Local 5 Celebrates Chief Meteorologist Edwards, Welcomes Anchor Her And Weekend Meteorologist Downey

Local 5 is celebrating its award-winning chief meteorologist and welcoming new faces to the team. This September marks 25 years of service for chief meteorologist Brad Edwards, who’s led the Local 5 weather team in their forecasting to a remarkable 15-years Certified Most Accurate by independent experts, WeatheRate.

“There are well over 1,000 TV stations in the U.S., but only two of them have earned the WeatheRate seal of approval 15 years in a row,” says WeatheRate, Inc. president, Bruce Fixman. “We congratulate Brad Edwards and the Local 5 weather team for delivering the Most Accurate forecast 15 years in a row. It’s clear that their dedication and desire to getting the forecast right has really paid off for viewers in Iowa.”

That devotion continues with the addition of weekend meteorologist Dave Downey to the We Are Iowa’s Most Accurate weather team. A Midwest native, from Columbus, OH, Downey joined Local 5 in late July and has already helped Iowans through multiple summer storms. Before heading to Des Moines, Downey forecasted for Corpus Christi, TX and Rochester, MN.

Another new face to the Local 5 team is anchor Chenue Her. He joins Good Morning Iowa weekday mornings beginning October 4. Her has reported across the country, most recently in Atlanta, GA. A St. Paul, MN native, Her says he’s a Midwesterner at heart and is excited to be back in the area, ready to serve Central Iowans.

“I’m thrilled to join the incredible team of journalists at Local 5,” says Her. “I value high-quality journalism with integrity, ethics, and accuracy, which is why coming to Des Moines to be a part of this talented team was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

That integrity Her speaks of has resulted in notable recognitions. This month, Local 5 News received 11 Upper Midwest Emmy® Award nominations, the most of any station in the state. Recognized stories include nominations in two categories including, Interactive Media for “Death of Mollie Tibbetts: Cristhian Bahena Rivera Murder Trial” and Serious News Feature for “The Complexity of Wearing Blue While Being Black.”

“I am thrilled with the success and recognition the Local 5 team is receiving as it continues to transform into a best-in-class local news organization,” says Local 5 president and general manager David Loving. “We look forward to continuing to serve our community in central Iowa with the critical information they need to navigate their lives.”

The five-state Upper Midwest Emmy® region includes market areas in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The awards gala for the region is Saturday, Oct. 9.

In May, Local 5 was also recognized with two Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, in the News Series and Feature Reporting categories.

For more about the Local 5 News team, including other recent additions, visit our Meet the Team web page.