Longtime DC-area news anchor Dave Lucas will step down from the anchor desk this month to retire, 7News/WJLA-TV announced in a news release today. Lucas, the weekday anchor of WJLA’s 24/7 news at noon and the afternoon editions between 2 and 5 p.m., will host his final afternoon newscast on November 22.
Lucas has been part of WJLA 24/7 news since 1991, when the station first launched as NewsChannel 8. He was one of the original anchors.
Before his work in the DC area, Lucas worked in broadcast news in Charleston, South Carolina, where he covered news related to sports and health. He was a nationally syndicated medical reporter for Medstar Television and hosted the Discovery Channel’s Your Health!
Over the course of his career, he has reported on major stories, including the attacks on September 11, 2001; the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021; seven national political conventions; eight presidential inaugurations; and “too many Congressional, state, and local races to count.”
This work gained him many awards and accolades, including an induction into the Silver Circle of the National Capital Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, three regional Emmy awards, an Edward M. Morrow award, and National Cable Ace awards for Healthline, which earned the title of the nation’s best local public affairs program.
In addition, Lucas — an “avid golfer” — served as host of Capital Golf Weekly for 17 years.
Following his retirement, Lucas and his wife, Lisa, will move to Richmond to be closer to their children.
Feature image of Dave Lucas courtesy News7/WJLA-TV
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