Meet the newest MPR News reporters covering greater Minnesota

NINA MOINI: Well, we're excited about this everybody. At MPR News, you know we have several bureaus across Minnesota so that we can serve people from every corner of our state. And we're excited to share that we have two new reporters in greater Minnesota that are now part of our team. Molly Castle Work is based in our Rochester Bureau with a focus on health reporting. And Molly is joining us live from Rochester. Thanks for being here, Molly.

MOLLY WORK: Hi. I'm so happy to be here.

NINA MOINI: Hi. And we're also excited to have Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, who's based in our Moorhead Bureau and will have a focus on agriculture. Tadeo is live with us from Moorhead. Welcome, Tadeo and Molly.

TADEO SANDOVAL: Hi, Nina.

NINA MOINI: Oh, it's great to talk with you both. So excited, and thank you so much. Mollie, tell us a little bit, for starters, about your background in journalism and what brought you to MPR, because you've covered Rochester area before.

MOLLY WORK: Yes. Thanks, Nina. Yeah, so I was actually the investigative reporter at the post-bulletin in Rochester for a couple years. And then I went to California to work for a national publication. And now I'm back because I love Minnesota.

[LAUGHTER]

NINA MOINI: Yeah. And health reporting obviously really critical everywhere. The Mayo is down there in Rochester. Tell us what you enjoy about just health reporting.

MOLLY WORK: I really love reporting health care because it affects everyone. There's a million different ways you can approach it. And there's also a lot of really cool solutions that people are doing to try and make the system better. I have a particular interest. I did a lot of reporting in Rochester, and at my last job on medical debt and the aggressive debt collection actions that hospitals and facilities can take. And I just have a general interest, I'd say, in consumer issues. Like if you see a surprise fee on your bill, I'd love to talk to you about that.

NINA MOINI: Yep, yep. I love that you want to focus on solutions too. And what is being done about several of the issues that people are facing. I think that's really important. Tadeo, I got to take a minute because you and I both are Mizzou graduates of the University of Missouri's amazing journalism school.

[LAUGHTER]

TADEO SANDOVAL: MIZ!

NINA MOINI: MIZ, yeah. So what do you like about covering agriculture? Is that something you've always been interested in?

TADEO SANDOVAL: So I am someone that loves delving myself into beats that have a huge and broad topic. So econ, business. And I grew up in Mexico City, which is an urban jungle behemoth. So not a lot of Agriculture there. And that is exactly what it really excited me about this bit, is that everything about it was brand new to me.

Every day that I've had the chance to work on it, I learned something completely new that may be completely normal to the people in the farm industry, but to others may be just super novel. And those are the type of stories that I really want to go in and work on so that I can bridge or I can help bridge our audience with the wonderful agriculture industry that makes Minnesota so special.

NINA MOINI: Yeah so you're new to Moorhead then, right? What are you liking about living there? What are you exploring?

TADEO SANDOVAL: Everyone in this town is so nice.

NINA MOINI: Oh.

TADEO SANDOVAL: It's actually so surprising how people just come up to you and they talk. They share their life stories, how they got there. They're wondering who you are, how you're here, how you're liking the area. The food options here are really nice as well. I know there's a lot of Norwegian like heritage in this area, so the food is really up to par. I'm really loving how accessible nature is as well here. It's just a whole new wet area that I haven't gotten to experience before. So it's just Disneyland for me.

NINA MOINI: I love that. And Molly, what do you love about Rochester? Rochester seems like it's having a lot of growth right now.

MOLLY WORK: Yes, it is. It's definitely in a moment of transition, which is really exciting. It's gorgeous down here. I mean right now everything is green. There's beautiful areas to walk. You can bike everywhere. Yeah, I'm really happy to be here. And Tadeo, I think you're doing all the right things to get out and explore Minnesota.

TADEO SANDOVAL: Woo!

NINA MOINI: Yeah, yeah. So Tadeo, just lastly for you and then I'll ask you Molly. But what are you going to be looking into. Are there any story ideas or anything that are top of mind that folks listening can help you out with?

TADEO SANDOVAL: Oh man. I mean, there is so much trade uncertainty happening now that are leaving farmers worried about what might happen to their crops, especially soybeans. So if there are folks in your life, that are in the agriculture industry and there's things that are worrisome to them, but that you feel those stories haven't been told in a fair or accurate manner, I would love to be able to reach out and talk with you and learn more about what keeps you up at night, or what gives you hope to keep fighting on in your career for the future. There's just a lot of things happening at a federal level that I want to learn how it will impact us here at the local level.

NINA MOINI: Sure, lots of people wondering about that. And how about you, Molly. What's your thing you're hitting the ground running with, because there's so much to choose from, I bet.

MOLLY WORK: Yeah, you're right. There's a million story ideas. Currently, I've just been meeting with as many people as I can in the community to learn what stories they want to tell. And yeah, I'd encourage anyone who's listening, please reach out. I always want to hear story ideas. I'm particularly excited. Like today, I said, I want to cover things that no one's talking about that no one's heard of. And I also want to cover solutions, like I said earlier. There are so many Minnesotans doing really incredible things to make the health care system better, and more efficient, and I want to talk to you.

NINA MOINI: All right. And OK, last question for you both. Tadeo, what is somewhere that you're excited to visit or you have already visited within the state?

TADEO SANDOVAL: Oh my gosh. For two years now, I have been wanting to visit the Mesabi Iron Range. It was featured in a travel guide or travel journalism site that I follow religiously, and I've always, always wanted to go check it out. I haven't been able to yet because I want to spend a whole four days or a whole week just experiencing the Grand Canyon of the Midwest. But that's at the top of my bucket list.

NINA MOINI: OK. And no, I know you've lived here before, Molly, but is there anywhere that you really love? Doesn't have to be in Rochester, or anywhere you can't wait to get to?

MOLLY WORK: Well, I'm almost nervous to say this because it's a hidden gem and I don't want it to get too popular, but Red Barn Pizza comes to mind.

NINA MOINI: Oh, sure.

MOLLY WORK: It's this amazing pizza farm in Northfield, Minnesota. Best pizza you can have Wednesdays and Sundays. And also Tadeo I'd recommend downloading the Northern Lights app so you get notified if they're visible in the area.

TADEO SANDOVAL: I completely forgot you could see the Northern Lights from here. Woah.

NINA MOINI: Well something for everybody. Tadeo and Molly, thank you so much. Welcome to MPR News. We're so happy to have you. And everybody listening, let's help these guys out. Send them your ideas or shoot them an email, a nice one saying hello. Thank you both.

MOLLY WORK: Thanks so much, Nina.

TADEO SANDOVAL: Thank you so much.

NINA MOINI: Thank you. Molly Castle Work is our new reporter out of Rochester. And Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval is our new reporter out of Moorhead. Yay!