North Report

In this Newsbreak, Communications Manager/PIO Jason Bartolone talks with Laura Ansel about Warm Mineral Springs Park re-opening, and what its future looks like. If you're curious, this bitesize podcast will catch you up. Take a listen!

On this week's Newsbreak, North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor talks with Sergeant Scott Guzman about Operation Wreckless. Listen in to learn about the importance of being safe on the road, and what we can do to accomplish it.

Meet Josh Wichers, a 5th generation Floridian and Utilities’ new Field Operations Manager. Through some interesting twists and unexpected turns, Josh found his way to North Port and brings his industrial mechanical experience to our city. We’ll talk about some new technology that is being utilized in Utilities to help reduce costs, increase efficiency and even predict trends.

It is National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week as this comes out. The profession of a 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator, also known as dispatcher, is not an easy one. It is however fulfilling. The North Port Police Department is working diligently to make sure there is quality service on the other end of the line. In this Newsbreak episode, we sit down with Senior Public Safety Telecommunicator Marilyn Neugebauer to talk about these highly important positions and how you can take part.

The City of North Port currently has two Arborists on staff and we had the chance to sit and speak with them. The City takes our Tree City USA title very seriously and holds a robust tree ordinance that has been crafted to protect our tree canopy. Tune in and listen! You do not want to miss this episode.

Public input is paramount during North Port's budget season. Listen in as Communications Manager Jason Bartolone chats with City Manager Jerome Fletcher about budget, vision, input opportunities and more.

Devon Poulos and Jane DeClercq from the North Port Aquatic Center are back to talk swim lessons during the North Port Newsbreak. Hear stories about how these lessons have helped both children and adults, and all the options to get involved. It's a long of fun to chat with these two -- we hope you enjoy!

Devon Poulos and Jane DeClercq from the North Port Aquatic Center stopped by to share information about the Monda swim program, and setting up 2nd graders for swimming success. LIsten in to learn about the program, as well as learn a bit about swimming lessons at NPAC. We hope you enjoy!

The Deskside Chat this week is with Jenn Sadonis from our Grants team. Jenn is a busy bee with four kids who have four vastly different schedules. When she gets a few seconds, she enjoys unwinding while crafting or watching medical dramas. Oh, and did you know her ancestors started the very first bank in Arcadia? Check out the interview with Madison and Jenn. We hope you enjoy it!

Michael White. Where do we start? From karaoke to cooking to computers, Michael has lots of fun stories to tell. Did you know he was a top ranker in the world for karaoke in the past and competed in Tokyo, Japan? Madison and Michael laugh a lot in this interview, and we hope you enjoy as much as we did.

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!