The Voices of Winchester

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...