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Becca Costello
Local Government ReporterExpertise: Local politics, housing policy
Education: Cincinnati Christian University, Indiana University, UC Clermont
Contact: bcostello@wvxu.org
Favorite Tri-State Neighborhood: Covington (just don't tell anyone at Cincinnati City Hall).
Highlights
- Reports on all things local government with a particular focus on Cincinnati
- Experienced reporter in public radio and television across the Midwest
- Winner of awards at the local, regional and national level
- Lifelong listener of Cincinnati Public Radio
Experience
Before joining the WVXU newsroom, Becca worked in public radio and TV journalism in Bloomington, Indiana, and Lincoln, Nebraska. Becca has earned numerous awards for her reporting, including from local chapters of the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists, and contributed to regional and national Murrow Award winners. She grew up in Clermont County listening to WVXU and considers public radio journalism her "dream job." Her dog Cincy (named for the city they once again call home) is even more anxious than she is.
Education
Becca has a bachelor's degree from Cincinnati Christian University, where she studied Biblical studies and communications, and a master's degree in journalism from Indiana University. She also proudly studied at UC Clermont, of the University of Cincinnati's community colleges, for two years.
About WVXU
The central pillar of Cincinnati Public Radio’s local network — accounting for the lion’s share of its 211,000 listeners each week — 91.7 WVXU is among the most reliable media institutions in the Tri-State region. Our mission is to always be a trusted, independent source of journalism, music and culture, empowering a vibrant, engaged and informed community.
Why trust us
Our team of reporters and editors have decades of experience writing and reporting the news. Our first responsibility is to our listeners and readers. There is no connection between our funding and editorial decisions. When we do cover a funding partner, a disclosure will be mentioned on-air and online. We take pride in our work, editing and fact-checking every story. If an article warrants a correction, we will immediately correct it and explain the correction for complete transparency.
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Over the past 20 years, MSD has confirmed nearly 8,000 sewer backups across the city were caused by the combined sewer system. About $28 million has been paid to homeowners to cover property damage caused by a sewer backup.
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MSD serves most of Greater Cincinnati with sewer service, but separate entities are responsible for drinking water and storm water management. Is there a better option? See a transcript of this episode along with more photos and videos at wvxu.org/backedup. Find us online: @917WVXU @beccacostellonews @holdshelf
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The first of five public meetings about a new Cincinnati economic disparity study is Wednesday afternoon.
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Hamilton County officials have submitted the Phase 2B plan for bringing the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati into compliance with the Clean Water Act.
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One of the biggest barriers to progress is, of course, money. The only source of funding for fixing these problems is sewer rates; advocates say the MSD rate structure puts unfair burden on residential customers, while big corporate customers get significant discounts. Plus, county officials are considering a brand new stormwater fee. See a transcript of this episode along with more photos and videos at wvxu.org/backedup. Find us online: @917WVXU @beccacostellonews @holdshelf
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A bill passed at the Ohio Statehouse last week modernizes record keeping for county recorders, but the final version doesn’t include an amendment requested by housing advocates.
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The Charter Committee formed a hundred years ago to address widespread corruption in city politics, and voters approved the new charter in 1924.
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So if MSD isn't responsible for stormwater...who is? Backed Up looks into "green infrastructure" in Cincinnati, like the Lick Run Greenway, and why MSD doesn’t do more to keep stormwater out of the combined sewer system. See a transcript of this episode along with more photos and videos at wvxu.org/backedup. Find us online: @917WVXU @beccacostellonews @holdshelf
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A coalition of 200 housing and homelessness organizations wants state lawmakers to amend SB 94 to include revenue for statewide housing grants.
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Next on the suspect lineup: the rain. Storm clouds are an ill omen for a city with a combined sewer system like Cincinnati. How has climate change affected precipitation trends in the area? What happens to all that stormwater once it enters the MSD system? And what happens to all the stormwater that never even makes it that far? See a transcript of this episode along with more photos and videos at wvxu.org/backedup. Find us online: @917WVXU @beccacostellonews @holdshelf