OMC: Is it challenging to be a reporter on such a small staff?

ET: I am able to get out and cover the stuff that I want. The hosting that I do every day means that I'm not in the daily grind of what's the top story of the day. That's nice because it gives me flexibility to dig into different things that I'm interested in, on a different time schedule than everyone else.

OMC: What do you like to cover?

ET: Since coming to Milwaukee almost two years ago, I've gravitated toward education stories, and also social issues. I've been learning more about the foster care system, poverty, race and healthcare. There are a lot of families here that are dealing with all those issues, so I'm interested in learning more and reporting on those issues.

OMC: What brought you to Milwaukee from Michigan?

ET: My husband got into medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and where you get in you have to go. So that's why we came here, but he's from Marshfield. It's good because I was ready to move on from the station I was working at. For five years, I was working at the NPR affiliate in East Lansing.

OMC: And you went to Michigan State University, right?

ET: Yes. I graduated in '99 and worked two years in Kalamazoo at the NPR affiliate there, and went back to East Lansing.

OMC: From a career perspective, is Milwaukee a step up from East Lansing?

ET: I think, yes. It's a much bigger market.

OMC: So, what do you think of Milwaukee?

ET: I really like Milwaukee. It's not so different from East Lansing, in terms of a lot of the issues people here are facing. It's a changing community from what it used to be. There are lots of stories to tell here. I like that it's a diverse community and that you meet and see people of all different backgrounds. I feel that it's a fun place to live, even though I don't live in Milwaukee; I live in Wauwatosa.

OMC: What's your favorite restaurant in the area?

ET: We like the Milwaukee Ale House and Casablanca on Brady St. I like all the ethnic restaurants, Indian and Thai. I haven't done as much exploring of restaurants as I should.

OMC: Do you think you'll stay in this industry?

ET: If I'm lucky enough, yeah. With my husband's career, he'll be here for two more years, and then he'll have his residency somewhere. It could be here, but it might not be. We'll have to go wherever he goes. I hope wherever he has to go there will be an opportunity to do this. I would hate not to be in this field.