WLWT's Lindsay Stone: From a Nuxhall Scholarship to the Newsroom
- Danise DiStasi
- 34 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Growing up watching the Cincinnati Reds on Channel 5 (WLWT), or listening to Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman call the play-by-play on the radio, Lindsay Stone could never have imagined how her life would come full circle decades later.
Raised in Monroe, Ohio—a charming, small town centrally located along I-75 between Dayton and Cincinnati—Lindsay grew up in a family deeply committed to service. Her father had been a Middletown physician for 30 years, and her mother had been a teacher before entering politics. Lindsay played soccer for 14 years until a severe knee injury ended her competitive career.
“The Reds were the team my family rallied behind,” Lindsay said. “We all had different football allegiances, but baseball with the Reds brought us together.” Her dad’s medical office was filled with Red’s memorabilia, and Great American Ball Park was the first sports venue she ever visited.
“Being the oldest team in baseball held such weight. You can’t talk about the Reds without talking about Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman, because they were a team. It was obvious they cared so deeply about the city. Those connections sparked my lifelong love for the Reds.”
In high school, Lindsay interned with the Cincinnati Reds’ marketing department and operated carnival games on the concourse—anything to stay close to the organization she admired.
As college approached, Lindsay researched scholarships in writing, broadcasting, and journalism. Her search led her to the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship. “Joe grew up in Hamilton, and I grew up in Monroe—our hometowns practically touch,” she said. She applied, thinking it was a long shot, and was stunned and honored when she received notice that she would be awarded the scholarship.
In May of 2014, the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarships were awarded to 27 student-athletes across Butler County. Lindsay was one of them. The scholarship fund was established by Nuxhall in 1989 and, after his death, was maintained by his wife, Donzetta, and sons, Kim and Phil through a partnership with the Fairfield Community Foundation. Lindsay still remembers the group photo, proudly sitting beside Joe’s son, Kim. She also met Local 12’s Sheila Gray that day: “I remember thinking, ‘To be a broadcaster in Cincinnati—she has the dream job.’”
Lindsay earned other scholarships but admits she’s forgotten their names: “But I have never forgotten that I’m a Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship recipient. It means so much because of my long-standing love for the Reds and for what Joe meant to broadcasting.”
She began at Ohio State University as a pre-law major, still unsure whether to pursue broadcasting. One weekend at home, her mom suggested they watch the news. They turned on WLWT, where Curtis Fuller was reporting. That moment changed everything. “I decided that weekend to pursue broadcasting.” But where to attend was the next question.
Lindsay’s grandparents, parents, and brother all attended Anderson University, a very small university in Indiana.
“I never wanted to go there; it was too small. I wanted to go against the grain, which is why I chose Ohio State University. But once I was at OSU, I thought there might be a chance to try something different. Anderson, at that time, didn't have a broadcasting major. They barely offered a journalism major.
“I called my brother and told him I was going to visit him and check out the campus, and I told him, ‘I’m going to make a call to the dean.’”
Lindsay called the dean of students and requested a meeting. Their first question was, “Do you even attend Anderson?” Lindsay said, “No, but I think you’re going to want me to! Can I have a meeting with your dean of students in the communications department?
“I’m sure they were wondering, ‘Who is this girl?’”
Lindsay’s request for a meeting was accepted, and she pitched the idea of starting a student-run broadcast program: “They told me it wasn’t a good idea and that leaving a big-name school would be career suicide.” Lindsay responded, “Perhaps, but if you give me enough money to buy a camera and a tripod, I will cover all school events, put the videos together, and make a film.” And they said, ‘Well, good luck. This is not a good idea. Stay at the big school with the big name.’”
“But when someone tells me I can’t do something—that motivates me. So, I said, ‘Okay, I’ll see you next semester.’”
Anderson University gained a very determined new student. With $300, she bought a camera and a tripod from a pawn shop, attended sporting events, filmed from the corner of the gym, and edited the footage herself. “People probably wondered who I was lurking in the corner,” she laughed. “God put the right people in the right place at the right time. I ended up getting someone who could edit for me, and I found another guy to be my cameraman. And it grew and grew and grew. It was incredibly special.”
By her senior year, more than 50 students were involved, and the university had built a studio with a green screen and control room. Now called Raven Watch, the program is a weekly ESPN-style show that students must participate in before graduating. It features sports, news, and Lindsay’s favorite—personal stories about the athletes.
Lindsay credits her drive to her upbringing: “My parents encouraged my brother and me to excel at everything. If we wanted to pursue something, we needed to give it our best. I always felt they had high expectations, and I welcomed that challenge. And just like Joe, I wanted to be a trailblazer.”
Her first job after college was as an anchor and host at WNDU in South Bend, covering Notre Dame football. The hours were grueling—working late games, then anchoring early newscasts on minimal sleep—but she loved the work and was eager to move up.
When her contract ended, she joined WTTV, the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, where she discovered her niche: human-centered, meaningful, community stories. After two years, she received an offer from a major station in Charlotte—a dream-market opportunity. But just days before signing, Lindsay felt a strong sense of discernment that she shouldn’t go.
“Faith is really important to me, and I just had a feeling it wasn’t the right move. I was a month away from my contract ending, and I had nothing lined up.”
Everyone around her urged her to take the job, but a conversation with her dad shifted everything. “He asked if I felt like God was telling me to get out of the boat—like when Jesus told Peter. I definitely did not want to get out of the boat,” she said, laughing. But the feeling persisted, so she turned the job down—with no backup plan.
At her mom’s suggestion, Lindsay paused her job hunt for the weekend. On Sunday night, she couldn’t resist checking listings—and found a posting at WLWT, the same station she’d grown up watching, the same news station she had watched six years earlier when she decided to pursue broadcasting. And the open role? Weekend anchor alongside Curtis Fuller.
“If that’s not a God wink, I don’t know what is,” she said. She emailed the news director immediately. Twenty minutes later, she had set up an interview with the station manager. Lindsay believes it was divine intervention that kept her from taking the job in Charlotte.
Returning to Cincinnati has been everything she hoped for. “I’m from little Monroe, Ohio, and I’m so happy to be home. WLWT’s values align with mine. It’s been a dream come true.” She has been with WLWT for more than two-and-a-half years.
Her journey—from scholarship recipient to hometown anchor—along with her perseverance and passion, closely mirrors the spirit of the families served by the Joe Nuxhall Miracle Leagues. On a daily basis, the athletes and their families persevere through challenges, yet they radiate joy in the opportunity to play sports and participate in various activities.
And one more God wink brings this story full circle: Lindsay is dating Red’s pitcher Andrew Abbott, who proudly wears jersey number 41—the same number Joe Nuxhall wore for many years as a Cincinnati Reds player. Andrew is a left-handed pitcher, just like Joe, and Andrew’s mother was a special education teacher. Some connections are simply meant to be.
About The Nuxhall Foundation
The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, the late Joe Nuxhall. The Nuxhall Foundation carries forward three important legacy projects. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields—an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. Historically, nearly 300 athletes with physical and developmental disabilities aged 4 to 80 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields. The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship (in conjunction with the Fairfield Community Foundation) provides more than $40,000 per year in scholarship money to student athletes at all 14 Butler County high schools. Very soon, the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Scholarship will cross the million-dollar mark in scholarship money awarded. The Joe Nuxhall Character Education Fund pitches good character to young leaders throughout Greater Cincinnati by delivering and supporting programs that stress the importance of integrity, humility, respect, and kindness. In 2024, The Nuxhall Foundation launched a $12 million capital campaign to construct The Hope Center, a year-round recreational facility for athletes with special needs that will help to create the world's most comprehensive athletic campus for individuals with disabilities.
For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org.
For all media inquiries or to schedule an appearance, please contact:
Tyler Bradshaw
(513) 839-6164
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