Nooze Hounds

Mecklenburg County Reentry Services program manager Latoshia Young discusses the day-to-day work of her department, from housing to employment to health care, as well as other topics such as how stigma affects her work.

New at-large CMS School Board rep-elects Liz Monterrey & Monty Witherspoon discuss what led them to run and how their own experiences shaped their respective platforms. They also touch on current issues facing the school district ranging from Moms for Liberty and ‘culture wars’ to the bond referendum, student mental health and private school vouchers. 

Shannon Binns with Sustain Charlotte and Dianna Ward of Charlotte Joyrides discuss bicycling infrastructure in Charlotte, grading the city on where it stands now and what it can do better in terms of safety and connectivity.

Hector Vaca, immigration justice director with Action NC, discusses how issues around immigration in Charlotte overlap with housing, policing and more.

Mallory Foxx discusses how she went from the juvenile justice system to the pageant circuit, where she’ll soon compete or the title of Mrs. Black International Ambassador 2023, and how mentoring changed her life, inspiring her to launch her organization Mentoring M.I.N.D.S.

We talk to WSOC’s Joe Bruno about the recent municipal primary elections, from the low turnout to the far-reaching implications, and what local stories he’ll be checking on in the coming year.

DreamKey Partners President Julie Porter and Roof Above CEO Liz Clasen-Kelly discuss their work around homelessness and the affordable housing crisis, including how it all relates to gentrification, displacement, adaptive reuse, Housing First and other local topics.

 Ryan talks to Zack Wyatt, CEO of Carolina Farm Trust; and Michael Bowling, general manager of CFT Market, the site of a ceremonial groundbreaking the same day they appeared on the podcast. They discuss their plans for the local food distribution and production center as well as topics ranging from equitability in food accessibility to Black food culture in Charlotte. 

Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist at WCNC, discusses recent heat waves, air quality issues and reporting on the effects of climate change in an age of misinformation and social media trolling. 

HopeWay CEO and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei joins Dr. Justin Johnson, director of Veteran Services at HopeWay, to discuss the array of ways the nonprofit treats mental illness in Charlotte while touching on topics like stigma, suicide, PTSD and how the pandemic led to a spike in mental illness that is yet to subside.