By By Adrienne McKenzie
It was a record-breaking crowd for WKRG's home town tours Friday afternoon as the Channel 5 Evening News broadcasted live from Atmore's Heritage Park.
WKRG anchors Rose Ann Haven and Mel Showers and chief meteorologist Alan Sealls were all smiles on-air while receiving a warm welcome from Atmore residents.
"This is awesome," Haven said. "The folks here have been so warm and friendly. We feel very blessed to be here."
WKRG's director of creative services, Robin Delaney, said in an interview last week that coming to Atmore is a part of the home town tour, which is something WKRG does to allow the Mobile community, as well as other communities around the area, to view what small towns like Atmore are all about.
Delaney said that coming to Atmore was the first home town tour this summer, but in previous years there has typically been a good turnout. But, according to Tim Vales, WKRG facilities supervisor, the Atmore response was greater than past tours.
"We would've brought a big screen TV for the people to see what was going on, but we didn't know so many people would be here," Vales said. "It's shocking to us to see this many people here."
Sealls said Friday was not his first experience in Atmore and that he is always thrilled to come to this small town.
"I'm always happy to come back to visit," Sealls said. "I was at Mardi Gras here a couple of years ago and I came to the middle school last year. This was a good excuse to come back."
Showers is certainly not a stranger to Atmore, either, in fact he used to spend time playing sports in the area.
"Oh, what a treat it is to be in Atmore," Showers said. "I am a native of Mobile and back in the '80s we'd come up here to play basketball. It's a nice, friendly town."
After the broadcast, Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassadors presented pecan pies to the anchors. Sealls, Haven and Showers stuck around for a meet and greet with community members and also signed autographs and took pictures with fans.
The WKRG Channel 5 Evening News will broadcast live from Brewton, Saraland and Milton, Fla. later this summer.