Noel Gasca
General Assignment Reporter
About
Noel is a general assignment reporter for KUOW, covering everything from city hall to pickleball. Prior to joining the newsroom, Noel worked as a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Noel has also worked as an online editor and producer with KUOW’s web team, and she’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
Noel is an alumna of Emerson College and has interned at NPR member stations WBUR in Boston and WAMU in Washington D.C. Originally from Lake Stevens, Washington, Noel is elated to be back in the Pacific Northwest and covering the people and places that make up the state she calls home.
When she’s not working, Noel enjoys perusing Seattle’s used bookstores, practicing her kata, and discussing the lasting legacy of Selena Quintanilla’s music with anyone who will listen.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Pronouns: she/her
Professional Affiliations: National Association of Hispanic Journalists, AIR
Podcasts
Stories
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Seattle Public Schools could consolidate schools as soon as 2024
Families are reacting to the Bellevue School District's decision to recommend the consolidation of three elementary schools in the district. Bellevue Schools says it's making the call because of declining enrollment — a struggle many local districts may face in the coming years — including just across Lake Washington, in Seattle.
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WA lawmakers consider options to make drivers ed more equitable
Today, 16- and 17-year-olds in Washington are mostly turning to private driver’s ed companies for traffic safety courses. Up until the year 2000, nearly every school district in the state offered a driver’s ed course. But those largely faded away after the Washington legislature cut funding in 2002. And now, lawmakers are trying to confront the ramifications of that decision.
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Could unidentified objects represent another 'Sputnik moment' in U.S. skies?
The White House says that the three flying objects U.S. fighter jets shot down last weekend were probably not spying on us — they could be benign, for research or commercial purposes. And, they originated on Earth (no aliens to see here.) That got us wondering — who’s finding these things? And why are they suddenly popping up so often, after the U.S. popped a much larger, suspected Chinese surveillance balloon earlier this month?
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Soundside goes live: Behind the scenes of 'Ghost Herd'
All six episodes of the series are out now, and Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with host Anna King, and producer Matt Martin to talk about reporting on one of the biggest cattle swindles in U.S. history.
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A year later, Ukrainian refugees' legal status creates roadblocks for resettling in the PNW
The U.N. estimates that at least 8 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across Europe. Before Russia’s invasion, the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan prompted another refugee crisis. These global conflicts, among others, have triggered mass displacements on an unprecedented scale. Some folks are making it here. In the last year, Snohomish county alone has welcomed several thousand Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.
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From unexpected invasion to unyielding resolve, Seattleite documents a year of war in Ukraine
On February 23, 2022, Ukrainians went to bed in a country on the brink. For months, Russian military forces were stationed near the border, encircling Ukraine on three sides. The U.S. intelligence community told the world to brace for an invasion. But many observers questioned if war was in Vladimir Putin’s plans. The worst-case scenario was confirmed the next morning, when Putin announced a "special military operation." Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with David Tagliani, a Seattleite volunteering on the ground in Ukraine with the aid organization Stay Safe UA.
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Hear it again: Remembering the maestro behind 'Twin Peaks' sound
February 24th marks the day agent Dale Cooper first came to the town of Twin Peaks. While the town may be fictional, the towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend have embraced “The Real Twin Peaks Days." We're celebrating by returning to one of our favorite stories — remembering the maestro behind the music that made Twin Peaks so iconic.
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In WA, pay and child care present obstacles to jury diversity and participation
Under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, defendants in criminal cases have the right to a jury of their peers at trial. But in Washington state, it might not always work out that way for people of color.
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Need a little help getting through 'The Big Dark'? Soundside has your weekend covered
We're headed into the last leg of "The Big Dark" — that time of year when you just want to nestle inside, hang out on your couch, cling to our seasonal affective disorder lamps, and really not do much more than that. But we've almost made it through! You can sense spring if you know where to look. Why not get a head start on emerging back into everything the Pacific Northwest has to offer by checking out some local events?
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'Just one of many tragic stories': Uncovering the story of Chemawa Indian School
For 150 years, the federal government operated more than 400 boarding schools for Indigenous children who had been forcibly removed from their families. One example of the brutal legacy of these boarding schools lies in Oregon, in the unmarked grave of Charlie Fiester. Soundside caught up with KUOW investigative reporter Ashley Hiruko to talk about Charlie's story.
