11/03/2024
A personal note.
After 10 years at WPLG-TV, my longest professional tenure yet, I have decided to move on and move forward.
I can not tell you how tremendously blessed I feel for the amazing experience I’ve had at the house of Ann Bishop, Dwight Lauderdale and many other amazing journalists.
In January 2015, we were the only local TV station on the ground in Havana when American diplomats arrived following the President's announcement regarding a renewed relationship with Cuba.
Months later, in July, what was supposed to be a pre-papal visit to the island turned into a cross-country tour that allowed us to show Cuban life as we found it in a series of stories and subsequent documentary, “Coast to Coast.” Many here at home had not seen of those images in decades!
I was on the island hours after Fidel Castro’s death was announced, got to witness two historic Papal visits.
And in January of 2017, we made history by being the first local news crew to be imbedded on the island. While living there, we covered major hurricanes, a commercial plane crash and the mysterious health attacks on U.S. embassy workers. That’s of course not counting the many stories about life, turmoil and oppression on that beautiful island.
The pandemic brought a new reality and for me a new self assigned beat: education. From masking, vaccines to the hiring and firing of superintendents to being the first to break the story about the arrest of a school board member and the subsequent fallout, we did it all!
Ok, before I get the damn Oscar “wrap it up” music…I say thank you all for your support and encouragement! It’s been a honor to witness history and tell stories in my hometown. Not to worry, I’ll be around. Soon I’ll have an update on what I expect to be a new amazing adventure!
God bless,
Hatzel
