Erin O'Toole
Host & Senior Producer, In the NoCoEmail: erin.otoole@kunc.org
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and fast-growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation spots. It’s a privilege to find and share the stories and voices that reflect why NoCo is such an extraordinary place to live.
One of the things I love most about public radio is that it embodies and encourages many of the values I hold dear: integrity, civility and curiosity. I’ve been with KUNC since 2009, minus a brief break where I focused exclusively on a Denver-based podcast. I’ve served in a number of roles here: Morning Edition Host, Assistant News Director, and as host and senior producer for Colorado Edition. My work has been recognized by the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association, PRNDI, RTNDA, and the Society for Professional Journalists.
I began my career at a country radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was a traffic reporter, newscaster, sidekick, and finally a morning show host (yes, it’s true that my name was Coyote Kim!). I later relocated to southern California where I served as Morning Edition host and reporter for KVCR in San Bernardino. I was selected as a USC/Annenberg Health Journalism fellow in 2008.
When I'm not at work, you can usually find me hiking with my two dogs, noodling around on my bass, cooking, or enjoying the sunshine and a cold brew on a patio somewhere.
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Saturday is May the 4th – also known to fans as Star Wars Day. To celebrate, we sit down to talk with Connie Willis, one of science fiction's most notable writers, who happens to live here in Northern Colorado. She shares her thoughts on our weird obsession with UFOs... and on why it's so important to contemplate the future.
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Colorado is one of the first states to employ an incarcerated professor. David Carillo has been released after being granted clemency – and today on In The NoCo, we hear about why he still plans to continue educating students who are behind prison walls.
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In the months leading up to this November's presidential election, we're thinking about the issues people in our community care about most – including the concerns of younger voters. Today on In The NoCo, we hear from two student reporters at Front Range Community College to get a sense of what's on the minds of their peers.
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Colorado’s new wolves are drawing a big following — not without some controversy. Today on In The NoCo, KUNC’s Scott Franz discusses recent wolf milestones and tension on the Western Slope, and whether wolves might one day become a tourist attraction.
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April is National Poetry Month – and to celebrate, we're talking with the owner of Wolverine Farm in Fort Collins, who left his 'day job' more than 20 years ago to devote his life to bringing a love of literature and poetry to Northern Colorado.
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Taking action against climate change can be difficult or impossible if despair is weighing you down. This is why environmental advocates say “climate hope” is so important. We hear more from Charlotte Lin, sustainability coordinator for the town of Avon, on today's In The NoCo.
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Young Coloradans are taking action to shape a more hopeful future in the face of the climate crisis. Today on In the NoCo we talk with two Boulder Valley high school students who campaigned for the school district to adopt a climate resolution – successfully.
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We’re still learning how to live with the effects of a changing climate. In his new book, Colorado journalist Stephen Robert Miller investigates our need to adapt to climate change – and why some of those attempts can backfire.
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The popularity of mocktails is soaring, and while many bars in Northern Colorado have non-alcoholic menus, there’s not yet a completely sober space for people to hang out. Today on In The NoCo, we hear about two mixologists who are trying to create fun spaces for people to explore sobriety.
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Colorado may rank at the top with regard to physical fitness. But when it comes to mental health, Coloradans are struggling. On today’s In The NoCo we discuss how a culture of drug and alcohol use in mountain resort communities can negatively affect the mental health of those who live and work there.