Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee … wait, that was that other Davy. This one was born on a cattle and wheat farm on the Great Plains of North Dakota. Farm-fresh common sense, work ethic and imagination forged in the fields of great grains. Like spaghetti? Thank my dad. After an Honor Society high school career in Lakota, N.D., I attended junior college on a basketball scholarship where I repeatedly demonstrated that white men indeed can’t jump. But I did manage an associate’s degree in wildlife management. From there, a semester at the University of North Dakota, where I started to pursue a background in broadcasting and a minor in goofing off, so… To further educational opportunities and real-world experience, I enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1974 and eventually became part of the first all-volunteer army. I served three years as a radio/TV information specialist with extra training in newsprint and leadership. The bulk of my tour was at Fort Lewis, Wash., and I made a note to return to the great state of Washington one day. Honorably discharged in 1977 I returned to North Dakota and Minot State University, where I received degrees in communications and psychology. While attending school I worked as a radio DJ and a TV news reporter at a local combo operation. It was there that I discovered that what was taught in classroom didn’t always square with what was going on in the real world. Good to know. From there I moved to Blacksburg, Va., and a radio/TV producer job for Virginia Tech University -- Go, Gobblers! Go, Hokies! Two years on the East Coast was enough and I headed west to the hippie enclave of Eureka, Calif., for my first TV news director/anchorman gig. Yes, I had a mustache and comparisons to Ron Burgundy would one day be appropriate … just keep them “classy.” At a news guy conference in Las Vegas I met legendary newsman T.J. Close, who was from Washington state! Here was my callback to the Evergreen State, but I wound up on the never-green side of the Cascades. T.J hired me to come to Yakima and KIMA-TV in the winter of 1982. I worked a couple of years there, then spent 10 years across town as news director/anchor at KAPP-TV. I tried my hand at TV sales and radio sales and ultimately got a morning talk show radio gig for about two years on KCHT. (K-chat. Get it? Me, neither) By then KNDO-TV, the only TV station in town I hadn’t worked for, was looking for a news director/anchorman and they came calling based on my track record of past success and the fact that I work cheap. That was a successful five-year run, but the station was sold and the new owners wanted their own people in place, so early in 2001 I was about to be out of a job when KIT’s manager called and asked me to breakfast. Best meal ever! LOTS of bacon. Sixteen years later the Morning News with Dave and Lance rolls on as Yakima’s most popular morning radio show, presenting a variety of news , sports, weather, talk and fun -- Information and good conversation wrapped in our tell-it-like-it-is kinda style. We champion our advertisers, we pull for the underdogs, we love kids, veterans, seniors, animals, America and everything else that’s good and true that list doesn’t cover. We are A.M Proud with conservative values and a love for the people of the Yakima Valley. And it sure beats working on the farm.
Dave Ettl
Yakima’s Battle Of The Bands Is Back On – AppleJam’s Calling You!
If on the Fourth of July someone asks if you want some "AppleJam" be sure to say "Yes Please!"
WA State Long Term Health Care Drove Insurers Away-Are They Back?
Because the operational details of the State's mandatory .58% tax on payroll plan were so limited, weak, and unfair that many residents raced to find short-term solutions to avoid being pushed onto the state plan.
Yakima 2022: Younger, Less Educated, And Making A Lot Less Money
Yakima is the second-largest county in Washington state at 2.75 million acres but just three entities own 63.4 percent of this total.
Yakima’s 99 Year Old Miller Park Gets Makeover For More Fun
The work being done is expected to help reach the goals of increased safety, health & recreation opportunities, and a community gathering place for education, outreach, and collaboration.
Yakima Children’s Miracle Network Gets A Big Boost From Solarity
it's a pretty great day for the Yakima Memorial Foundation and ultimately thousands of kids in the Yakima Valley!
The Booze You Choose Affects Body Fat – A Love Letter To Wine
This weekend thousands of people will descend on the Yakima Valley's wineries and vineyards for the annual Spring Barrel tasting event.
Two Of America’s Top Trips For 2022 Are A Trek To The Pacific NW
Hiking trails, views and vistas, and thrill-seeking fun are all to be found on Tik Tok and two of the Top Ten are less than 300 miles away
Earth Day- No Way…Not Much Happening In Yakima This Year
Today Earth Day includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org involving 1 billion people in more than 193 countries but you really wouldn't know that by an internet search for Earth Day activities around here.
Morel Mushrooms In The Morning – What A NW Picker Needs To Know
The U.S. Forest Service says if you're planning to hunt for morel mushrooms you may need a permit and permit sales will be able to purchase a commercial harvesting permit starting May 2.
Ellensburg’s CWU Campus Cops Adjust For Better Bond With Students
The Central Washington University Police Department was featured on the national website Inside Higher Ed on Friday, April 15, in an article called “Making Campus Police More Approachable.”