On Tuesday, FOX 26 (KRIV) reporter Mekenna Earnhart announced she is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Palmer Jacobs, after a proposal that caught her completely off guard.
“We’re so excited and incredibly grateful for this season of life,” Earnhart told Chron. “We’ve been together for nearly seven years—officially on May 8—and our story has truly come full circle.”
Jacobs orchestrated the proposal months in advance, reaching out to the same hair and makeup artist Earnhart has trusted since she was 13. The setup was simple on the surface: a styled shoot to update the artist’s portfolio with a few photos of the couple.
“When I showed up to the ‘photoshoot,’ it was not a photoshoot at all, but him proposing!” Earnhart said. “He had it all set up through a company and got on one knee!”
The proposal took place at a private venue in Houston’s Museum District. Afterward, the couple had a few hours alone before being surprised again. Jacobs’ parents had organized what Earnhart described as a “beautiful, intimate” engagement party with close friends and family.
Their relationship dates back to high school. Jacobs was a senior at The Woodlands High School when Earnhart was a junior at Cypress Creek. They stayed together through college at the University of Arkansas and into the early years of their careers, including about three-and-a-half years of long distance.
“Palmer works in the oil and gas industry in Houston, and he supported me every step of the way as I chased my dream of becoming a news reporter and began my career in Lubbock, Texas,” Earnhart said. “We always prayed that one day I’d make it back home to Houston to continue that dream, and getting engaged here in our hometown after that journey feels incredibly special.”
A Northwest Houston native, Earnhart attended Yeager Elementary and Bleyl Middle School before graduating from Cypress Creek High School in 2020. She studied broadcast journalism at the University of Arkansas and started her career as a reporter and anchor at KLBK/KAMC in Lubbock.
She returned to Houston earlier this year, joining FOX 26 in January 2026.
“We’re soaking it all in and are excited to start planning this next chapter together,” Earnhart said.