OKI Wanna Know

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WVXU answers your questions about the Tri-State. No question is too serious, or too silly!

Bill Rinehart


    • Nov 29, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 4m AVG DURATION
    • 58 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from OKI Wanna Know

    OKI Wanna Know: What's on the ceiling of Music Hall's Springer Auditorium?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2023 4:29


    A listener looked up before a concert at Music Hall and what he saw sparked this week's question.

    OKI Wanna Know: What is Parkdale and where did it come from?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 4:24


    There are plenty of neighborhoods in Hamilton County that aren't officially recognized. Parkdale is one of them.

    OKI Wanna Know: What happens if there's an election but no candidates?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 4:37


    The process for filling a vacant seat due to a lack of candidates varies from state to state, and in some cases, from political subdivision to subdivision.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why does Cincinnati own a railroad?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 4:25


    As Cincinnati voters ponder whether to keep or sell the city's Southern Railway, some wonder why a municipality owns a railroad in the first place.

    OKI Wanna Know: How many Winhold Reiss murals are there around Cincinnati?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2023 4:15


    A German-born painter made his name in the American West, and his work helped change America's impression of Cincinnati.

    OKI Wanna Know: Who wanted to honor Confederates in Ohio?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2023 4:33


    This week's question is about the John Hunt Morgan Trail from Indiana across Ohio.

    OKI Wanna Know: What are the pipes jutting out of the levee?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2023 3:56


    The pipes were installed in the 1950s, but the reason they're there is because of what happened in 1937.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why does Cincinnati have so many streets named 'Kemper'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2023 4:54


    We take another dive into Cincinnati history in our feature OKI Wanna Know.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why do some Cincinnati neighborhoods have randomly numbered streets?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2023 4:28


    Street names are the most popular of all the questions asked of OKI Wanna Know.

    OKI Wanna Know: What are the dents in the ground in the forest?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 4:39


    A listener wants to know if the pits in Miami Whitewater Forest are Civil War foxholes or something else.

    OKI Wanna Know: What is that castle along the Ohio River?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2023 4:11


    You have questions about the Greater Cincinnati area and we answer them. This week: a castle on the river.

    OKI Wanna Know: What lies beneath downtown Cincinnati?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 4:45


    Cincinnati has all kinds of interesting things underground, from subway tunnels to a bus station/discotheque.

    OKI Wanna Know: What happened to Northern Kentucky's streetcars?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 4:26


    Much has been written about Cincinnati's streetcar, but what about Northern Kentucky's?

    OKI Wanna Know: Why does Cincinnati have so many public stairways?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023 4:48


    A listener wants to know about Cincinnati's public stairways, connecting low points with hilltops.

    OKI Wanna Know: Are running tutus unique to Cincinnati?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2023 3:38


    People have been running marathons and other races while wearing tutus for years. But where the tradition started is up for debate.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why can't I get wine delivered in Ky.? And about those school building oddities...

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2023 3:36


    Sometimes finding the answer is the easy part. The hard part is finding someone willing to be interviewed about it.

    OKI Wanna Know: Are opera creams a Cincinnati original?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2023 4:33


    If you want opera creams outside of Southwest Ohio or Northern Kentucky, be prepared to search hard. Few candy makers outside the area offer them.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why are so many Cincinnati buildings made of yellow brick?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 4:31


    It comes down to two things: supply and fashion.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why is Vine Street Cincinnati's main street?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 4:23


    A listener asks why Main Street isn't Cincinnati's, well, main street.

    OKI Wanna Know: What's in that shaft on the Roebling Suspension Bridge?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2023 4:15


    A concrete shaft on the side of the Roebling Suspension Bridge holds an important tool for river safety.

    OKI Wanna Know: Addressing address questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 4:36


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know received a number of questions related to mailing addresses and decided to wrap them up into one episode and tie it with a bow.

    OKI Wanna Know: Was Mike Fink more than a restaurant?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2022 4:31


    OKI Wanna Know seeks answers to your offbeat questions, including this one about the history of the Ohio River Valley.

    OKI Wanna Know: What's with the finger at CVG, and other travel related questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2022 4:22


    Millions of Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving again this year, and some of them will wonder about two travel-related signs in the Tri-State.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why does Devou Park have its own police? And, some park quarry queries...

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 4:03


    Two listeners wonder: Why does Covington's largest park have its own police department? And, what's at the bottom of the park's Prisoner's Lake?

    OKI Wanna Know: Do Cincinnatians have an accent?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2022 4:26


    People in Boston "pahk the cah in the gahden," while Chicagoans "root for Da Bears and Da Bulls." Is there anything unique about Cincinnati speech?

    OKI Wanna Know: What is Cincinnati's steepest street, and what's with the crosswalk to nowhere?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2022 5:07


    Cincinnati's Department of Transportation and Engineering helps uncover two mysteries.

    OKI Wanna Know: What happened to the old Cincinnati library?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2022 4:13


    An old jaw-dropping photograph goes viral periodically, raising questions about preservation and practicality.

    OKI Wanna Know: What's with the bricks in the trees, and the parking lot in the forest?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2022 4:40


    Cincinnati Parks inspire a lot of affection, and a lot of questions.

    OKI Wanna Know: What are those yellow lampshades in the road?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2022 4:05


    Cincinnati seems to be the only place to find the acorn-shaped lights, but to the dismay of some, they're not going to be around forever.

    OKI Wanna Know: What's with all the stained glass windows in some neighborhoods?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2022 3:57


    Stained glass windows were Victorian-era bling.

    OKI Wanna Know: Can you really drink the water at Fountain Square? And more Downtown inquiries

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 4:38


    This week, we go Downtown to drink from the fountain of knowledge, and get a temperature reading, with WVXU's Bill Rinehart.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why is Clermont County the only Clermont County in the U.S.?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2022 4:20


    There are many Clermonts around the world, but only one Clermont County.

    wanna know clermont county
    OKI Wanna Know: Is this Oakley street pronounced 'My-not' or 'Meh-no'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022 4:09


    An avenue in Oakley has some neighbors wondering if they're pronouncing their street name correctly.

    OKI Wanna Know: More about the history of Eden Park's rules and regulations

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 5:04


    With our feature OKI Wanna Know, we try to answer listener questions. Sometimes those questions lead to more questions. That's the case this week as we revisit a story about Eden Park.

    OKI Wanna Know: Where are the local Sears kit homes?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2021 4:02


    Sears, Roebuck and Co. built an empire with catalogs that included houses.

    OKI Wanna Know: Cincinnati has Northgate, Southgate and Eastgate. Why no 'Westgate'?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 4:03


    John Beiting of Fort Thomas has a question he says has boggled his mind for years: "In the Greater Cincinnati area, we've got an Eastgate, we have a Northgate, and even down in Kentucky we have Southgate. Why is there no Westgate?"

    OKI Wanna Know: An Oakley Oddity, Ghost Stairs And More Cincinnati-Specific Questions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2021 2:58


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know gives you a chance to ask questions that aren't easily answered. This week, we take five questions with simple, but hard-to-find answers.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why Doesn't I-471 Get More Traffic Diverted From I-71/75?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 4:12


    This summer, our feature OKI Wanna Know answered a handful of questions about local interstates. WVXU's Bill Rinehart wasn't happy with one of the answers, so he kept digging for this latest installment.

    OKI Wanna Know: Who Abandoned Fort Thomas' Houses?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2021 4:40


    OKI Wanna Know tries to answer your offbeat questions.

    OKI Wanna Know: Great American Road Trip Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 4:20


    OKI Wanna Know... What Is Botany Hills?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2021 4:26


    OKI Wanna Know is our regular feature where we try to uncover the truth and history of things that are often overlooked. This week, WVXU's Bill Rinehart visits one Northern Kentucky neighborhood to find out what's in a name?

    OKI Wanna Know: How Did Cincinnati's East Side-West Side Divide Begin?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2021 5:00


    Cincinnatians love to joke about needing a passport to go from the East Side to the West Side and back, but how did that split get started? WVXU's Bill Rinehart looks into the city's great divide in this latest OKI Wanna Know .

    divide westside eastside wanna know cincinnatians wvxu east side west side
    OKI Wanna Know: What's With That Blue Bridge To Nowhere In Walnut Hills?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2021 3:50


    OKI Wanna Know is a chance for you to get an answer about the area that isn't easily googled. This time, WVXU's Bill Rinehart looks into the past and the future of a Walnut Hills bridge that seemingly goes nowhere .

    bridge wanna know walnut hills wvxu
    OKI Wanna Know: Is Speed Checked By Aircraft?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2021 4:19


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know is a chance for you to ask a question that may not be easily answered. There's one question we've received three times now in different forms, and it's especially important heading into the summer driving season. WVXU's Bill Rinehart has more.

    OKI Wanna Know About The Victory Parkway Shelter

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2021 4:13


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know is a chance for you to ask that seemingly unanswerable question. This week, WVXU's Bill Rinehart starts in Avondale and digs into a story that shapes the entire region.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why Does Kentucky Own The Ohio River?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2021 4:24


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know seeks answers to unusual questions. Today we look at the border between Kentucky and Ohio and Indiana. WVXU's Bill Rinehart explains .

    OKI Wanna Know: Who Plays The Organ At Great American Ball Park?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 4:18


    Editor's note: This story originally ran in July 2020. John Schutte says he will be back in the ballpark for 2021. Baseball is a very ear-friendly sport. There's the crack of the bat, the sound of a fastball hitting leather and the roar of the crowd. There might not be fans in America's ballparks as this COVID-shortened season starts - which just might make sound all the more important. Bill Rinehart has more about the organist for the Cincinnati Reds in this chapter of OKI Wanna Know .

    OKI Wanna Know... East-West Roads In Northern Kentucky

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2021 4:13


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know is a chance for you to ask the offbeat questions that don't usually merit headlines. Many questions so far have been about roads and transportation and this week's is no different. WVXU's Bill Rinehart answers a question about roads in Northern Kentucky.

    OKI Wanna Know: Why Does Vine Street Stop Being Vine Street In Corryville?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2021 4:52


    The most common question we get for our feature OKI Wanna Know has to do with street names: Who is honored by a street, or why is it called what it is? This week, WVXU's Bill Rinehart tries to answer why one of Cincinnati's best known streets detours for several blocks.

    cincinnati wanna know vine street wvxu
    OKI Wanna Know: How Many Flying Pigs Went To Market, How Many Stayed Home?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 4:40


    Our latest edition of OKI Wanna Know seeks to answer a question about some things that have been around for so long, and are so common, you might not even notice them any more. How many flying pig statues still exist in the Cincinnati area?

    OKI Wanna Know: Question Potpourri Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2021 4:32


    Our feature OKI Wanna Know is where we ask you to ask us a question about something you've always wanted to know about, but maybe isn't traditional news. Bill Rinehart returns with the first OKI Wanna Know of 2021 .

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