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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Childcare in Northern Colorado is hard to find and there are several factors at play intensifying the shortage here. Today on In The NoCo, we get a better grasp on how the crisis affects families and communities.
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Redlining happened in the 1930s and 40s, when lenders identified areas where people of color lived and denied them mortgages. Today on In the NoCo, we look at new research that links Denver's historically redlined neighborhoods to high levels of air pollution.
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Water and fire, and more specifically wildfire and snowpack, are crucial to the West. We look at their relationship and what it means for life in Northern Colorado today on In The NoCo.
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We close out Black History Month today on In The NoCo with a look at Dearfield. In the early 1900s, it was Colorado’s largest Black homesteading site. Local scholar George Junne tells us why it’s important to reflect on that community today.
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When apex predators like wolves are removed and then reintroduced - does the ecosystem bounce back? That’s the subject of new research from Colorado State University. We look at what it could mean for Colorado, the recent site of wolf reintroduction, today on In The NoCo.
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Rich historical accounts of Black life abound in many parts of the country. But in Colorado, there’s still a lot to learn about Black history. Today on In The NoCo, we hear from a curator at History Colorado who is working to uncover those stories.
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Colorado is placing a bigger focus on higher education with a new bi-partisan effort. State leaders hope that emphasis will help address worker shortages, especially in health care. We learn more today on In The NoCo.
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Images of the Old West conjure a certain wild feeling, one that 'Native Americana' singer-songwriter Cary Morin captures with his new album, Innocent Allies. Today on In The NoCo, we talk with the Fort Collins musician about how the project came together.
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As a teen, Oscar Hokeah didn't see himself represented in the kinds of books he liked to read. Today the award-winning author brings his perspective as an Indigenous person to a field with only a handful of Native authors. He joined In The NoCo to discuss his debut novel.
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Forced prison labor is happening across the U.S., including in Colorado. Today on In The NoCo, we get some local perspective on a recent investigation that showed the pervasiveness of this nationwide problem.