For all the bad that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the world, nonetheless Ross County, one of the best things to come out of it has been a resurgence in podcasting.

Spotify estimates that the number of new shows added to its platform surged 240 percent this year compared with 2019. Edison Research says that 28 percent of the U.S. population aged 12 and above are weekly podcast listens – up 17 percent from 2020 – and 125 million people are expected to listen to at least one podcast a month in 2022.

Fortunately, that also means we got a surge in local podcasts, and they range in format, scope, and content.

In full disclosure, “Feels Like Home” is my podcast – which I co-host with my friend Marty Ford. We started in April 2021 and have produced two seasons of conversation about Chillicothe and Ross County.

Our content mostly focuses on interviews with local people who are part of our success as a community, whether it be through their business or their efforts to help us become a better place to live, work, and play. We’ve also done a few topical episodes, including a few top five lists and tackling a few issues (“Community as a Calling,” and “It’s OK to celebrate success”) here and there.

Our friend, Andy Tomlinson, also hosts a similar podcast “The Good Stuff,” which focuses on “those who are doing the good stuff in our community.” We collaborated with Andy on an episode last year and hope to do so again. The great thing about “The Good Stuff,” is that we coordinate our schedules enough to get a wide variety of people to talk about the great things they are doing. Andy is a great host and seems to find the “hidden gems” in Chillicothe to help bring some light to them.

His wife, Meredith Tomlinson, not only hosts a Facebook video series called “Only in Chillicothe,” which focuses on great things you can only find here, but also co-hosts a podcast for women with Jen Conley. “Small Town, Real Talk” features these small business owners talking about that experience, but also about the real-life experiences of parenting, running a business and personal growth.

“All Walks of Art” is a great local podcast that delves into the minds of creatives. Local artist Michael Warth takes you into his journey to discover the world through art, while co-host and musician Paul Remy. As one reviewer puts it, it’s a “very relaxed and friendly lounge-type environment” that doesn’t particularly focus on local art alone, but on a range of artistic expression. It’s a fun listen.

There are a few shows that are seasonal, too. Those podcasts tend to run for a short time, then take a break, but they are worth the time if you like the content.

“Horsin’ Around: A Chillicothe Paints Baseball Podcast” is devoted to Ross County’s favorite local baseball team. It features a weekly recap of Prospect League action as well as interviews players, coaches, and even host families. Paints radio voice Jacob Wise has hosted the show and does a good job of blending information and interesting interviews.

The same goes for “Running Off at the Mouth – The Buck Fifty Podcast,” which focuses on the annual 150-mile relay race through our county and funds the MADE Drug Free Clubs in our local schools. It’s hosted by Dave Huggins and Chris Scott, the co-founders of the event and gives some of the inspirational stories behind the race.

And that doesn’t even begin to touch the amount of spiritual and religious content out there. Nearly every church in Chillicothe has their sermons and some other content out in podcast land, so you can search for “Chillicothe” and likely find them. (Oh, and First Presbyterian Church pastor, Rev. Jason Link, has a podcast called “Bad Calvinists Podcast” that might be your cup of tea as well.)

All these podcasts can be found wherever you find your podcasts – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Just search the names of the shows and you’ll find them.

The good news is there is no shortage of great local podcast content, so if you’re not listening, take a chance. And, if you find something local, I didn’t mention, drop me a line, I’d love to hear about them.

Mike Throne is president and CEO of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce and the co-host of the Feels Like Home podcast, which can be found wherever you get your podcasts. He can be reached at [email protected]