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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A new survey shows only about a quarter of Cincinnatians are satisfied with the city’s maintenance of streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure.
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The King Records Legacy Foundation will use the money to privately fundraise for construction costs.
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Some Cincinnati neighborhoods saw residential property tax increases far above the citywide average, including more than double in East Westwood.
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The building has been vacant since the department store left it in 2022. 3CDC has plans to renovate and reopen it as office space, with room for a restaurant and retail.
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The concept is to determine what situations put families at higher risk for losing housing, identify families in those situations, then intervene with financial and other support.
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Voters approved the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern for $1.6 billion. That revenue will now be invested, but not in gun manufacturing.
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Compared with the 50 largest U.S. cities, Greater Cincinnati has the fourth least severe shortage of rental units affordable to extremely low-income households.
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Cincinnati is one of 25 cities selected for the new Bloomberg Philanthropies Sustainable Cities Initiative. Four other Ohio cities are also in the program, more than any other state.
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Council is moving ahead with the idea to create a task force to look at solutions related to a large spike in property taxes across Hamilton County.
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The Barrister project includes 44 units of income-restricted housing on East 9th street.