Reporter Steve Barrett returned to WFTV in mid-2017 after 18 months in the Twin Cities, where he worked as Vice President of Communications for an Artificial Intelligence software firm aligned with IBM. Steve started with WFTV in June of 2003. Viewers can see his stories on Eyewitness News at Noon, 4, 5 and 6pm. Steve has lived in Florida for decades. He originally moved here in high school, attending Northeast High in St. Petersburg. He was born in Champaign, Illinois, and also lived in Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin – where he had his first broadcasting gig(a church radio broadcast on WSEY in middle school). Steve has a BA in Communications (Radio/TV/Film) from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He began his TV career there working at WSAW in Wausau, Wisconsin. From there, Steve returned to Florida and worked for several TV stations, including WPTV in West Palm Beach, as well as WTVT and WFTS in Tampa. During his career Steve has worked as a reporter, anchor, photographer, editor, director, producer and managing editor. He’s been honored with numerous awards: 6 Emmys, 2 Associated Press awards, a Green Eyeshade award, and more than a dozen other awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. Steve has covered Florida from every angle for three decades. He was one of the first reporters on the scene at Kennedy Space Center after the Columbia disaster. He was also one of the first reporters into the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina, and has ridden out 18 other storms including Irma, Matthew, Charley, Frances, Jeanne, Wilma, Fay and Gustav. He extensively covered major stories like the Casey Anthony Saga, the George Zimmerman case, and a number of the major mass shootings, terrorist attacks and riots that have occurred throughout the country in the last 2 decades.