Jonathan Walsh - ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather & Sports for Toledo, OH

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Jonathan Walsh anchors WTOL 11 Your Morning with Melissa Voetsch beginning at 4:30 a.m.

Jonathan was born in Meadville, PA and got started in journalism when he 16 years old after landing a correspondent job with The Meadville Tribune newspaper. After high school, he attended the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University where he earned the award "Outstanding Graduating Senior in Broadcast News."

His first job was in Abilene, TX where he started as a reporter and worked his way to weekend anchor/weekday reporter at KRBC-TV. His career then took him to Johnstown, PA where he was the 5:30pm anchor and nightside reporter for WJAC-TV.  He then helped start a new FOX affiliate news department in Rochester, MN. Jonathan was the main anchor for FOX-47 KXLT.

Since joining the WTOL team, Jonathan's most recent awards include the 2010 Associated Press Best Reporter in the state of Ohio plus an Edward R. Murrow for News Series and an AP award for News Series for "Alexa's Journey.  Those reports documented the Brown family from Clyde, OH.  Alexa Brown is part of the Eastern Sandusky County Childhood Cancer Cluster.  She passed away in August of 2009 and since then Jonathan has been following Alexa's parents continued efforts to get more federal funding for pediatric cancer research.

In  2009, Jonathan was awarded another Edward R. Murrow for investigative journalism surrounding continued reports on the Eastern Sandusky County Childhood Cancer Cluster.  He also won a 2009 AP award for the cancer cluster stories along with an investigation called "Oil Slickers" detailing how several area oil change facilities were ripping off hundreds of customers.  "Oil Slickers" also earned Jonathan an Emmy nomination.

In 2008, Jonathan swept the Associated Press Investigative Reporting category with two stories "Furnace Sting" and "Cop Cars Draining Budget".  Also in 2008, Jonathan received an AP award for Enterprise Reporting for stories about the Clyde cancer cluster during that year.

In 2006, the Associated Press recognized Jonathan's outstanding Continuing Coverage involving a series of reports called "A Boy Left Behind" which focused on the deportation of a South Korean mother and father, but they left their young son back in Toledo to continue his education.  In 2005, Jonathan earned an Associated Press award and Crystals Award for his coverage of the World War II Washington D.C. Memorial.  Also in 2005, he earned an Associated Press award for Continuing Coverage of police and firefighter layoffs in the city of Toledo.

Before arriving to Toledo, Jonathan won an award from United Press International for Spot News Coverage in the Midwest Region after reporting on a chlorine gas leak that threatened people living in Abilene, TX.  He's also won the Eric Sevareid Award (6-state competition) for investigative journalism that focused on the Minnesota Department of Transportation and how it was handling eminent domain property values for business owners in Rochester.  That investigation helped spark change in Minnesota laws as to how landowners should be paid during property cases.  The Associated Press and Minnesota Broadcasters Association handed Jonathan awards for an investigation involving Mayo Clinic and how that medical facility handled insurance coverage for two of its own employees who had a child diagnosed with Autism.  That same family would eventually start the RT Autism Awareness Foundation that now helps hundreds of families across the country.  In 2000, Jonathan earned an Associated Press award for a series of reports called "Hometown Hauntings" examining supposed haunted locations in Minnesota.

Jonathan has been featured in Hits Magazine for a radio show he used to host and has been recognized for traveling overseas and helping to organize a university radio station in Leipzig, Germany.

During his career, Jonathan has been attacked by police dogs, walked on hot coals, pepper sprayed during a National Night Out demonstration, and has laid on a bed of nails. He used to be a rap show DJ on the radio for three years during college and the announcer for the Ohio University Marching 110. He once made 94 out of 100 free throws during a basketball challenge in his hometown.

Jonathan came to WTOL in October of 2003. He now calls Toledo home with his wife and two children. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball and golf, and keeping in touch with friends around the country.