I’m BAAAA-AAAACK!

(That was meant to sound scary.. like Carol Anne’s warning on Poltergeist..)

WOW.. the last 12 weeks have certainly flown by!  For any of you wondering ‘where the heck did that crazy blonde go?!?’ my husband and I welcomed our son, Evan, at the beginning of the summer.  I am now back in the Newsplex after a wonderful maternity leave at home with our sweet boys 🙂

Thank you so much to EVERYONE who sent us messages of well wishes!  I’m slowly trying to respond to everyone, but it’s hard to focus when you’re looking at a face this cute! 🙂

While I was gone.. something happened here at KETV.. everyone disappeared!! Our team has lost some incredible journalists in the last few weeks.  We’ve also welcomed some new fantastic reporters, people I am excited to get to know better and I hope you tune in to see on KETV every night!  Still, I really want to share a little bit about each of the journalists and friends we’ve said goodbye to this summer.

Ryan Luby

Luby was my ‘desk buddy’.. he sat next to me here in the newsroom and we often worked the same shift.  My heart sank when I found out he was leaving KETV.

I can’t say enough about this guy’s talent.  Luby is ambitious, well-spoken, confident, and DEDICATED–so very dedicated to this thing we call journalism.  You will be hard-pressed to find a guy who cares more about our business and the stories he brings his audience.  The sky is the limit for Luby–I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in New York or DC in a few years if that’s where he wants to be.  Right now, he’s setting up shop as the newest investigative reporter at KOB-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  They are so very lucky to have him on their team because he is not only a fantastic journalist, he’s an incredible guy who ALWAYS made me laugh and who truly cares about the people around him.  Lubes–I MISS YOU SO MUCH ALREADY!

Nichole Berlie

The first thing I want to say about Nichole is pretty obvious… GORGEOUS.  Just stunning.. inside and out 🙂

I LOVED hearing ‘BP!’ when we’d bump into each other at a station shower or party, and I wish we could have worked together more! (John Oakey and those First Newsers kept her awesomeness all to themselves on the morning shift 🙂  Nichole is just a natural–a wonderful presence on air who makes anchoring the news look easy.  Both times I was out on maternity leave, I woke up to John and Nichole every single morning–and looked forward to it!!  She’s just such a kind, beautiful person–and it truly shows 🙂  If you need any more proof.. check out her send-off on First News. 

Nichole is heading to KSDK (News Channel 5) in St. Louis to be a morning anchor/reporter.   She is truly, truly missed by all of her coworkers here at KETV.

Natalie Glucklich

Another heartbreaking loss for me 😦  I ADORE Miss Natalie.. hands down one of the kindest, coolest people you could ever hope to meet.  And again.. STUNNING.  Just an absolute BEAUTY with a face made for TV and talent that makes her one of the best.  I LOVE watching Natalie’s work–her writing is so creative it just pulls you in and takes you along for the ride.  She lets people and their stories shine in her work, and here at KETV you could tell just in how she delivered the news that she truly cared.

Off camera.. Natalie’s aura–her style, the way about her, her kindness–just leaves you in awe.  She’s just AWESOME, no other way to say it.  Natalie has gone back to her home state of Oregon, hired as the main anchor at KOBI-TV in Medford.  I know Miss Natalie will ROCK her new gig and will love being closer to her family and to her beloved ocean, but I MISS HER DEARLY .Natalie.. it’s very lonely knowing I’m destroying the ozone alone here at KETV with my Redken-23 🙂

Todd and I go WAAAAY back.. even playing basketball after school with my husband when they were in junior high together in Millard 🙂  Todd and I first met through Omaha news legend and UNL professor Trina Creighton.. she paired us up together for a mock newscast back in 2003.  I was one of her students, Todd was one of her Master’s program classmates at UNO.  This is another person that was put on earth made for TV–between the Brokaw-esque voice, the intelligence and the awesome hair, Todd was meant to be a TV News Anchor 🙂  From Star City News, to First News Weekend, to an occasional evening newscast, Todd and I anchored together for several years here in Omaha.  He is truly a man of honor and a gentleman.

Todd is taking on an entirely different type of journey than Ryan, Nichole and Natalie–he is the new Communications Director for Omaha Public Schools.  A HUGE responsibility, and a role that Todd will no doubt excel in.  OPS–you’re in great hands!!  Todd, we miss you but know we’ll probably talk to you soon.. a lot.. and often 🙂

***

The KETV Newsroom is a different place now than it was when I left back at the end of May.  I miss those smiling faces–I miss the inside jokes, the laughs here in the ‘plex, and the good times outside the newsroom.  BEST OF LUCK to each of you, my friends.  I wish you all the best–you will always have a place in KETV history 🙂

I end with a funny goodbye… Natalie, this one’s for you 🙂