
Ben Handelman
It is a dream to be able to tell the stories of Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin. Since joining the FOX6 News team in April 2011, I have traveled across the state and the country as an anchor/reporter for Wisconsin’s largest newsroom.
I am proud to call Milwaukee’s east side my home. My journey here brought me out of the woods of Connecticut, and through some of our country’s largest farm fields in Illinois before finding a home in the brew city!
I grew up in northwest Connecticut and graduated from Quinnipiac University (GO BOBCATS!). A desire to be a professional storyteller helped me land my first job at ABC affiliate WICS in Springfield, Illinois. I was promoted and sent to sister station WICD in Champaign, Illinois where I met my wife. At the time she was a reporter for the competition. I’m happy to say Ashley Sears and I found a way to be on the same team when we both moved to Milwaukee to work at FOX6! We enjoy working together a lot better than against each other.
Here in Milwaukee, I have anchored and reported on every newscast from morning to night. Currently, I can be found anchoring weekend evening newscasts and reporting for FOX6 news at nine and ten throughout the week. In my time here I’ve covered some of Wisconsin’s biggest stories from the Sikh Temple and Azana Salon shootings to the unrest in Sherman Park in 2016. I’ve walked with Brett Favre during his return to Lambeau Field and helped push cars stuck in the snow during several Wisconsin winters.
I’ve been sent across the country where I’ve seen the destruction of an F-5 tornado in Oklahoma and the heartbreak left behind following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. In Dallas, I saw the resilience of officers who had to head back to work after five of their coworkers were killed, and have stood feet away from Air Force One for two different presidents.
My work has received recognition from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association, Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, and the Milwaukee Press Club.
In Milwaukee, you can often find Ashley and me jogging along the lakefront or attending one of the million festivals in our great home city. In 2016, I started a goofy boat blog to share pictures of Milwaukee’s vibrant shipping industry (bigboatsmke.com). I am on a lifetime journey to sample as much Mexican food as I can find. I am always looking for story ideas or recommendations for my next adventure.
Feel free to reach out ben.handelman@fox.com. Let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The latest from Ben Handelman
Gilbert Gottfried: FOX6's Gino Salomone remembers best friend
Gilbert Gottfried died at the age of 67. FOX6's Gino Salomone happened to be one of the comedian's best friends.
New book reveals Foxconn deal details in Mount Pleasant
A new book reveals fascinating details about the $10 billion Foxconn investment in an LCD plant in Racine County.
2 Whitefish Bay pursuits, 3 in custody
We're getting a firsthand look at a wild night for the Whitefish Bay Police Department. Three teens were arrested after two simultaneous police pursuits.
Open Record: Saving high school sports
Could a severe ref shortage put an end to high school sports?
High school athletics threatened over drop in registered officials
A FOX6 News investigation has learned a dramatic drop in registered officials is threatening the future of high school athletics.
Along Rock River, demands to solve flooded fields and dying forest
Fields have been flooded for months and farmers have lost hundreds of acres from water that won’t seem to drain. The problem that has been years in the making.
Kenosha mayor on Rittenhouse trial, DA decision, moving forward
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian sat down with FOX6's Ben Handelman for a one-on-one conversation to talk about the path forward.
Ordinary 1998 Chevy Lumina may be most expensive of its kind
He is a Milwaukee man with two cars. One is an ordinary-looking 1998 Chevy that may just be the most expensive of its kind in the world.
Flu shots urged as COVID vaccine rolls out: 'Easy thing to do'
As many await the COVID-19 vaccine, health leaders say don't forget about the other shot available right now.
Kenosha police union gives its version of Jacob Blake shooting
The Kenosha police union offered the most detailed accounting to date on officers' perspective of the moments leading up to police shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back.