Changing Channels: Former KATC Reporter Returns to Louisiana

A former local TV reporter is back in the Pelican State after a three-month exile, and one of Acadiana's favorite weathermen is celebrating an anniversary.

It's time for our latest edition of "Changing Channels."

Katie Easter Is Back in Louisiana

She was gone for only a few months, but former KLFY and KATC reporter Katie Easter has returned to her adoptive home state.

Easter, who left KATC in October to take a reporting job at WKDY-TV in Lexington, Kentucky, is back on the Louisiana airwaves. This time, she's reporting at WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge. In addition to filing reports from the field, Easter will be anchoring the station's Saturday morning newscast.

Easter is a Missouri native, but she fell in love with Louisiana's culture--especially Acadiana's culture--while living and working here. That, she said, was one of the primary reasons she moved back to the state. On her Facebook page, she listed another reason why she wanted to move back: Warmer weather.

Easter was quick to compliment her coworkers and the news team at WKDY, saying she enjoyed her time there. Still, there's no place like home, and for Easter, Louisiana is her home.

Daniel Phillips Celebrates On-Air Anniversary

It seems like yesterday that Daniel Phillips moved to Lafayette to take over the weekend meteorologist gig at KATC.

In reality, it's been nine years since Phillips came to town from his previous stop in Grand Junction, Colorado. Last week, Phillips marked his anniversary in Acadiana by posting about it on Facebook.

In his nine years in town, Daniel has lived his dream of covering hurricanes.

He's told the stories of Acadiana's people.

He's won an Emmy Award for his environmental reporting.

He's become KATC's resident festival correspondent.

He's even dressed up as a penguin for Halloween.

And he's earned a legion of fans by calling out the stupidity of people who drive through flooded areas.

Daniel Phillips is an Acadiana treasure. Congratulations, Daniel! Here's to many more years of success on Acadiana's airwaves.