PJ Heussner joined Dolcefino Media as an investigative reporter in October 2025.
The Houston native came from FOX 44 KWKT Waco/Temple/Killeen, where she had been a multimedia journalist (MMJ) and weekend anchor since April 2022.
The Sam Houston State University grad worked for the student-run KSHU Cable Channel 7 news as the main anchor. She received the ‘Best Student Newscast’ award at the Heatwave Film Festival.
WFAA 8 Dallas - Fort Worth meteorologist Mariel Ruiz caught a meteor over Texas breaking apart while live on air last week, but didn't realize it until later.
Remember former FOX 26 Houston KRIV morning anchor Michelle Merhar?
Morning co-anchor Melissa Wilson just emceed an event with her.
According to Merhar's Facebook page, she is now a stay-at-home mom with three little ones.
Merhar left FOX 26 in 2016. She previously worked for 740 KTRH.
Re'Chelle Turner announced she is pregnant.
Here is what the KPRC 2 Houston reporter announced in a social video filmed at the McGovern Centennial Gardens to the soundtrack of Beyoncé's "II HANDS II HEAVEN:"
"We’ve been keeping a little secret…and I can’t hide it anymore!
Our baby girl is on the way.
Coming September 2026 our biggest blessing yet."
Turner was married to Faison Echols on September 4, 2021, in Birmingham, Alabama.
The couple met at the University of Alabama in a Mass Communications class, and after a seven-year-long-distance relationship while living in five different states, Turner and Echols are now expecting in Houston.
Turner joined KPRC 2 from KARK 4 in Little Rock back in 2020.
(Thanks, Shad!)
Jordan Darensbourg announced he is leaving his KVUE Austin meteorologist position.
Here is a portion of what Darensbourg posted on social:
"My time at KVUE is coming to an end, but I owe a debt of gratitude to a lot of people.
To our GM Byron Wilkinson and our News Director Travis Sattiewhite, THANK YOU. Your wisdom and guidance were very helpful and I continued my career at this great station.
To former GM Kristie Gonzales and former News Director Christina Ginn, THANK YOU for taking a chance in 2022 on a guy who was only in Texas for 16 months prior to KVUE.
To every reporter, producer, anchor and editor I’ve worked with here, THANK YOU. I’m grateful that I had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing people in our industry.
To my chief meteorologist Hunter Williams, THANK YOU. Your wisdom and advice is second to none of any chief I’ve had in this business."
Darensbourg joined the KVUE Austin Storm Team in April 2022 from TEGNA sister station KCEN 6 in Waco/Temple/Killeen, where he had been part of the weather team since November 2020.
He began his career in December 2018 at WDTV 5 in Clarksburg, West Virginia, serving as a morning meteorologist.
Darensbourg holds a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Jackson State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a broadcast emphasis from Mississippi State University. While at Mississippi State, he worked as a meteorologist and multimedia journalist for the school’s Take 30 News on MSTV.
He is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists' Weather & Climate Task Force and the American Meteorological Society.
According to his bio, Darensbourg has Asperger’s, a form of autism, and uses his diagnosis to inspire others to pursue their goals.
I recently received an email tip that said Houston-based national reporter for CBS News, Karen Hua, was no longer with the network. That was followed by news in the New York Post and The U.S. Sun that Hua and Dallas-based correspondent Omar Villafranca were part of the recent job cuts made by owner Paramount.
Hua joined CBS News in February 2025, relocating to Houston from NBC10 Philadelphia (WCAU), where she had spent three years as a reporter. Prior to that, she worked at KGET 17 News in Bakersfield, California, and began her journalism career through NBCUniversal’s East Coast Page Program, gaining experience with NBC New York, CNBC, and The TODAY Show.
A first-generation Chinese American, Hua is fluent in Mandarin. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Honors English and Psychology in just three years.
The reported layoffs follow other recent staffing changes at CBS News, including the departure of longtime Houston network correspondent Janet Shamlian in late 2025.
According to the same reports, Villafranca was also affected by the Paramount cuts. He joined CBS News in 2014 as a Newspath correspondent. Before that, he worked at NBC 5 KXAS in Dallas-Fort Worth, News On 6 KOTV in Tulsa, and KSWO 7News in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Villafranca, a San Antonio native, holds a degree in broadcast journalism from Texas Christian University.
Brayel Brown left her weekend anchor role at News Channel 6 KAUZ in Wichita Falls, Texas, for News Channel 3 WREG in Memphis, Tennessee, in December 2025.
Brown has been with KAUZ since July 2023.
The Stephen F. Austin State University graduate served as an anchor and MMJ for the student newscast JackTV and hosted segments on the AXE 90.1 radio station. Brayel also interned at NBC 5 KXAS in Dallas-Fort Worth.
In the first of an occasional series spotlighting influential Houstonians, the Houston Chronicle's housing reporter Rebecca Schuetz profiles Wayne Dolcefino.
Houston Children’s Charity made history by awarding 98 fully loaded, wheelchair-accessible vans to local families during its annual Chariots for Children Van Distribution event on March 23, 2026 at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston - a signature moment in the organization’s 30th anniversary year.
Valued at $5.39 million, the record-breaking distribution is the largest single-day donation of its kind in the organization’s history - and is widely recognized as the largest program of its kind in the country, with no comparable initiative at this scale.
 |
| Jana & Richard Fant |
The milestone builds on last year’s total of 66 vans and was made possible through Houston’s remarkable spirit of giving - including a transformational gift of 30 vans from local philanthropists Richard and Jana Fant. Additional generous contributions included 10 vans from The Mo Aziz Family, 8 vans from The Guill Family, and 7 vans from the Petersen Family Foundation.
Families arrived early and filled the grand ballroom, creating an emotional scene as they prepared to be recognized for this life-changing moment. Laura S. Ward, President and CEO of Houston Children’s Charity, spoke passionately about the program’s transformative impact, celebrating 30
years of helping children overcome barriers and experience the world in new, meaningful ways. She thanked the organization’s generous philanthropic donors, whose extraordinary support made the historic distribution of 98 vans possible.
Houston City Council Member, At-Large Position 3, Twila Carter addressed the crowd, celebrating this unprecedented philanthropic milestone as a transformative moment for Houston’s children and a powerful demonstration of the city’s generosity and commitment to supporting families with disabilities. She then formally read a proclamation issued by Houston Mayor John Whitmire declaring March 23, 2026, as “2026 Chariots for Children Day,” marking a significant recognition of the program’s impact.
.jpg)
“Houston Children’s Charity represents the very best of Houston—neighbors stepping up for neighbors, making sure no child is left behind. Their impact is real, their reach is wide, and their heart for this city is unmatched,” says City Council Member Twila Carter.
During the ceremony, families were called on stage to be personally recognized, then walked outside alongside their sponsors to receive the keys to their vans. Smiles were big, hearts were full, and the gratitude in the air was palpable - creating powerful, photo-ready moments that captured the life-changing impact of the day.
Each specialized van serves children experiencing mobility limitations due to conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Rett Syndrome, Spina Bifida, paraplegia, Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, and other chromosomal disorders. For recipient families, these vehicles provide safe, reliable transportation to medical appointments, therapies, school activities, and everyday outings that would otherwise be extremely difficult - and in some cases impossible.
With wheelchair-accessible vans typically costing between $60,000 and $100,000 or more, the financial barrier is simply out of reach for many families - making programs like Chariots for Children not just helpful, but essential.
One family shared, “This gift is truly transformational for our family. It gives us freedom, independence, and the ability to safely get our child everywhere they need to go. We are so grateful to Houston Children’s Charity, the sponsors, and everyone who made this possible.”
.jpg)
“This is truly a life-changing day for these families and a meaningful moment in our 30-year history,” said Laura S. Ward, President and CEO of Houston Children’s Charity. “Each van represents freedom, access, and hope. As we celebrate three decades of service, we remain committed to meeting the growing needs of children and families across our community.”
Families from across Greater Houston, including Richmond, Katy, Conroe, Pearland, Spring, Cypress, Sugar Land, League City, La Porte, and surrounding areas, gathered to receive their vehicles in an emotional ceremony filled with gratitude, celebration, and new beginnings.
Since its founding in 1996, Houston Children’s Charity has awarded 538 wheelchair-accessible “Chariots” to agencies and families in need. The growing applicant list reflects the urgent and expanding demand for this critical program.
As rows of 98 vans filled the venue’s parking lot, the scale of the day’s impact was unmistakable - 98 families now equipped with the mobility, independence, and opportunity they need to navigate daily life.
