The WNEM story that sparked a scandal involving U.S. congressman Dale Kildee this week began its life a year ago.

Last year, WNEM anchor Katie O’Mara received a letter.  It was from the sister of Patrick Kildee, the man who would eventually come forward and accuse Dale Kildee, his half cousin, of molesting him as an adolescent.  The letter disclosed a pattern of abuse by the congressman and O’Mara started investigating.

“It’s challenging for a main anchor with significant anchor duties to also pursue investigative reports,” WNEM news director Ian B. Rubin told TVSpy recently, “but Katie did so with energy and passion from start to finish.” Read more

In our four-week Social Media 101 online conference and workshop starting January 19, you’ll get hands-on, basic training on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Foursquare, YouTube, and Flickr. Speakers include Jessica Bennett (Newsweek.com, The Daily Beast), Erica Swallow (Mashable), and Brian Stelter (The New York Times). Register today!

Lily Jang, an anchor at Seattle Fox-affiliate KCPQ, is leaving the station after seven years.

“I’m leaving Q13 and moving home to Houston,” she wrote on Facebook. “My immigrant parents worked their entire lives for my brother and me and gave us our American dreams. Now that dad’s facing Parkinson’s, I’m leaving a job I love for my family that comes first.”

Jang is KCPQ’s longtime morning anchor. Alongside Bill Wixey, she helms four hours of programming each weekday morning. She will continue to work at KCPQ through early 2012.

Leslie Hudson, a former meteorologist at Orlando NBC-affiliate WESH, is returning to Florida television on a freelance basis at rival station WOFL, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“It’s very part time, but I am very excited,” she wrote. “Can’t wait to track the radar again! Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes, they worked!”

Hudson worked at WPBF in West Palm Beach and WSVN in Miami before joining Orlando’s Central Florida News 13 in 1998. She joined WESH in 2001, spending six years at the station. Most recently, she has worked as the weekend meteorologist for a local radio in Orlando.

Hudson will handle the weekend forecasts for WOFL beginning in December.

KOVR reporter Checkey Beckford and photojournalist Dennis Marin were at the center of a news story that has swept across the country this week–so close that they felt the sting of pepper spray.

Beckford and Marin were positioned right behind a row of seated UC Davis students as a police officer in riot gear methodically dusted them with an orange stream of pepper spray last Friday afternoon. Beckford and Marin had a front row seat to an incident that has had major ramifications for the university and its community, one that has sparked a national debate and become a symbol for the Occupy protest as a whole. Read more

KLAS chief investigative reporter George Knapp made a disturbing discovery while reporting on Nevada mortgage fraud for “Desert Underwater,” the station’s series for sweeps: he was a victim of the very mortgage fraud he investigated.

As part of his reporting, Knapp interviewed a foreclosure attorney who told him that many people who purchase homes out of foreclosure have fraudulent paperwork associated with their chain of title. Read more

WKMG sports director David Pingalore appears to have broken a story that, if true, will dramatically change the college football landscape.

Citing “very reliable sources,” Pingalore reported Tuesday night that former Florida Gators football coach Urban Meyer has agreed in principle to  become the next head coach of Ohio State.

“I can confirm tonight through my sources that Meyer has agreed to a seven-year, $40 million deal with Ohio State,” Pingalore told viewers during WKMG’s 11 p.m. newscast Tuesday night.  “Meyer will be announced as Ohio State’s next head coach in the coming days.”

Meyer, however, is denying Pingalore’s report. Read more

Ursula Pari, an evening anchor on San Antonio ABC-affiliate KSAT, is making the move from anchoring the 10 p.m. newscast to anchoring the 4, 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts in order to spend more time with her kids.

“I’ll be home at 7 p.m,” she told the San Antonio Express-News. “I can have a late dinner with my kids, help with homework, talk about what happened to them in their day without feeling so rushed.”

Pari’s last day on the 10 p.m. newscast will be November 30. She will be replaced by weekend anchor Isis Romero, who frequently reports for the program.

“I really think people are going to like Isis a lot, if they don’t already,” Pari said. “I’m really rooting for her. She’s more than qualified and competent to do a great job.”

KDKA anchor Susan Koeppen is now recovering from what the station is calling a “serious” heart problem.

“On Sunday, while running, Susan suffered a heart problem related to a pre-existing heart valve condition,” the station said in a statement on Tuesday. “It was quite serious, but she is recovering nicely in the hospital.”

During Tuesday night’s 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts, KDKA explained the reason for Koeppen’s absence from the anchor desk.

“Susan and her family want to thank everyone for their thoughts and their prayers,” Koeppen’s 6 p.m. co-anchor Stacy Smith told viewers. “We all here at KDKA are just devastated about this news, but of course praying and thinking of her and wishing her a speedy recovery.”

In the aftermath of Nexstar’s acquisition of WEHT, big changes are coming to the Evansville ABC-affiliate.

Earlier this month came the announcement that a significant number of staffers — from production staff to on-air talent to station management — would be let go. As the station merges operations with independent WTVW, the newscasts will get a new look, and new talent, when the revamped programming debuts next Thursday.

The Evansville Courier-Press reports that WTVW evening anchors Randy Moore and Julie Dolan (pictured) will move to mornings on WEHT, and the pair will be joined by meteorologist Ron Rhodes. Read more

After 13 years at WJW, anchor Stacey Bell is leaving the Cleveland Fox-affiliate.

Bell is moving to New Jersey to be with her husband, the running back coach for the New York Jets. Her last broadcast will be tonight.

After joining WJW in 1998 as a reporter for the morning newscast, Bell was named co-anchor of the 5 p.m. newscast in 2000. She moved to the 10 p.m. newscast, which she anchors with Bill Martin, in 2005.

A replacement has not yet been selected for the evening newscast, but the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports Tracy McCool, the WJW morning anchor, is a likely candidate.