New faces in your newsroom or communication department? Let everyone know. Send your Media Moves mail to:email@idahopressclub.org
IDAHO STATESMAN
Carolyn Komatsoulis joined the Idaho Statesman as a breaking news and Latino Affairs reporter in June. She previously worked at the Idaho Press.
Rose Evans joins the Idaho Statesman in September as the Meridian/suburbs reporter. She’s a 2023 graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont. She replaced Rachel Spacek, who accepted a position at InvestigateWest.
Shaun Goodwin became the interim Boise State athletics reporter for the Idaho Statesman in August. He replaced Ron Counts, who moved to California. Shaun has been a service reporter at the Statesman for two and a half years.
IDAHO PRESS
New reporter Kelly Holm takes over the Caldwell beat; she is a Wisconsin native who attended Hamline University for undergrad and the University of Wisconsin for graduate school where she received a masters degree in journalism. She also held a reporter job at The Lakeland Times (Wisc.) from Sept. 2021-Aug. 2022 before going to grad school.
She replaces Erin Rusby Banks, who left for BoiseDev. Former city of Boise and Ada County reporter Carolyn Komatsoulis left for the Idaho Statesman.
Royce McCandless is a University of Idaho graduate who covers the city of Boise and Ada County for the Press. He is a graduate of Timberline High School and also served as an intern and freelance writer for the Idaho Business Review while in college.
Both new reporters share a wide range of interests outside of their immediate beats.
BOISE DEV
Erin Banks Rusby joined BoiseDev as a reporter; she previously worked as a reporter for the Idaho Press. Autum Robertson has left her role as a full-time reporter, but is now doing contract work.
IDAHO EDUCATION NEWS
Reporter Emma Epperly is leaving The Spokesman-Review after five years to launch a North Idaho bureau for Idaho Education News. Emma will live and work in the Inland Northwest, covering education policy implementation and how it relates to teaching, learning and student achievement. She’ll follow school board meetings and higher education developments in the Northern region of Idaho. She’ll also focus on Idaho’s charter school movement. Emma’s first day with Idaho Education News will be Sept. 20.
EAST IDAHO NEWS
Veteran EastIdahoNews.com reporter Kalama Hines was recently promoted to sports director to head the new East Idaho Sports department. He has spent the last four years as a general assignment reporter in Pocatello. He previously covered sports in California.
Allan Steele, the sports director at the Idaho Falls Post Register, was recently hired as a reporter by EastIdahoNews.com to help with the launch of East Idaho Sports. He led the Post Register sports program since 2019 and, more recently, ran the sports department at the Rexburg Standard Journal. He comes to EastIdahoNews.com with three decades of experience.
KTVB-TV
After more than 40 years, “Idaho’s Chief Meteorologist” Rick Lantz will be retiring on September 26th. Rick came to the Treasure Valley in 1969. He began his broadcasting career in 1975 working in both radio and television in Weiser, Caldwell, Nampa and Boise. He has been bringing you the weather forecast for over 40 years on Idaho’s NewsChannel 7.
Rachel Garceau has been promoted to chief meteorologist. Hector Mendoza has been promoted to weather anchor for Wake Up Idaho.
Andrew Baertlein left KTVB to move closer to home. He is now reporting for KHQ-TV Spokane. Aspen Shumpert joined KTVB and The 208 team as an multi-skilled journalist after 2 years at The News Tribune.
Daisy Bautista, former VOCES intern and current senior at Boise State University, joined KTVB part-time as a producer for KTVB en Espanol. Victoria Rodriguez, current senior at Boise State University, completed her VOCES internship this summer working with the KTVB en Espanol team.
Abby Wilt graduated from Pepperdine University and started her career with KTVB as a multi-skilled journalist. Hunter Funk came home to Idaho from WFMY in Greensboro, N.C. as an anchor for the News at 6 and reporter for The 208.
Jude Binkley was promoted from a multi-skilled journalist to weekend anchor/multi-skilled journalist. Audrielle Tackett graduated from the University of Southern California and began her career at KTVB as an multi-skilled journalist.
Austin Boyd was promoted from newscast editor to news photographer. Caitlynn Spear graduated from College of Western Idaho and began her career as the newscast editor for Wake Up Idaho. Carsen Cloud graduated from Boise State University to become a producer-in-residence. Sonora Birnie was promoted from Wake Up Idaho producer to KTVB’s assignment editor.
Logan Schenk was promoted from news photographer to Wake Up Idaho producer. Emma Adams was promoted from the News at 4 producer to the Idaho Today producer. Vera Valdez has been promoted from production assistant to news producer.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Mike Sharp has left his position as director of media relations for Boise State University for a new job as communications director for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services in Baltimore. Mike, a former longtime Idaho journalist and media professional, previously worked as a reporter, anchor and host for radio, print and TV outlets in the Treasure Valley, and for four years as the public relations coordinator for the Idaho Foodbank. He joined BSU in 2021.
