A Matter of Trust A Matter of Trust

Instilling a sense of community in the Four States Instilling a sense of community in the Four States

By Amy Howe

You watch them every day and see them in the community.

Now it’s time to get to know your local television personalities even better. Whether you’re an early bird watching the morning news, stay up late to watch the evening news or catch their broadcast throughout the day, this cast is committed to delivering what’s happening in our community. They are funny, quirky, down to earth and committed.

We hope you learn something new about your favorite television personality in this special feature.

Gary Bandy

Co-Host, Living Well, KSN

Gary Bandy has been in broadcast for over 50 years. Despite being the chief meteorologist for over a decade, Gary is not and never has been a “weather nerd.”

“I am a music nerd and that’s why I chose broadcasting as a career,” said Gary. “When I was 17 years old, I chose radio as a career because I erroneously believed I would get paid to listen to music eight hours a day. That’s not the way it works, but I still loved the work.”

After working in several areas of television, Gary is now the co-host of Living Well and loves working with his coworkers. He and his co-anchor, Shelby Neely, have such great chemistry, and they are both the genuine article.

“We’ve got some of the best people in the business and I’m honored to be able to work with them,” he said. “I also truly appreciate the ability to inform the public on ways they can live well by volunteering and finding ways to help those in our community who need the help.”

Gary says the new studio at KSN 16 allows them to take Living Well to the next level.

Shelby Neely Living Well Co-host and Business Showcase host

Shelby Neely’s personality shines bright, making her the perfect co-host of Living Well and host of Business Showcase. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to visit with Shelby, you know she is passionate about sharing people’s stories, alongside her co-host, Gary Bandy.

“I love learning about the interesting and giving people in our area,” said Shelby. “And I especially enjoy getting to work with Gary Bandy! He’s just as kind and in tune to people and as funny as you see him on tv.”

Shelby always knew she wanted to be in front of the camera for her broadcasting career. “I had a class in high school where I was told I was kind of like Oprah and boy, did that light a fire!” she said.

It’s Shelby’s goal to always bring out the best of the Four States, sharing all she can about ways others are helping in the community.

There is a running joke with the staff at KSN 16/KODE about knowing where Shelby is from.

“You can’t have a conversation with Shelby where she doesn’t mention Carthage, Missouri,” laughed Bobbie Pottorff, KSN 16/KODE news director. “Shelby is passionate about two things: the snack drawer in her desk and Carthage.”

Jessica Schaer

KSN 16 Weekday Evening Anchor

Jessica Schaer has been sharing stories about the people in our communities for over 10 years. As a KSN 16 weekday evening anchor, Jessica loves focusing on the good that’s happening in the community and finds joy in sharing special stories about special people who are doing good things in the world.

Jessica’s path to broadcast was not the straight and narrow. Throughout college, she achieved an associate degree in dance, a bachelor’s degree in communications and a second bachelor’s degree in meteorology. And while we’ve come to expect seeing her on television every night, Jessica still teaches dance to children ages 2-7 years old on Saturday mornings.

“I have danced my whole life and, although I never made it a career, I’m so grateful I get to teach it and inspire the next generation of dancers to fall in love with something I’ve been so passionate about my whole life,” said Jessica.

It’s Jessica’s goal to make a difference, wherever she goes. “I feel as though broadcast news gives me a good opportunity or platform to help achieve that,” she said. “I always hope maybe I helped someone with a news story, whether through sharing their story or through a story they watched.”

Jessica is married to her husband, Tyler Loggains, and loves her two dogs, Lisbeth and Mimi. Jessica is on the board of the Lafayette House, she is a CASA (court-appointed special advocate), and she’s also a HOPE 4 You Breast Cancer board member.

Chase Bullman

KSN 16 Meteorologist

Everyone says weather in the Four States is like riding a roller coaster, and that’s an accurate statement according to Chase Bullman, the chief meteorologist at KSN 16. He says his days can change quickly and often, and that’s what he loves most about his career. He enjoys the challenge of watching the trends of large-scale weather features and then sharing what’s coming with the viewers.

When he was a freshman in college, Chase had dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, but that all changed in 2011. “I was glued to the coverage of the super outbreak of April 27, 2011, all day long and thought to myself that this career has to be exciting,” said Chase. “As I was driving back to my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, for summer break, the Joplin tornado happened and that caught my attention as well.”

Chase still loves soccer and watches as many matches as he can, but he gets to share his passion for the weather every day. Viewers can catch Chase on Living Well and KSN 16 Local News at 6 and 10, making sure the community is up to speed and prepared for any weather-related activity.

When Chase isn’t working, or working out (he’s really into CrossFit), he is busy being a dad and husband and loves being a part of the community.

Gretchen Bolander Reporter/Assistant News Director, KSN/KODE

Reporting stories that matter all over the Four States is what you will find Senior Reporter Gretchen Bolander doing every day.

“I love talking to different people and learning what is going on in the Four States,” she said. “It’s a chance to know the history and the politics, the charity and everything else that’s going on!”

Gretchen decided to work toward a job in television news just before graduating high school.

“After my junior year in college, I did an internship with a television station in Wichita and thought, ‘What am I doing? I don’t know how to do any of this,’ but I decided not to give up, and it all worked out,” she said.

It worked out so well, in fact, that Gretchen is now in her 28th year at KODE.

A fun fact about Gretchen you may not know is she jumped out of a plane last year, conquering her fear once and for all.

“I’ve talked for years about going skydiving and finally did it in 2022,” she said. “I’ll admit I was pretty nervous before the jump until I found out that a 96-year-old woman was in the group after me. I figured if she could do it, so could I.”

MIKE OLMSTEAD News Anchor at KODE TV

Mike Olmstead is no stranger to television, having been a part of the industry for the better part of the last 27 years. He spent most of his career covering sports and has had the privilege of covering a slew of fun and exciting events such as NCAA tournaments, a Little League World Series, the Kentucky Derby, a US Open and a PGA Championship, to name more than a few.

“Toward the end of 2010, I came to a point where I was tired of having whatever sports season was happening dictate my schedule, so I decided to make the move to news,” said Mike.

Now, you can catch him anchoring the KODE evening news. He has become a great journalist who has built trust and credibility with viewers.

Although Mike is a public figure, he actually considers himself a private person.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love being in front of people or interacting with them, but there are times when I simply want to be with my wife binge watching shows and visiting with my stepson, or watching my son pull tractors, and watching my daughter cheer for OU,” he said.

Mike has a great sense of humor, and he and his chief meteorologist, Ray Foreman, always give each other a hard time on the air.

Bubba Evansco

On-air Talent/Promotions Director KSN/KODE

Bubba Evansco believes he has the best of both worlds, and while his path to local television was unconventional, he gives credit to those who came before him.

“If it wasn’t for radio guys making the transition to television like Ray Foreman, Hank Rotten Jr. and Gary Bandy, the opportunity for us simply wouldn’t exist,” said Bubba. “Television all started by us filling in when they needed a hand. And with the continued support of station management, we’ve been so blessed to fulfill our mission of serving the Four State community.”

Bubba Evansco has been co-hosting Good Morning Four States for over four years now, alongside his friend and radio co-host, Howie Nunnelly. And the duo has been together on the radio for the last 20 years.

In 2022, Bubba also took over as promotions director for KSN 16 and KODE.

It was during his service in the U.S. Navy that Bubba had the opportunity to work on the Navy’s television and radio stations.

“It was during that time I developed a real love for entertaining,” he said. “I remember recording the radio as a kid and recording my own breaks to go in between the songs. So, I guess you can say I’ve wanted to do this my whole life, and I do consider this my dream job and love every minute of it!”

Howie Nunnelly

Host/Producer of Good Morning Four States, KODE

Howie Nunnelly wears many hats every day. He’s always been a radio guy, but for the past four years, he has been a part of Good Morning Four States (GMFS) alongside co-host Bubba Evansco. The two have worked with each other for over 20 years. In addition to co-hosting, Howie also produces GMFS. Once the morning show is over, Howie races over to the radio station to do his show there, and then he puts on his realtor’s hat. At that point, you would think his day would be over, but you’d be wrong. Howie will then return to work on Good Morning Four States, getting things ready for the next day.

And even though he’s crazy busy, Howie considers himself the lucky one.

“I can’t say enough about the love and grace people here have shown me,” he said. “If you are reading this, I want to say thank you; you have a piece of my heart and always will. I never want to be ‘too big’ for my hometown.”

Beyond all the hats he wears and the jobs he does, the thing Howie is most proud of is his community service. He participates and works with area service organizations, including Comedy for Camp for Soroptimist International of Joplin, the Boys and Girls Club, The Lafayette House, the Anti-Violence Project, Children’s Haven, and Empty Bowls for Watered Gardens, to name a few.

Tiffany Alaniz Morning Show and Noon News Anchor at KSN

Tiffany Alaniz started her career in Joplin in 1997, fresh out of college. She made Joplin her home and became one of the area’s most recognizable and trusted news anchors until 2013, when she returned to her hometown of Tulsa. It was during her time there that she gained more experience with hard-hitting, fast-paced news and really honed her skills. Tiffany recently returned to Joplin and currently anchors the Local News Today and Local News at Noon.

“It feels extremely special to be back on the air at KSN 16 since this is where I started as a rookie reporter,” she said. “Loyal KSN viewers watched me make mistakes, become a better journalist, grow up and even have a baby.”

As the morning show anchor, Tiffany feels blessed to be the first one viewers tune in to watch every day.

“It’s a hectic time of day in most homes with trying to get kids up and out the door and for people to get to work,” she said. “We work hard to make sure they have all of the news and weather information, so they start the day informed and ready to go.”

Tiffany loves meeting people and considers it a privilege to share their stories.

“Reporting was my first love in journalism and I’m happy I’ve been able to continue being out in the community talking to people and learning from them,” she said.

BRETT SCOTT Morning Meteorologist KSNFKODE

Brett Scott joined the KSN 16/KODE crew right out of college. He obtained his meteorology degree from one of the most battle-tested schools for meteorology, the University of Oklahoma in Norman. It is located on the fifth floor of the National Weather Center and is considered the best meteorological program in the country.

The dynamic weather of the area is what Brett loves most about working in this community. And while most people are sleeping at midnight, Brett is waking up and getting his day started. He is at work, preparing for both morning weather segments for KSN 16 and KODE by 2:30 a.m.

“I spend the early morning time creating weather segments for both morning shows, including writing captioning, setting up slides, writing a web story and recording segments for the national shows.”

He loves storm chasing and is unapologetic about his weather nerdiness. Brett gets very excited about severe weather situations and has learned so much from Chase Bullman and Ray Foreman. He is the new kid on the block, so to speak, and has developed a terrific rapport with his more experienced co-anchor of KSN 16’s Local News Today, Tiffany Alaniz. They joke that Tiffany began her career at KSN 16 in 1997, a couple of years before Brett was even born. The two make a great team.

Thesun is out and we are getting very excited for Second Tuesday in the Park to come back this month! Join us Tuesday, June 13, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Memorial Park on Pennell Street in Carl Junction. There will be food trucks, vendor booths, games, bounce houses, and the new splash pad in CJ will be open! June’s theme is Sports Night sponsored by Kraft Insurance Services. Learn more on our Facebook page. June is extra special because Missouri Humanities will be in town filming the event for our Small Town Showcase marketing video. You don’t want to miss this event!

Alyssa Galvan’s music catalog focuses on songs she writes in the folk/Americana/ blues genres and reads like a seasoned pro’s catalog. And she is that, even at the young age of 17. Alyssa has been dedicated to music most of her life, thanks to the car radio’s introduction to a variety of musicians and styles. “I was always telling my parents what song or artist to put on,” she says. “As I got older, I began to find different artists and genres I had never heard before and really started exploring them.”

Alyssa Galvan

Marching to a Melody All Her Own

She discovered the tunes of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and David Bowie and then began to explore the 1970s New York glam and punk scene, claiming “it remains one of my favorite genres still.” As things progressed and her interest deepened, she began songwriting after delving into the music of early 1900s blues artists like Son House, Blind Willie McTell and Bessie Smith. “When I was 12, I attended my first open mic night and I have been ever since,” Galvan says. “I had my first gig at 13.”

She attributes her success to her appearance at many more open mic nights and other opportunities. “I am extremely grateful and lucky to have had as many opportunities as I have had. It’s all about meeting people and sharing what you have with others, and each experience reaffirms this is the path I want to take, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Next up for her is a small European tour with her youth blues/funk band, The International Crossroads Project, that will find them performing across France and Croatia.

The adage “Teamwork makes the dream work” is true for Galvan as she expresses gratitude for her parents and their support of her career. “I have incredibly supportive parents, and without them, I wouldn’t be where I am at all,” she says. “They travel with me gig to gig and help me with all my equipment and sound. My mom runs sound and has dedicated a lot of her own time to doing something that benefits me. I appreciate the both of them and couldn’t imagine doing all of this without them. I also have an incredible mentor, Justin Cauble, who is an incredible local musician. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate him.”

The process of writing is not always easy. “When it comes to writing songs, it all just comes and goes,” Galvan said. “Many of my songs have been written in a short time, like when I walk in the kitchen and something comes to me so I have to grab my guitar and write it down. You can’t rush it, though; ideas just come and go.”

And while she has come to accept that fact, it can still be a frustrating part of the business. She often finds herself in a love/hate relationship with herself and finds solace in knowing other artists experience the same. “Sometimes you feel inspired and sometimes you don’t and the times you don’t can last months. It’s a frustrating process, but I have slowly accepted these periods of time.”

That acceptance has led her to some incredible memories associated with the blues path she has chosen. “Playing with my band in the International Blues Challenge earlier this year in Memphis was an incredible time that opened several doors for me,” Galvan said, “As well as participating in the Pinetop Perkins Youth Workshop Masterclasses in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where I had the chance to share the stage with legendary Bob Margolin. I’m grateful for it all.”