North Port Podcast Network

We're starting a special series within the North Port Newsbreak podcast. Each month, we'll sit down with Parks expert Laura Ansel, and deep dive into a different local park. This month, we're chatting about the recently renovated Kirk Park. One of the oldest parks in the City, we learn about its history and what's available there.

For info on all local parks, visit www.NorthPortFL.gov/MyLocalParks.

Madison sits down with IT's Donnie Heeter, who is a high school swim team captain and a jiu jitsu hobbyist. We chat about his winding road to the IT path and the odd jobs that brought him here. We hope you enjoy!

This week Madison chats with Mike Davey, Grants Coordinator with the City. In his past lives he was an English professor and in middle school administration. He's a big fan of 19th century literature, and also plays in a legitimate garage band. We had a great chat, and we hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Destiny Garraus, the Economic Development Marketing Strategist, sat down with John Dalton and Terry Cramer, mentors with the Port Charlotte Chapter of SCORE Mentors.

SCORE nurtures North Port's local entrepreneurial community with access to business planning tools, subject matter experts, business mentors, and more. Area businesses are well served by SCORE throughout North Port and Port Charlotte.

The city has come a long way since Hurricane Ian crossed our path in September 2022. While there are still residences and buildings with damage we are working hard to rebuild. During the rebuilding process, there have been questions about the FEMA 50% rule. Please tune in to learn more about the FEMA 50% rule and who it affects within the city.

A lot of work goes into making sure North Port has the right people protecting and serving our community. In the latest episode of the North Port Newsbreak podcast, North Port Police Department Public Information Officer Josh Taylor sits down with Chris Krzos, who leads recruiting and backgrounds for the NPPD. We’re hopeful it will bring some insight into the process and how the department is facing the national challenge of filling the law enforcement void.

Like so many in North Port, our Utilities Department has also faced some obstacles in 2022. In this Newsbreak, listen in as we speak with North Port Utilities Director, Nancy Gallinaro and Applications Systems Administrator, Alex DiRamio about how the department has recovered from a harrowing 2022, and what the future holds for 2023.

This week Madison sits down with Public Records Technician II Mike McDonnell. He's a former police dispatcher with some very interesting hidden talents, like riding a unicycle and juggling tennis racquets. Listen in as they talk about that and much more. Mike also turns the tables and quizzes Madison on a few things. It's a fun listen. Enjoy!

Kaitlyn Griffin is destined for great things. She works for the Economic Development Division at the City, and has ambitions to work in public service leadership in the future. She and Deputy Communications Manager Madison Heid chat about that, Irish dancing, TV shows and more. We even threw in a couple holiday questions. Check it out. It's a fun one! 🎧🔊