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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: Hobson Place in Rainier Valley contains 177 units of permanent supportive housing. A mother says she wants the staff to do more to stem illicit drug use, which has caused her son's mental health to deteriorate.

    A Seattle housing facility has big dreams for residents. But the path forward can be tumultuous

    Supportive housing facilities can be a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness, and those searching for mental health services. Last year, the Downtown Emergency Service Center, a non-profit based in Seattle, opened Hobson Place. It’s a supportive housing building with 177 units and a clinic for residents. But some residents and staff at the facility have faced a tumultuous first year.

  • caption: Mt. Rainier on a crystal clear day.

    How should park officials deal with traffic/visitors on Mount Rainier? Give your feedback

    With crowning, snow covered peaks and sprawling subalpine meadows, it’s no wonder why about two million people visit Mount Rainier National Park every year. But a lot of those visitors are coming by car, and park officials say it’s time to get a handle on all that congestion; they’ve put together four options that the public can weigh in on until Monday.

  • caption: Pedestrians cross in front of a King County Metro bus in Capitol Hill, August 2, 2021.

    King County Metro creates a fast-track to bring back workers

    King County Metro is struggling to hire and maintain the number of drivers and mechanics needed to take commuters where they need to go. And as people return to the office, and ridership creeps upwards, that need is becoming greater and greater. Now, the agency has announced one potential solution to this workforce shortage: They plan to rehire and fast-track workers who were let go for not complying with the county’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

  • caption: MoPop guest curator and hip-hop feminist scholar Adeerya Johnson stands next to a display at "My Mic Sounds Nice: Hip-Hop Feminism in History.

    At MoPOP, hip-hop feminism is on the mic

    Hip-hop is turning 50 this summer. To celebrate, Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture is showcasing a new exhibit looking at the profound role women have had in shaping the genre.

  • Robert Ruggiero golf unsplash

    Did money trump morality in the merger between the PGA and LIV Golf?

    A “hypocrite” is one of the many words PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has been called over the last week, after he announced a partnership between the PGA and Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf. The PGA had long resisted cooperation with the rival tour, citing the Saudi government’s history of human rights abuses – including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the U.S. concluded was personally ordered by Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

  • Taking Care Jacket

    'Taking Care' cuts through gendered mythos and illuminates the complexities of nursing

    Nursing is a fundamental expression of care, as old and foundational as human touch. It’s also a highly technical profession that underpins our modern health care system, weaving together biological science with emotional labor. In her new book, journalist and author Sarah DiGregorio examines nursing’s long history and its complicated and powerful role in our lives today.