Tim Smith and Alex Garcia as the KRGV-TV chief meteorologist is presented National Weatherperson of the Year.
Courtesy of Alex Garcia
We’re only halfway through 2026, but there’s already been a tsunami of changes at television newsrooms across deep South Texas. From top talent exits, to a slew of new faces, to some well-deserved laurels for trusted public figures, a lot has happened in the news industry since January. Here’s everything you might have missed over the last six months.
Stefanie Lauber (right) of KRIS 6 and Carly Smith (left) of KIII both recently moved into chief meteorologist roles at Corpus Christi TV stations.
Courtesy of KIII/Stefanie Lauber
Massive changes rock KRIS 6 in Corpus Christi
By far, the greatest number of changes have happened at the Coastal Bend’s NBC affiliate, KRIS 6. The E.W. Scripps Company station has seen half a dozen changes during the first six months of the year — both on the air and behind the scenes.
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January marked the first full month with Stefanie Lauber at the helm as KRIS 6’s chief meteorologist. After five years forecasting the weather at the station, Lauber announced her promotion in mid-December 2025, becoming the first woman and first Latina to lead a weather team in the Coastal Bend. But the weather changes didn’t end there. In June, Christopher Malave joined the KRIS 6 Weather Team straight out of college at Florida State University.
In April, KRIS 6 News Director Jim Bob Breazeale left the station after five years in the Coastal Bend. Prior to joining the Corpus Christi station, Breazeale had led the newsroom at ValleyCentral in the Rio Grande Valley, a dual-branded station owned by Nexstar Media Group that operates both a CBS and NBC affiliate. Also in April, reporter Alexis Scott made the jump from KRIS 6 to San Antonio’s ABC affiliate, KSAT 12.
Weekend anchor and neighborhood reporter Melissa Treviño announced her departure at the end of June while standing in downtown Alice, the town where she had previously served as the editor of the Alice Echo – News Journal. Also at the end of June, Corpus Christi native Jordan Benavides joined the KRIS 6 team as a multimedia journalist after graduated from the University of North Texas in May.
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Big changes reshape the KIII 3 News weather desk in Corpus Christi
Coastal Bend viewers saw a number of changes on the weather desk at their ABC affiliate, KIII 3 News. Meteorologist Carly Smith was elevated to chief in January after longtime local favorite, Alan Holt, departed for the Northeast in December 2025. Just a couple of months later, 3 News welcomed Kellianne Klass, an Emmy-winning meteorologist, to the station’s weekday morning show, First Edition. Klass’ first newscast was in mid-March.
In May, another meteorologist, Kristin Walla, said goodbye to the Coastal Bend after years of forecasting coastal weather. Walla left after accepting a position at KVUE in Austin. It didn’t take KIII long to find her successor, however, as the station officially welcomed meteorologist Madison Hartin during its evening newscast on July 3. Her first day on the weekend weather desk was Saturday, July 11.
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KRGV Chief Meteorologist Tim Smith won the FLASH Weatherperson of the Year award in January, while longtime morning meteorologist Cecilia Gutierrez left the station in April.
Courtesy KRGV and Cecilia Gutierrez
KRGV Chief Meteorologist Tim Smith won the FLASH Weatherperson of the Year award in January, while longtime morning meteorologist Cecilia Gutierrez left the station in April.
Courtesy KRGV and Cecilia Gutierrez
KRGV Chief Meteorologist Tim Smith wins national accolade
In January, the longest-serving meteorologist in the Valley, Tim Smith, won the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) 2026 Weatherperson of the Year award. Currently the chief meteorologist at Valley ABC affiliate KRGV Channel 5 News, Smith has worked at the Weslaco-based station for 44 years.
When it comes to weather, KRGV has the deepest bench in the Valley with some of the longest-tenured meteorologists, but the station hasn’t been immune to turnover in 2026. In April, morning meteorologist Cecilia Gutierrez quietly departed the station without making an on-air farewell.
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Gutierrez told MySA she left to focus on her family and her passion for teaching music. Last month, KRGV welcomed Jay Martin to the First Warn 5 Weather team. The Channel 5 sports desk also a change with the departure of sportscaster Daniella Hernandez, a Valley native who had worked at the station since 2023.
Blake Holland is leaving the weekend sports anchor desk after four years at ValleyCentral’s KVEO 23.
Courtesy Blake Holland via Facebook
Changeups mark the first half of 2026 for ValleyCentral sports
ValleyCentral, the Nexstar Media Group-owned, dual-branded CBS and NBC station headquartered in Harlingen, has seen two major changes to its sports desk thus far this year.
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At the end of May, sports anchor Blake Holland announced his departure after four years calling prep sports and reporting on the first-ever Division I college football program in the Valley. Earlier this week, Holland announced he had joined Austin’s KXAN as a streaming anchor and digital producer. Meanwhile, after his departure, ValleyCentral announced the hiring of Noah Gully, a Las Vegas native and graduate of the University of Miami.
Richard “Heatwave” Berler, chief meteorologist at KGNS in Laredo, is seen in a photograph from early in his career, and more recently. The longtime meteorologist was presented a key to the city of Laredo on April 7, 2026.
Courtesy KGNS
Beloved Laredo meteorologist honored for decades-long career
Over in Laredo, city leaders honored KGNS Chief Meteorologist Richard “Heatwave” Berler” with a key to the city after 40 years of dedicated service to the border community. The Laredo City Council formally presented the key to Berler in a meeting on April 7, calling him “a true Laredo legend.”