Ethan is an award-winning journalist with more than a dozen years reporting news. He joined the KY3 News team in August 2005. He anchors KY3 News at 5 and KY3 News at 10.
Although Ethan is a born and bred Midwesterner, his career has taken him to cities across the country. He's anchored and reported at television stations in Las Vegas; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and St. Louis.
Ethan was nominated in both 2008 & 2009 for a Midwest Emmy Award in the Best Anchor category. His reporting has also earned him awards from The Associated Press and his stories have been featured on CNN and MSNBC.
In January, Ethan traveled to Washington D.C. to cover the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as president. He and Chief Photojournalist Jim Van Dillen told stories of Ozarkers who made the trek to our nation's capitol so they could witness the swearing in firsthand.
The most thrilling experience of his career was a breathtaking flight aboard a United States Air Force F-16 Thunderbird. It was a ride he'll never forget. A big Cardinals fan, Ethan was able to live his dream and "be" a Redbird. He went to Jupiter, Fla. for St. Louis Cardinals Legends Camp and put together a series of stories from a camper's point of view. He and the other campers were able to hang out for a week and play ball with former Cardinal greats like Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Bob Gibson. And Ethan was in St. Louis to cover the Cardinals' 2006 World Series win.
The stories that Ethan enjoys reporting the most, however, are those about people in his community. Those are the stories he gets to tell every day. From warning parents about cyber-dangers, to explaining how to "read" graffiti, to the ongoing battle over a proposed ethanol plant in the Ozarks, Ethan reports on the stories important to the Ozarks.
He's also an active member of our local community. He often spends his mornings speaking to classes, reading to kids or guest lecturing at local universities. He and his wife, Sara, are also happy to team up to emcee events to raise money for charities. They are both on the board of directors for the March of Dimes and host the organization's Signature Chefs fundraiser in the fall.
Ethan also works with the Alzheimer's Association to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Ethan was pleased to be named the Honorary Chair of the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk 2009. Ethan, Sara & Caroline joined hundreds of other walkers taking strides to find a cure for Alzheimer's. It is a disease that has hit home with Ethan and his family. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1997. Ethan would love to see you at next year's walk!
Ethan grew up in Collinsville, Ill., a town about 10 miles from St. Louis that is known as Horseradish Capital of the World and is home to the world's largest catsup bottle. He graduated from UNLV and began his career as a newscast producer in Las Vegas before quickly becoming an anchor and reporter.
College basketball is Ethan's favorite sport. He remains a huge fan of UNLV basketball and is confident the return-to-glory starts soon! He's also a big fan of St. Louis sports teams, especially the Cardinals.
Ethan married KY3 News reporter Sara Sheffield on April 21, 2007. They enjoy cooking, traveling, watching Caroline learn and grow, working out and walking their rat terrier, Maggie. They were blessed with the arrival of Caroline Grace, their first child, on June 11, 2009.
Now, you can follow Ethan online. "Friend" Ethan on Facebook and get updates about what he and KY3 News are working on!
Also, follow Ethan on Twitter!
