Longtime Washington, DC/Baltimore traffic reporter Jim Russ died unexpectedly Wednesday morning (Aug. 18). He had been serving as morning traffic reporter for Hearst news/talk WBAL and “98 Rock” WIYY Baltimore
Longtime Washington media figure Andy Ockershausen died Wednesday. He was 92.
Ockershausen began working at WMAL in 1950 and made $21 per week plus streetcar passes, the
Washington Post reported in 1986. He rose to station manager and general manager and oversaw the hires of Frank Harden and Jackson Weaver as well as Ken Beatrice, and in 1981 chose Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff, and Frank Herzog to call games by Washington’s NFL team. While critics weren’t optimistic about the addition of Jurgensen at first, the trio clicked and became the soundtrack to the football team’s glory days if you grew up in this area, there’s a good chance you listened to them call games with your TV sound off.
The Washington State Patrol confirmed 51-year-old Trooper Steve Houle died after being overcome by an avalanche near the French Cabin Creek area in Kittitas County.