I got an email from a co-worker yesterday about a reader who kept updating her Facebook page with news that her sister was appearing on last night’s The Voice. I could check it out on Twitter, at the singing sister’s handle @cassadeepope.

Of course it is.

Cassadee is a 21-year-old Wellington native who used to be the lead singer for Hey Monday, a rock outfit of mostly local kids who’d known each other from around West Palm’s youth band scene. I got a chance to interview them in the food court at the Boynton Beach Mall before a show in Fort Lauderdale - there was so much charming giggling - and rocked out to them when they opened for Fall Out Boy at Pompano Beach Amphitheater. Cassadee stood out, not just because she was the lone girl among guys in her band, but because she had a … something. The X factor, if you will -- and yes, I’m aware that there is another talent program of that same name. I hate that show, so this is that last time I’ll be talking about it in this post, because it’s not about that show.

It’s about Cassadee, and this spark that was evident even chattering away in the food court, and in their Homecoming video, where she pines after her ex in a bowling alley, and when she dueted with Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump during the headliner’s set on What A Catch Donnie. It’s not just her voice -- an expressive lilt with unexpected resonance and power - but this underlying determination and sweetness.

I got it. Hey Monday fans got it. And now Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and her new Voice coach Blake Shelton get it, because she turned all four of those Starship Enterprise chairs during her audition. I kinda figured she would -- she was the only prospective contestant featured on a very long promo in which she talked about her band and how Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz became her mentor. Then Carson Daly showed her a video of Pete wishing her well. They usually don’t do that if you’re gonna blow it.

Maybe it’s just because she’s local, and that makes me care a little bit more, but the show’s premise of judging a singer by their chops and not their cuteness worked even all the better here, because Cassadee is plenty cute. But it’s a vindication that he turned all those chairs when they couldn’t see her. She picked Blake, which is who I would have picked if I were on that show -- he tends to go outside of his genre-specific comfort zone more than others. I’m excited.

Cassadee isn’t the only Palm Beach County singer on The Voice: Blake picked up Michaela Paige of Boca Raton, and Christina picked up Laura Vivas, a beaming girl with gorgeous hair who the show listed as hailing from Lake Clarke Shores and West Palm Beach. (Daly’s voiceover described her as a “fiery Latin singer,” which is a stereotype-laden cliche that’s right up there with “sassy black girl” and “gay flair for decorating.” Gross.)

We’re pulling for all of them. The Voice hasn’t unleashed a big superstar yet, although its alum do seem to be milling about -- I caught season one winner Javier Colon singing the National Anthem at the Ravens/Patriots game Sunday night (he smiled when the Baltimore home fans yelled “O!” during the “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave” part, as we ... er … they are wont to do) -- and Dia Frampton sang at SunFest. We just heard that Tony Lucca, who last year famously dealt with former fellow Mousekeeter Xtina’s weird wrath, signed with mentor Adam Levine’s 222 Records. So even though there are no Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood-size stars yet, they’re working. And work maybe leads to stardom.

We’ve got high hopes for Cassadee, and for the other locals. We just had a winner in Greenacres’ Eliana Girard on So You Think You Can Dance. Why not another?