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WKAR says farewell Melissa Benmark...and thanks!

Melissa in Studio
Stacy Hoxsey
/
WKAR-MSU
Melissa Benmark

Today was "Morning Edition" host Melissa Benmark's last day at WKAR, and her friends and colleagues send her off with this retrospective.

This is a hard day for us here at WKAR. Today we’re saying goodbye to someone who means a lot to us and to many of you. Over the past 26 years, Melissa Benmark has done a lot of great work here at WKAR. She’s our Morning Edition host and produces interviews on Current State.

Today, Melissa is retiring. Not forever - she’s far too young – but from Michigan State University.

Ever since she broke the news, we’ve all been agonizing over what to say to her and how to say it. We hope this will suffice, Melissa. This one is for you.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
Scott Pohl has maintained an on-call schedule reporting for WKAR following his retirement after 36 years on the air at the station.
Jody Knol began announcing classical music on 90.5 WKAR while a student at MSU in 1982.
Hello, I'm Brad Walker, head of operations for WKAR Radio and manager for WKAR Radio Reading Service, which is our service for blind and visually-impaired persons in mid-Michigan. You may also hear me from time to time on WKAR TV and Radio talking about many of our wonderful sponsors.
Every WKAR News story you read is rooted in fact-based, local journalism, produced without commercial influence and available for free to everyone in mid-Michigan. No paywalls. Ever.

But this work doesn’t fund itself. With significant cuts to federal funding, public media is facing a critical moment. If you believe in journalism that serves the public interest, now is the time to act. Donate today.