Think you know KY3’s Ethan Forhetz?
The anchorman still has his secrets, like batting a thousand against major league pitching. In 2007, Forhetz, a lifelong Cardinals fan, attended fantasy camp in Jupiter, Florida, where he got to rub shoulders with a “Field of Dreams” lineup: Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Whitey Herzog and Bob Forsch, who was his team’s manager. “As a child, I watched Forsch pitch a no-hitter in Busch Stadium in 1983,” Forhetz says. “On the last day of camp, we got to play against the major leaguers. Joe Magrane was the pitcher, and when I had my at-bat, I roped the single right up the middle. So, I retired with a lifetime average of one-for-one.”
One could say Forhetz is also batting a thousand at life. The career newscaster experienced the full rollercoaster of paying dues and becoming a valuable asset at stations across the nation. He got his start at an NBC affiliate in Las Vegas—“The worst possible job in a newsroom: weekend overnight tape editor,” he says—after receiving his degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “I felt I was called to be on the air,” he says. “I offered to report for free.” From there, he worked his way up the ranks at stations in Tallahassee, Florida, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Collinsville, Illinois native returned to Missouri in 2003, where he worked at KMOV-TV and KPLR 11 in St. Louis, which did not lead to long-term employment. “It was a very tough time, but was a blessing,” he recalls of his time unemployed. “My mother had early Alzheimer’s. I took her to see her mother for dinner each night. If I had been working out of state, I would not have spent that precious time with my mother and grandmother.”
Family is important to Forhetz. His mother stayed at home while his psychologist father supported the family. He credits his father’s approach to his career for his own work ethic.
When he was hired by KY3 in 2005 as a news anchor, the job proved life-changing beyond his career goals: It’s where he met his wife, Sara, a fellow anchor, and gave him the foundation for the rest of his life.
In his 15 years on-air at KY3, Forhetz says he feels honored to have covered the community’s triumphs and tragedies. A favorite memory was accompanying local World War II veterans on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
“I love the people of the Ozarks. They feel like we are family, and we certainly feel that way about them,” he says.
The viewers are family, indeed. They have seen the couple get married and watched their three kids—Caroline, 15, Ainsley, 12, and Griffin, 11—grow up on Facebook.
Forhetz prides himself on leading by example. “It’s important to have a firm foundation, to know what you believe in and who you are, and to not be swayed,” he says.
Being a leader means being comfortable with yourself and always and willing to learn, he stresses, noting that young people should take the time to build a life, as he did, and not seek instant gratification. “They should pay their dues, look at where they want to go and make decisions along the way to get there. Springfield ended up being a destination, but I wouldn’t have guessed that at the start of my career. My goal was to be in a livable city where I could raise a family. That’s exactly what we found.”
Sometimes, the decisions made are difficult—like when he and Sara independently realized they wanted to leave journalism to work for Convoy of Hope, the Springfield-based charitable organization that they covered and admired for years.
“We both loved what we were doing at KY3; leaving was not something we planned,” he says. “That’s where faith came in.”
Today, Forhetz is Vice President of Public Engagement/National Spokesperson at Convoy of Hope, and Sara freelances for the organization while focusing on homeschooling and evangelical speaking.
“We feed more than 571,000 kids every school day around the world,” he says. “Our goal is to feed one million kids by 2030.”
But news did not stay out of the couple’s lives for long. About a year-and-a-half ago, they launched “Around the Ozarks” (aroundtheozarks.com), a short podcast that covers daily hyperlocal news every weekday morning. “We try to focus on the good news,” he notes.
Forhetz spends his free time chauffeuring his children to swim meets or soccer practice. You may run into this pizza-loving family at the Pizza House or at Arris’ Pizza. To burn off the carbs, they grab soccer balls and head to Glendale High School for a scrimmage.
“People are kind and say they’re happy about what we’re doing now,” Forhetz says. “We are grateful for the people who have adopted our family and made us feel so at home.”
“Our goal is to feed one million kids by 2030.”
“I love the people of the Ozarks. They feel like we are family, and we certainly feel that way about them.”