"If you would have told me in 1998 that I was about to meet one of my dearest friends at my place of employment at WKBT-TV, I don't know if I would've believed you, but here we are. One of my dear friends is now saying goodbye after a very successful 25-year career. We are all so proud of you, we are all so lucky to have worked with you, and we are all so excited for your next journey, Be well, my friend. You know where to find me."
Former WKBT Anchor Mike Thompson:
"How lucky are the viewers of this region to have you on their TV screen or in their social media feed for these past 25 years. I guess what I and I think a lot of the viewers loved most about you here in the region is that you didn't just give a weather report, you always educated us on things like what is a snow squall warning? What is a Colorado hooker, or a bomb cyclone? So best of luck in retirement. I know I'll be seeing you even though you're going to be in Colorado sometime soon, so take care."
Former WKBT Meteorologist Michelle Poedel:
"Oh, Bill, La Crosse is going to miss you so much. You are seriously the best in the biz. I feel so honored that I got to work with you for so long. Not only work with you, but call you a friend. I'm excited for you guys to get back to Colorado. I know it's always been a dream of yours, and just start this new chapter of your family's life. We'll miss you terribly, but we can't wait to plan a vacation out to Colorado. Good luck, and have a safe move as you head out west."
Former WKBT Anchor Jennifer Livingston:
"One thing I noticed immediately was the chemistry we had. It was like feeling you were at home with the person next to you. And a big part of that was the laughter that we had, the laughter over and over and over again, and all of a sudden it goes from somebody brand new next to you to somebody that feels like he's your other half at your job. The banter was often. We loved to poke each other's buttons, and he's just funny. He's got this dry sense of humor."
[Old clip of Bill Graul forecasting]: "And my goodness, you might see an Elvis blow down the street, especially if you're at the La Crosse Center over the weekend."
Livingston: "But the thing that always made me laugh the most was watching him try not to laugh. It is the best thing to listen to Bill Graul try not to laugh, because inevitably he fails and always ends up laughing longer, and then it's just like go to commercial break because you won't be able to get it back."
[Clip of Bill from News 8 Now This Morning]: "Low symptoms today and tomorrow, (laughter). Oh, Jen's making me laugh during the commercial breaks. Not fair. Not fair!"
Livingston: "I learned pretty quickly with him that on days there was inclement weather, he's all business, and the reason is he cares so deeply about making sure that our community stayed safe. He's really smart at what he does, and he's really good at it, and he cares deeply about keeping people safe. And I think people felt that, and that's why he's been so loved in our community. If you know him and you've watched him, you know that Colorado is in his heart."
[Clip of Bill and Jen from morning show] "Guess where?"
"Colorado?"
"Colorado."
"Nice."
"As someone who went to University of Colorado--"
"And the front range of Colorado, look at that--"
"Friends in for Oktoberfest, from Colorado."
"I've seen one or two out in Colorado."
"Where I come from, Colorado."
Livingston: "It was always calling him, and I know this is what he needs to do for his family. Bill, I love you, and you will always be special and hold a special place in my heart, I'm so happy for you. I'm sad for me, but I'm happy for you, and stay in touch."
On behalf of all his past and present colleagues, we say thank you, Bill, for 25 amazing years. We love you!
​COPYRIGHT 2023 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Ken is ecstatic to work in his home state of Wisconsin. After graduating from UW-Madison in 2017 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he got his career started in Sports. He spent two years as a Weekend Sports Anchor at the CBS affiliate station in Bismarck, North Dakota, and then spent the last three years as WKBT’s Sports Director. Ken is humbled and excited to be promoted to News Anchor at 5, 6, and 10, and while he won’t be anchoring sports anymore, he’ll still be following all Wisconsin sports teams and Coulee Region high school athletics. Ken and his wife Leah love the La Crosse area and are excited to stick around WKBT and keep working on their house!
Favorite band: It varies by day. He’d say he’s pretty eclectic.
Favorite movie: Inception
Family: Wife Leah and their two dogs: 2-year-old black Lab named Bear, and 3-month old golden retriever named Bella.
Pizza: Pepperoni and bacon
Sports teams: All Wisconsin teams, especially the Brewers and Packers
Thing he’s bad at: Drawing, or basically anything you’d do in Art class
Favorite way to spend a day off?: Playing tennis with Leah, having some fun meals, and then spending time together with the puppies
