Eyewitness News announces anchor changes, new Daybreak traffic report

Local 7 WTVW and WEHT Local have announced several big personnel changes for Eyewitness News that begin Monday.

Let's take a look at who those changes will involve:

Kara Kirtley (left) and Tabnie Dozier

Kara Kirtley, Tabnie Dozier join Daybreak team

Kara Kirtley has been named the new co-anchor of Eyewitness News Daybreak. Beginning Monday, she will join award winning news anchor Randy Moore and meteorologist Ron Rhodes at 5:00 a.m and 6:00 a.m. on WEHT Local and at 7:00 a.m. on Local 7 WTVW.

Kirtley, a native of Central City, Ky., began her TV career at WBKO in Bowling Green as a reporter and producer. She later served as evening news manager and principal evening anchor for KFBB in Great Falls, Mont.

"I am thrilled and honored to become a part of the Eyewitness News Daybreak team," Kirtley said Friday. "Having grown up in Central City, returning to the Tri-State now feels like coming home. Covering the news in our community means so much to me and I consider it a real blessing. The morning team at Eyewitness News is a tight knit team and the experience and personality Randy Moore and Ron Rhodes bring to the newscast makes each day special ... I can’t wait to get started.”

"I’m excited about our new team member," said Randy Moore, Kirtley's co-anchor. "Kara is a great communicator and a professional in every sense of the word. She knows the Tri-State and will help us make starting your day with Daybreak something special."

"Having Kara join Randy and Ron on the Daybreak team will be great," said Arika Zink, WEHT/WTVW general manager. "The three of them are a terrific combination of news professionalism, Tri-State knowledge and community passion.

Another change for Daybreak is the addition of Eyewitness News reporter Tabnie Dozier, who will bring viewers an emphasis on morning traffic with the new Dashboard Report. The new feature will be done live from various high volume traffic locations every weekday morning.

In addition to the Dashboard Report, Dozier, who has been with the stations since 2011, will also report on stories and events as they’re happening.

"As we promise each day, the Eyewitness News mission is focused on you, the viewer and our community," Zink explained. "It’s always exciting when we can add talented individuals to the team who have the additional hometown passion and local expertise. Each day our team strives to deliver the most compelling and informative local news that touches the daily lives of our viewers.

"There’s a clear difference in Eyewitness News Daybreak. Our new team will show you that difference each morning on WEHT Local and Local 7 WTVW via our united on-air content, web and mobile platforms, Tristatehomepage.com, Tristate on the Go and our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter."

Shalah Sasse

Shalah Sasse moves to weeknights, will co-anchor 9 p.m. newscast

Columbus, Ind. native Shalah Sasse makes the move from weekend co-anchor to Eyewitness News' 9 p.m. weeknight newscast alongside fellow Ball State alumnus Brad Byrd beginning Tuesday evening.

Sasse, who joined Eyewitness News in September 2009, worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor at WRDW-TV in Augusta, Ga., where she reported on the Masters Golf Tournament, tornadoes that ripped through Georgia and South Carolina and the plane crash that sent DJ AM and former Blink182 drummer, Travis Barker, to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta.

"I am humbled by this new opportunity to keep viewers informed," Sasse said. "It is truly an honor to join Brad at the anchor desk for Eyewitness News at 9 and I look forward to learning from him and sharing a few laughs with my fellow Ball State Cardinal.”

“I’m fortunate and happy to have Shalah Sasse join me at the Anchor desk at 9," Byrd added. "Shalah is a hard-working journalist and a great people person. She will add to our 9 p.m. coverage on Local 7.”

“Shalah is a talented journalist that will be a wonderful addition to Brad, Wayne, and Drew in the Tri-State’s only primetime local news," Zink said. "With our passion for localism, we are excited to be able to add another Indiana native to the team on Eyewitness News at 9 on Local 7 WTVW.”

Kayla Moody

Kayla Moody to co-anchor weekends with David Shepherd

Filling the weekend anchor chair vacated by Shalah Sasse's move to weeknights is Kayla Moody, also a Ball State University graduate and member of the Eyewitness News team since July 2011.

Starting next weekend, Moody will co-anchor with award winning anchor David Shepherd along with meteorologist David Heckard and sports anchor Randall Parmley every Saturday on Eyewitness News at 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. on Local 7 WTVW, at 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. on WEHT Local, as well as every Sunday on Eyewitness News at 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. (on Local 7 WTVW) and 10:00 p.m. (on WEHT Local).

During her time at Ball State, Ms. Moody anchored and reported for NewsLink Indiana, the student-run broadcast news station. She also hosted a talk show on WCRD, Ball State’s campus radio station. In her final semester at Ball State, Ms. Moody won the coveted Steve Bell Award for Excellence in Broadcast Storytelling. Shortly after joining the Eyewitness News team, she earned a Best in Indiana Journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

“It is an honor to anchor the news for two great stations," Moody said. "I feel very blessed to be doing what I love in the place I now call home and look forward to the opportunity to bring Tri-State viewers the information they need to get through their work weeks.”

"Kayla is a talented storyteller," Zink added. "It’s a wonderful thing when we can recognize and reward talent from within our operations with opportunities that develop from our increasing commitment to the Tri-State. And I’m excited about her addition to the weekends.”