Melissa Riopka, an anchor for Huntsville, Alabama CBS affiliate WHNT, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 14, amid a battle with acute myeloid leukemia. She was 48 years old.
WHNT announced over the weekend the news that its longtime anchor. She first started at the station as an intern while attending the University of Alabama in 1995. She worked at new stations in Chattanooga and Birmingham before making Hurtsville her home.
Melissa Riopka returned to the CBS affiliate station in 2013 as a morning reporter. She worked alongside anchors Steve Johnson and Michelle Stark and meteorologist Ben Smith for two years before being promoted to co-anchor for the station’s 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscast with Jerry Hayes.
She went on to co-anchor alongside Johnson on the morning newscasts for four and a half years.
Riokpa left the station in March 2022 to join the Huntsville Parks and Recreation Department as a public relations officer. In July 2023, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
“Melissa left News 19 in March 2022, but her impact at the station has been felt far beyond that through the people who were fortunate to work with and get to know her,” WHNT stated.
Riopka was survived by her husband Jonathan Crowe, son, Sam, daughter, Faith, Grandmother, Paula Riopka, brother John Riopka, and sister Ashlee Riopka. She was preceded in death by her father Frank Riopka, and grandfather Sam Riopka.
Melissa Riopka Is Remembered By Her Former CBS Co-Anchor Steve Johnson
Following the news that Melissa Riopka passed away, her former co-anchor Steve Johnson took to Facebook to pay tribute to her.
Johnson also wrote a special message for his late co-anchor. “Melissa had her quirks. (and I do too. Most people called her Mel, but not me. Can’t tell you why) She had this idea that she was fat, well no, if was more that if she ate certain things she would get that way. For her, salad dressing in any amount that would matter, was a bad thing.“
Johnson then said it was sort of a wonder that he and Riopka became friends. He pointed out when she moved to the morning news that it became apparent that she was not an early-hours talker. He noted he was the complete opposite. “ I suppose I bugged her (or just bugged her) about a lot of things. But slowly, and now I can’t remember when, we became friends. Great friends. The sort who tell each other things we probably hadn’t told anyone else.”
He added that there was so much to tell about Ripkpa that he realized he couldn’t include it all. “As it is, I feel a bit unworthy to try to sum up this person…the colleague, this mom…Oh, did I say…as sleep deprived and tired as she was…her kids came first, this wife and neighbor and fine lady, this person who sat right next to me on set, and in the newsroom and smiled and nodded and talked…to me.”