Marissa Carney came to WTAJ in April of 2001 and for five years covered the news as the Bedford County Bureau Chief.
Marissa says the trials and tribulations of being a one woman band and videotaping all of her own stories are part of her favorite memories. She even admits they might not have been good memories at the time, but now they make her smile.

"There was a day I fell down a mountain, tumbled down and busted the camera.
I had twigs in my hair and worms on me. I got back to the station saying it was the worst day, and now I think back.  It makes me laugh."

Marissa no longer has to climb mountains for her stories, now the media comes to her.  She is the Media Relations and Events Coordinator for Penn State Altoona.  She writes news releases about events and news items at the campus.  She is the person the media goes to for interviews about what is happening at PSU Altoona.

Central PA is home to Marissa and she loves being near her family, especially her new niece.  Marissa's love of dance made it easy to stay local as well.  She is a teacher at a local dance studio and loves working with her students.

Marissa says she doesn't miss the crazy hours and the constant phones or screaming pagers that come with being a news reporter.  But she does admit she is still a news person at heart.
"News is so much a part of you, even when you are gone it still is.  I still watch the news, I still read the paper and I still get that feeling in my stomach when something big is happening."