INGRID ALLSTAEDT is thrilled to be back home in Western North Carolina as a reporter covering Polk, Rutherford and McDowell counties.

Ingrid was raised in WNC and is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication.  During her college career, she was a dedicated member of UNCA's cross county and track teams.  A summer internship with News 13 solidified her dreams of reporting the news.  She even returned as an Associate Producer with News 13 her senior year.   

Ingrid worked at a TV station in Eugene, Oregon wearing many hats, including reporter and weather anchor before returning to the mountains. When a position became available at News 13, she jumped at the chance to work as a reporter at her home town station.  Ingrid has truly missed the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is elated to be back home with her family and friends.

Send her an email with a story idea, or to just say "Hi!"

SHERRILL BARBER is a Western North Carolina native and has worked with News 13 for more than 30 years. As a young reporter, he covered the first ever Bele Chere festival in 1978 in Asheville. Sherrill has extensively followed the career of Montreat evangelist Billy Graham. He traveled with Graham to crusades in Russia, Hong Kong, California, Florida, Texas and South Carolina. Sherill is also known for his reporting on environmental issues. He focuses on stories in Henderson and Transylvania Counties.

Before joining WLOS, Sherrill worked for WMSJ (WRGC) in Sylva, WISE-AM in Asheville and was an Adjunct Professor of Broadcast Journalism at UNCA.In 1982, Sherrill won AP's Enterprise Award for a special report on the proliferation of nuclear power.

Sherrill attended Brevard College and Western Carolina University. He is married with two children. He and his wife love living in the mountains. They appreciate all the area has to offer, including camping and hiking.When Sherrill is not reporting for WLOS, he also enjoys mountain biking, still photography, and playing the trombone with the brass choir at Central United Methodist Church in Asheville.

LARRY BLUNT is News 13's 6:00 and 11pm Anchor, Monday through Friday.

"What I like most about my work is the power of television to affect and make a real difference in peoples lives, he says.

During his career, Larrys reporting has helped consumers recover thousands of dollars in stolen money and property from scam artists, officials abusing power, or misuses of taxpayer money. Hes encountered or confronted a reputed Mafia Boss in Kansas City, the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles and interviewed national celebrities from entertainment, sports, politics, and televangelism. Prominent national stories Larry has covered include the Oklahoma City Bombing, Columbine High School Massacre, Edmond Post Office Massacre, Colorados largest wildfire in history and the deadly F-5 tornado that struck Oklahoma and Kansas. In Western North Carolina, Larry exposed illegal activity in adult businesses that resulted in a new Buncombe County Ordinance. He also shined a light on loopholes in state law that allow for the building of homes on top of and near hazardous waste sites which resulted in pledges from lawmakers to take action.

Journalistically, Larry says he gets the most joy when connecting heart to heart with viewers by telling stories of people overcoming unbelievable obstacles with great displays of human spirit. He's captured the kinder and inspirational side of humanity, including efforts by the Cherokee people to save their native language, a magician with a rare disease who inspires hope through a message delivered with magic, and a blind man who volunteers to comfort others by playing a piano in the lobby of a hospital.

The story that drew perhaps one of the largest responses was a very personal and moving story about his son, a veteran of the Iraq War and survivor of three IED attacks. Larry held that 'Conversation With My Son' while he was home briefly on leave. Viewers were deeply touched by the relationship between Larry and his son, a West Point Graduate and Army Lieutenant.

Larry and his family moved to Asheville from Denver, Colorado in 2005. He spent seven years in Denver as a Reporter/Anchor at the CBS station. Prior to that Larry reported and anchored for stations in Greenville, SC, Kansas City and Oklahoma City. He is a genuine Okie from Muskogee. For those of you old enough to remember the popular song from the 70s its a town in Oklahoma, a place where even squares can have a ball.

Larrys work has been honored with dozens of awards at the state, regional and national level. From Emmys to the National Headliner Awards, hes been recognized for excellence in News Anchoring, Investigative Reporting, Business/Consumer Reporting, and Health/Science Reporting. Larry enjoys serving the community as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, co-host of the annual local broadcast of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, Smokies Telethon and emcee for the annual Asheville Christmas Parade. But nothing compares to the greatest reward in life, his wife Jan and their four children. Larry is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, graduate of Purdue Univ. at Fort Wayne and tribally and federally recognized member of the Cherokee Nation.

MARIO BOONE is a North Carolina native who is happy to be working in his home state. He joins News 13 from the CBS affiliate in Knoxville, TN where he served as the Cops and Courts Beat reporter.  One of his most high profile stories was the trial of David Kernell, convicted of hacking former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's email account.

After graduating Hillside High in Durham, Mario studied broadcast journalism at the prestigious Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Since graduating with a B.A. degree Mario has reported in several TV markets including Myrtle Beach, Shreveport, and Savannah.  Mario also freelanced at CNN headquarters in Atlanta as an assignment coordinator on the Regional and By Request desks.

To the surprise of most, Mario is also a former Georgia state law enforcement officer. He spent nearly 5 years supervising violent felons including tracking and arresting fugitives and testifying in Superior Court.

His most exciting professional challenge: learning how to shoot and qualifying with a Glock .40 semi-auto weapon and covering the federal sex trafficking trial of cult leader Tony Alamo.

Do you Tweet? Follow @MarioBoone on Twitter

RUSS BOWEN first came to News 13 in July of 2000. Russ is a co-anchor for News 13 on My40 at 10pm and reports daily for News 13. Before that, he served as anchor for the Saturday and Sunday editions of News 13 at 6pm and 11pm. He started at WLOS as Bureau Chief of the Western Carolina News Center.

Russ broke the story to the nation about a mountain preacher who told his congregation if they voted for John Kerry they needed to "come to the altar and repent or resign". He was also the first reporter to ever step inside the controversial Washington DC townhouse where several members of congress live. It's better known as C Street House.

Russ is no stranger to the Tar Heel state. He grew up in Eastern North Carolina. He came to the mountains from WCTI-TV in New Bern. Russ is an 8 time Emmy Award Winner. He's won four N.C. Associated Press Awards. He's been honored by the North Carolina Chapter of Mother's Against Drunk Drivers and Veteran's of Foreign Wars.

He has a BA from UNC-Wilmington in Mass Communication and a BA in Media Studies with a concentration in Journalism from UNC-Greensboro where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Follow Russ on Twitter @RussBowenNews13

JASON BOYER is News 13's Chief Meteorologist.

A familiar face to Western North Carolina, he served as the Weekend Meteorologist for WLOS in 2002 and 2003.

Jason was born and raised in the small town of Highland, Illinois and graduated with a degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois in 1998. He also holds an American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval.

His first television experience came in the Tri-cities market of Johnson City, TN, where he worked as a Weekend Meteorologist. After his time in Asheville, he went on to serve as the Morning Meteorologist for WTVC in Chattanooga, TN.

For the past five years, Jason has been forecasting the weather for KWGN in Denver, Colorado. At "Channel 2", Jason was responsible for all aspects of the weather coverage as he produced and delivered the morning and midday weathercasts Mondays through Fridays. It was in Denver that Jason earned an Associated Press award for Best Weather Forecast.

For the past eleven years, Jason has been extremely fortunate to forecast the weather in some of the most extreme mountain climates and looks forward to the many challenges that forecasting weather for Western North Carolina will bring. He is so grateful to be back in Asheville and is very excited to become involved in the community.

When he is not working, Jason loves to play the guitar. He also enjoys spending time outdoors running and biking with his wife Sandi and their Golden Retriever, Holly and Bassett Hound, Sophie.

VICTORIA DUNKLE joins News 13 as the station's Morning and Noon anchor by way of Lansing, Michigan, where she was the main news anchor at FOX 47. She took the opportunity to be part of the new news program at FOX 47 in 1997. Eight months after the news started, the station promoted Victoria to the main anchor position.

Along with the newscasts, Victoria co-produced and anchored several health specials. She also worked closely with the local American Heart Association chapter and the Lansing Area AIDS Network.

Victoria started her career at the NBC affiliate in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1993. She worked as a reporter, producer and fill-in anchor. In 1995, she moved to Traverse City, Michigan, to anchor and produce the new morning news for WPBN/WTOM, the NBC affiliate.

Victoria also has a strong interest in community involvement. She encourages young people to read and believes that reading and writing are fundamental to becoming successful in life.

A native of western Pennsylvania, Victoria is a graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her bachelor degree in communication.

Victoria and her husband, Dave, now call the mountains of Western North Carolina home. It didnt take Victoria and Dave long to realize they wanted to raise their family here in the mountains.
In their time here, have had a son and a daughter, August and Lorelei.

JARED FIALKO is the News 13 Weekend Sports Anchor and Reporter.

Jared comes to the mountains, by way of the Mountain State.  He began his career as a General Assignment News Reporter in Oak Hill, West Virginia.  He soon made the transition to Sports and spent the next seven years covering all things WVU, Marshall, and more than 70 high schools in the tri-state area around Huntington/Charleston, WV.

Some of his favorite assignments in West Virginia just happened to be his most painful.  From participating in the physically grueling weight training program at Marshall,to embarrassing himself athletically in former New England Patriot Troy Browns football camp, to nearly passing out during a Marines endurance test, Jared loves to mix it up first-hand with local athletes.  Sometimes it results in simple humiliation,like when he challenged the states top prep field goal kicker. Other times, it's black eyes,like when he attended a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class.

Jared is a proud graduate of the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, where he spent his senior year celebrating a national basketball championship thanks to Gerry McNamara and Carmelo Anthony.  He grew up Scranton, Pennsylvania,now made famous by Steve Carell and the fine folks of Dunder Mifflin. In his spare time, Jared enjoys powerlifting,running, and buying DVDs that he will no doubt have to purchase again when a Special Edition gets released three weeks later.

While he loves covering the college scene, Jared thinks nothing beats the wonderful world of prep athletics.  Every high school has student-athletes with great stories to tell.  If you know an athlete with such a tale, or if you have a physically challenging activity, please email Jared so he can share the story.

FRANK FRABONI comes to WLOS from Greensboro, North Carolina, where he has lived and worked for the past 10 years. Before moving to the mountains, he was employed at WLOS' sister stations, WXLV and WUPN where he anchored the evening newscasts.

Frank first moved to North Carolina in 1983, landing a position as a reporter and anchor for Park Broadcasting's legendary WNCT-TV in Greenville. His story assignments included President Ronald Reagan's visit to Camp LeJeune after the Beirut bombing, deadly hurricanes and tornados and the annual ritual of the tobacco market. He then moved to Winson-Salem as a bureau chief for WXII-TV, covering everything from wildfires in the mountains to KKR's $31 billon takeover of RJR Nabisco, the largest commercial buyout in American history at the time.

His career then took him to Tampa, Florida where he anchored weekends for WFLA-TV before moving across town to anchor mornings at WFTS-TV, a brand new ABC affiliate owned by Scripps Howard Broadcasting, right across the street from the Buccaneer's Tampa Stadium. It was here that he interviewed such notable figures at New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Former Vice President Al Gore, and ABC's Charles Gibson and Joan Lunden.

After 8 years in the sunshine state, Frank returned to North Carolina, the place he's raised his four children and called home for more than 16 years. Upon his return, he replaced long time broadcaster Lee Kinard as the evening anchor at WFMY-TV before joining Sinclair Broadcasting in Winston-Salem.

Frank's award winning career spans more than 20 years with honors for his reporting and anchoring. Frank began his broadcasting career at his hometown station WGMF in Watkins Glen, New York at the age of 16. There, he mentored under a retired writer from the Reuters' news service. He went on to study broadcasting and journalism at SUNY College in Buffalo. During an internship, Frank worked undercover with an investigative reporter at WIVB-TV. Their work resulted in several honors, including UPI's Best Investigation Award for a story that captured New York Telephone workers routinely drinking on the job. Frank went on to receive awards for Best Newscast from the Associated Press in Greenville and Best Feature from The Society of Professional Journalists in Tampa where he documented the plight of the homeless by living for three days on Tampa's city streets.

Frank spends most of his free time with his wife Sara and their four children traveling and visiting family in Eastern North Carolina. He enjoys volunteering at the children's schools and staying active in the community. He's an active member of his catholic church and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Frank is an avid outdoorsman and loves boating, skiing, fishing and camping.

"North Carolina is our home," according to Frank. I've lived up and down the east coast and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. The people are warm and friendly and nothing beats a Carolina blue sky."

DARCEL GRIMES is the anchor of  News 13 at 5, 6 and 11pm, as well as News 13 on My 40 at 10 pm.

She has spent almost three decades as an Anchor/Reporter here in Western North Carolina.

In 1981, Darcel accepted a job at WLOS as the nightside reporter, co-anchor of the 11pm Monday through Friday newscast, and host of a Saturday news magazine show, known as "Mainstreet".   In January of 1983, WLOS management asked Darcel to co-anchor the 6pm newscast as well as the 11pm.

Darcel has become a familiar face in hundreds of thousands of households in North and South Carolina.   While Darcel loves anchoring, she has a passion for reporting. Her Health reports which ranged from the heart wrenching stories of  kids and cancer to the medical breakthrough of invitro fertilization have won awards.

Her special reports from Israel, "The Holy Land", raised money for local charities. When Good Morning America came to Asheville, Darcel represented WLOS with an insightful report on Acid Fog, followed by a question and answer with Charlie Gibson. In her years with the station, she has also covered a political convention, a Presidential Inauguration, the visits of Prince Charles, Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin.

Darcel began her career as an anchor/reporter at an all news radio station in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child, growing up in Washington, D.C., she dreamed of becoming a journalist. Little did she know her dream would take her so far from the people she loves and the place she called home.

"I think the hardest decision I ever made was to leave Washington and move to Mississippi. But I did." And for Darcel, the move paid off. She spent six months at the radio station in Jackson, before landing a job as a reporter at a television station in Tupelo, Mississippi. After a month on the job, the News Director asked her to fill in for the 10pm anchor, and Darcel has been a news anchor ever since. As an anchor and reporter in Mississippi, Darcel covered civil rights protests, the reapportionment of the Mississippi Legislature, and the Inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.

Darcel is married.  She and her husband have two sons. When asked her formula for success, she answers, "hard work, perseverance and prayer."

HOLLY HEADRICK is a native of Western North Carolina. Now people in the mountains can wake up to Holly as she anchors News 13 Weekday Mornings.

Holly also knows her way around the newsroom as she had worked as a producer and assignment editor at WLOS before going on-air.

She returned to the mountains after reporting at WWAY-TV in Wilmington, NC. During her time there, she received the Associated Press Rookie of the Year award in 2001.

Holly is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill where she earned a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She was also recognized as an award winning journalist while in school by the Society of Professional journalists and Hearst Foundation.

Holly grew up watching News 13 and is excited to be a part of WLOS. She has worked with local law enforcement agencies on her Fugitive Files segment, which has helped collar dozens of accused criminals.

In her spare time, Holly enjoys spending time with her family and friends and snowboarding, and traveling.

REX HODGE is thrilled to join WLOS-TV as the station's bureau reporter in Waynesville and to make the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina home.

Rex started his career in television news in the early '80's after growing up in Connecticut and graduating from Emerson College in Boston. He followed opportunities that took him to stations across the country including Virginia,Missouri, Pennsylvania,and Florida. Most recently he anchored the evening news for the ABC affiliate in Tallahassee.

While anchoring and reporting for the University of Missouri-owned, KOMU-TV, he earned his Masters degree in Journalism and reported and produced a special program on Native Americans that won a national Emmy Award. He also traveled to war-torn Bosnia shooting and reporting a series of stories that went on to win a noted documentary festival. For his producing and hosting of a public affairs show in Virginia, he won a prestigious Telly award as well.

Outside of work, Rex enjoys spending time with family and friends. You might also find him on the tennis courts, bike and running trails, golf courses or even dance floors.

KATIE KILLEN joined the News 13 team in December of 2009 as the Rutherford County reporter. Before making her move to the mountains, she was the morning anchor at TV3 Winchester, in Winchester, VA. While in Virginia, Katie wore many hats, including producer, reporter and weathercaster.

Katie also spent time as a news assistant at CNN in the nation's capital. While there, she earned a master's degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in English and Communication from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.

She grew up in central Pennsylvania, where she enjoys spending time on her family's farm. She can't wait to try out some of the great hiking trails here in beautiful western North Carolina!

FRANK KRACHER is a familiar face to WLOS viewers all around Western North Carolina.  Frank returns to the News 13 anchor desk on weekends at six oclock and eleven oclock .  You will also be able to see him out reporting weeknights

Frank first joined WLOS-TV in 1998 as an anchor and soon added Managing Editor to his duties.  After seven years with the News 13 team, he decided to expand his professional career to become News Director and Main Anchor at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, New York.

Frank started his 30-year broadcasting career in the small town of Austin, Minnesota - where he did it all - anchoring, reporting, shooting and editing his own stories, he even tried some sportscasting. From there he moved on to Cincinnati, San Francisco, Seattle, followed by our Wonderful Land Of Sky. 

Frank is the recipient of many honors, including the George Foster Peabody award, for excellence in reporting of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and was born and raised in snowy Chicago.  He prefers our relatively milder mountain winters.

Frank and his wife " artist Barbara Fisher - make their home in the historic Montford community of Asheville. Their daughter Melissa - a North Carolina State graduate - lives in Brooklyn, New York and works in the fashion industry.

Over the years Frank has been involved in a variety of community activities including the Women At Risk jail diversion program, the Eliada Home orphanage and assistance for troubled families, Project Access providing affordable health care for the needy and promotion of the Asheville YMCA. Frank says, Returning to the mountains is a dream come true.  The News 13 family and our family of viewers have always provided me a warm welcome that is much appreciated.  Its good to be home.    

JOHN LE prides himself on being a mountain storyteller. He approaches each assignment with a combination of creativity and compassion.

Over the years, John's most memorable interviews include actor Ben Affleck, entertainer Donnie Osmond, fruit-slamming comedian Gallagher, Jeff Foxworthy, Phyllis Diller, the Smothers Brothers, Joe Pesci, Whitman Mayo (Grady from "Sanford and Son"), and fitness guru Richard Simmons.

But the everyday people of Western North Carolina are the stories he enjoys most... subjects who reveal everything from tearful emotion to humor.

"Each piece is a journey that I learn something from," says John, who came to News 13 in 1996. Those daily "journeys" have been recognized by organizations throughout the region.

He's earned 6 Southeast Regional Emmy Awards, including "Best Writer" three years in a row. The Radio Television Digital News Association named him North Carolina "Reporter of the year" three times(2007, 2009, 2010). John's also received six awards from the NC Associated Press (two for best news writer). In 2011, John won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Writing.

John shares those honors with News 13's fine photography staff and the people who share their stories each night.

John's lovely wife Alicia grew up in Brevard. They have a son Korey, who's a rising young tennis star! Two dogs and a cat round out the Le family.

He is originally from Orange County in sunny Southern California, where he majored in Broadcast Journalism at Cal State Northridge. His humble beginnings included a memorable stint as a reporter in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at ABC affiliate KHOG (yep, he called it "the pig").

Back in the day, John teamed up on community college news productions with Will Ferrell. Ferrell eventually became a famous comedian on "Saturday Night Live" and movies.

STAN PAMFILIS, Sports Director, first joined News 13 WLOS more than twenty years ago, in 1979.

Prior to anchoring the sports reports here at News 13, Stan wore many hats at WJHG-TV in Panama City, Florida. He was the Weatherman, News Anchor, Talk Show Host and Sports Director. During his career in Western North Carolina, Stan has also worked as the play-by-play announcer for Western Carolina University's Catamount football and basketball.

Born March 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia, Stan graduated from the University of Georgia.

Stan spends most of his spare time on the golf course but he also enjoys weightlifting, history and going to the movies.

MEGAN SCHIERING joined the WLOS news team in March of 2010 as a weekday morning reporter.

She comes to News 13 from KATC in Lafayette, Louisiana. For two years Megan served as the night-side reporter. Prior to working at KATC, Megan was a part of the news team at the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio. She started as a production assistant and quickly moved up to assistant sports producer. While sports is a passion of Megan's, she decided to make the switch to news. It was at WLWT that Megan was able to start her reporting career.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native graduated from Hanover College in 2005 with a Degree in Communications. While at Hanover, Megan played softball, soccer, and was a member of the Student Broadcasting Association and Phi Mu Sorority.

Megan is thrilled to have the opportunity to work and live in Asheville. She looks forward to experiencing everything the mountains have to offer.

JAY SILTZER , News 13 morning anchor, joined WLOS in 1999. He is in his 22nd year in the news business.

After co-anchoring morning news for News 13, Jay provides health stories for News 13 at 5 p.m.

Also a meteorologist, Jay completed the broadcast meteorology program at Mississippi State University. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds the AMS Seal of Approval for Television and the AMS Seal of Approval for Radio. Friends call him "Stormy" because outdoor conditions are often at their worst when he fills in at the weather desk.

A 1989 graduate of Lander University with a bachelor's degree in political science, Jay previously worked as a reporter for WVLT-TV in Knoxville, TN; WJHL-TV in Johnson City, TN; and the Index-Journal newspaper in Greenwood, SC.

Since joining News 13, Jay has followed the oldest-ever Tarheel voter to the polls, covered the capture of Eric Rudolph and witnessed the execution of a death-row inmate. Jay's work in 2000 earned him a first place Associated Press award for general news reporting.

When he's not working, Jay often shares his experience as a two-time cancer survivor with school, civic and church groups. Jay and his wife, Kelly, live in Henderson County with their son, Malachi. They are members of Mills River United Methodist Church and share their home with Caper, a destructive tabby cat.

TAMMY WATFORD currently anchors the 5:00, 5:30 and 6:30 news programs, and is well known at schools across the mountains for her education stories called, "Never Stop Learning." Tammy enjoys learning from the students and teachers she meets in her daily reports. It's a hands-on series, meaning you can often find her digging in a garden, participating in a science experiment or getting involved in field day activities alongside the youngsters. Watch "Never Stop Learning" Monday's on News 13 at 6pm and Tuesdays through Thursdays on News 13 at 5pm.

Before moving to the mountains, Tammy worked at television stations in Alabama and Florida. After graduating from Troy State University, she landed her first job at WCFT in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Four years later the Dothan, Alabama, native accepted a job in Tallahassee at WCTV-6. In 1993, she arrived in Asheville just ahead of the "Storm of the Century."

Tammy has won several awards in communications including the North Carolina Association of Educators' 2002 School Bell Award for excellence in coverage of education issues. She also received Associated Press Awards for Best Newscast in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Tammy also captured the AP's Best Photographer award while working in Tuscaloosa.

EMMA WRIGHT is thrilled to be living and working in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She came to Asheville from Upstate New York where she was an Anchor and Reporter at WKTV in Utica. While there, Emma was recognized by the Syracuse Press Club and New York State Broadcasters. She graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Emma enjoys running and traveling. If you have a story idea, please email Emma at the address below or follow her on twitter @wright_emma.

JULIE WUNDER joined the News 13 Weather Team in September 2003 and is proud to call Asheville home. You can regularly catch her weather reports during the weekday morning and noon newscasts.

Whether giving the weather reports from the field or studio, Julie prides herself in delivering accurate information with a smile. Recently she launched a new travel series called "One Day Wunders."  She's already swam with whale sharks, zip lined, and crawled through caves!  Keep watching to see what she will do and where she will go next-- taking you along on these excited one day trips.  Julie also attempts to cook in the Carolina Kitchen and uses her role on television to help find homes for animals. She dedicates time to volunteer with local animal advocate groups including, Asheville Humane Society, Animals Compassion Network, Blue Ridge Humane Society, and Sarge and Friends Animal Rescue foundation. Yearly she is the Honorary Chairperson and Host of many local fundraisers.

In 2008, Julie won an EMMY for her weather reporting. She holds both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association Seal of Approval for her weathercasts. Also, two of her weather stories have been honored with awards from the Radio Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas.  She also has a Florida AP award. In 2003, the Save-a-Pet organization of Georgia awarded Julie for her efforts.

Julie graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and Minors in Dance and Political Science. She holds a Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Additionally, she is a member of the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society. She has also been an adjunct professor for the Broadcast Meteorology class at UNCA.

Before coming to Asheville, Julie was the Chief Weather Anchor at WGXA in Macon, Georgia. While in Macon, Julie also worked for WPGA. Julie has also had jobs in both radio and TV in Gainesville, Florida. Julie grew up in Orlando, Florida, and spent time working at Walt Disney World. She danced in parades and played Mickey's best friend, Pluto. In her free time Julie enjoys running, traveling, and watching Florida football.  You may even catch her running (slowly) in a local race.  She is the dog mom of an adorable long-haired dachshund named Rhett.

KAREN WYNNE is News 13's Weekend Meteorologist and a Reporter focusing on environmental issues.

Before coming to WLOS, Karen was part of an award winning weather team at News 13's sister station in Charleston, West Virginia. She was named Best Weathercaster by the West Virginia Associated Press in 2006.

Her weathercasts have the seal of approval from both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. She appreciates the challenges of forecasting weather in mountainous regions.

Since coming to Western North Carolina, Karen has been moved by the beauty of the mountains and the friendly people who live here. Karen, her husband and daughter enjoy all that the area has to offer.