This week on News Man Weekly, Carl, Zac and Hayden catch up on the latest Richland County headlines, including the reopening of a section of the B&O Trail, an unexpected asbestos discovery complicating the demolition of West Park Shopping Center and the ongoing debate over a proposed public camping ban in downtown Mansfield. Plus, with Halloween right around the corner, Carl takes a trip down memory lane with his Top 5 favorite Halloween treats from his childhood in Georgia.

Then, we welcome Mansfield entrepreneur and former state lawmaker Jay Goyal for a wide-ranging conversation about business, downtown revitalization and more. Goyal discusses the ambitious effort to transform the former Holiday Inn on Park Avenue West into a boutique destination expected to open in summer 2027. He talks about the vision behind the project, the challenges of renovating an aging property and what a revitalized hotel could mean for downtown Mansfield's future. 

The conversation also turns to politics, as Carl and Goyal revisit the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which came during Goyal's time in the Ohio Legislature. Building on Carl's recent Richland Source investigation into dark money, the two briefly discuss what it might take to bring greater transparency and accountability to campaign financing.

This episode is powered by the great folks at Relax, It's Just Coffee.

Relevant links:

• Mansfield lawmakers say proposed ban on downtown camping not aimed at driving out homeless
• Richland B&O Trail open for bike traffic; road still under construction until Oct. 30
• Land Bank approves change order for added asbestos abatement at West Park Shopping Center
• When local politics goes national: Inside the battle over Richland County's commercial wind/solar ban

Be a Source Member for unlimited access to local journalism. Use code thegame26 for 20% OFF and to be entered into the OSU vs Michigan ticket sweepstakes.

Already a Source Member? Enter the sweepstakes here.