x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Kinni Cast

Welcome to the Kinni Cast, an all-new podcast from the City of River Falls featuring real people with a real purpose. On every episode, you’ll hear from City employees to learn more about the work being done to make River Falls a better place. You’ll learn about what projects they’re working on and what drives them to make a positive impact on the River Falls community. So if you’re curious about what’s next for River Falls and want a peek behind the scenes of City Hall, you’re in the right place

government places & travel

All Episodes

23:05

Matt Walker, UWRF Football Coach

Kinni Cast ·

2026/01/21

Matt Walker didn’t grow up in River Falls – he’s an Indiana native – but after living here for 15 years, River Falls is now home for Matt and his family. Recently, Matt helped put River Falls on the national stage as the head coach of the UW-River Falls Falcons football team, which won its first-ever Division III national championship in early January. Being in the spotlight gave Matt the opportunity to showcase River Falls and the community that he’s a big part of. On this special part...

en-us

23:48

Erica Ellefson, Public Works Manager

Kinni Cast ·

2026/01/07

When it snows, we often take for granted that the snow gets cleared from our city streets. But that job gets done thanks to the public works crew at the City of River Falls. Plowing the snow is one of just many things the public works team does. They stay busy year-round with tree removal, street sign maintenance, mowing the grass at city parks, and much more. To learn more about the Public Works team, Erica Ellefson joins this episode of the Kinni Cast. As the public works manager, Eri...

en-us

24:41

Brooks Ostendorf, Conservation and Parks Manager

Kinni Cast ·

2025/12/17

In River Falls, the parks and natural resources are something residents routinely say is an important part of the community. Helping maintain those aspects of the City is the job of Brooks Ostendorf, who joined the City staff earlier this year as the manager of the newly-created Conservation and Parks Department. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Brooks talks about how his background in landscape architecture translates to the work he does for the City, shares more about the City’s re...

en-us

34:17

Josh Solinger, Finance Director

Kinni Cast ·

2025/12/03

Numbers are Josh Solinger’s thing – which is perfect since he serves as the finance director for the City of River Falls. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Josh joins to share his passion for helping residents understand how their tax dollars support the services and projects shaping our community. He discusses the city’s annual budget, how the City funds major projects like the upcoming fire station renovation, and gives his outlook on the long-term financial health of River Falls. So...

en-us

19:27

Diane Odeen, Alderperson at Large

Kinni Cast ·

2025/11/19

Before she ran for City Council in River Falls, Diane Odeen actually had aspirations of holding office at the state level of government in Wisconsin. While that didn’t ultimately work out, that experience eventually helped her land a spot on the City Council – a role she’s held for more than a decade. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Diane takes us behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a City Council member in River Falls, discusses some of the projects she and other council membe...

en-us

21:55

Emily Shively, Assistant Director of Community...

Kinni Cast ·

2025/11/05

Growth in a city like River Falls doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a balance of planning, partnerships, and community values. Tying all of those together is part of Emily Shively’s role as the Assistant Director of Community Development for the City of River Falls. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Emily joins to share more about how development works in the city, examines the current housing market in River Falls, and discusses how the City plans for growth while preserving what mak...

en-us

30:17

Gordon Young, Police Chief

Kinni Cast ·

2025/10/22

Since he was a kid, Gordon Young knew he wanted to be in law enforcement. He saw his dad and grandfather in the profession and seemed destined to follow in their footsteps. After getting his start in his home state of Michigan, he eventually found his way to River Falls in 2015 as the City’s new Police Chief. On this episode of the Kinni Cast, Chief Young talks about his introduction to River Falls a decade ago, shares how the new police station has been a major upgrade for the departme...

en-us

16:27

Amy Peterson, Community Development Director

Kinni Cast ·

2025/10/08

The Kinnickinnic River is an important part of River Falls’ history, its present, and its future. Once the Kinni Corridor plan is complete and both dams are removed to restore the river to its natural state, some aspects of the river will look quite different than they do today. To dive into that topic, we’re joined on this episode of the Kinni Cast by Amy Peterson, the Community Development Director with the City. Amy has been very involved with the Kinni Corridor plan during her tenur...

en-us

28:03

Justin Wilson, Fire Chief

Kinni Cast ·

2025/09/24

Justin Wilson went to college with the goal of becoming a firefighter. But plans changed, and he eventually got a job in the corporate world. Several years after he moved to River Falls, he decided to join the River Falls Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. Twelve years later, Justin is now leading the department as its new fire chief. Among the biggest challenges he faces early on is helping lead the department through a major renovation of the fire station. Chief Wilson joins ...

en-us

29:16

Tanya Misselt, Library Director

Kinni Cast ·

2025/09/10

The River Falls Public Library opened at its current location in 1997. And while the library still does so many great things for the local community, it’s in need of some upgrades. Last year, the library received a $4 million grant for renovations, and the much-anticipated construction is underway. Library Director Tanya Misselt joins this episode of the Kinni Cast to share more about the work being done to help set up the River Falls Public Library for the future. Tanya also discusses ...

en-us

29:21

Kevin Westhuis, Utility Director

Kinni Cast ·

2025/08/27

In November of 1900, the City of River Falls experienced electricity for the first time as the downtown lights along Main Street were illuminated. This year marks the 125th anniversary of public power in River Falls, which is one of several essential services that River Falls Municipal Utilities provides to residents. Kevin Westhuis is the Utility Directory for the City, and he joins this episode of the Kinni Cast to talk about the benefits -- and value -- of public power. He also discusses t...

en-us

24:43

Dan Toland, Mayor

Kinni Cast ·

2025/08/13

Since Abraham D. Andrews became River Falls’ first mayor in 1885, 34 different people have served as mayor in the City's history. None has served longer than the current mayor, Dan Toland. After assuming the role in April of 2012, Mayor Toland has now served the city for 13 years — surpassing the run of Maynard E. Hoffman in the 1950s and 1960s. Despite growing up in River Falls, Mayor Toland never dreamed of becoming mayor of his hometown. It wasn't until someone suggested his wife run...

en-us

17:19

Scot Simpson, City Administrator

Kinni Cast ·

2025/07/30

People get into local government for various reasons. For Scot Simpson, government was not his initial career path. But after shifting course on his original plan, he found himself gravitating toward city government – and he never looked back. He’s spent his entire career in that field, including the past 16 years as the City Administrator for the City of River Falls. In that role, Scot has led the organization and the city through many changes, projects, and growth. He’s also the first...

en-us

0:40

Introducing Kinni Cast from the City of River Falls

Kinni Cast ·

2025/07/16

Welcome to Kinni Cast, an all-new podcast from the City of River Falls featuring real people with a real purpose. In each episode, you’ll hear from City employees about the work being done to make River Falls a better place. Learn about what projects they’re working on and what drives them to make a positive impact on the River Falls community. So if you’re curious about what’s next for River Falls and want a peek behind the scenes of City Hall, you’re in the right place. Subscribe to ...

en-us

14 results

Similar Podcasts

The Fly

Georgetown"s Institute of Politics and...

THE CONSTITUTION STUDY

Paul Engel

The DSR Daily

The DSR Network

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Fora do Baralho

Rádio Observador