John is joined by Melody Hoffman of the local news upstart Southwest Voices (SWV). We kick off the show with an ill-advised detour into parking statistics on Hennepin Avenue. We talk about the history of Wedge LIVE, Melody's deep and extremely well-placed admiration for John's contribution to the local news landscape--and how Melody might live up to that as a founding editor of SWV. How should we cover local crime stories? Is SWV going to fill the gap on school board news? Is Bryn Mawr really a part of Southwest Minneapolis? Melody talks about her appreciation for the collaborative, rather than competitive, approach of local journalists; and the "vibe of positivity and hopefulness" that SWV is delivering to readers by covering neighborhood news. John is eager to get back to a routine of regular social interactions and activities that are the foundation of a strong and healthy community; and he gets nostalgic for the deeply anti-social behavior he witnessed in the early years of covering neighborhood association meetings.

Find Melody on Twitter @melodyswv. Read Melody's and her colleagues' work at southwestvoices.news.

Read John's commentary on the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction: https://wedgelive.com/hennepin-avenue-in-pursuit-of-worthy-goals-enshrined-in-city-policy-developed-over-many-years/

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee