pic.twitter.com/IQmZ6prUIH, Aaron Smeltzer was a Virginia native who was a veteran photojournalist. Sports. Chris Justus, chief meteorologist for WYFF in Greenville, reported the development in a Facebook post. Her husband David G. Landquist died with his family by his side on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Geoff went to all-boys schools, where the student wore a jacket and tie. In recent years, WYFF has been carried on cable in multiple areas outside of the GreenvilleSpartanburgAsheville media market, including cable systems within the Aiken and Columbia markets in South Carolina, areas of North Carolina within the Charlotte and Chattanooga, Tennessee markets, the Tri-Cities market in Tennessee and Virginia, and the Atlanta market in Georgia. He marriedSara Hart. [11], During the CATV period in the 1970s and 1980s, WYFF was once carried as far east as Cabarrus County, North Carolina and also as far north as Bristol, Virginia.[12]. The 1980s brought new talent to the station including anchor James Baker, sportscasters J. D. Hayworth (later an Arizona Congressman), Roger Berry and Mark Marino and weatherman Charlie Gertz. He later moved to Arlington, Virginia.Video above is a Friday Night Hits promo with former WYFF News 4 Sports Director Geoff Hart from 1995. JOURNALISTS, USA JOURNALISTS' BIOS I cover Spartanburg, Union, and Cherokee Counties. His most recent post was a retweet from a WYFF meteorologist, who wrote, FLOOD THREAT: **HIGH** Rain is moving in right now from Alberto and conditions wil lead to a high flood threat through Tuesday. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. GEOFF: THEY ARE TRULY SADDENED BY THE LOSS. Update: On May 20, 2021, WYFF released a statement announcing Geoff Hart would not return following a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's. Hart joined WYFF in 1993 and spent 18 years as sports . His burial ceremony took place at Holden Chapel on May 28, 2019, at 12:00 p.m. Maria Taylor NBC Sports, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Husband, ESPN, Salary, and Net Worth, Scott Van Pelt ESPN, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Wife, Daughter, College, Salary, and Net Worth, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, List of States in the US, Alphabetical list of States in the U.S., and Abbreviation of States in United States. So saddened to hear of the passing of @MikeMcCWYFF He was a great friend of @JesseBoydSchool and Education through the years. He worked for the station from 1993 to May 2021 when he left the station due to his health issues. He was originally from Tazewell, Virginia. Geoff is a well-known journalist to his viewers who have watched his 28-year career in Upstate. A local fire chief, who had given the men an interview only 10 minutes before, called the accident a freak of nature., Both men were remembered as talented, positive personalities. Suiters worked at News 4 in the mid to late 1990s, before making the transition to. In 2014, he was also named anchor of WYFF News 4 on Sundays at 6 and 11 p.m. Mike tragically died, alongside his photographer, Aaron Smeltzer, on May 28, 2018 when a tree fell on their SUV. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL AT WYFF NEWS 4. All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving. Mike joined WYFF News 4 in April 2007 as a reporter in the Spartanburg newsroom. It also declined to carry Saturday Night Live (then known as NBC's Saturday Night) from its debut in 1975 to early 1978, NBC's daytime reruns of The Facts of Life from during the 19841985 season (which aired on WAXA-TV), game shows The Who, What, or Where Game (in favor of the local talk show Today in The Piedmont), Super Password and Time Machine (both of which aired throughout their runs on WAXA-TV) and the soap opera Santa Barbara (which was initially cleared by the station during its first few years on January 6, 1986, after the low-rated syndicated TV show America aired its final episode on January 3, 1986). WYFF News 4 anchor, photojournalist tragically die when tree falls on SUV. While there, he became known as the station's resident "dumpster diver" and his work on identity theft won two first place awards for investigative reporting from the Associated Press. Mike graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in broadcast journalism and theatre arts. Mike McCormick, an anchor with WYFF, is dead after a tragic accident in North Carolina. ALLYSON: WE HAD WYFF 4 ARE A FAMILY AND APPRECIATE YOUR KINDNESS AS WE GRIEVE. Carol Clarke is an American anchor and reporter. The journalist is a storyteller who is an Emmy-nominated journalist. On June 23, 1985, the original WYFF studio building was damaged in a fire causing the station to knock off the air for two hours before its evening newscast. According to its website, 7 News is the CBS affiliate in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market, which serves over 800,000 households in the Nations 36th largest television market. McCormicks last Facebook post was a video of Albertos aftermath. Mike was a regular visitor to Spartanburg Two and always brought lots of excitement and smiles to our schools when he came out to do a story., Journalist Dave Jordan wrote, Another reminder that tomorrow isnt promised. . Mike McCormick, Mike McCormick, a South Carolina news anchor with WYFF News 4, and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer are dead after a tree fell on their SUV while they were reporting on Subtropical Storm Alberto. Two weeks ago, life was completely normal. She joined WYFF News 4 as a contributing reporter and anchor for the news magazine Chronicle. Smeltzer was the photographer in WYFFs Spartanburg bureau. In 1961, the News-Piedmont Publishing Company purchased WBIR-AM-FM and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee from the former Taft Broadcasting Company. In 2006, Geoff spent a month in Italy while covering the Winter Olympics in Torino for WYFF News 4 as well as all of Hearsts other tv stations. WYFF continued to air Santa Barbara until its 1993 cancellation. BOTH WERE TRULY PROFESSIONALS. He loved using local, fresh ingredients from the Hub City Farmers Market. Our morning anchor, Amanda Crawford, has taken a job in Boston.. He grew up as British soccer. It ran NBC's early morning news program NBC News Overnight and simulcasts of the Home Shopping Spree and CNN Headline News during the overnight hours around this time. The station rebranded its newscasts from Action News 4 to NewsCenter 4 in the early 1980s. While there, Geoff kicked for the Huskies for 4 years. MIKE MCCORMICK, WYFF NEWS 4. He said the tree that fell on the SUV was about 3 feet in diameter and had stood back off the road.Tennant said the ground was saturated and the tree's root system failed. Simpson, others react on social media after Alex Murdaugh is found guilty, South Carolina running back forced to say goodbye to the game, Todays South Carolina-Clemson baseball game start time changed because of weather, SC ruby-throated hummingbirds are back! Two smart talented journalists died practicing their craft. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters was found guilty on Friday of obstruction of government operations. He was 53. 0. Aaron loved traditional country music- including Keith Whitley, Randy Travis and Alabama, just to name a few. On March 3, the station changed its call letters to WYFF-TV (standing for its slogan "We're Your Friend Four," which was used from 1979 to 1991). On May 20, 2021, Geoff made an announcement that he would not go back to WYFF after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers disease. I love Heather. In addition, she has always loved being active in her community and has served on the advisory board for King County Search as well as Rescue while in Seattle. On April 22, 2012, beginning with the station's weekend 6:00p.m. newscast, the station began upgraded its newscasts to high definition; the station also upgraded its weather and news graphics systems to HD with the transition. Heres when you should put out your feeders, Were in a new era: Hilton Head residents united by a desire to regulate short-term rentals, Scout Motors picks South Carolina for new $2B EV plant, After Murdaugh trial circus, Walterboro welcomes normality, Chants of Trump 2024 greet former SC Governor Nikki Haley at conservative gathering, Student ministry leader touched at least 10 girls without their consent, SC cops say. A Spartansville School District Twitter page posted a message that read, Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of WYFFs Mike McCormick and Aaron Smeltzer. WYFF-TV anchor Michael Cogdill has announced that he plans to retire from WYFF News 4, according to an email from the television station in Greenville. "It personally affected me a little bit because I had done an interview with Mr. McCormick about 10 minutes before we got the call. According to her bio on the WYFF website, she has two adult children and a master's degree in health and nutrition education. The two met each other in the 1990s at WYFF where Sara was working as a commercial producer. He took a shot at the pros and signed with the Patriots in 1986 before going back to school to earn his Masters Degree in Communications. Sydney Sullivan WYFF News 4 After commencing work at WYFF News 4 Today in June of 2021, Sydney took on the responsibility of being the weekend morning meteorologist on the program. Norvin Duncan was the station's first news anchor, moving from the sister AM radio station. AND WERE SAD TO REPORT THAT FORMER WYFF NEWS 4 SPORTS ANCHOR AND REPORTER TYLER SOUTERS HAS PASSED AWAY. He has been on medical leave since December 2020. Goldsmith announced the wedding on her verified Facebook page, sharing photos of . My brother and I were trying to figure out how to soon be girl-Dads and our wives were talking nursery plans. Previously, she worked at the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana where she was on-air throughout the infamous Race Day tornado outbreak that cut in the 88th running of the Indy 500. The team was covering the impact of heavy rain in that area. A few days later she underwent an emergency C-section and immediately went on a ventilator, Justus wrote. It is with a heavy heart that I share my sister-in-law, Brianna Justus went home to be with Jesus this evening. Two journalists in North Carolina died Monday when a tree fell onto their SUV, WYFF-TV reports. He was 53. 1:38. She is a well-learned journalist and meteorologist. WFBC-TV and sister station WXII-TV in Winston-Salem, North Carolina were traded to the Pulitzer Publishing Company in exchange for KSDK in St. Louis. One of the station's popular children's programs was Monty's Rascals, debuting in 1960, hosted by Monty DuPuy and Stowe Hoyle as Mr. Doohickey (wearing a hat with an old Santa's beard), both of whom served as weathermen at channel 4. Geoff served as a Sports Director for eighteen years prior to becoming the co-anchor of WYFF News 4 Today every weekday morning. "It's the first time I ever met either one of those two gentleman, but you feel a sense of responsibility to them.". She was married to her husband David G. Landquist who died on May 21, 2019. Tyler spent his career traveling the world as a broadcast journalist and strategic communications executive. On May 20, 2021, Geoff made an announcement that he would not go back to WYFF after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers disease. In 2014, he was also named anchor of WYFF News 4 on Sundays at 6 and 11 p.m. Mike tragically died, alongside his photographer, Aaron Smeltzer, on May 28, 2018 when a tree fell on their SUV while they were driving on Highway 176 in Polk County, North Carolina. 0:57. Journalist Allyd83@hotmail.com wyff4.com Photos See all photos Connect with WYFF News 4's Allyson Powell on Facebook During her time in Little Rock, she received the coveted Blue Knight Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. When he was not reporting or anchoring the news, you would find him in the kitchen. Greenville Triumph. It delays the Saturday edition of Today for one hour due to its morning newscast. Eventually earning a scholarship to Northeastern University in Boston. As part of the SAFER Act,[10] WYFF kept its analog signal on the air until July 12 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters. All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving. Later, when Geoff was a teenager, his family relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1989, the station rebranded it's newscasts as News 4. 28, 2018 - 6:36 PM. Greenville, SC KCRA 3 News Reporter KCRA 3 & My58 Television Jun 2015 - Mar 2018 2 years 10 months . Deadly 7-vehicle crash blamed on I-85 death trap traffic pattern near Gaffney, SC, Experienced skydiver dies after getting stuck upside down during fall, NC officials say, I could have prevented this, Virginia man says in videos showing his COVID decline, Stark drone videos of empty US cities become online trend amid coronavirus pandemic, You can get some of the best tacos in SC at these 10 restaurants in 2023, Yelp says, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murdering wife, son in June 2021, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021, O.J. Having worked in the media industry for quite some time, Parella has managed to secure a decent fortune. WYFF weekend anchor and reporter Mike McCormick and cameraman Aaron Smeltzer died Monday when a tree fell on their SUV while covering heavy rain in Polk County, N.C. All of us at WYFF News 4 are grieving, said anchor Michael Cogdill during this afternoons newscast. Last week Brianna was hit hard with COVID at 30 weeks pregnant. Atlanta CNN . It is currently operated by their parents, Don and Margo Justus, according to the orchards website. In 2006, he joined the Stations team in Italy where he covered Torino Winter Olympics. Estes was replaced Friday on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.. She has been working as a weather anchor for WYFF News 4 in Greenville since joining in September 2019. This story was originally published August 3, 2021, 1:45 PM. 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He had two dogs, both adopted from the Spartanburg Humane Society. Carol Clarke is an American news anchor. High School Red Zone. Tennant said the ground was saturated and the tree's root system failed. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. Keisha Kirkland, a former weathercaster at WYFF in Greenville, S.C., has died of lung cancer. Geoff got his first TV job in Wilmington, NC in 1989. [8][9] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 4. Mike came to the Upstate from Arkansas, where he was a reporter/fill-in anchor at one of WYFF 4's sister stations, KHBS/KHOG for nearly three years. Before that, she worked as an anchor at WBTW based in Myrtle Beach. The ground of course is saturated, Tennant said. >> IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ANY OF US. Here's some of my favorite TV personalites from the Western Carolinas area (including Asheville, NC which serves the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC market) of the past and present. While there, Parella spent twelve years doing the weather as well as working on a regional crime show. He loved using local, fresh ingredients from the Hub City Farmers Market, the station reported. "I have never seen an event like this one," Tennant, who has been in fire service in Polk County for 44 years, said. The call came in at 4:07 p.m.. Your Sunday evening team in our Easter pastels! There was no evidence at the scene that it was a slide. >> IT IS A FREAK OF NATURE. GEOFF: A VIEWER WROTE SAYING, I WANTED TO OFFER MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO YOUR STAFF AND FAMILY MEMBERS ON THE LICE LIFE -- LIFE OF MIKE AND AARON. You can watch special tribute to Mike and Aaron here. Despite being a public figure, Parella has managed to keep information regarding her parents and siblings away from the public eye. Besides that, Parella was co-chair while in Louisiana of an organization planned to provide kids in trouble a second chance called Teen Choice. Content WriterThe Brandon AgencyMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, WYFF Reporter, Cameraman Killed Covering Severe Weather, An error has occurred, please try again later. She joined the station in September 2019 and can be seen from Monday through Friday every morning starting at 4:30 a.m. The vehicle was apparently in motion. News reporter and anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer, both of NBC-affiliate station WYFF in Greenville, South Carolina, died after a tree fell on their vehicle while. He was 75."Jim was an outstanding journalist, and he was also known for his laugh," "Special Report" anchor . However, Geoff spent most of his childhood in England. Before that, Carol worked as an anchor/reporter in Marquette, Michigan, and Rochester, New York. HIS FAMILY SAYS AFTER A BRAVE BATTLE, HE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON TUESDAY. He is a married man. However, we will update this once we have reliable and valid information concerning her family. >> THEIR WORK SPOKE VOLUMES. HE THEN MOVED ON TO OUR SISTER STATION KOCO IN OKLAHOMA CITY. JOURNALISTS, USA JOURNALISTS' BIOS WYFF operates nine digital translators across the mountains of western North Carolina. Today, at 31 years old her heart gave out. Brianna Justus was married to his brother, Cory Justus, and the couple also have two sons, he said. We are a family and we thank you, our extended family, for your comfort as we mourn and as we seek to comfort the families of Mike and Aaron.. Geoff took his early retirement from the media industry on May 20, 2021 after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers disease. LAKE TOXAWAY, N.C. A Georgia news anchor fell about 160 feet to her death after being swept over the top of a waterfall in Transylvania County, officials said. According to WSPA-TV, the two WYFF employees were hit by a tree while driving southbound. The television station reported that they were in Polk County covering the dangerous weather conditions there., WSPA-TV reported that the two men were traveling south on Highway 176 when a tree fell and hit the vehicle. Tennant said in a news conference: What has happened is that some time around 2:30 this afternoon, we were dispatched for a tree down on a motor vehicle with people trapped.. Viewers of WYFF-TVwill have to get used to a new name. She currently serves as a weekend sports anchor at WYFF News 4 ( NBC Affiliate) based in Greenville Sc. On medical leave since December, Hart will not return to the show.. ALLYSON: THE SARAH SPOKE TO US SAYING "ON THE HALF OF JERRY MACK BROWN, THE COUNTY OFFICE SENDS ITS DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COLLEAGUES OF MIKE MCCORMICK AND AARON SMELTZER. Justus says his sister-in-law, Brianna Justus, came down with COVID symptoms in the past two. Produced by: Kayla Michelle Harnish #tvnews #journalist #fun #riseup | By Dana Griffin Facebook Log In Create new account Watch Home Live Shows Explore More Home Live Shows Explore Q&A with WYFF 4 Anchor: Dana Griffin Like Comment Share 145 Brendan Fraser has revealed that he "nearly" died while filming one particular scene in 'The Mummy' where there is a a hanging sequence. However, we will keep you updated once we get a glimpse of the information. Mark Price has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1991, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. Hannah became part of the WYFF 4 in June 2020. They and their wives Lauren and Brianna all ensure this family farm keeps going., Chris Justus, a UNC Charlotte graduate, concluded his Facebook post by saying visitors to the orchard this fall will find a new little Justus saying hello and one special angel watching over the farm from heaven.. THIS IS WYFF NEWS 4 TODAY. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. She worked for WYFF for 3 years and 2 months (March 2018 - April 2021). GEOFF: WE TRULY APPRECIATE THE WORDS OF KINDNESS FROM YOU. Ann Phlomena 2 talking about this. When Mike was not reporting or anchoring the news, you would find him in the kitchen. He was also nominated in 2014 for Surprise on the Diamond, the story of an airman whose homecoming shocked his mother at a Greenville Drive baseball game. Students at Reidville Elementary. Video above is a Friday Night Hits promo with former WYFF News 4 Sports Director Geoff Hart from 1995. >> IN SPITE OF TRAGEDY HITTING HARD ON MEMORIAL DAY. 8.7K views, 82 likes, 13 loves, 21 comments, 6 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from WYFF News 4: Meet the newest member of the WYFF News 4 Today team, Traffic Anchor Hannah Ward. In addition, she loves writing and recording music as well as working on voice-overs. Yes. This was followed the next day by the debut of a new set for its newscasts.[2]. She came from Columbus, Ohio where she started as a producer and transitioned to a . #GoneTooSoon pic.twitter.com/b6W2pXDrne, Meredith Rose (@MeredithRose4) May 28, 2018. However, details regarding how the couple met or whether they had any kids together are still not available. Aaron loved traditional country music- including Keith Whitley, Randy Travis and Alabama, just to name a few. pic.twitter.com/FjRxh5oPrM, Mike McCormick (@MikeMcCWYFF) August 21, 2017, On Twitter, Mike McCormick wrote that he was a Reporter/Anchor for WYFF News4. My prayers with the @wyffnews ,Mike's family, and the family of photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer. FOR HIM, IT WAS NOT ABOUT THAT. The station carries the majority of the NBC network schedule; however, it preempts the live broadcast of the fourth hour of Today, hosted by Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager (which is shown only on overnights at 2 a.m.). She joined the station in September 2019 and can be seen from Monday through Friday every morning starting at 4:30 a.m. Therefore, we cant tell what school she attended as well as what degrees she attained. She was 41. Prior to that, she worked in Indianapolis, Indiana at the NBC affiliate where she was on-air throughout the notorious He was an avid baseball fan., He was also described as loving traditional country music- including Keith Whitley, Randy Travis and Alabama. According to WSPA-TV, Smeltzer previously worked at WSPA-TV covering stories here in the Upstate before joining WYFF earlier this year. Smeltzers Facebook profile reads, Taker of photos, Shooter of video. About three years ago, Tyler was diagnosed with ALS. Viewers of WYFF-TV will have to get used to a new name. A TV meteorologist in Upstate South Carolina says his family is seeing the worst of the ongoing pandemic, after his sister-in-law died of COVID symptoms days after giving birth in an emergency C-section. HIS FIRST STORY AND HIS LAST IN POLK COUNTY. My former photographer #AaronSmeltzer & a colleague #MikeMcCormick died today while covering weather in Western North Carolina. 2023 www.greenvilleonline.com. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In 1998, Hearst-Argyle bought Pulitzer's entire television division, including WYFF-TV. In the same year, he won the Best Sportscaster award presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolina. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. WFBC was one of the few NBC affiliates that did not clear The Monkees during its initial first run on NBC from 1966 to 1968 meaning western Carolina and northeast Georgia viewers missed out on the popular TV band starring Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Davy Jones. All rights reserved. THANK YOU to this community for. Geoff won a number of industry awards throughout his career. The station's digital signal is multiplexed: Digital subchannel 4.2 originally carried "WYFF 4 Weather Plus," which operated as an affiliate of NBC Weather Plus. Reporter Tim Waller, who has been with WYFF News 4 for 25 years, has announced that he's leaving the station. When Parella is not busy at work, she likes all things outdoors including running, kayaking, hiking, and skiing. Cory and Chris Justus are known in the Carolinas for their ties to Justus Orchard, about 20 miles south of Asheville. Anchor/Reporter WYFF, News 4 Jul 1999 - May 2009 9 years 11 months. Dont wait for taco Tuesday. However, Parella has not disclosed any information concerning her education to the public.