Where Are They Now

One thing about this job is you get a lot people coming up to you in public. Sometimes they just stare. Or they may approach you, a bit hesitantly, and say , “I know you from somewhere.” And before I can answer they ask something like, “did you go to school with my sister Fiona?”
I usually ask them which Fiona it is… I know so many.
Some other common questions include “Do people come up to you a lot because you’re on the TV?” Or “what’s Cecil Chandler like?” And another standard: “Whatever happened to (fill in the blank here)?
That reminds of a lady who stopped me at the all-night grocery store. She wanted to know whatever happened “to that weatherman?” Naturally, I asked, “which weatherman? We’ve had a lot.”
Lady at store: “You know… the fella you had a few years back.”
Me: “Don Luehrs?”
Lady at store: “No, not him.”
Me: “Mark Mathis?”
Lady at store: “No… that’s not it either.”
Me: “Bob Juback?”
Lady at store: “That may be it, but I don’t think so… what did he look like?”
I didn’t tell her she was looking at him. However, it did make me think that many of you don’t know where these former famous News13 meteorologists have gone.
Let me help. I hope I don’t leave anyone out.

Don Luehrs
Don was WBTW’s second-ever meteorologist and had, by far, the longest tenure here at the station. He was here for 19 years. Back in the Spring, Don decided to try real estate. It was something he had wanted to do for some time and he made the move. Don is one of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with and he is a great forecaster. I’m sure he’s a great real estate agent, too. If you see Don, ask him about the “rabbit story.”

Mark Mathis
Mark may have more pure talent than anyone I’ve ever shared a newsroom with. He’s a great singer, dancer, actor and played a little college football at Baylor. After Mark left here, he made the rounds… Charleston, Dallas, Austin (TX), San Diego, San Antonio and Charlotte. Now he’s working at KREX in Grand Junction, Colorado. Mark once got in trouble here for going a bit too far with his Elvis imitation on Halloween 1992. However, once you get past his “act”, you’ll find that Mark is a super guy and a super kind heart. I honestly think I could call him with any request and he’d deliver. Except don’t ask him for money. He’s usually broke.

Tad Maguire
Tad was our first-ever meteorologist and worked here back in the mid-1980s. His real first name is “Thaddeus,” one of only two Thaddei I’ve ever known. The other was a fella from Allendale I knew at USC. The WBTW Thaddeus left the on-air biz in the early 90s and has been working for an outfit that sells and develops fancy weather equipment ever since. Tad is a fantastic fella. He’s a good friend and has a great wife.

Ken Daily
Ken was our morning meteorologist in the mid-90s. I didn’t know Ken real well, mainly because our schedules were so different. Ken knows his weather but, unfortunately, I don’t know where he is right now.

Jeff Kirk
I think Jeff took over when Ken left. Jeff worked the mornings for several years and on one particular Groundhog Day, did a memorable imitation of the famous woodchuck. Jeff is a great guy and left here for WJCL in Savannah, where he still works as that station’s Chief Meteorologist.

Jake Dunne
Jake came here from Kansas back in the mid 1990s. He mainly did weekend weather. I remember that Jake once worked all day on this fancy computer presentation on lightning. It was fantastic, although Jake spelled it “lighting” on the air. Another time, too, he interviewed the San Diego Chicken live on the air and the “chicken” put Jake’s head in his beak. Jake isn’t real big so the fowl’s beak completely enveloped Jake’s head. Jake is a super guy and is now a meteorologist at WLNS in Lansing, Michigan.

Allen Strum
Allen worked mornings with Rob Stewart and Lynn Morehouse in the mid to late 90s.
Allen is a funny guy who did news and weather but, as it turned out, he was better at weather than news. It also fit his personality a lot better. Allen left here for Lexington, Kentucky, but he’s been at WEAR in the Pensacola/Mobile market for a fair number of years now. Allen always had a good-looking gal on his arm. That always impressed me.

James Wieland
What you saw on the air was truly what you got with James. He did a great job at being himself on the morning show and the viewers really bonded with him. I don’t think James prepared his weathercasts as thoroughly as some of our other meteorologists but he really knows his stuff. James took his forecast and he presented it in his own quirky, entertaining and very effective way. People here loved him and still ask about him. James went to Florida State and grew up in South Florida. Now he’s back home, working at WPTV in West Palm Beach.

Monte Montello
Monte is a lot like James… very personable and likeable on the air. And off. Monte is a great guy and actually came to see me when I was in the hospital a few years back. It’s funny how you never forget small acts of kindness. Monte is a huge Chicago Cubs fan and came here from some little market in Nebraska. Now he’s at some bigger market in North Carolina… Charlotte.

Dave Williams
Dave was our morning meteorologist before Chris Still took his place late last year. Dave is an Ohio State grad and loves the Buckeyes. Outside of that, Dave is about as nice a guy that you’ll meet. He now works at the ABC station in Charleston but he still comes to see us when he’s around. Dave has a brother named Ted Williams. No, I’m not kidding.

Sherena Gainey
Sherena did news and weather here at WBTW in the mid to late-1980s… before a lot of stations our size had separate weather departments. Sherena is from Cheraw and did a great job at News13. Back then, we were Eyewitness News, working out of a newsroom smaller than your average doctor’s waiting room. Sherena did so well that she and a few others started our first Myrtle Beach newsroom around 1985. Sherena is a super gal. I still run into her now and then at the Beach.

Kelly Shriver
Kelly did our weekend weather back in the early 1990s. She also worked in our marketing department during the week, so she rarely had a day off. Kelly went to the University of Oklahoma and loves the Sooners. After she left WBTW, she went to a station down around St. Simons Island, Georgia. Then she met and married our former Sports Director Pete Yanity. I’m not sure that was a good move for her, but they are still married and have two fantastic kids.

Speaking of Pete, he’s one of my best friends and that reminds me of some former sports guys here. We’ll save that, however, for another column.
Getting back to the lady at the all-night checkout, she was never able to place “that weatherman”. I took my receipt to put my number on it, so she could call me if she remembered the name. Before I could jot it down, she told me to say “hey” to Cecil.
I told her I would… and gave her Cecil’s cell.

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