Michigan native DaLaun Dillard starts Tuesday as the new 5 p.m. anchor on WEWS Channel 5. Dillard replaces Frank Wiley, who departed the station earlier this year for a gig in Florida.

Dillard is a 27-year-old alum of Central Michigan University. He worked previously at TV stations in Peoria, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Omaha, Nebraska.

Dillard will anchor alongside Courtney Gousman and will report the news when not anchoring. In an introductory Q&A with cleveland.com, Dillard said that as a Midwesterner, he felt an immediate affinity for Cleveland and is  already exploring the city’s trails and restaurants. 

He said he’s looking forward to telling people-centric stories and reporting on issues affecting minority communities.

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This article appears in May 5-18, 2021.

Sam Allard is a former senior writer at Scene.