The story of how John Hanson wound up on Twin Cities Live has become a legend around the offices of TCL. In July 2007, the station held an open casting call at the Mall of America. "I was living in Las Vegas and was in town for some family reasons and hinted to my mom that if the right job came up I'd like to move back. She got really excited and insisted I audition for this new show, Twin Cities Live. I knew it was a long shot, but I waited in the long lines because I just couldn't disappoint my mom," said John.
Over 500 people turned out for the chance to become one of the co-hosts of Twin Cities Live. John's number was 411. Mandy Tadych, Executive Producer, Twin Cities Live, remembers, "He was unshaven and still had the tag on from his new suit but the minute he starting talking on camera we were blown away by how witty, genuine and friendly he was." And Mandy believes that, "Every time he gets in front of the camera those qualities shine."
John is a Burnsville native and grew up playing baseball at Apple Valley High School; he still enjoys the occasional backyard game with his buddies. Don't be surprised if you run into him at a local sporting event, especially at Twins games at Target Field, or riding his motorcycle around town. He's thrilled to be back home cheering on the Gophers and is an avid fan of all the U of M teams. Besides sports, John loves to try new restaurants (his favorite is Kona Grill) and prides himself on his ballroom dancing skills - a hidden talent he honed during many segments on TCL. John also has a knack for finding the best bargains in town.
If you have a story idea or comment for John, email him at jhanson1@kstp.com
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Twin Cities Live welcomed co-host Elizabeth Ries on June 15, 2009. She was a familiar face to TCL viewers having been a frequent guest host and field correspondent from metro greenhouses, wave pools, parade routes, and salon spas.
Elizabeth was born in Cambridge but soon moved down to the Cities. She graduated from Apple Valley High School. After interning at KMSP in Eden Prairie and WMTV in Madison, Elizabeth received her B.A. in journalism and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She immediately jumped into TV news, anchoring the morning newscast at KDLH in Duluth and later anchoring and reporting at WBAY in Green Bay, WI. She was reporting for 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS before making the move to Twin Cities Live. Elizabeth says, "Working at TCL is the best way to get to know my hometown even better. We love showing the Twin Cities everything our incredible community has to offer!"
Elizabeth enjoys hanging out with her friends and family who live in the south metro. She takes frequent trips to see her two younger sisters. One lives in Manhattan and the other lives in Chicago with her husband and dog. Although she's a Minnesotan through and through, her football loyalty lies in Wisconsin. She's a loyal Badger fan and her dad raised all of his girls to cheer for the Packers. Please forgive her!
Elizabeth enjoys reading, walking, and bike riding with her West Highland Terrier, Henry, who rides in a basket and receives quite a few stares when they're out on the road together. Cooking is her passion and she's growing as much of her own food as possible in her backyard garden. That is, of course, when it's not covered with snow. Elizabeth says, "I'm a Food Network addict and I'd love to cook with one of my fave Food Network chefs Giada de Laurentis, Ina Garten or Nigella Lawson someday on TCL."
If you have a story idea or comment for Elizabeth, email her at eries@kstp.com
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