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Washoe County launches fourth season of 'Washoe Life' podcast, spotlights local stories and video expansion
Summary
Washoe County's communications team opened the fourth season of its Washoe Life podcast, emphasizing local storytelling, new video distribution on YouTube and returning series that have covered topics from local history to mental health and weather preparedness.
Washoe County officials launched the fourth season of the county's Washoe Life podcast, saying the series will continue to profile local residents, employees and community initiatives while adding video distribution on YouTube.
"We decided obviously 3 years ago if it's our 4th season," said Nancy Lewenhagen, communications director for Washoe County. "One thing we don't get to do in [news releases] is sit down and really have a conversation with someone and go a little bit more beyond the headlines." Bethany Drysdale, communications manager, added that the program has been tailored to "life in Washoe County" and will continue to mix lighter and heavier topics.
The new season will run from January through October with the communications team producing two episodes a month, Lewenhagen and Drysdale said. The county also plans to publish the episodes on common podcast platforms and to post video versions on YouTube.
Why it matters: the series is positioned as a public-facing channel for Washoe County to explain services and highlight community members whose activities touch county life. Past episodes cited by the hosts included a paranormal Nevada episode recorded at the county's historic courthouse, a conversation with Carrie Countess about her nonprofit Forever 14 focused on teen suicide awareness, a history interview about the Bowers Mansion with the county curator, and a weather series that explained atmospheric rivers and local preparedness.
The hosts noted that the podcast has received community recommendations for guests and recognition from peers. Drysdale said the county won a Silver Spike award from the Public Relations Society of America for a recent series; Lewenhagen and Drysdale described other notable guests over prior seasons, including local athletes, civic leaders and longtime journalists.
The hosts invited listeners to submit guest ideas by email to washoe311@washoecounty.gov. "This is not... one of the top programs the county's doing," Drysdale said, "but what is life in Washoe County?" The pair said the season will continue to balance history, human-interest stories and practical information useful to residents.
The county communications staff said the podcast is intended as a complement to news releases and social media postings, offering longer conversations and community context that staff do not have room for in routine announcements.
Looking ahead, Lewenhagen and Drysdale said they will feature a mix of new guests and follow-ups to earlier episodes and encouraged nominations from listeners.
