Rinehart says.
Or as the WVXU announcement puts it: "Have you always wondered why Reading Road isn’t pronounced like "reading" books? How about if there’s a connection between Ludlow Ave. and Ludlow, Kentucky?
Questions, questions, questions… everyone wonders about the quirks and idiosyncrasies of our local community, ranging from street names to goetta, to how we wound up with so many chili parlors."
OKI Wanna Know premieres Wednesday, July 15, during Morning Edition, All Things Considered and on wvxu.org.
A Cincinnati radio reporter since 1994, Rinehart pitched the idea to News Director Maryanne Zeleznik last year after hearing similar features on Yellow Springs and Columbus stations. He envisions OKI Wanna Know as a monthly segment, so he can do a deep dive into the research while continuing to do day-to-day news stories.
"There's lots of material," he says. "Why is there a Dayton, Kentucky, and a Dayton, Ohio? Why are there a couple of Richmonds - New and just plain Richmond? Why are all the towns with exotic European names mispronounced?"
His first three segments are "selfish – satisfying my own curiosity." After that, he's counting on listeners to suggest topics about local lore, history, people, flora, fauna, food, festivals, etc. You can use the Talk2Us feature on the WVXU free mobile app, post your query to any WVXU social media, drop an email to wvxu@wvxu.org or fill out the form below.
So get your questions ready. I've got mine. When did West Union become Groesbeck? Who was Reed Hartman? And Clay Wade Bailey?
John Kiesewetter's reporting is independent. WVXU only edited this story for style and grammar.
