Heather Lewis announces she's leaving KOLR10 after 7 years at news station
After nearly seven years, KOLR10 evening news anchor Heather Lewis is stepping away from the news desk.
Lewis' last day at the station is Friday, per an announcement she made on her Facebook page Tuesday. She is moving to Jefferson City with her husband and three children to take on the role of communications director of the Missouri Catholic Conference.
Prioritizing time for her family is one of the key reasons why Lewis is stepping away from the news industry. As part of the evening news team, Lewis anchored the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts, meaning her schedule was often opposite of her family's.
"When school is in session ... I realized how often I was not seeing them," Lewis said about her children, who are ages 2, 5 and 7. "I would basically take them to school, and if I got a lunch break that day, I would see them for just a little bit. I just felt like I was missing out on their lives, practices, games, homework and tucking them in. It's something, over these last couple of years, that's been weighing on my heart."
Mike Spruill — vice president general manager of KRBK, KOZL and KOLR10 — joined the KOLR10 team two years ago. He's worked with a variety of talent throughout his 34 years in the news industry and described Lewis as a down-to-earth leader in the newsroom.
Spruill said he understands Lewis is a family-oriented person and has experienced her passion for her husband and children firsthand.
"Her husband will bring the kids in and they'll sit in the conference room and eat dinner together," Spruill said. "It's the sweetest thing you've ever seen."
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When reflecting on her seven years at KOLR10, Lewis said one of her favorite segments was "Wednesday's Child," which she hosted throughout 2018 and 2019. The segment featured different children in the Missouri foster care system up for adoption.
"('Wednesday's Child') just really impacted by life," Lewis said. "I was able to meet with (the children), spend the day with them, tell their story and really bring awareness to this (foster care) crisis we are in. To bring awareness to that and really put a face to what is going on with these children ... that was something really special for me."
As she prepares to move to Jefferson City, Lewis thanked KOLR10 and the Ozarks community for welcoming her and creating a "great" place to raise a family.
Lewis joined KOLR10 as a Daybreak anchor in 2015, where she worked for two years before joining the evening news team.
Before KOLR10, Lewis was a morning anchor at KFSM, a television station in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
As for the soon-to-be open position, Spruill said KOLR10 has brought in several applicants to do auditions and reads with evening news anchor Steve Savard, including internal candidates. A decision has not been made, but Spruill said someone will be chosen soon.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Heather Lewis to leave KOLR10, this Friday, after 7 years at news desk
