News Team Bios

Susan Farley, a familiar face in Eastern Maine, has joined the WVII ABC 7 and Fox 22 News team.

Most recently Susan served as the executive director at the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce, but now returns to her roots in news, a long history that began in 1987 when she held the position of news director at WDEA/ WWMJ radio stations. In 1990 she became the assignment editor at WABI-TV for six years. She left the station to run her own successful business while continuing to assist WABI in coverage of elections and other special events. She returned to WABI full-time in 2003 to serve as the station’s Coastal Bureau chief for the next six years.

“I am very happy for this opportunity to return to the newsroom,” said Farley. “I’m looking forward to working with the entire ABC 7/Fox 22 News team to bring quality news reporting to our viewers.”

T.J. Tremble joined WVII ABC 7 and WFVX FOX 22 in March 2016.

He was raised in Bangor, attended Bangor schools and graduated from John Bapst High School. He attended the University of Maine, studying political science.

He started his news career at the Camden Herald, many years ago. He also worked for the Bangor Daily News in Rockland, Belfast and Bangor.

He entered broadcast journalism as news director for WQCB-FM, Brewer. For Many years he worked behind the scenes in radio and television.

Recently, he worked as a news reporter for Zone Radio Corporation in Bangor [WZON-AM, WKIT-FM and WZLO-FM.

He has received reporting awards from the Maine Press Association, Maine Association of Broadcasters and the Maine Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

He is married, with three adult children and three grandchildren.

JR Mitchell joined the news team in September of 2015 following a lengthy career in radio, most recently having spent 13 years as the morning show host for Q-106.5 in Bangor. JR has also worked at stations in Millinocket, Houlton and Ellsworth as well.

JR was born in Machias and attended school in the town of Millinocket. He was very involved in politics, music and athletics, and that drove his desire to go into broadcasting. Graduating from the New England School of Broadcasting in 1986. JR is a two-time Country Music Association nominee for Small Market Personality of the Year, and also by the Academy of Country Music for the same award.

JR is a Master Mason at Mystic Lodge #65 in Hampden and is the Chaplain of Anah Shriners in Bangor, as well as being in many of the clubs involved with Anah Shriners, and is a huge supporter of the Pine Tree Camp for Children and Adults with Disabilities.

JR enjoys attending sporting events, live concerts, and telling the stories of the people in Eastern, Central and Northern Maine.

Kayla joined the ABC 7 & FOX 22 news team in May of 2017. She got into journalism because she loves talking with people, and she’s incredibly grateful to share the stories of Mainers throughout the region.

She got her start in broadcasting way back in middle school as a member of a morning announcements TV broadcast club, and her love for the news industry took off from there.

Kayla graduated from Penn State University in 2017 with degrees in broadcast journalism and Spanish. During her time as a student at Penn State, Kayla was an executive producer and reporter for the “Centre County Report”, an Emmy award-winning student-run newscast. She studied abroad in Ronda, Spain and traveled to Panama with an international reporting class. Kayla kept busy in college, spending four years working as a student manager in the dining hall.

Kayla grew up in the village of Shawnee-on-Delaware, located in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, so transitioning into life in Vacationland was a piece of cake! A self-described winter fanatic, she loves all things snow related, including hitting the slopes on her snowboard. She also likes hiking, kayaking or doing anything outdoors. She loves meeting new people so if you see her around, be sure to stop and say hi!

Gina Marini, a graduate of Curry College, joined WVII ABC7 and WFVX Fox 22 after spending a little more 2 years with NH1 News in New Hampshire. During her time there, she spent time traveling the state bringing local stories to Granite-staters. She brings passion and enthusiasm to the news room, hoping to inspire those at home with her stories.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family. She also has a love of anything fluffy and shopping. If you see her out and about, say hello.

Alex Bobbyn joined the ABC 7 and FOX 22 news team in July of 2018.

He is a graduate of Penn State University, where he studied broadcast journalism and economics. While at Penn State, Alex served as the general manager of the schools web-based radio station CommRadio. He also was a reporter and anchor on the “Centre County Report”, Penn State’s Emmy award-winning student-run newscast.

In the spring of 2018, Alex spent time in Israel through an international reporting class. In addition to his work at Penn State, he gained professional experience at Westwood One Sports Radio, Open Road Films and Eclipse Advertising.

A native of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, Alex is a Philadelphia Eagles and Penn State football fan. Outside of the newsroom, he enjoys hiking, exercising or doing anything outdoors.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlexBobbyn.

Kelly Mitchell joined the news team in March of 2018. She grew up splitting her time between York, ME and Haverhill, MA, but her favorite childhood memories took place along the rocky coast of southern Maine. She’s now excited to explore other parts of the state.

She graduated from Suffolk University, where she got her first taste of journalism covering the Boston Marathon bombing trial live from the courtroom. She spent the end of her college career working as a writer at WHDH in Boston.

An avid traveler, she’s visited ten countries and used to live in Spain. When not working, Kelly can be found reading with a coffee, out with friends, or wandering by the ocean.

Got a story idea? Reach her at [email protected] or send her a message on twitter at @kmitchell_news.

Nit-Noi Ricker is an Army brat who grew up on a farm in Winterport. She went to the University of Maine and the University of Northern Texas to learn how to be a journalist and started her career in Arizona at the Williams-Grand Canyon News, where she learned every skill needed to produce a small newspaper and earned the Excellence in Journalism Award in 2001 from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Maine, however, kept calling her name and she and her son, Zak, returned home in 2003. She covered sports for the Belfast Republican Journal for a short time before landing a job at the Bangor Daily News, where for nearly 15 years she covered breaking news, town meetings and the issues people were talking about all over Maine. In that time, she also married a Bangor native and had a second son, Darby, and along with her craft beer-making husband, Cory, started a brewery. Nit-Noi joined the WVII team in February 2018.

You can email her at [email protected].

Rachel joined the ABC 7 & FOX 22 news team in December 2018.

She graduated from Bridgewater State University where she majored in communications and accounting. While attending Bridgewater State, she co-anchored a lunch hour radio on their student run radio station. She also interned at WCVB in Boston and WPRI in Providence. Before coming here, she worked as an Associate Producer for the Sunrise shows at NBC10 in Rhode Island.

Rachel grew up in Taunton, Massachusetts. When she’s not working, you can find her running outdoors, eating ice cream, or cheering on the Red Sox!

You can reach her at [email protected] or send her a message on Twitter at @rmann_news

Devin Martin joined the ABC 7 and FOX 22 news team in December of 2018, the day after Christmas!

He is a graduate of  Hofstra University where he studied broadcast journalism and American Studies.  While at Hofstra, Devin was part of Award Winning and student run Radio Station, WRHU. He served as a sports and updates reporter and commentator. He gained experience covering Hofstra Athletics as a play-by-by and color commentator for Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse and Softball.

From Syracuse, New York, Devin is excited to get his career started in Bangor. 
Devin can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @DevJMartinNews2

Kayla Hevey joined the ABC 7 and Fox 22 news team in June of 2019.

She is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where she majored in broadcast journalism. While at Quinnipiac, she was a member of the school’s student-run television station, Q30 Television, covering local and entertainment news as an executive producer and host of a lifestyle show. She also gained experience interning at several news stations across Connecticut.

Kayla is from Somers, Connecticut, but some of her best memories are visiting the southern coast of Maine on vacation with her family in York. She’s excited to start her career here in Bangor while getting the chance to explore other parts of the state.

If you see her around, say hi! Kayla can be contacted at [email protected]
or on Twitter @kaylahevey.

Andrew Badillo joined the ABC 7 and FOX 22 sports team in August 2017.

Before ABC 7 and FOX 22, Andrew graduated from Quinnipiac University with a degree in broadcast journalism. At Quinnipiac, Andrew was a member of the school’s student-run television station, Q30 Television, where he served as its general manager, vice president, sports anchor and reporter. He gained experience covering Quinnipiac Athletics and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and College Media Association for his work.

In addition to his experience at Q30, Andrew also gained professional experience at MLB Network and News 12 Connecticut.

Originally from Orangeburg, New York, Andrew is excited to get his career started in Bangor. He is especially eager to get to know the great local sports community in the North Region.

Andrew can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @andrewbadillo99.

John Wagoner joined the ABC 7 and FOX 22 sports team in September 2018.

He is a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he gained experience in multiple newsrooms across the Carolinas, as well as working with ESPN U and CBS Sports. John was a member of Student Gamecock Television in his time at South Carolina, where he did everything from sketch comedy to producing their sports show, Capital City Sports.

John loves all sports from curling to cricket, and although he’s never lived north of the Mason-Dixon Line, he’s excited to get to know the sports landscape of eastern Maine!

You can get in touch with him at [email protected] or on Twitter @jwagonersports.

Versatile broadcaster and award-winning meteorologist Laura Velasquez is an On-Air Meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Laura, a key player in preparing viewers for the start of their day, is responsible for analyzing early morning weather patterns. Her in-depth understanding of weather patterns and ease with communicating their effects are critical to ensuring that viewers are knowledgeable on the
outlook for their day.

An AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist, Laura earned the “Best Weathercast” award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. She has also received the National Weather Association Television Broadcaster Seal of Approval. Laura earned a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, Math and Geographic Information Sciences from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science in Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University. For eight years prior to joining AccuWeather, Laura led local forecasting efforts in Michigan and Colorado where she gained experience forecasting blizzards, severe thunderstorms, extreme flooding and record heat/cold. Laura is skilled at quickly identifying key impactful weather patterns and translating them into actionable insights for viewers.

Laura’s intense passion for weather began as a child. Even when she was in kindergarten, her first choice in television programming was always weather-related. She would become enthralled as she watched the impact that severe weather can have.

An avid runner and endurance athlete, Laura loves to test her physical limits. She has completed seven marathons and has plans to compete in an Ironman triathlon in the future. She can also be found cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, or traveling. Laura enjoys spending time with her poodle, Jet, as well as her family in Michigan.

Laura is devoted to effectively communicating weather forecasts and their potential impacts. She is happy to bring the viewers a smile to start their morning and enjoys helping millions of people safely prepare for their day.

Every day millions of people rely on the AccuWeather Network to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. The AccuWeather Network provides “All Weather All The Time” coverage on a local, regional and national scale with Superior Accuracy™. Backed by the expertise of over 100 meteorologists with a combined 1,300 years of forecasting experience, AccuWeather is the leader in global weather forecasting.

Broadcast television veteran and experienced multimedia journalist Erin Calandra is an On-Air Broadcaster at AccuWeather.

In her on-air role, Erin communicates the most accurate, actionable weather information and updates, focused on what viewers need to know to stay prepared and safe throughout their day.

A seasoned reporter with over 10 years of broadcast experience, Erin has communicated breaking news to millions across the country. Her career began in Bakersfield, CA as a producer at KBAK. The opportunity to report on-air became available and Erin moved to KERO-TV, ABC23 News. She then worked as a reporter for WTAJ-TV and WJAC-TV, anchor stations in State College, PA. Erin’s investigative reporting helped to change labeling practices at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture after an exclusive in-depth feature report. Erin’s career path later took her to Atlanta, GA where she worked as a Multi-Media Journalist for Atlanta 11 Alive News. Erin is also an Adjunct Professor in the College of Communications at Penn State University, where she teaches TV News Reporting. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications from Penn State.

Erin’s passion for weather stems from her drive to help others and ensure they are aware of threating conditions ahead. Weather affects everyone, from planning a vacation to preparing for a life-threatening storm, and Erin is continually fueled on knowing she is making a positive difference in the world. She knows her forecasts are helping thousands to not only prepare for their day, but also impact lives.

When she is not forecasting the weather, Erin likes to stay busy. She is an active volunteer with her daughter’s various youth sports leagues and enjoys spending time supporting local community events. Erin loves to travel whether to the beach or a ski mountain. While at home, Erin likes to cook, bake, and spend time with her family.

Erin’s commitment to helping others stay safe and out of harm’s way, combined with her expertise in communicating breaking weather effectively, makes her a valued part of the AccuWeather Network team.

Every day millions of people rely on the AccuWeather Network to help them plan their lives, protect their businesses, and get more from their day. The AccuWeather Network provides “All Weather All The Time” coverage on a local, regional and national scale with Superior Accuracy™. Backed by the expertise of over 100 meteorologists with a combined 1,300 years of forecasting experience, AccuWeather is the leader in global weather forecasting.

Daji Aswad received her B.S. in Broadcast Meteorology from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. During her time in San Antonio she interned at WOAI, where she was able to gain valuable newsroom experience.

In 2015, Daji joined the AccuWeather family as weather graphics producer, creating engaging graphics for videos used by AccuWeather and their widespread client base. In 2017, Daji transitioned to AccuWeather’s on-air team, providing weather broadcasts not only for the United States, but also for the Caribbean, the place of her heritage and thus close to her heart.

Daji developed a love for science at a young age while growing up in her hometown of Houston, Texas. Hunkering down for hurricanes Ike and Rita gave her new perspective on the power of weather and its impact on the community, and but how good weather forecasting was critical to the protection of life and property.

Travel to visit her very diverse family, which is spread across several continents, enabled Daji to experience a range of climates and weather patterns, and fueled her passion for the science of weather.

Daji’s hobbies include traveling and “foodism” or food tourism — indulging in foods from all over the world while learning about new cultures, and gaining experiences that enhance her love of the weather and people in her local and worldwide community.