Podcast appearances and mentions of katie o'connell

Whether you're driving past a billboard, listening to the radio or watching TV, it seems like advertisements for attorneys are inescapable.  But why are there so many of them? And why are so many of them about personal injury lawsuits? Turns out, until 1977, attorneys were prohibited from advertising. Times certainly have changed. Arizona lawyers, law firms and legal-services providers spent $32 million on advertising last year. And that number doesn't include spending on social media campaigns. If you're curious about this phenomenon, podcast editor Katie O'Connell got to the bottom of it in this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com where we answer the questions you ask about metro Phoenix.  In this episode, you'll hear from: Van O'Steen, a Phoenix attorney who sued for the right to advertise Mark Breyer, a Phoenix personal injury attorney who currently advertises on TV Patricia Sallen, a Phoenix attorney who works in legal ethics Nancy Gray, a professor at Arizona State University

In some neighborhoods, it seems like there's a car wash every few blocks.  Eric Wulf, the CEO of the International Car Wash Association, said that Phoenix is one of the top markets for car washes. The reason for that traces back to a few things, including our weather, our growing population and changes in the industry overall.  To find out more about this subject, podcast editor Katie O'Connell talked to trade experts and car wash owners alike. Listen to this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, to find out more. In this episode, you'll also hear from: Dave Cheatham, the president of Velocity Retail Group Brian Gleason, the owner of Mr. Shine Car Wash in Peoria

Before social distancing became the norm, people used to gather. We'd get together for barbecues and cocktails, catch a movie or see a concert.  But in world shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, the thought of 3,000 people from North Dakota congregating in a Mesa park seems distant. Still, that's exactly what happened on March 1.  Perhaps the largest gathering of North Dakotans outside of the state, the North Dakota picnic gives transplants like reporter Rachel Leingang the chance to reconnect with those who sound and feel like home. A first-time attendee, Leingan decided to play a game: she attempted to find an unknown relative on a Saturday morning, 1,400 miles away from her hometown.  Did her experiment work? And how did she feel afterward? Find out in this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Producing the episode this week is podcast editor Katie O'Connell.

Each year when monsoon season hits, so do the headlines about valley fever. But what is valley fever? The answer lies in our soil. There's a type of fungus that lives in the first few inches of the soil in the southwest. When that fungus dries, it turns into microscopic spores. When those spores are swept up in haboobs, we run the risk of breathing them in, which could lead to an infection in our lungs. And it's not just humans who are at risk. Our pets can develop valley fever too. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, podcast editor Katie O'Connell finds answers about valley fever before monsoon season hit. In this episode you'll hear: What valley fever is and what causes it What are the symptoms of valley fever Options for diagnosis and treatment of valley fever How to tell if your pet might have valley fever

For this week's episode, we're tackling a more subjective question, "What buildings would you say are the most iconic in the Phoenix skyline?"  There are a few ways to approach this question, from either an aesthetic standpoint or by evaluating a building's history.  But, thanks to the help of some expert sources, we've crowned one building the winner.  Listen to this week's episode, produced by podcast editor Katie O'Connell, to find out which one.  In this episode you'll hear: Alison King, founder of Modern Phoenix: The Neighborhood Network Michelle Dodds, city of Phoenix historic preservation officer

Anne Ferraioli grew up in Phoenix, but she said she never paid much attention to Dreamy Draw Dam.  Then she noticed there wasn't any water in it. And when she started looking into it, the results were surprising.  Ferraioli found article after article about a possible U.F.O. landing site at the dam. What she didn't find was much information about its actual history.  Given the curious results, Ferraioli asked the Valley 101 podcast to dig into Dreamy Draw Dam's history. Podcast editor Katie O'Connell took her question and ran with it.  In this episode you'll hear: How the U.F.O. rumors at Dreamy Draw Dam began Whether or not the director of Open Minds TV thinks the rumors are true The history of the dam and its purpose today

Celebrities. You love 'em or you hate 'em. Or, you love to hate 'em. We on the Valley 101 podcast team have a few we just absolutely gush over.  We're sure we're not swayed by the fact that they're from Arizona. This week, Katie O'Connell, Maritza Dominguez and Taylor Seely each share their favorite celebrity with local ties, plus stories of how the Valley inspired or shaped them. In this episode, you'll hear: How growing up in Arizona David Hallberg into a resilient world-class ballet dancer.   How Jordin Sparks became an "American Idol" winner and took to the stage on Broadway.   The story of Steven Spielberg's first movie premiere, which happened in Phoenix when he was 17 years old

Did you know that Phoenix had one of the most successful local children's shows of all time? "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" ran from 1954 to 1989, collecting fans like Steven Spielberg and Alice Cooper along the way. What made the show a success was its dark humor. Yes, it was a kids' show, but it featured characters like Aunt Maud, who liked reading tragic stories to children. Or Marshall Good, an unemployed "cowboy" from New Jersey who had never ridden a horse.  Kids may have tuned in for the cartoon, but high schoolers and their parents got the more offbeat jokes.  In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, podcast editor Katie O'Connell explores the history of this Valley original. In this episode you'll hear: Previously unaired interview audio with all three of the show's stars Clips from the show's skits, including one with Muhammad Ali Republic reporter Richard Ruelas, who has written two books on the show, sharing his childhood memories of it

Last week, our Valley 101 podcast explored Arizona's five Cs, focusing on citrus and its decline.  This week, podcast editor Katie O'Connell digs in on another crop: cotton. The plant was included in the five Cs after its boom in World War I, but it's struggled in recent decades.  To uncover more on cotton and its role in our state's identity, Katie spoke to Ron and Russ Rayner, a father-son duo who operate farms in the West Valley. Their consensus was clear. Cotton is still a vital part of the state's identity, bringing in between $400 to $500 million to the state's economy each year.  In this episode, you'll hear: Philip VanderMeer, a retired Arizona State University professor of American and Arizonan history Ron and Russ Rayner, farmers from the West Valley Archival audio from an educational documentary from the 1950s

Imagine yourself walking down a dark, twisting staircase. There's light at the bottom, but not much. You come upon a scene as puzzling as it is creepy: fourteen dolls that look like they've been there for years, sitting around a table and lit by a singular bulb. That's what you'll find in the basement of Hanny's, 40 N. 1st St, Phoenix. The downtown Phoenix bar and restaurant used to be a department store, which opened in 1947. The dolls weren't there then, so how and when did they get there? And more importantly, why? That's the topic podcast editor Katie O'Connell will explore in this week's special Halloween episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

What do you think of when you picture a palm tree? For some, palm trees bring to mind images of beaches, sand and the ocean waves — not the desert. But you can spot the high-rising plant pretty much anywhere you head to in town. That begs the question: Are palm trees native to Arizona? Why does Phoenix have so many? In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast from The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, podcast editor Katie O'Connell digs in on this fixture of our landscape.  In this episode you'll hear:Liz Makings, collections manager for Arizona State University's HerbariumSteve Blackwell, conservation collections manager at the Desert Botanical GardenBrian Blake, owner of Whitfill Nursery: Main Tree Farm

It took months of planning, but on the night of December 23, 1944, 25 German prisoners of war POWs escaped from Camp Papago Park in Phoenix. They crawled through a handmade tunnel with hopes of heading home via Mexico.   Later known as "The Great Papago Escape," it was the largest POW escape on American soil during World War II.  And it happened in our backyard — literally. There are houses now where the camp existed.   In this episode, editor Katie O'Connell explores what happened that fateful night. And what can we learn from it now? Follow Katie O'Connell on Twitter: @katieoc If you have additional questions about this story, you can reach out to historian Steve Hoza directly by clicking here.

Almost two million people in Arizona live in some sort of community association. How did we get here? The answer goes back to how the city developed after World War II. Valley 101 editor Katie O'Connell talked to real estate experts to find out the answer on this episode. Want your question answered? Submit it at valley101podcast.azcentral.com. Follow Katie O'Connell on Twitter: @katieoc. Follow Valley 101 on Twitter: @valley101pod.

What creates the brilliant red and pink sunsets in Phoenix? Local folklore says that the pollution in Phoenix shapes our sunsets. But is that true? Katie O'Connell, the head of podcasts for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, found out.    Tell us your questions about metro Phoenix at valley101podcast.azcentral.com or find us on Twitter at @valley101pod. You can reach Katie on Twitter at @katieoc.

But never fear, we'll be back next week. Behind the Headlines host Katie O'Connell has some tips about a new Journal Sentinel podcast you can listen to in the meantime.

CEO of Gaumont International Television (GIT) in Los Angeles