The 2010 Grand Marshal is the Fox4 Morning News Team

Martin City is pleased to welcome not one - but FOUR - Grand Marshals, along with one Special Guest for the 23rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Serving as Grand Marshals for the 2010 parade are the Fox 4 Morning News Team: Mark Alford, Loren Halifax, Don Harman and Nick Vasos. Their participation coincides with the 60th Anniversary of Fox 4, aka WDAF-TV, Kansas City’s first television station. Also joining the parade as a Special Guest is Teresa Hensley, Cass County prosecutor. Welcome Mark, Loren, Don, Nick and Teresa!

Mark Alford

Mark Alford co-anchors FOX 4 News at 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. with Loren Halifax. Mark joined FOX 4 in March 1998 after spending two years as a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter for KPRC-TV in Houston, TX. Prior to that, Mark anchored at KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX; and reported at WPTV-TV, West Palm Beach, FL; KWTX-TV, Waco, TX; and KXAN-TV, Austin, TX. During his career, Mark’s work has been recognized by the Associated Press and twice by the Rocky Mountain Press.

After brief stints at Lee College in Baytown, TX and Southwest Texas State, Mark attended the University of TX at Austin where he studied government and Latin American Affairs.

In his spare time, Mark and his wife Leslie own and operate the Lonestar Ranch horse stables in South Kansas City. Mark and Leslie have three children, Mark Jr., Alexandria and Spencer. They currently reside in South Kansas City.

 

Loren Halifax

Loren Halifax joined FOX 4 in March of 2002 to co-anchor FOX 4 News from 5 a.m. - 9 a.m. alongside Mark Alford.

Loren has worked in television news on behalf of viewers for more than a decade. She began her career as the evening anchor and reporter at KTAB-TV in Abilene, TX. She went on to anchor and report at WHO-TV in Des Moines, IA. She reported on the 2000 presidential election—from the Iowa straw poll to the Florida ballot fiasco. She investigated dangers to the public in state security after the September 11th attacks. She even drove her car into the Des Moines River and sank it with only the cameras and herself inside, to show viewers how to get out alive. Loren won the Midwest Broadcaster’s Association honor for Investigative Reporting and NPPA honors for reporting.

She taught news writing as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Abilene Christian University (ACU). In 2004, she won an Outstanding Alumnus Award from ACU.

Loren has volunteered for many causes close to her, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Children’s Mercy Miracle Network, the Salvation Army, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, AIDS research funding and aid for victims of domestic violence.

Loren enjoys just about everything in the metro, from sports to the symphony. She loves the metro’s fountains and gardens. Two of her favorite spots are Powell Gardens and the rose garden at Loose Park. She also enjoys Kansas City cuisine, from steaks and sushi to barbecue and brats.

Don Harman

Don Harman has been meteorologist for FOX 4 News from 5 a.m. - 9 a.m. since April 1999. He helps Kansas Citians prepare for their day by providing accurate up-to-the-minute weather forecasts each weekday morning. Don has more than 15 years of broadcasting experience, including the “Superstorm” of 1993, and the Kansas City tornado outbreak of May 2003.

At a very young age, Don became interested in weather and how it impacts people’s daily lives. Growing up in Ohio along the Ohio River, Don was witness to various extreme weather events. He remembers one winter in the late 70’s when forceful blizzards blew through the East Coast. That’s when Don knew weather would be an important part of his future.

After graduating from Miami of Ohio with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics and a minor in geography, Don began working in television as meteorologist for WTAP-TV in Parkersburg, WV. In 1994, Don moved to Mason City, IA where he served as the morning and noon meteorologist at KIMT-TV, eventually becoming the station’s chief meteorologist. Don was the morning and noon meteorologist at WOWK-TV in Huntington, WV before joining Fox 4.

Don is a member of the American Meteorologist Society (AMS) and was awarded the AMS and Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) Seals of Approval. The award is given to broadcast meteorologists who display an excellence in presenting their weather programs to viewers in a manner that enhances the science of meteorology. Throughout his years in television, Don has played an active role in the communities in which he worked. He has a passion for educating children about science and enjoys teaching them about weather with his Doppler Don segments. In 2001, he was nominated for an Emmy and was a Missouri Broadcast Award winner for his educational childrens’ reports as Doppler Don. The best part of teaching weather for Don is seeing the kids’ eyes light up when they realize science can be fun.

When he’s not forecasting the weather or working with children, Don enjoys spending time outdoors. His favorite activities include hiking, camping, and skiing. Don, his wife, Monica, and their daughter, Avery, live in south Kansas City, not far from Martin City.

Nick Vasos

Nick joined FOX 4 in 2002 as a general assignment traffic reporter for FOX 4 NEWS. In addition to his duties reporting traffic from SKYFOX, Nick also shows you live breaking news from the air and updates traffic conditions on FOX 4 News in the morning and at 5 p.m. Nick and SKYFOX cover car chases, dangerous fires, police standoffs and rescues in Kansas City. Prior to work at FOX 4, Nick provided play-by-play coverage on radio and television for local sports teams, both professional and college. He also worked at Metro Networks reporting news and traffic snarls to radio stations in the metro and his Sundays' were spent flying over Arrowhead Stadium reporting Chiefs game day traffic snags to tailgaters. He started his broadcasting career in sports radio and to this day remains a big fan of all our teams in KC.

Nick attended the University of Missouri, Kansas City where he studied broadcast communication.

He is active in the community, participating in many golf events benefiting local charities and organizations. Nick also hosts an annual "Chiefs Fashion Show" with the players and their wives benefiting the Lupas foundation. The FOX 4 Love Fund for Children, The Miami Project, the Community Blood Center and the Humane Society are a few organizations Nick has worked with over the years.

In his spare time, this Kansas City native loves to play golf and has played every public track in the metro. He also likes to spend time with family and friends at Lake Viking. Cycling, swimming and cooking barbeque are interests as well. Nick and his wife Wendy have two dogs (Jimmy Taco and Chloe) and two cats (Ms. Bean and Glacier).

Special Guest Teresa Hensley

Teresa Hensley, Cass County Prosecutor and Special Guest of the Martin City St. Pat’s parade, has deep roots in Cass County. A life-long resident, she graduated from Raymore-Peculiar High School before earning a BA degree from William Jewell College and a law degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City.

Teresa is a Cass County leader who remains active in the day-to-day life of the community. She was a former Raymore Alderman, former Raymore Planning and Zoning Board member, former member of the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board, and on the board of Hope Haven of Cass County. She is a member of the Domestic Violence Coalition, a member of the Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club, Harrisonville Rotary, Business and Professional Women, Harrisonville NETT, Harrisonville and Raymore Chamber of Commerce, and a life-long member of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Teresa grew up in Cass County where her parents and family still reside. She opened her business in Cass County and raised her son in Cass County. She takes her duties seriously because this is her home. Her father, now retired, was a plumber with Local #8 and her brother is a member of Iron Workers Local #10.

Teresa brings a broad understanding of the law to the job of County Prosecutor. She is a certified family law mediator, she has taught criminal law at William Jewell College and before becoming Cass County Prosecutor was a partner and practicing attorney for 14 years with the Hensley Law Firm in Raymore with her husband, Kenny. She has a grown son who resides in California and works for Universal Records.

She was appointed to the position of Cass County Prosecutor in January of 2005 and was elected to the position in November of 2006 for a four-year term beginning January 2007.