WBAY adds two weekend anchors amid newsroom changes

WBAY in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has added two journalists to its weekend anchor lineup, bringing Matthew Draxton and Tristen Kendrick to the Gray Media-owned ABC affiliate as the station prepares to bid farewell to a member of its weather team.

Draxton has joined Action 2 News as weekend evening anchor and multimedia journalist. He comes to WBAY after three years at KTVZ in Bend, Oregon, where he worked as a morning anchor and investigative reporter, according to a report published by the Green Bay Press Gazette. 

Meanwhile, meteorologist Emily Merz has announced she will be leaving the station for another Gray Media property. Her last day is Sept. 6, 2026.

A native of California’s San Francisco Bay Area, Draxton graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in political science and a concentration in global politics. His reporting interests include investigative, accountability and feature stories.

Kendrick spent the previous four years at Gray sister station WLUC in Marquette, Michigan, where he worked in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Kendrick is a graduate of Siena Heights University, where he earned a degree in communications and mass media. 

The two hires give WBAY dedicated anchors for both its morning and evening weekend newscasts. The station’s current staff directory lists Draxton as weekend anchor and Kendrick as weekend morning anchor.

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