Reporter Shelby Reeves shares her top seven stories from 2023

Shelby Reeves, Chillicothe Gazette
·6 min read

CHILLICOTHE — Happy New Year Chillicothe! It has been another year of me, Shelby, reporting on the area and this year has certainly been busy and memorable. Let's take a look back together at some of my favorite stories from 2023.

See last year: Reporter Shelby Reeves shares favorite stories from 2022

Jeff Cardin walks through downtown back to the Ross County Community Action Homeless Shelter on February 21, 2023 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Cardin has been homeless since November 2022 and has been living at the emergency shelter.
Jeff Cardin walks through downtown back to the Ross County Community Action Homeless Shelter on February 21, 2023 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Cardin has been homeless since November 2022 and has been living at the emergency shelter.

'Everybody is within a couple days of being homeless'

While this list is not ranked there is a reason I wanted this story first and that is because I believe it is the most important one I have written this year. Homelessness is not just an issue in Chillicothe but worldwide. Throughout the years I have heard many people give their ideas on how to stop homelessness but oftentimes these people go home at the end of the day to a roof over their heads and a warm bed to sleep in, I felt very strongly that it was important to hear from someone actually experiencing homelessness.

Jeff Cardin was the perfect voice for this story because he was very open to having me shadow him for a day and ask him hundreds of questions. He was very honest and open telling me things that needed to be said. From this story the thing that stuck with me most was the Homeless Clock concept where he pointed out that every event in a person's life moves them closer to or further from homelessness and sometimes these events are out of our control.

If you haven't read this I believe you should as it gives a very honest look at what it is like to be homeless for just one day. I hope that by telling these stories I can help contribute to ending homelessness, or even just inspire people to give back, in some way.

Dr. Blake Lloyd from North Fork Animal Clinic performs several spaying and neutering operations on local animals.
Dr. Blake Lloyd from North Fork Animal Clinic performs several spaying and neutering operations on local animals.

Why it is important to spay and neuter your animals

Like ending homelessness, getting animals fixed is something that I believe to be important. With this story, I was able to talk to stakeholders in the community who are invested in fixing animals so that fewer strays are left to live on the streets with no one to care for them. I was also able to watch a local vet as they fixed several cats in a matter of an hour. This process is not something I can say I ever thought I would want to watch but it was very interesting and eye-opening seeing just how many strays were brought in through different programs.

With all of the benefits of fixing your animals, like a reduced risk of cancer, I believe it is something that most owners should do and I was glad to see local people invested in helping these animals who are left to fend for themselves.

You can also see my love for adoptable animals in stories like Have a tail wagging good time with a dog from the Ross County Humane Society and in galleries like Adoptable cats visit families at the library.

National Parks Service Ranger, Hailey M. Senediak, stands amongst the mounds at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park educating visitors about the earthworks, Hopewell culture and indigenous peoples before the start of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage Inscription on October 14, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio.
National Parks Service Ranger, Hailey M. Senediak, stands amongst the mounds at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park educating visitors about the earthworks, Hopewell culture and indigenous peoples before the start of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage Inscription on October 14, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Ross County holds official celebration for UNESCO designation

The UNESCO designation is a huge deal for Ross County with people traveling all over the world to visit every site. The celebration was filled with recognition for all the hard workers who spent years on the designation and felt like a great way to celebrate finally making it on the list. I am very excited to see how the county grows and improves thanks to this designation.

Chef Jerry Clark holds a dish he was preparing to serve in the kitchen at Longhorn Steakhouse on March 16, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio. Clark will be competing on the 2023 Longhorn Steakhouse Steak Master Challenge.
Chef Jerry Clark holds a dish he was preparing to serve in the kitchen at Longhorn Steakhouse on March 16, 2023, in Chillicothe, Ohio. Clark will be competing on the 2023 Longhorn Steakhouse Steak Master Challenge.

Local chef competes in Longhorn Steakhouse competition

This story is a great example of what my job is like, I arrived at the restaurant expecting a small little article about the chef and his skills but I ended up with so much more. Jerry Clark had a real story to tell that went deeper than a cooking contest. All his hard work to become a better person for himself and his family was truly inspiring.

Antique racing cars hang from the ceiling and car parts line the shelves and floor in Danny Smith's garage, a legend in the national Sprint Car racing circuit, at his home on Jan. 10, 2023 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Danny has been racing for decades and won his first race in 1976.
Antique racing cars hang from the ceiling and car parts line the shelves and floor in Danny Smith's garage, a legend in the national Sprint Car racing circuit, at his home on Jan. 10, 2023 in Chillicothe, Ohio. Danny has been racing for decades and won his first race in 1976.

What made Danny Smith build his racing headquarters in Chillicothe?

Do I know anything about racing? No. Did I have fun learning while researching this story? Yes. This story originally came about when I was online on Christmas the previous year and saw Danny Smith's post about sending cheer from Chillicothe. Being curious I looked him up and after learning more about him I decided to reach out. He was more than happy to have us out to his garage and show us his equipment which was very cool even for someone who knows nothing about cars.

This story also received a good amount of page views which honestly surprised me as I did not realize how big of a fan base sprint car racing had. After talking to Smith I was excited for the story to come out but it was nice to see other people excited about my work. I always love being able to learn more about the niche interests of readers.

When renovating an old historic building you never know what you are fully getting until you demo the building and see the bare bones, for example, a staircase built on top of another staircase.
When renovating an old historic building you never know what you are fully getting until you demo the building and see the bare bones, for example, a staircase built on top of another staircase.

Restoring History: Rebuilding Chillicothe's Downtown

This story took forever to write but it was definitely worth it. I, like many other people, am nosey so when I see a building being worked on I want to know what is happening, when it will be finished and what will be moving into the spot. Luckily, with my position, I am able to get a behind-the-scenes look which the nerd in me always enjoys. Things like seeing a staircase built on top of another staircase are always interesting and I love that I was able to showcase a small part of Chillicothe's history.

James and Jarron train together in a wrestling ring.
James and Jarron train together in a wrestling ring.

James Hines: This 'old dad' had no trouble wrestling with the kids as well as the pros

Well everybody if you have made it this far welcome to the annual time where I talk about how much I love pro wrestling. I have said it before but I will repeat myself- I have and will talk about pro wrestling for hours if given the chance. I will not subject readers to hours of me ranting but I will say that this year was a great year for my love for the business. I was able to be a part of not one, not two but three assignments involving wrestling.

My story with local man James Hines and his sons was amazing, I was excited to be able to interview Hines and hear his story and also talk to his sons about their lives. I love a good family story and I am happy that I was able to showcase this hardworking bloodline.

I was also able to photograph two meet-and-greets this year, one in March and one in September. During these events, I got to meet superstars like D-Von Dudley, Wardlow, RVD, Sting, The Boogeyman, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ted Dibiase, Bret Hart, Gangrel and more. During the September event photographer Ty also got some amazing shots of in-ring action. I would like to take this time to say that young Shelby was 100% scared of The Boogeyman but adult Shelby is only around 30% afraid. The guy eats worms how can I not be a little afraid?

Looking back, this year I have had the opportunity to meet some awesome people with great stories. So much has happened this year that I am sure there are amazing stories that I didn't list but loved and am proud of. As this year ends I am already looking forward to what comes next.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: See reporter Shelby's favorite stories from 2023