Rene Gutel

(Cornville, AZ) The names of presidential hometowns have a special ring to them, a sort of geographical charisma or gravitas. There was Hope, Arkansas. Plains, Georgia. Crawford, Texas and Kennebunkport, Maine. Well if John McCain is elected, the world will get to know a tiny town tucked in Arizona’s Verde Valley. It’s where McCain goes for weekend getaways. And it’s not where you think. Listen here.

This piece was produced for KJZZ and Weekend America.

(Phoenix, AZ) When it gets really hot out and your air conditioner conks out, Russ Wichterman could be your knight in shining armor. Wichterman tells us what it’s like to be an air conditioning repairman. Listen Here.

This story aired on KJZZ and Marketplace.

(Glendale, AZ) The women’s tennis team at Grand Canyon University in Arizona has an unusual player this year — a 60-year-old named Sheila Johnson. She played for three years at Arizona State in the ’60s, but still had one year of eligibility left. Listen here.

This story was produced for KJZZ and NPR’s Day to Day.

As many as half of the world’s languages are at risk of going extinct. But in Southern France, a singing group is trying to keep one of the dying languages alive. Rene Gutel profiles Marombrina, four women who sing in the Middle Ages tongue known as Provencal. Listen here.

This story was produced for Here and Now.

The son of a famous French pop singer says he doesn’t like Paris anymore. Rene Gutel explains why in this profile of jazz guitarist Thomas Dutronc. Listen here.

This story was reported for PRI’s The World.

(Phoenix, AZ) Phoenix singer-songwriter Jody Gnant is never alone. That’s because she has been streaming her life on the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the last six months. She’s part of a new generation of “lifecasters.” Listen here!

This story was reported for KJZZ and Weekend America.

Reporter Rene Gutel from member station KJZZ in Phoenix buys her husband a wireless portable reading device for Christmas for $400. Amazon later sells out of the “in” gift; no more will be available before Christmas. Gutel finds she can sell the hard-to-find item on eBay for a $600 profit.The opportunity puts her in an ethical tailspin. She decides whether to surprise her husband with the perfect gift — or just take the cash.
Listen Here.

This story was reported for the alt.NPR podcast, B-Side Radio. It later aired on KJZZ and NPR’s Day to Day.

(Phoenix, AZ) Americans are spending record amounts of money on their pets including the latest trend: a full-service funeral. The first pet-only funeral home opened three years ago. But traditional funeral homes are branching out to offer services for dogs, cats, horses and more. Rene Gutel reports from member station KJZZ. Listen here.

This story was reported for KJZZ and NPR’s Morning Edition.

Rabbit owners are incensed that PetSmart, the Phoenix-based pet care conglomerate, has decided to break with past policies and offer bred bunnies for sale in its stores. It has heretofore been considered the “good guy” by animal rights groups because it encouraged customers to adopt orphaned bunnies rather than buy new ones. But now the company is responding to customers’ desires for bred bunnies and launching test sales in Phoenix.

Listen here.

This story was reported for KJZZ and All Things Considered.

(Phoenix, AZ) How many strangers will call someone they have never met before, just because they see a phone number on YouTube? More than 11,000 people, according to the Luke Johnson Phone Experiment. Johnson, a twenty-something Phoenix hipster, put his cell phone number on YouTube with a plea for anyone who saw the video to a) call him and b) spread the video around. The idea seems to have worked. Listen here.

This story aired on NPR’s Day to Day.