Loess Hills Media and Podcasts

12/26/2025

We are back at the Studios on Willow with Kyle Raney to talk about the final week of our grand opening giveaway. Five local businesses will receive a fully produced podcast and video package designed to help them tell their story, build trust, and grow their reach, along with a video promotional package. Nominations are open through New Year’s Eve and self nominations are welcome. Learn why long form podcasting and strategic video content can make a real difference for local businesses and how you can get in on the ground floor.

12/26/2025

On this episode of Morning Coffee, we head into the Studios on Willow with Joe Huntoon, owner of S&B Kountry Kennel, to talk about growth, vision, and what it takes to build a business that keeps moving forward. From holiday boarding demand and New Year’s availability to facility upgrades, air quality, event space opportunities, and future plans like Pupper Slam 3, this conversation shows how one local business continues to evolve while keeping care and community at the center of everything.

12/25/2025

12/24/2025

Chad Richter, a therapist with Center for Healing and Hope in Council Bluffs, joins Local Routes for a timely conversation about why the holidays can hit so hard and what actually helps when grief, absence, and isolation show up. We talk about guilt, the pressure of “should,” small steps that matter, how to support someone without pushing, and practical ways to get through Christmas Eve and Christmas when you feel like you are spiraling.

12/24/2025

Luke Peterson, Activities Director at Thomas Jefferson High School, joins Morning Coffee to talk about student pride, growing participation in activities, and how culture, facilities, and leadership shape the student experience. From fine arts and athletics to community connections, this conversation highlights what it means to build confident, respectful young adults.

12/23/2025

We are incredibly grateful to whoever took the time to nominate Loess Hills Media and Podcasts for Small Business of the Year through the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce.

That nomination means more to us than any trophy ever could. It tells us that the work matters. It tells us that telling local stories, highlighting local people, and showing up for our community is being felt.

This has never been about one person or one microphone. It is about neighbors supporting neighbors, businesses supporting businesses, and a community that believes its stories are worth telling right here at home.

Thank you for the trust. Thank you for the support. We are proud to be part of this community and excited to keep building something meaningful together.

12/23/2025

Rachel Reis joins us at the Studios on Willow to talk about community health, collaboration, and the work happening behind the scenes to support people during life’s hardest moments. As Director of Community Health for the Jennie Edmundson Foundation, Rachel shares how the Caring for Our Communities program connects individuals with resources, builds trust, and brings organizations together to create healthier access across Southwest Iowa. This conversation is a reminder that meaningful change happens when communities work together and meet people where they are.

12/23/2025

On this episode of Morning Coffee, Todd reflects on a simple question he gets asked often: how do you start a local podcast? Instead of talking about gear or platforms, this conversation focuses on mindset. Trust. Consistency. Patience. Todd shares why local podcasting is not about building an audience but about entering an existing community conversation, listening first, and showing up with intention. This is an honest look at what actually matters if you want to create something that lasts.

12/22/2025

Todd Studer welcomes an old friend of the show and new guest to the space, Gitzy Loder of the Mills County Chamber of Commerce. Gitzy reflects on a year of growth, collaboration, and connection, shares how communities across Mills County are working together, and looks ahead to tourism, business energy, and quality of life in Southwest Iowa. A grounded conversation about leadership, people, and choosing progress.

12/22/2025

We are back in the Studios on Willow with Maria Torres, Health Equity Coordinator for the Pottawatomie County Health Department. Maria shares her journey from El Salvador to Council Bluffs, what health equity really means, why language access matters, and how community connection shapes public health. A thoughtful conversation about belonging, advocacy, and using your voice to serve others.

12/21/2025

Morning Coffee with Todd Studer started for a simple reason.

Real conversations matter. The kind you have early in the day, coffee in hand, before the noise takes over. No hype. No scripts. Just honest talk about leadership, business, faith, and life as it actually shows up.

Todd created this space to slow things down and bring people together around ideas that help you think clearer and lead better. Sometimes that means hard lessons. Sometimes it means encouragement. Always it means showing up real.

If you listen, you’re not just getting another podcast. You’re pulling up a chair, sharing a cup, and starting the day with purpose.

12/20/2025

The Why Behind What We Do

True local media is not about chasing clicks or copying headlines from somewhere else. It is about being present.

It is knowing the people behind the businesses, the stories behind the storefronts, and the context behind the headlines. It is showing up for ribbon cuttings, fundraisers, city meetings, and quiet wins that never make national news but matter deeply to the people who live in southwest Iowa.

When media is local, accountability stays local. So does pride. So does trust.

True local media listens before it speaks. It reflects a community back to itself honestly and with care. It does not just tell you what happened. It helps explain why it matters and who it affects right down the street.

Communities thrive when their stories are told by people who live in them, work in them, and care about what happens next.

That is our why.