"John Mahaffey was the consummate news anchor," addedLawhon. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. 18 jersey from LSU, AD Joe Alleva, Our Views: WAFB-TV's Donna Britt's good works are too many to name; you're in our prayers, Donna Britt remembered: Share your memories of the beloved Baton Rouge anchorwoman. Deputies with the Iberville Parish Sheriffs Office are searching for a man accused of making threats via social media to a witness involved in a murder trial. WAFB also carried some ABC programming with WBRZ until WRBT (now WVLA) signed on in 1971 and some programming from DuMont until that network folded. Never be too sure. [4][5][6] The sale was approved on December 20,[7] and was completed on January 2, 2019.[8]. i mean, no way it was a race thing. She is a good journalist and if WAFB fired her, they let one get away and one of their competitors will scoop her up quickly. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Both stations share studios on Government Street in downtown Baton Rouge, while WAFB's transmitter is located on River Road near the city's Riverbend section. Her contract wasnt renewed per someone I know who knows someone else who knows her. Her husband, Mark Ballard, serves as the Capitol Bureau Chief for The Advocate newspaper. Photo 1 - LSU Pershing Rifles, Company D-17, Color Guard of Elijah Jones, Todd Dixon, Chris Scheuermann, and Ethan Nicosia. Media departures are always strange. The fight happened in front of Camille Shade Hall on Southerns campus, jail records show. Color Guards representing US Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge, LSU Pershing Rifles Company D-17, Civil Air Patrol Ascension Composite Squadron, Knights of Columbus Bishop Ott Assembly, Parkview Eagle Scouts, Parkview Boy Scouts, Parkview Girl Scouts, and ROTC units from Tara High, Central High, St. Amant High, Zachary High, Belaire High, Broadmoor High, Glen Oaks High, Lee High, Northeast High, McKinley High, Scotlandville High, and Woodlawn High. It was a gross departure from procedure. Louisiana native and veteran journalist Tisha Powell will join the WAFB 9News team in August 2021. WAFB anchor Andr Moreau is leaving the Baton Rouge, La. Shown are, from left, Jeremiah Anthony Rogers, Teresa Bruno, Bea Gyimah, Britt and . Bottom row, left to right: Kathy Fergus, captain Donna Britt, Allison Gustavson, Ginger Bishop, Katherine Jensen, Becky Terkel, Tanya Arnold, Sonya Godwin. Squires of Denham Springs donated the formal wear and Good Times Event Planning coordinated. July 29, 2021 5:45 AM. It's not standard. According to the lawsuit filed by the U.S. what role does individualism play in american society. Get exclusive content only available to INSIDERS. WAFB news director Rob Hays, left, poses with longtime anchor Donna Britt, Wednesday, June 13, 2018, as Britt prepares to sign off for one last time at WAFB studios in downtown Baton Rouge, La. WAFB anchors Donna Britt, left, and Greg Meriwether during the 6pm newscast, Wednesday, June 13, 2018, as Donna Britt signs off for one last time at WAFB studios in downtown Baton Rouge, La. The emcee for the evening was WAFB News Anchor Donna Britt and Auctioneer Jeff Taylor conducted silent and live auctions. new job as an afternoon anchor at WAFB in Baton Rouge, After leaving ABC11 last month, Tisha Powell lands a new anchor job, Given a second chance: ABC11s Tisha Powell on why shes leaving the news business, NC Supreme Court blocks transfer of school funds in Leandro court case, Get ready to change your clocks. The show had a way of educating young children while making it fun to learn. Asians are considered white when being white is a bad thing. Davis was one of the first Black officers in the elite Army Green Berets. Oprah moved to WBRZ but since then aired on WVLA until the show ended its run in 2011. But three days of testing at Houston Methodist Hospital have removed doubts. A Gray Media Group, Inc. Station - 2002-2023 Gray Television, Inc. 2002-2023 Gray Television, Inc. There you go. Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the trains last stop, in the city of Larissa. The East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office is searching for a man who reportedly exposed himself to a woman. Royal Street owned the station until 1964, when it sold the station to locally based Guaranty Corporation. His last day on the air will be Friday, Sept. 2. For those who dont know, Delta-8 is a form of cannabis different from marijuana that contains a higher concentration of THC. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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United Cajun Navy and community partners will organize a Search for Millard. She's not white. Mahaffey, a graduate of the University of Texas, retired in 1999 and continued living in Baton Rouge. Regis and Kelly (now Live with Kelly and Ryan) continues to air on WBRZ. Her two children include her daughter Annie and son Louis. Live with Regis and Kelly and The Oprah Winfrey Show were seen until the late 1990s. What to Watch Friday: Dateline and 20/20 update Murdaugh murder trial coverage, $3B superstar region project planned for Apex after years-long delay, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife, son in June 2021. I have ALS, Lou Gherigs disease. woman accused of using aunts debit card for 136 DoorDash orders held on preset $18 million bond, WANTED: Officials searching for man accused of exposing himself, ExxonMobil faces racial discrimination lawsuit, Fight involving 9 people on Southerns campus leads to 1 arrest, Kentwood man arrested after months-long drug investigation; drugs, money, and guns seized, Man arrested for allegedly robbing victim at gunpoint in Denham Springs, CRIME STOPPERS: Mans killer, details surrounding his death remain a mystery, Emails show governors Europe trip raised staffing, itinerary questions, Juvenile caught behind wheel of stolen vehicle, officials say, Two arrested for flying drone over chemical plants in St. Charles Parish. WAFB-TV television anchor Donna Britt, whose fight against breast cancer included a lumpectomy to cut out the cancer and 33 shots of radiation, helped to emcee the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure in Baton Rouge. He was worried about how he'd get his car fixed. The extra pandemic food stamps have officially stopped. Donna retired from the station and anchored her last newscast nearly one year after publicly announcing her diagnosis. This includes two newscasts on sister station WBXH-CD (weeknights at 9, which began on January 8, 2007, and Saturday mornings). Louisiana students have struggled in the classroom for years, but minority children appear to be falling behind the most. She reigned as Queen of Spanish Town in 1990.Another big passion for Donna was her service to the Boy Scouts. She physically trained on an elliptical machine for two months, morning and evening, to build her stamina for the grueling push. She told them it would have to be a part-time job that would allow her to finish working on her Leadership and Communications Masters of Science degree at Purdue University, and also give her time with her family. Former WAFB reporter Kiran Chawla says her love of investigative reporting and the viewing public sparked her to start her new YouTube channel. Those relatives she moved back to Louisiana to be near can now watch her on TV. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting. BATON ROUGE, La. Copyright 2016 WAFB. The WAFB news director at the time, Carlton Cremeens, heard Donna on the radio as a DJ and loved her voice. BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Longtime Baton Rouge news anchor John Mahaffey has died. gazebo footing requirements. This practice ended shortly after Gray assumed ownership of the station. Ms. Donna Britt, WAFB 9 News Anchor, delivered a focused and rousing challenge to the youth to lead the charge to honor those that have and continue to serve the nation while learning the founding ideals that make our nation exceptional. WAFB's Donna Britt writes a thank you letter to a viewer before the 6pm newscast, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. While I was at 332016 to 2018and it was widely known that Sharon Weston Broome would only give WBRZ the time of day. WTF did she do? WAFB-TV anchor is honored with a No. transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts, https://www.linkedin.com/company/wafb-tv/, "GRAY AND RAYCOM TO COMBINE IN A $3.6 BILLION TRANSACTION", "Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH-CD (channel 39). The penny campaign was successful enough to purchase two. "He was a remarkable guy in that he had no ego and that's really rare in the news business," Spain said. Law enforcement leaders and community organizations gathered for the Page/Rice Camera Initiative, unveiling one of the new crime cameras in north Baton Rouge. The longtime ABC11 evening anchor, who left the station . Mark Ballard: My wife Donna Britt has ALS. The station began broadcasting on April 19, 1953, as the first television station in Baton Rouge, and the second television station in the state of Louisiana. Photograph by Carol Anne Blitzer Picture shot on 4-26-99 Kitchen 19 Mark Ballard, Donna Britt and Annie Ballard Keyword Food. She did different themes highlighting different kinds of books. WAFB was one of a handful of stations that shifts the air times of various CBS programming. Take a look back through some pictures of her television work, volunteering and life in Baton Rouge. Get access to our searchable data center of TOP LISTS. Click to become an INSIDER for under $2.00 a week, Andre Moreau parts ways with WAFB after eight years, 2022 Welcome: Official Visitors Guide to Greater Baton Rouge. ADVOCATE STAFF PHOTO BY PAM BORDELON -- Golden Deeds -- Golden Deeds winner Donna Britt, seated, with son Louie and husband Mark Ballard. Both stations share studios on Government Street in downtown Baton Rouge, while WAFB's transmitter is located on River Road near the city's Riverbend section. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. WAFB Anchor Matt Williams is an anchor for 9News This Morning and Early Edition. "And, if you think about it, those of us who knew him so well knew that Mahaffey did sort of have this presence and manly swagger about him that was not unlike a John Wayne persona." Shes a great investigative reporter. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is seeking to get an endorsement from former President Donald Trump. Mahaffey started his career in Baton Rouge television at WAFB-TV. Andre Moreau is leaving WAFB-TV after eight years behind the nightly anchor desk. I know she was banned from going after BRPD's Chief Murphy Paul. But three days of testing at Houston Methodist Hospital have removed doubts. What to know about daylight saving time in NC, Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. I was a little apprehensive at first because I got my mind wrapped around coming back here and just finishing school and decompressing and going in a different direction, Powell said. The camps offer several activities like recreational games, community field trips, cultural arts, recreational sports, and more. "They just looked for somebody who looked all right . At a luncheon to honor area volunteers are, from left, guest speaker, Mayor bobby Simpson and Donna Britt, Ron Winders, Janet Rack, Rob Stuart, Noel Parnell and Nick Simonette, representatives of sponsors WAFB-TV, Volunteer Baton Rouge! Attached is a group shot of the 1980 LSU Flag Line. Her ALS diagnosis is causing her to pull back on those activities. The only station to get a bigger share of the local audience was KCCI, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines, which was watched by 17.9% of area households. There were several characters that were regulars on the show including "Seor Puppet" (a marionette voiced by Sid Crocker) and "Whatsyourname" (another puppet voiced by Mary Hillen). Lawhon says Mahaffey had a love for first family first but his second love was for television news. Donna announced her diagnosis to viewers during WAFBs 6 p.m. newscast on July 27, 2017. 6,529 talking about this. Vernon Roger, former WAFB-TV anchorman and Cajun chef, died this weekend in what police say was a suicide. So, now I know whats been paralyzing muscles all over my body all these months and shows no signs of stopping.. He was 77 years old. In the eighth grade, an outstanding Bible teacher in Donnas life told her how God had inspired her to sign her name in lower-case letters, an act of humility and a promise to always to push to achieve her best in everything. Updated: Jan 17, 2017 / 07:36 PM CST. Jun 1 "That was inappropriate. During this campaign, he asked children to bring in their pennies to buy an elephant. Hodge addedMahaffey, "had a huge heart and would do anything for you.". Donna Britt, Herb Vincent among this year's Manship School Hall of Fame inductees. On September 12, 2011, WAFB became the first station in the market (and, to date, the only station) to begin its morning newscasts at 4:30a.m. instead of 5 a.m. On March 26, 2020, WAFB became the second station in the Baton Rouge market to launch a 4 p.m. newscast in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on August 3, 2020, WAFB became the first station in Baton Rouge to expand its 6 p.m. newscast to a full hour.[11]. PRAL awards At the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Public Relations Association of Louisianas annual awards ceremony April 27 at the Watermark Hotel are, from left, First Circle Award recipient Jinx Broussard, Communicator of the Year Donna Britt, chapter President Delia Taylor, Practitioner of the Year Cheryl Michelet and Member of the Year Avery Davidson. AT a luncheon marking National Girl Scout Week are, from left, Colette Dean, Donna Britt, Marilyn Zimmerman and Nell McAnelly. Submitted: Annie Fugler 225 802-6454 anniefugler@aol.com, 1978 LSU Flag Line -- listed by MAIDEN NAMES. Its a multimillion-dollar project that has been met with more delays than promises. Photo by Carol Anne Blitzer. WAFB's Leah Ellsworth, left, helps anchor Donna Britt with her makeup as camera operator Willie Jackson readies her earpiece before the 6pm newscast, Wednesday, June 13, 2018, as Britt prepares to sign off for one last time at WAFB studios in downtown Baton Rouge, La. All rights reserved. DA popular local celebrity. Like house plant? WCCO has addresed the situation both during newscasts and online, with a statement saying: "WCCO-TV anchor/reporter Liz Collin is married to Bob Kroll. Identifed below by MAIDEN NAMES. This is exactly what you wanted, so why not? he responded. She commended the group on their publication of two issues of a race and ethnic studies journal titled 'America the Beautiful In Spite of It All.' From left, Dot Thibodeaux, Cynthia Whitaker, master of ceremonies Donna Britt and Constance Walker attend the 21st annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference. On June 25, 2018, Atlanta-based Gray Television announced it had reached an agreement with Raycom to merge their respective broadcasting assets (consisting of Raycom's 63 existing owned-and/or-operated television stations, including WAFB), and Gray's 93 television stations) under Gray's corporate umbrella. Top row, left to right: Stephanie LaBlanc, Cherrie Bell, Judy Hignight, Tammy Norton, Lynet Lewis, Gloria Sylvia, Hillary Holmes, Susan Ford, Beverly Lemley. Authorities say the individual could have information about the incident. Before the end of the program the winners of the annual Color Guard competition were announced by LTG Middleton Chapter Commander, LTC Patrick L. Widner, USA Ret. George Sells, third from left, with former newsdesk anchors Andr Moreau and Mike Graham on hand for Donna Britt's final newscast. Britt, who has been with WAFB for over 37 years, has announced she will retire from the local news station after being diagnosed with ALS 11 months ago. Im sure her employer hasnt been thrilled with her dating partner being a news topic on multiple occasions in the past few years. She also sponsored a no-holds-barred ice cream sundae party every month to the class who read the most library books. Golden Deeds recipient Donna Britt gets a standing ovation during the Golden Deeds awards Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, at the Baton Rouge Marriott. Its happening at the Maurice A. Edmond Livestock Arena. It's made worse by other officers standing by. Longtime friend and former co-anchor Margaret Lawhon smiled as she spoke of Mahaffey's nickname "The Duke" and how he got the name. It originally aired a digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter at its studios. Donna served for 17 years on the Salvation Armys Community Board. For the last nine months, doctors have tried to diagnose it, however many of the symptoms are the same for other diseases. Please continue, we want to know how deep your knowledge is, That she made a comment that got out of hand, Nick Tullier's father is somehow involved? 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During that time, she spent 8 hours every week in December those 17 years manning a Christmas kettle. Gates started his career at WAFB-TV in March 1977 . When longtime WAFB-TV weathercaster Diane Deaton first began in the news business, the role of weather reporter hadn't really been defined yet. Beloved WAFB anchor Donna Britt passes away, Donna Britt's last newscast - June 13, 2018 (end of show farewell), LSU WR Malik Nabers arrested in New Orleans; prosecutors refuse to charge with condition, Health experts, former athletes respond to NCAAs proposal to reduce game time and plays. During 1988, AFLAC invested $2 million in redesigning the studio, dropped the -TV suffix from its call letters and began branding itself as "Louisiana's News Channel," a slogan the station continues to use today. "The whole John Wayne moniker - that John Wayne was The Duke," she said. Because a street full of potholes is not owned by the city and there is no homeowners association, property owners were left on their own to fix it. Pets may be the ones who impact people the most. Pennington Biomedical Research Center is hosting a wellness day for women on March 4th from 7:00am through 1:00pm. From: Clay Le Grande [mailto:c.legrande@cox.net] Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2015 12:38 PM LTG Middleton Chapter Massing of the Colors Parkview Baptist School gym was ablaze with Old Glory on Tuesday, November 10th as the Military Order of the World Wars LTG Troy H. Middleton Chapter hosted its annual Massing of the Colors ceremony for the student body and public at Parkview Baptist High School. After years of waiting, North Carolinas hospitals celebrate Medicaid expansion deal, 16-year-old Raleigh teen charged with murder in Robeson County killing. Investigators say Maili Morris made 136 purchases using her 73-year-old aunts debit card, which she had linked to her personal DoorDash account. It will still be breezy in the afternoon, but not as much as the morning, otherwise today will become sunny and nice with highs in the 70s. Volodymyr Dorogobid, 38, and Tigran Avetisyan, 39, both of Brooklyn, New York, were booked on three counts of unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft system and also for obstruction of justice for tampering with evidence. Another bonus? She is joined by colleagues Kiran Chawla, center, and Greg Meriwether. He was 51. Donna adapted the same promise and always signed her name with lower-case letters, what she called a sign of continued commitment to serve God in the most enthusiastic and excellent way possible. Over the years, Donna supported numerous charities including those tied to research for ALS, Sickle Cell disease, HIV/AIDS and cancer. She is the service journalism editor and writes about TV and local media for The N&Os Happiness is a Warm TV blog. Whether in a nearby gas station or your local smoke shop, youve likely seen kratom on the shelves of one store or another. Donna Britt,who worked for Baton Rouge station WAFB for nearly four decades, succumbed on Thursday at age 62 to the neurological disease, which is also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, according to the news outlet. WAFB's Donna Britt writes a thank you letter to a viewer before the 6pm newscast, Wednesday, June 6, 2018. In the recent ratings period, it beat the others stations' combined weeknights at 5, 6, and 10. I'm an Emmy & Murrow Award Winning Investigative Reporter who simply loves my job!. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting. During an investigation, police say evidence was found to place the babys mother under arrest. Jun 8. In 1988, Guaranty sold the station to AFLAC. My whole family is in this viewing area, even my dad who lives in North Mississippi, Powell said. The station has always been a CBS affiliate but carried some NBC programming until WBRZ-TV signed on in 1955. This launched such a voracious battle to win the party, that the schools reading comprehension scores on standardized tests went up 4.7% the very first year and continually improved. Bond has been set for a St. Gabriel police officer who was arrested in connection with the murder of a Denham Springs man that happened overnight, officials said. For most of its history, WAFB was a distant second to WBRZ in the ratings given WBRZ's consistent history on the VHF band and former roots in the Baton Rouge Advocate. Copyright @2023 TigerDroppings.com. The station made this change to give its noon and 5 p.m. newscasts a strong lead-in. Photos: Congrats to 2018 Golden Deeds award recipient, Donna Britt! Advocate Photo by MARK BALLARD -- Three of the four candidates for Louisiana governor prepare Thursday as AARP forum moderator Donna Britt of WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, reads a question picked out by seniors. I don't know if either of those things have any truth to them. The fourth candidate, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, did not participate. Multiple people have been arrested following an investigation into prostitution happened at Baton Rouge area massage parlors. "He not only had the camera-ready looks including a million-dollar smile, but he was a born story-teller. Average NC teacher pay is nearly $58,000, state says. Following her diagnosis, thousands of viewers and well-wishers showed up for Donna Britt Day, a charity event hosted by Chef John Folse to raise money for ALS research.