The Voices of Winchester

The Voices of Winchester podcast is the show that brings your stories, our stories, and all the voices of Winchester right to your ears. In this episode, Pete Koutoulas and Rebecca Ison have a wide-ranging conversation about humanism, what it means to live without religious belief, and how humanists try to build a better community through action. They also walk through the Humanists of Winchester’...

Winchester resident, teacher, and business owner Jeffery Hale is no stranger to contradictions. Unlike many gay people, who have eschewed religion, Jeffery fully embraces his Christianity—although his practice differs significantly from the dominant form that seems to get all the air in today’s America. Jeffery describes himself as “a simple man trying to live in God’s love.” Yet his relationship...

Gerica Horn is a vivacious and lovely woman. She is a hairstylist in east-central Kentucky with an open and outgoing personality. Yet Gerica was born a boy named Rodney.  Join us as guest host Lisa Bush chats with her friend about what it was like growing up “different” and living her adult life as a transgender woman.  This episode contains explicit material and is intended for mature audiences.

Lisa Bush gets around. Besides working full-time, she is very involved in our community. Her most recent project has the potential to be groundbreaking for marginalized communities in our town.  In this episode, I hosted Lisa Bush for a discussion that centered around her new thing—the All-Voices Reading Room , which is set to open with pop-up locations around town later this month. We also talked...

Welcome to the Voices of Winchester Podcast , where we dive into inspiring stories and community initiatives. In this episode, host Pete Koutoulas welcomes Valerie Smaldone, a producer and co-founder of Just Do Good Entertainment, to discuss her latest project: the show "Finding Kindness." And the opening of a new eatery in downtown Winchester, The Winchester Café. Valerie shares her journey from...

The Voices of Winchester podcast is back with an inspiring conversation with Valerie Frost, a local advocate and recent TEDx speaker. Valerie shares her journey as a Clark County mom and her passion for ensuring families have a voice in the systems that affect their lives. In this post, we will explore her insights on community engagement, the challenges faced by families navigating complicated sy...

In this episode of Voices of Winchester, host Pete Koutoulas sits down with Winchester native Kevin Parido—neighbor, former pastor, knife maker, and life coach—for a wide-ranging conversation about craftsmanship, calling, and what it means to live with intention. Kevin shares how growing up surrounded by family in Winchester shaped him, how years in ministry in Chicago and back home influenced the...

When one speaks with Donna Carter, one thing is clear: she loves Winchester and Clark County dearly, but is clear-eyed about both the challenges and the opportunities before our community. Although Donna was not born here, she has lived in Winchester with her husband — a native of our community — and their daughter for many years. And to hear her talk about it, one would think she has been here al...

Winchester resident Bill McCann was sent to The Cove Schools residential school in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1962 because he had severe behavioral issues and learning disabilities and required special education that was not available in Kentucky at the time. Today, Bill is a playwright, a member of the Dramatists Guild, a poet, an essayist, and a contributor to WinCity Voices, among many other things....

A brief announcement about our YouTube channel and upcoming podcasts.  The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of the voices of Winchester to your ears. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow us on social media @wincityvoices & check out more content like this at wincityvoices.org . Want to tell your story on the podcast? Email Lashana at lashanaharne...

Lisa Bush has lived in Clark County her entire life. She calls herself a “vintage resident” of Winchester, having been born in the historic Guerrant Clinic, which now houses the Bluegrass Heritage Museum on South Main Street. But her roots run deep in Eastern Kentucky; her family is from Wolfe County — the Red River Gorge area of the Commonwealth. For her first novel, Lisa Bush didn't just draw up...

In our latest Voices of Winchester podcast, host Pete Koutoulas sat down with Winchester real estate developer Adam Kidd to discuss the past, present, and future of downtown Winchester.  We talked about saving and restoring historic downtown buildings, the high-side renovation project, the problem of the lack of affordable housing in Winchester, the vision of former city manager Mike Flynn, Adam’s...

When we heard that Winchester residents Brett Cheuvront and Mason Rhodus were planning an event called "The Mrs. Roper Romp," we were quite intrigued! So, we invited the two into our studio to record a short bonus episode of the WinCity Voices Podcast to tell us all about this brand new (hopefully annual) event in downtown Winchester!  Participants are invited to dress up as Mrs. Roper (or Mr. Rop...

Ken Howard is a retired educator, potter, farmer, and president of the Winchester Art Guild. The guild's retail store on North Main Street here in Winchester recently re-opened for the season, so we caught up with Ken to talk about the store, the art guild, the resurgence of Main Street, and lots more.  Your host for this episode is Pete Koutoulas.  The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your sto...

Welcome to Episode 7 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. On today's episode, host Lashana Harney is joined by Willie Carver to talk about his book "Gay Poems for Red States." About the Guest: Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. is a youth advocate who works with the Kentucky Youth Law Project, Progress Kentucky, Narrative 4, and the Campaign for Our Shared Future. He is a Kentucky Teacher of the Y...

Welcome to Episode 6 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. On today's episode, host Lashana Harney is joined by Latisha Jackson, Executive Director of Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center, and Keisha Morgan, the Lead Advocate at Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center.  Latisha and Keisha shed light on the organization's mission to support survivors and create safer local communities like...

Welcome to Episode 5 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. On today's episode, host Lashana Harney chats with Kentucky's oldest active drag queen Ms. Niagara Falls, aka Brett Cheuvront, about all things drag. Drag queens that is.  Content warning: This episode does feature explicit language and mentions of suicide.  The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of...

Welcome to Episode 4 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. Today's episode features guest Skylynn Burnam reading her essay, " The Diverse You ," followed by a conversation with host Lashana Harney. About the Guest: Skylynn Burnam is a senior at George Rogers Clark High School. She’s been a writer for many years. If her creative writing didn’t speak in her writing at a young age, it definitely sh...

Welcome to Episode 3 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. Today's episode features a conversation between host Lashana Harney, & Winchester's new mayor & first woman mayor, JoEllen Reed.   The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of the voices of Winchester to your ears. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow us on social media @wincityvoices &a...

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. Today's episode features holiday stories from WinCity Voices contributors, Ron Kibbey & Erin Smith. The Official WinCity Voices Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of the voices of Winchester to your ears. If you like what you hear, be sure to give us a follow on social media @wincityvoices & check out more conten...

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. Join your host, Lashana Harney, as she reads her personal essay, "Always Becoming." The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of the voices of Winchester to your ears. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow us on social media @wincityvoices & check out more content like this at wincityvoices.o...