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Fred Blankenship, anchors Channel 2 Action News from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. and Channel 2 Action News at Noon.
Fred joined the WSB-TV family in 2007. Before coming to Atlanta he worked six years at San Diego's KGTV as a reporter and weekend anchor. In San Diego, Fred won awards for stories on drug prevention and community outreach. Many of the stories Fred covered focused on the growing problem of gangs. Also, he reported on the states largest fires. In 2004, Fred covered the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Before Fred got to KGTV, he worked at KAKE TV in Wichita, Kansas. In Kansas he chased storms on a regular basis developing an expertise at covering severe weather.
Before KAKE, Blankenship worked at KRON in San Francisco where he was apart of a team that received the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award for the documentary "About Race", a study of cultural and social behaviors of different ethnic groups.
Fred has been a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and also a member of the National Press Photographers Association.
Since his arrival at WSB-TV, Fred has traveled to California for special reports on Georgia's water crisis comparing how the two states tackle water issues. He has also written and produced special assignment news series and been a part of Prime Time Action News projects. Fred actively hosts local leadership and community events and celebrations. His true passion is working with kids and young adults to help insure they get added encouragement and support to accomplish whatever it is they want to do in life.
A Los Angeles native, he received his degree from the University of San Francisco. Fred is happily married and is the proud father of three children, two boys and girl.
Sophia Choi anchors Channel 2 Action News Saturday and Sunday AM and is a general assignment reporter for Channel 2 Action News.
Prior to joining WSB-TV, Choi worked as the 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. anchor at KVBC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas. While there, she won two Electronic Media Awards for her work.
Before moving to Las Vegas, Choi worked as the prime time anchor for CNN Headline News where she covered various breaking stories, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Hurricane Wilma in Florida. She also anchored various programs for CNN and CNN International.
Choi has also worked as a morning anchor at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and as a reporter at WVTM-TV (NBC) in Birmingham, AL where she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her series on child predators and won an Associated Press Award.
Choi began her career at WSET-TV (ABC) in Lynchburg, VA.
Choi is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia where she received a Bachelor of Journalism degree.
If you have a story idea for Sophia, email her: Sophia.Choi@WSBTV.com
Wendy Corona joined Channel 2 Action News in January 2013. She anchors Channel 2 Action News at 4pm Monday through Friday and also reports daily throughout the metro.
Before the move to Atlanta, Wendy worked at WFAA in Dallas, Texas. Wendy was also an evening anchor at KPRC in Houston, Texas.
Wendy was the morning anchor at Local 10, the ABC affiliate in Miami. Her broadcast career began as a reporter in Yuma, Arizona followed by El Paso, Texas and Orlando, Florida.
Wendy has been a witness to many significant news events, starting in her college days being present at the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
She was working in Florida, when all eyes were on the contested 2000 presidential election, its “hanging chads” and tracking Florida connections to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. During her time in Florida, a record number of hurricanes made landfall in South Florida.
She is most proud of her early work as a reporter in reuniting an African refugee with her long-lost family members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and winning an Emmy Award at WSB for reporting on peoples abuse of the lightly regulated service dog industry.
Wendy had the pleasure of teaming up with Robin Roberts in Miami to support Women’s Heart Health initiatives and appeared on Good Morning America to support the issue.
Wendy has hosted numerous special event broadcasts from sporting to philanthropic gala events and finds joy connecting with the community this way. She is a board member for Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, who will graduate its first class in Georgia in May 2018. Wendy is especially supportive of in the areas of women’s health, education, literacy projects and domestic violence.
Born and raised in Southern California, Wendy is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, fluent in Spanish and the first in her entire family to graduate from college.
Wendy graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Spanish.
To send Wendy a story idea, email her: Wendy.Corona@wsbtv.com
Jorge Estevez joined WSB-TV Channel 2 as the station’s 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. anchor in January 2020. With more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, Jorge is excited to tell the stories that impact the people of North Georgia.
While Jorge has been a journalist since the late ’90’s when he began his career in New York City, he is eager to work alongside another set of seasoned professionals who make up one of the best stations in the country.
Jorge comes to Atlanta from our sister station WFTV, where he started in 2001.
In Orlando, Jorge covered the effects of 9/11 on Central Florida tourism, reported on NASA’s Shuttle Columbia Disaster and was in the elements for the severe hurricane season of 2004, during which several back to back storms impacted the Orlando area. He was also on the air to cover the devastation left behind on the island of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria in 2017. The story is of special significance to the Orlando area, because of Central Florida’s large Puerto Rican population.
But the most impactful moment that Jorge covered was the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub where 49 people lost their lives in June of 2016.
“When the victims’ names were released that first night, I interviewed someone close to a person who had died. It was the moment when this tragedy became real for so many people,” said Jorge, who was also asked to host the first organized vigil where 50,000 people gathered around Lake Eola and grieved for the lives lost.
For a short time, Jorge left Orlando and worked at the CBS station, WFOR, in Miami. There, he won his first of nine Emmy Awards for one of his special reports on traffic patterns in South Florida.
He returned to WFTV a few years later.
Jorge landed his first broadcasting job as a reporter at News 12 The Bronx and was promoted to the position of morning anchor in less than a year. Jorge will remember his time in New York City for his Emmy-nominated story of a 12-year-old boy-turned-author after his battle with bone marrow cancer.
The son of Cuban immigrants, with a Puerto Rican background Jorge is from West New York, New Jersey, where he graduated from Rutgers University with a dual degree in journalism and communication.
For fun, Jorge loves to stay active. From running miles on the pavement to spinning his wheels in a cycle class. But when he is not active, he stays indoors and watches, among other things, countless hours of news. He is also a fan of pop culture and how we consume information on all platforms, including social media.
Justin Farmer anchors Channel 2 Action News at 5 & 6 and the Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat at 11 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Justin was born and raised in Atlanta. He attended Darlington School in Rome, Georgia and earned a degree in political science from Boston College.
In addition to anchoring WSB-TV’s weeknight broadcasts, Justin often moderates political debates and works on special assignments that have included a one-on-one in the White House with President Barack Obama, visiting Cuba with Georgia’s governor and touring the Panama Canal expansion and revealing how it will affect Georgia’s economy.
Justin and the specials unit won several accolades for their series of reports from the Arizona-Mexico border showing the realities of porous borders, human trafficking and security risks.
Prior to coming home to WSB-TV, where Justin interned in the 80’s, Justin’s career has taken him from markets that have included Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Denver and Dallas.
Justin actively supports several local entities that include Junior Achievement, Gigi’s Playhouse for families of T-21 and Chattahoochee River Keeper.
Justin loves his Falcons, golf, boats and trying to make his kids laugh.
Carol Sbarge anchors Channel 2 Action News at Noon and files reports for Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m.
She joined WSB-TV in May 1992. Carol previously worked as a reporter at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina and WGME-TV in Portland, Maine.
Carol earned a bachelor's degree in Business-Economics from SUNY Oneonta, and she holds a master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University. Carol received a Distinguished Alumni Award from SUNY Oneonta in 2014.
Carol is a three-time Emmy winner, including an award for Best News Field Reporter and Best Anchor.
She is involved in the local chapter of PANCAN and is former president of the Druid Hills Youth Sports Association.
Her hobbies include playing piano, travel, yoga and hiking. Carol has a daughter and a son.
Linda Stouffer anchors Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. The Emmy award-winning reporter files stories for Channel 2 Action News at 4, 5 and 6 during the week. Linda also hosts WSB’s Community program People 2 People.
Linda comes to WSB-TV from the CNN Networks, where she worked for 12 years. As an anchor for CNN Headline News, Linda covered 9-11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the capture of Saddam Hussein, presidential elections, hurricanes Katrina and Rita and many other national and international news events.
Linda is a Texas native, who is thrilled to be raising 2 children with her husband in Georgia.
Before her move to Atlanta, Linda was a reporter and anchor at WSVN in Miami, FL and KMOL (now WOAI) in San Antonio, Texas.
Her volunteer efforts include SafePath Children’s Advocacy, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, March of Dimes, and local education groups and schools.
Justin Wilfon joined the Channel 2 Action News family in September 2016. He anchors Channel 2 Action News at 6 and 11 on weekend evenings.
Justin’s journey to Channel 2 Action News started way back in the third grade. That's when a weatherman from a local TV station visited his school. After he talked about the excitement of television news, Justin was immediately hooked. Justin started doing "newscasts" for his parents in the basement of their house. While he didn't think any of those newscasts would win an Emmy, his parents were nice enough to put up with the nightly ritual.
About 15 years later, he started his real TV career on the West Coast, where he had an anchor job in Washington. Eventually he made his way through Louisville, Tulsa, and Kansas City before arriving in Atlanta.
During his time at WSB, Justin has gone to Las Vegas to cover the worst mass shooting in modern American history, traveled to Memphis to report on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and went to Los Angeles to cover American Idol.
Justin received an Emmy Award in Tulsa for his morning show’s coverage of a local school fire.
He graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in television news and a minor in history.
When he’s not at work, Justin loves spending time with his wife and daughters.
Glenn Burns is the chief meteorologist for Channel 2 Action News' Severe Weather Team 2. He is an AMS certified meteorologist and appears on the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts Monday through Friday.
Glenn began his broadcasting career at age 14, working part-time for WSVN-TV in Miami. After receiving a journalism degree with a minor in astronomy from the University of Florida, Glenn interned at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, working with Dr. Neil Frank and Dr. Joseph Pellissier. Glenn then went to work as Chief Meteorologist for WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Glenn received numerous awards from the Red Cross, Civil Defense and Coast Guard, Best of Cobb Magazine and Best of Atlanta Magazine, Associated Press, and Best of Gwinnett Magazine for his weather coverage.
After working three years in Florida, he began his post-graduate work in astrophysics at the University of Minnesota, while working as chief meteorologist for KARE-TV in Minneapolis.
During that time, Glenn won many awards, including the Minnesota Teacher's Award for a program that involved students, teachers and KARE-TV in a weather education series. That program eventually evolved into Weather School.
Glenn joined WSB-TV in 1981 and lives with wife, Susan, in Marietta.
While at WSB-TV, Glenn has won many awards, including Best of Atlanta, Best of Cobb, Best of Gwinnett, Associated Press Weathercaster of the Year, and has been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds the new CBM (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) Seal of Approval.
Glenn and his wife Susan work for many area charities, including the March of Dimes, Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, The Center for Family Resources, and the Starlight Foundation.
Glenn's hobbies include fishing, hiking and looking at the planets and stars with his telescope.
AMS Certified Meteorologist Brad Nitz joined WSB-TV in January 2006. His forecasts can be seen weekdays on Channel 2 Action News at 5 p.m., The Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat at 11 pm and whenever severe weather breaks.
Brad has received numerous awards for his work as a meteorologist, including an Emmy award for his work covering Hurricane Irma in 2017. Brad also has several other Emmy nominations for coverage of metro Atlanta’s tornadoes and flooding. He has won the Excellence Award from the Atlanta chapter of the American Meteorological Society for “Outstanding and innovative live team coverage” of severe weather.
Brad also won "Best Weather Reporting" from the Associated Press several times over the years, including for his work covering tornadoes, severe weather, and winter storms in metro Atlanta.
Brad graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Meteorology. He holds the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society. The CBM is the highest certification a broadcast meteorologist can obtain.
Relatively few meteorologists have completed this rigorous certification and Brad is one of the first 90 meteorologists in the country to do so. This means you can count on Brad to bring you the most accurate and dependable weather forecasts during severe weather or sunshine and everything in between.
Prior to joining WSB-TV, Brad worked as a meteorologist for NBC News. He worked much of his early career forecasting hurricanes and tornadoes in Florida at stations in Orlando and Jacksonville.
Brad and his wife Aimee, a Roswell native, live in East Cobb with their two daughters.
Katie Walls joined Severe Weather Team 2 in June 2014. Prior to joining WSB-TV, Katie worked in southwest Florida at WINK and in southern Illinois at WSIL, where she met her husband, Ryan. The couple welcomed their son, Kenneth, in December 2016.
Graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Katie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from Florida State University in 2007. (During her tenure at FSU, she performed in the Florida State Flying High Circus!) After her stint in Tallahassee, she attended Penn State University for her Master of Science degree in Meteorology and focused her thesis on flooding. While at PSU she honed her forecasting skills and was one of the meteorologists on the state-wide show, Weather World.
Born and raised in wild and wonderful West Virginia, Katie has always had a passion for weather. She remembers crippling blizzards and devastating floods in her hometown of Lewisburg. Her drive to understand the science behind the weather led to a career in meteorology.
In 2010 Katie was awarded the prestigious Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation by the American Meteorological Society. This award is given to degreed meteorologists who exhibit extensive weather knowledge and communication skills.
Katie enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.
Brian Monahan joined Channel 2 Action News in September 2014 as the weekend morning and noon meteorologist. In February 2019, he took over Channel 2 Action News This Morning when Meteorologist Karen Minton retired. You can also see him on Channel 2 Action News at Noon.
Having lived in the southeast for most of his career, he was excited to return to a region with some of the most dynamic and challenging weather to forecast in the country — ranging from severe weather outbreaks to winter storms to droughts. Over the last several years, he’s been a part of Severe Weather Team 2’s coverage of the biggest weather events to hit north Georgia.
His work with Channel 2 Action News has also taken him across the country reporting on storms that have left indelible marks on our memories. In 2015, Brian covered the historic winter storms in the Boston area that dropped several feet of snow in a couple weeks; crippling that region and having ripple effects all the way to metro Atlanta. In 2016, it was the devastating tornado outbreak in late January that ripped across southwest Georgia and, in October, Hurricane Matthews razor thin pass off the central Florida coast as a major hurricane. In 2017, he spent a week in Houston reporting on the historic flooding there as Harvey’s rains inundated that area. In 2018, he again saw the impact a stalled tropical system can have as he covered Hurricane Florence in North Carolina.
Brian grew up in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia, and has been interested in weather all of his life. It’s a true passion of his and, whether at work or not, he finds himself always following it. It’s fair to say he is a “weather nerd.” He also had an interest in television growing up – he was the rare 10-year-old kid who wanted to get up at 6 a.m. to watch the news – so it was only natural that he would combine two of his interests and make it a career! He considers himself truly fortunate to be one of those people who is doing what they wanted to do since they were a child.
Brian’s interest in meteorology took him to Penn State University, where he earned both a bachelors and master’s degree. While in college, he got his start in television at WYOU and WBRE in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA. After school, it was on to Fort Myers, FL, and WINK where he was weekday morning meteorologist for five years before serving as weekend evening meteorologist at WSB’s sister station WFTV in Orlando for two years. While in Orlando, he was fortunate enough to realize one of his career dreams and had the opportunity to fill in a few times on the weekend editions of Good Morning America. After Orlando, it was on to sister station KIRO for two years as weekday morning and noon meteorologist.
In addition to weather, Brian is also a big sports fan – especially college sports. Over the last few years, he’s been to several games "Between the Hedges" and he loves living in an area where college football is king. He is also interested in fitness and politics. He’s a huge animal lover and has two dogs that keep him pretty busy: a boxer named Bella and a chocolate lab named Jackson.
Meteorologist Eboni Deon joined the Severe Weather Team 2 as weekend morning meteorologist in December 2018.
She is delighted to be back in Atlanta where she lived for nearly 10 years working at The Weather Channel and CNN International.
She most recently spent time working as weekend morning meteorologist at WFTV in Orlando, FL. Prior to that, she worked at WISH-TV in her hometown of Indianapolis, IN as the weekend evening meteorologist.
Eboni started her career in Jackson, Mississippi, at the National Weather Networks. She left to become a radio broadcast meteorologist for The Weather Channel Radio Network. Soon afterward, she became an on-camera meteorologist at The Weather Channel. She has also spent time doing weather reports for CNN International and Al Jazeera America in New York City.
Eboni graduated from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS with a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. She earned a Masters of Geosciences with a focus on Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University.
Eboni is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She and her husband have three children and enjoy traveling and vacationing at the beach.
Sports Director Zach Klein anchors sportscasts for Channel 2 Action News at 6, the Channel 2 Action News Nightbeat and Sports Zone Sunday.
In addition to the weekly sportscasts, Zach is involved with our weekly University of Georgia program, Bulldogs Gameday and Bulldogs Gameweek.
Along with WSB-TV news anchor Jovita Moore, Zach co-hosts WSB-TV’s "Georgia Salutes America" July 4th primetime special and the Macy’s Tree Lighting show. In 2016, Zach and Jeff Schultz from the Atlanta Journal Constitution launched the “We Never Played the Game” podcast
Zach joined WSB-TV in 2008 after spending five years at Cox sister station WFTV in Orlando.
Klein’s first television journalism job was producing sports for WDAF in Kansas City. A year later, he was reporting on high school, college and professional sports.
Next he joined KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City in June of 1999, where he was named the Sports Director.
He received his degree from the University of Kansas in 1996 and has been honored by winning multiple Emmy and AP awards for anchoring and reporting.
Zach, an avid golfer, is on the board of the 1st Tee Atlanta and serves as the announcer on the first tee of the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
Zach lives near Midtown with his wife, daughter, son and chocolate lab Chewy.
Alison Mastrangelo joined the WSB sports team in April of 2019.
She was born in Philadelphia and raised on the South Jersey coast. Alison always had a passion for sports, and in high school, she was on the surf and basketball teams. She graduated from Rowan University with a degree in journalism and a minor in health and physical education.
Alison started her career in Colorado Springs working for FOX21/KXRM as a general assignment reporter and within a few months was promoted to the sports director/anchor. While she was there, she covered Super Bowls 50 and 51 and helped develop the sports department.
From there, she moved up to Denver7/KMGH and covered the Broncos, Rockies, Avalanche, Nuggets and the local college teams. Some of her highlights include covering the Rockies and Avalanche playoff runs and interviewing Colorado native and Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin.
Alison is an Emmy-nominated sports anchor and won a Colorado Broadcasters Association Award in 2016 for best sportscaster in the non-metro market.
She is excited to cover all of the Georgia professional, college and high school sports teams.
Outside of sports, you'll find Alison exploring the Beltline with her dog, Rocky, trying different fitness and yoga classes, running and exploring all Atlanta has to offer.
Feel free to send Alison sports story ideas, features or any cool sports/fitness activities you think she should cover or try.
Richard Belcher, WSB-TV Investigative Reporter & Anchor, joined Channel 2 Action News in February, 1990 with 18 years of broadcast experience.
Previously, Richard was a full-time investigative reporter and 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. anchor with WAGA-TV for 15 years. Prior to that he worked at WXIA-TV and WGST Radio.
Richard graduated from Georgia State University with a BBA in Marketing. Richard is married to Sally Sears, a former reporter at WSB-TV. They have one child, Will, born in February 1991. Richard also has two daughters, Brooke and Robin.
If you have a news tip for Richard email: Richard.Belcher@wsbtv.com
Nicole Carr is an Investigative Reporter for Channel 2 Action News.
She joined WSB-TV in 2016, and was honored with a Southeast Regional Emmy for Best Live Reporter in 2017.
Carr comes to Atlanta from WTVD in Raleigh, NC, where she served as a Fayetteville/Fort Bragg bureau reporter and fill-in anchor.
Covering her military hometown was a fitting assignment, as Nicole grew up an Army Brat. Her family made 10 moves before she turned 16, living everywhere from Alaska to Panama.
Nicole began her journalism career in 2005 and has also reported for stations in Greensboro, NC and Nashville, TN.
In 2012, Nicole was awarded a reporting fellowship through the International Center for Journalists. From Beijing, she pitched and produced a series revolving around North Carolina furniture and agriculture trade with China.
Nicole is a proud graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. She went on to Syracuse University, where she earned a Master’s of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism.
While journalism is her passion, Nicole’s most important work is at home as a wife and mother of two beautiful little girls.
She also enjoys a good half marathon, books, travel, work as an adjunct professor, and volunteering to support military families.
Investigative reporter Aaron Diamant joined the Channel 2 Action News team in April 2011. Before he arrived in Atlanta, Aaron worked as an investigative reporter at WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WMC-TV (NBC) in Memphis, Tennessee, and WBRE-TV (NBC) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Aaron also reported in Philadelphia and at KOMU-TV (NBC) in Columbia, Missouri.
Earlier in his career, Aaron worked off-air as an assignment editor/field producer at KMOV-TV (CBS) in St. Louis and as a production assistant for both CBS News in New York and CNN in Jerusalem, Israel. Before television, Aaron worked in radio, including a stint as a news editor/reporter at the mighty KMOX-AM in St. Louis.
Over the years, Aaron’s stories have stood up for consumers and taxpayers by uncovering public corruption, exposing government waste and holding the powerful accountable for their actions. His investigations have changed laws and led to new laws in three states.
Recently, Aaron received the Atlanta Press Club’s 2012 Award of Excellence for TV Reporting. He has been honored with nine Emmy Awards from the Southeast and Chicago/Midwest Chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, as well as numerous reporting and writing awards by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, the Milwaukee Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters, the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press.
Aaron holds a Master’s Degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor’s Degree in archaeology and international studies from Washington University in St. Louis.
Justin Gray is an investigative reporter for Channel 2 Action News.
His investigations have brought changes to federal rules and lead to investigations by the Justice Department and the Office of Congressional Ethics.
Justin has been a familiar face to Atlanta tv viewers for more than a decade. He spent 6 years as the station's Washington DC Correspondent, reporting daily from the halls of Congress and the White House lawn. He provided investigative and political reporting from DC as well as live coverage of breaking news in the nation's capital for WSB-TV and its sister stations across the country.
Justin spent the previous 6 years as a reporter at WAGA-TV, the FOX owned and operated station in Atlanta. There he won a 2012 Emmy award as best live reporter.
Justin has served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Press Club and hosted the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards with WSB-TV legend Monica Pearson.
Justin also previously worked as a Reporter and Anchor at stations in California, Philadelphia and West Virginia.
Justin has a Master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a Bachelor's in history and political science from Emory University.
He lives in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood with his wife, Robin, and Australian Labradoodle, Walter.
Award-winning Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland is on the alert wherever scam artists lurk.
Jim's investigations have led to corporate shake-ups and federal raids on offending businesses. One of Jim's groundbreaking series of reports led to sweeping regulation of the city of Atlanta's car booting industry.
Jim has more than 36 years of broadcasting experience, having spent the first half of his career in Iowa. Jim is credited with breaking the story of Iowa's McCaughey septuplets and was first to interview the children's father, Kenny McCaughey.
In April 1999, Jim came to WSB-TV/Channel 2, where his first on-air story earned him an Emmy nomination. Jim has won eight Emmys, the Edward R. Murrow Award and many other awards, including being named a finalist for Journalist of the Year from the Atlanta Press Club.
Jim lives with his wife, Marie, in Cobb County. Their son is a captain in the U.S. Army, and is currently a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas. Their daughter works in finance in Cobb County.
While Mark Winne was still a student at Auburn University and working part-time at The Birmingham News, he and a photographer spotted a hand sticking out of the trunk of a car and chased it across the city, ultimately leading to the rescue of a kidnap victim. Thus began a career of crime and corruption coverage.
After three and a half years working full-time for the News, Mark was hired by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Later switching to television, he went on the air for WSB-TV in 1986 and has helped Channel 2 Action News break many of Georgia's biggest stories. His print and broadcast work have been honored with numerous professional and civic awards, including a number of Southern Regional Emmys.
Mark's coverage of a series of mail bombings which killed a federal judge and a civil rights attorney led to the publication of his book on the case, "Priority Mail" (Scribner, 1995.)
Mark has been active with a number of charities and especially at church. For several seasons he coached youth basketball and baseball. Married to the former Kate Sievert, he is an avid golfer.
Mike Petchenik says being a journalist gives him a unique opportunity to hold the powerful accountable and to tell the important stories of the voiceless.
As our North Fulton County Bureau Chief, he covers communities across the North Metro Area.
The Chicago native graduated with honors from the University of Missouri (Go Tigers!). He began his broadcasting career while still in school, running the audio board and reading weather reports at a public radio station, and as news director of his college radio station.
Mike was a reporter and part-time anchor at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., was a weekend anchor/producer at WAGT-TV in Augusta, Ga., and did a stint as a general assignment and investigative reporter at WLKY-TV in Louisville, Ky. Before moving to Atlanta in 2009.
Mike’s been honored with two Southeast Regional Emmys for his coverage of breaking and spot news. In 2016, he was honored with a National Emmy for his role in Channel 2 Action News breaking coverage of a shooting at the Forsyth County Courthouse.
Mike and his wife have two beautiful children.
When not at work, he enjoys playing the drums, listening to music, working out and traveling.
If you have a news tip for Mike email: Mike.Petchenik@wsbtv.com
Tony Thomas joined WSB-TV Channel 2 in October 2009. He’s no stranger to Atlanta news; he spent more than 8 years reporting for WAGA-TV. In October 2013, Tony was promoted to Gwinnett County Bureau Chief.
Tony graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and got his first full-time reporting job at a TV station before even graduating college. His first job was at WIFR-TV in Rockford, Illinois. After anchoring and investigative reporting positions in Madison, Wisconsin and Las Vegas, Nevada, Tony found his way to Atlanta.
Tony has covered almost all of the major stories across the Southeast since moving to Atlanta including hurricanes, tornados, the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, and the hunt and capture of Olympic Park Bomber Eric Rudolph.
Tony has been awarded seven Southeast Regional Emmy awards. He was also nominated for a National Spot News Emmy Award for his helicopter based coverage of a high speed chase through Atlanta in 2002.
Tony lives in the North Metro with his wife and three children. When not chasing news, Tony is a die-hard Chicago Cubs baseball fan.
Chris Jose is an Emmy-award winning journalist at WSB-TV.
Chris was quickly promoted to Cobb County Bureau Chief seven months after his arrival in 2017.
On top of his day-to-day responsibilities covering the news in Cobb County, Chris has traveled across the southeast to report on the region’s biggest stories. Chris was on the Georgia coast for Hurricane Irma. He provided continuous live updates during Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, and led coverage on the ground during the deadly tornadoes in Lee County, Alabama.
On New Year's Day in 2018, Chris was in Pasadena when the University of Georgia won the Rose Bowl.
Before moving to Atlanta, Chris worked at KXAS-TV in Dallas, Texas, KDVR-TV in Denver, Colorado and KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He got his start at KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Chris has also contributed national live reports for FOX News Channel and MSNBC covering the Aurora Theater shooting, Dallas police massacre, historic Colorado wildfires and President Trump’s immigration ban on Muslim countries.
He graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University with a degree in broadcast journalism.
In his free time, Chris enjoys exploring Georgia with his wife, dog and twin toddlers.
Chris is an active member of the Asian American Journalists Association and volunteers at various non-profit organizations in Cobb County.
If you have a news tip for Chris email: Chris.Jose@wsbtv.com
You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Blair Miller can be seen weekdays covering news from Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the Washington Bureau, Blair was a weeknight anchor in Boston. Blair covered the 2016 Presidential election extensively, reporting from both political conventions and traveling across the country to report live from the Presidential Debates and primaries. Blair regularly reports from the White House and Capitol, covering President Donald Trump.
He recently produced and anchored primetime programs, "Boston's Bravest" that focused on occupational cancer in the fire service and the Emmy Award-winning "Deep Sea Drug War" that took Blair to the Pacific Ocean with the US Coast Guard to see their crackdown on major drug cartels. Blair recently appeared as a guest on the Dr. Oz show and was invited to the White House to talk about his reporting in "Boston's Bravest."
Prior to being in Boston, Blair was a main evening anchor in Charlotte, North Carolina. Blair's reporting has taken him to the scene of major news stories including the Boston Marathon Bombings, the Virginia Tech Shootings, and the Super Bowl. In addition to covering live breaking news events, he has traveled the world with the US Military reporting from Afghanistan, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Ramstein, Germany. Blair has also landed numerous exclusive interviews with newsmakers including Presidents and political candidates.
Blair has received many honors for his reporting and anchoring including seven Emmy awards. He has been honored extensively by local fire departments for his coverage of "Boston's Bravest." He was also named Anchor of the Year by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters.
Blair recently joined the Board of Directors of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a charity for Wendy's that focuses on help foster care find families across the United States and Canada. It's a passion that hits close home for Blair, considering he and his husband adopted their three children. Blair also sits on the Board of Directors for the Rescue Ranch in Statesville, NC, a non-profit foundation by NASCAR driver Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie to help improve the lives of animals and educate the public.
Blair is a graduate of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. He lives in Northern Virginia with his husband, along with their three children and boxer dog, Laguna.
Samantha Manning joined Cox Media Group's Washington D.C. Bureau in October 2019.
She's responsible for covering important developments from Capitol Hill, federal agencies and the White House that impact local viewers.
Samantha previously worked as a reporter for the Cox station in Orlando (WFTV), and as an investigative reporter for the Cox station in Jacksonville, Florida (WJAX/WFOX). During her five years in Florida, Samantha covered the 2016 Republican National Convention and the 2016 Democratic National Convention. She also provided in-depth coverage of the multiple recounts in contested Florida races in the 2018 midterm elections which led to recognition by the Florida Society of Professional Journalists for best political coverage.
Samantha was a political reporter in Knoxville, Tennessee covering the Tennessee General Assembly prior to her time in Florida. She also often hosted a weekly political affairs show that dove into political topics and held lawmakers accountable.
Samantha is a New York City native having grown up in Brooklyn and Staten Island. She attended Hofstra University.
Jacqueline Fell came to the Washington Bureau in June 2012 from Orlando, Florida.
As Channel 11's Washington Correspondent, she's responsible for covering important local stories in Congress, the White House and explaining how decisions made by federal agencies impact viewers.
Jacqueline enjoys focusing on matters related to aviation and transportation, as well as veterans issues.
While in DC, Jacqueline has covered some major news stories, including President Obama's second inauguration, the Pope's visit and the Navy Yard mass shooting. She also was at the Supreme Court when major rulings came down on the Affordable Care Act, gay marriage, and immigration.
Growing up in Baltimore, Md., she had an early interest in journalism and hosted a news magazine show in high school. Jacqueline reported and anchored in upstate New York, Flint, Mich. and Dayton, Ohio. She spent much of her career in Orlando as the lead reporter on the Casey Anthony case.
Jacqueline's inside-the-courtroom-Twitter coverage has been recognized with various industry award nominations.
Richard Elliot joined the Channel 2 Action News Team in July 1999.
An Atlanta native, Richard was the third generation of his family to attend the University of Georgia. He started his career working for television stations in Columbus where he covered Georgia troops in the Gulf War and Mogadishu, Somalia. He also covered the 1988 Republican and Democratic national conventions, the deadly South Georgia flooding from Tropical Storm Alberto along with the 1996 Olympics and Olympic Park bombing. After Columbus, Richard worked as the Greenville, SC bureau chief for WLOS-TV.
Since joining WSB-TV, Richard has earned several regional Emmy and Associated Press Awards. He’s covered seven former, current and soon-to-be presidents and survived five hurricanes.
Richard lives in Atlanta’s historic Grant Park neighborhood with his wife Hollie, a professional trumpet player. Richard is an amateur historian who also enjoys biking, hiking, iPhone photography.
Tyisha Fernandes joined Channel 2 Action News in November of 2014.
She’s a Boston native, but has grown to love Southern life, especially Georgia. Atlanta is a market she only dreamed of working in when she was a broadcast journalism student at Howard University, class of 2002.
Before coming to Atlanta, Tyisha worked as a general assignment reporter for WFXT, the Fox affiliate in Boston that Cox Media Group now owns. Before Boston, Tyisha was the weekend anchor & lead reporter for WFTX Fox 4 in Fort Myers Florida. While at WFTX FOX 4, Tyisha exposed the highly inefficient and costly school transportation system in Lee County. The story led to a state audit and overhaul of the bus system saving taxpayers nearly two-hundred thousand dollars and shortening the bus ride for school children. In 2009, Tyisha received an Edward R. Murrow Award for continuing coverage and positive changes resulting from three months of in-depth news coverage on the bus story.
Tyisha got her start as a multimedia journalist in January of 2004, at KWES in Midland, TX, where she started out shooting her own stories, but was quickly promoted to weekend anchor in 2005.
In her spare time, Tyisha loves to exercise & play sports. She’s certified to teach Zumba & encourages everyone to try her class.
Steve Gehlbach is a Channel 2 Action News Reporter. He started as a freelance reporter in 2013 and joined the team full time in February 2015.
Steve is a native of central Iowa, graduate of Iowa State University, and got his start in television at WHO in Des Moines. He’s done nearly every job in the newsroom, starting behind the camera before taking his first full-time job at WEEK-TV in Peoria, IL, where he was a weekend anchor, reporter and weathercaster.
An Emmy-winning reporter, Steve has also worked in Tennessee and Florida. Before joining Channel 2 Action News, Steve worked for WOFL-TV in Orlando for more than six years, covering hurricanes, wild fires, and NASA, including the final shuttle missions. He also covered some of the biggest cases in the country, like the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, the trial of her mother Casey and the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin shooting death.
Steve is married with one daughter and loves his new hometown of Marietta in Cobb County. When not at work, he likes spending time with this family, traveling, playing golf and photography.
Kristen Holloway joined the WSB news team as a reporter in January 2019.
She previously worked as an anchor and reporter at WREG, the CBS affiliate in Memphis, Tennessee, for two years. Prior to that, Holloway was the weekend morning anchor at WATE, the ABC affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee, for two years. During her time there, she covered the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Former President Barack Obama spoke at the Edmund Pettus Bridge about the historic march in 1965, wherein people demonstrated for voting rights and to end segregation.
Holloway got her start in news as a multimedia journalist at KATC in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The Atlanta native attended Florida A&M University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism. During her time at FAMU, Holloway won a first-place Florida Associated Press Award for her 15-minute documentary that she wrote and co-produced. Also, while in college, Holloway interned with CBS News Network in New York during the summer of 2011. She worked very closely with all the CBS affiliates, edited anchor promos and specials, helped producers write scripts for live anchor cross-talks and produced cross-talks for "The Early Show," currently known as "CBS This Morning."
Holloway was also nominated for a Mid-South Regional Emmy in 2016 in the breaking news category for her live reporting the morning University of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt died.
Holloway won a gold medal in gymnastics on the floor exercise during the 2005 Junior Olympics. She was a competitive gymnast for nine years, cheered for eight years and ran track for four years. She’s an active member of National Association of Black Journalists and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Holloway loves finding stories, telling them and helping people in the process. She’s excited to be back in her hometown and can’t wait to get involved in the community!
She enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, watching sports and almost any outdoor activity.
Feel free to message her with any story ideas you may have at kristen.holloway@wsbtv.com.
Dave arrived at WSB-TV in January 2012 and it’s been non-stop ever since. He has covered most of the major stories that impact metro Atlanta from severe weather to major news events, including multiple presidential visits and investigative stories.
He’s had a significant role reporting on national historical events, including the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama and the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Junior.
As an anchor/reporter at WSB-TV, Dave can be seen on the morning show, the evening news and covering sporting events like the University of Georgia’s National Championship Game.
He has won several Emmy awards including best anchor, continuing coverage and special reports.
A native of Tacoma, Washington, Dave has worked in several news markets including Seattle, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, before making Atlanta his home. A graduate of Washington State University, Dave has been a foundation trustee for his alma mater and a member of the university’s communications advisory board.
A true believer in giving back, Dave joined the national bone marrow registry and has donated bone marrow to a 17-year-old with leukemia.
Always in the hunt for a good story, Dave can be reached at Dave.Huddleston@wsbtv.com
Alyssa Hyman is a general assignment reporter. She joined the Channel 2 Action News team in November 2018.
This is a homecoming for Hyman, who was born and raised in Sandy Springs. She is a former WSB-TV intern and a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism.
Before joining the WSB news team, Hyman freelanced as a digital reporter for the Weather Channel, where she covered historic storms such as Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, reporting live on Twitter from the worst hit areas.
Before moving to Atlanta with her soon-to-be husband Matt, Hyman spent three years as a general assignment reporter at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida. While in Florida, Hyman covered several stories in the national spotlight, including the 2016 presidential election, the Parkland school shooting and hurricanes Irma and Matthew. She also did in-depth reporting on several high profile criminal cases including the Killer Clown Cold Case, the officer-involved shooting death of Corey Jones and the murder of Tricia Todd. She also followed the tragic case of Austin and Perry, the two teenage boys lost at sea.
Before WPTV, Hyman worked in Savannah, Georgia at WTOC. Hyman was a highly proficient multimedia journalist (MMJ), meaning she wrote, shot and edited all of her own stories. Prior to joining WTOC, she was an MMJ in Panama City, Florida where she covered Jackson County and education.
Working for Channel 2 was always a dream for Hyman. And Hyman is a familiar last name here. Hyman's father, Mark Hyman, was also an on-air reporter at WSB in the late 80s early 90s.
Hyman is beyond thrilled to be back home in Atlanta with her family and friends.
Please send story ideas to Alyssa.Hyman@wsbtv.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Christian Jennings joined Channel 2 Action News in March 2018 as a general assignment reporter. She grew up in Gwinnett County and is thrilled to call Atlanta her home again.
Jennings came to WSB-TV with a decade of reporting experience. She began her career at WALB-TV in Albany, Georgia. During her time there, The Associated Press recognized her for a series of live reports she did from the Gulf Coast on the BP oil spill. She also won a Georgia AP Award for best spot news coverage.
After spending a few years in south Georgia, she reported in New Orleans for the ABC affiliate WGNO-TV. Jennings’ next move was to Mobile, Alabama, where she worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor at WPMI-TV. While in Mobile, Jennings won an Alabama Broadcasters Association award for her reporting on the 2016 Baton Rouge police shooting, which claimed the lives of three officers. Jennings traveled quite a bit during her time at WPMI, covering events like the Super Bowl in New Orleans and Hurricane Harvey in Texas for Sinclair Broadcast Group stations across the country.
Jennings and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world in September 2018. They enjoy trying new restaurants and taking long walks on the Beltline with their dog, Zoey.
Fun fact: Jennings interned at WSB when she was a student at the University of Georgia. Returning to Channel 2 is a dream come true for her.
Please send story ideas to Christian.Jennings@wsbtv.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Matt Johnson joined Channel 2 Action News in June 2015 as a general assignment reporter.
Southern California is where Matt was born and raised, but there’s nothing like southern hospitality and he is thankful to call Georgia his new home.
He comes from KFMB in San Diego, California where he was part of a #1-rated news team that notably delivered continuing coverage on a series wildfires in May 2014 for three straight days. Before San Diego, he spent two years in Little Rock, Arkansas where he specialized in reporting on city blight and neglected neighborhoods.
His reporting career began in Killeen, Texas where he covered the military trial for the Fort Hood shooter and he broke the story about a controversial buyout of the city manager which lead to voters recalling the entire city council.
Matt is a graduate of California State University, Northridge and won a regional Edward R. Murrow award for a radio report before receiving his journalism degree in 2010.
He loves discovering new music, performing poetry, and exploring his new city. He’s always admired the Atlanta area and is thrilled to be back reporting in the south.
Tom is a native of Houston, Texas. He graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Tom has reported the news in Amarillo, Texas, Shreveport, Louisiana and Las Vegas. He has worked at WSB-TV as a General Assignment Reporter for more than a decade.
Tom considers himself a news junkie. He enjoys covering crime and court stories.
If you have a news tip for Tom email: Tom.Jones@wsbtv.com
Tom Regan has been a reporter for Channel 2 Action News for more than 20 years.
He also anchored the weekend 6 and 11 p.m. shows for Channel 2 Action News for over 10 years.
Tom joined WSB-TV in 1989. Prior to that, he was an anchor and reporter at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, and weeknight anchor and assistant news director at KAVU-TV in Victoria, Texas.
As a ten-time Emmy Award winning reporter, Tom has covered stories overseas, including the 50th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France.
He has also been recognized with awards from the Associated Press and Professional Association of Journalists.
Tom enjoys reading, skiing and traveling. He lives with his family in north Fulton County.
Heather Catlin joined Channel 2 as a multi-platform journalist in July, 2009. She serves as host/producer of Hot Topics; reporter/anchor to Bulldogs GameWeek & Sport Zone Friday; host of prime time specials; and online contributor to HotTopics.TV and wsbtv.com.
Heather won an Emmy Award in 2011 for best host. She won another Emmy Award in 2016 for best sports talent.
Heather has traveled to various countries covering stories for WSB-TV including Canada, Italy and England. As a dual citizen of the United States and United Kingdom, she is well suited for reporting abroad.
Prior to joining WSB-TV, Heather worked as a sports reporter for Fox Sports South/SportSouth regional networks.
She covered teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference and hosted football and basketball preview shows for several Fox Sports networks. Her most memorable story took her to new heights—literally—as she went sky diving with Georgia Tech baseball player Chris House.
Heather also worked as a host and reporter for Turner Sports on MLB.COM and NASCAR.COM. She provided daily news updates and reports, and hosted an interactive post season MLB webcast for MLB.COM.
She interviewed professional athletes and celebrities such as Cal Ripken Jr., John Smoltz and Alyssa Milano.Heather started in television as a production assistant for NBC Sports during its Olympic Coverage in the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
Heather grew up in Atlanta and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she majored in Electronic Communications in the Journalism school, while also lettering in volleyball. During this time, she also interned at the CBS Late Show with David Letterman, and even appeared on the show several times.
As one who is a competitor at heart, Heather participates in a variety of athletic events and triathlons.
She completed her first half iron man triathlon in May 2009 (finishing in just over 6 ½ hours) and in local events including the Peachtree Road Race and Thanksgiving half-marathon.
Nelson Hicks covers local events, things to do, travel and more for WSB-TV's website, wsbtv.com.
Nelson began working at WSB-TV in 1999 as a weekend news editor. Three months later, he moved to the sports department where he worked for eight years.
In 2007, Nelson became the station's first internet reporter/photographer, covering content exclusive for the web. For several years, he also reported on hot internet sites for the station's weekly program, Hot Topics.Nelson has covered numerous concerts, sporting events, feature stories and a wide variety of entertainment stories. He has visited Ann's Snack Bar for a ghetto burger, gone hang gliding in Lookout Mountain, attended Dukesfest, driven a microcar in Madison, toured the Elvis Museum in Cornelia, flew in a Blackhawk with the Atlanta Falcons and interviewed Ludacris, Nikki Taylor, John Travolta, Peyton Manning and a 106-year-old bowler, too.
Nelson worked for WGXA-TV in Macon and for a cable TV news operation in the Atlanta area prior to joining WSB-TV.
Click the links above to access the WSB-TV public reports on file with the Federal Communications Commission. Contact Cathy Bates at 404-897-7000 for assistance in accessing this information.
