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Wichita Mosaic: Dan Dillon

Wichita is a city with people from many cultures and backgrounds. A jigsaw puzzle made up of colorful and interlocking pieces. But how much do we really know about the people that live here?

Credit Special to KMUW
Dan sits in the KFDI News studio, several remodels before the way it looks today.

Nebraska native Dan Dillon moved to Wichita almost fresh out of college in 1979 to be News Director of KFDI. It was one of his first radio jobs since graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the 34 years that followed, Dan Dillon became the signature voice of KFDI news--especially when severe storms and tornadoes rolled into the Wichita area. Sometimes, Dan would get up at 3 am to host the morning news, only to return to work that evening to anchor weather coverage until the early morning hours. 

A little over a year ago, Dan set off for a new adventure as the Media Coordinator for Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.   

Long-time colleague George Lawson was kind enough to share some of Dan's work during his years at KFDI. Listen below for examples of Dan's court reporting and storm coverage. 

Dan_Court_Reporting_Audio.mp3
Dan reports on the murder trial of Nathaniel Bell.
Dan_Storm_Coverage.mp3
Dan reports on severe storms in the Wichita area.

When she's not out making lattes in her mobile coffee bus Sunflower Espresso, Kate Hutchens is a fill-in host for KMUW. She has worked in broadcast journalism at KFDI, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and at KMUW as Morning Edition host, which she did until March 2017.