Bill Burr
FOX 24 Evening News Anchor
TWITTER.COM/BBONTV
@BILL.BURR.58
Bill Burr is a familiar face to Fox 24 viewers. Long before he became evening anchor of FOX 24 News at 6:30pm and 10pm, he anchored the weekend newscasts at WCSC-TV and FOX 24 when he first arrived in Charleston in 2004. After contributing stories to the weekday broadcasts, Bill helped launch FOX 24 Morning News at 7 in 2007.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Bill graduated from Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia. That’s where his career started. He was news director of the college’s radio station, then became an overnight disc jockey at WKWK-FM in Wheeling, West Virginia. But Bill’s real passion was news. His radio experience led him to reporting and anchoring positions in Steubenville, OH, Florence and Myrtle Beach, SC, Austin, TX, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, NC, then Charleston. Bill has covered national stories where he filed live reports for CNN. He’s reported on some of the biggest stories in South Carolina, including the Sofa Super Store tragedy where nine Charleston firefighters died in the line of duty, the killings of nine people during a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church, the candidacies of several high-profile politicians, plus many weather-related disasters.
He’s been recognized with a Southeast Regional Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and numerous other journalism awards from RTDNA of the Carolinas, Associated Press, South Carolina Broadcasters Association, and the South Carolina Medical Association.
Recently, Burr made his Hollywood acting debut as a news anchor in a scene of the hit Netflix drama series Outer Banks. Look for him in Season 3: Episode 5.
Bill and his beloved cat, Cookie, live in West Ashley. Outside of the newsroom, Bill works on his prized Buick Riviera, and volunteers as an usher at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He’s also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. When he isn’t at the gym, he spends time with his family and friends sampling Charleston’s growing craft beer scene. Bill is proud to make the Lowcountry his home.
Mel Orlins
Morning News Anchor
Melanie Orlins has spent the past 12 years anchoring and reporting at news stations in the Midwest and along the East Coast.
For the past five years, she anchored a five-hour morning show in Buffalo. While in Buffalo, she was honored with a New York Emmy Award for Best Newscast. She also received an Emmy nomination for her story about a WWII veteran who received his high school diploma, 75 years later.
Melanie also served as a morning anchor and investigative reporter in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where she anchored FOX43’s five-hour morning show.
While there, Melanie received recognition for her reporting on tracking down deadbeat parents and regulations on local railways.
Prior to her time in Harrisburg, Melanie was an anchor and reporter in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she reported on the synthetic marijuana crisis. Her reporting on the issue led to the passing of new laws in the state legislature.
Melanie started her career in Tallahassee, Florida where she graduated with honors from Florida State University.
She’s a huge FSU fan and a big Bills fan, too!
Dave Williams
10p News Meteorologist-Weeknights
You can catch Chief Meteorologist Dave Williams delivering your forecast weekday evenings on FOX 24 News at 10.
Raised in Northeast Ohio, Dave's experienced dangerous storms, including tornadoes and blizzards, which sparked his passion for meteorology at a young age. While visiting South Carolina on family vacations, Dave saw, firsthand, the wrath of Mother Nature.
"I remember seeing the devastation of an F-4 Tornado in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and the aftermath of Hurricane David in Myrtle Beach."
Dave received a B.S. in atmospheric science from The Ohio State University and worked as a meteorologist at WTOV of Steubenville, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia.
Armed with a wealth of experience forecasting the weather in the Palmetto State, Dave is a member of the National Weather Association, American Meteorological Society, and holds a Seal of Approval from the NWA.
Dave volunteers for Run Buddies, a program that helps overweight kids and young adults slim down and live healthier lifestyles. Dave's buddy lost over 30 pounds and completed several 5k and 10k races, including the Cooper River Bridge Run.
In his spare time, Dave loves to play basketball, soccer, golf, and go fishing.
Sonya Stevens
6:30 News Meteorologist
Sonya is thrilled to be in the Lowcountry, the place she calls home! She is a proud graduate of Academic Magnet High School and earned a degree in meteorology from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
After graduating from N.C. State, she began her career in Abilene, Texas, at KTAB. Sonya has also worked at WWAY in Wilmington, North Carolina, and at WMAZ in Macon, Georgia. While in central Georgia, Sonya was awarded the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation by the American Meteorological Society.
Sonya's parents and brother reside in Charleston and are three of her biggest supporters along with her husband whom she met at N.C. State.
In addition to having a love for the ever-changing weather, she loves music...playing percussion and the piano. She also enjoys working out and has done various races in the area including the Race for the Cure, the James Island Connector Run, Cooper River Bridge Run, and several local sprint triathlons. In her spare time, Sonya enjoys water sports, cheering on the N.C. State Wolfpack, walking her dog Dobby, and hanging out with friends and family. She is also on the Salvation Army Advisory Board.
Sonya and her husband, Ed, are thrilled to be raising their children, Weatherly and Ned, in Charleston.
You can catch Sonya's forecasts weeknights on FOX 24 News at 6:30.
Charistin Clark
Morning News Meteorologist
Charistin joined FOX 24 as the weekend meteorologist and a weekday reporter in 2021.
Growing up in a military family meant moving around frequently, but while living in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Charistin quickly became interested in weather. At eight years old, she knew she wanted to be a meteorologist when she grew up.
Charistin faced life-altering obstacles in college, but never gave up on her dreams of becoming a meteorologist. In May 2019, Charistin graduated from Marshall University with a B.S in Geography with a concentration in Weather Broadcasting and with two minors in Meteorology and Criminal Justice.
Just one month after graduating college, Charistin landed her first job at WOAY-TV in Oak Hill, West Virginia as the weekend meteorologist before quickly moving up to morning meteorologist. There, she covered snowstorms, ice storms, and flooding.
After two years of forecasting in the mountains, she decided to chase after her dreams of forecasting in a tropical region with the FOX 24 Weather Authority team.
In her spare time, you can catch Charistin hanging out by the beach or the pool with her favorite Ginger Zee book.