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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

Stories

  • caption: Washington state is home to three different species of marmot: the Olympic marmot, the hoary marmot, and the yellow-bellied marmot (pictured).

    Hear it again: The fauna that define us

    Washington state is no stranger to majestic and awe-inspiring wildlife. Think of the orca, the bald eagle, the mighty salmon. But hiding in the cracks of our mountains and our cities lie creatures big and small, loving and annoying. Today, Soundside looks back on our favorite animal stories and how Washington balances

  • caption: Joe Kennedy, a former assistant football coach at Bremerton High School, poses for a photo March 9, 2022, at the school's football field. He was fired after refusing to stop kneeling in prayer with players and spectators on the field immediately after football games. He sued over the matter and took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the Bremerton School District violated his First Amendment rights.

    Hear it again: Kennedy v. Bremerton School District and SCOTUS

    While most have been tuned into understanding implications the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade will have on the country, the ruling on another case with local roots, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, was issued today.

  • Tacoma

    How's Tacoma's guaranteed basic income program going?

    The rising cost of everyday goods, and the end of several pandemic programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit has put millions of families across the family in a financially precarious position. Here in Washington, Tacoma is piloting their own guaranteed income initiative. It's called GRIT, an acronym for growing resilience in Tacoma.

  • It Starts With Listening_Sound it Out

    Sound it out: messages from listeners

    At its core, Soundside is about connecting with our listeners and bringing you stories you care about and that impact those of us living here in the Pacific Northwest. Each week we ask for your thoughts about our stories -- where they've succeeded and where they can improve. Here's what you told us.

  • caption: The eroding bluff at the tip of Point Defiance in Tacoma, with Five Mile Drive atop it.

    How are Washington's parks feeling the effects of climate change?

    Last month, Metro Parks Tacoma announced the closure of the popular Five Mile Drive to vehicles, after a geotechnical assessment found that the erosion of the bluffs posed a safety risk. The report did not explicitly link the erosion to climate change, but park officials say they believe there is a connection. So how are Washington's parks responding to the effects climate change is having on our coastlines, forests, and mountains?