Hollie Strano makes Cleveland TV comeback after DUI, sobriety journey
A popular Cleveland TV meteorologist is back to cover the weather in Northeast Ohio after falling out of favor following a DUI arrest in Cuyahoga Falls.
Former WKYC Channel 3 meteorologist Hollie Strano, who was fired in September 2024 after 22 years, has announced that she will join the fairly new station’s news team. WCTU – Cleveland 13 News.
Strano was arrested in November 2023 and charged with operating a vehicle under the influence by Falls police after his vehicle crashed near Towpath Tennis Center on Akron-Peninsula Road.
Hollie Strano shares her recovery journey at her life coach’s office on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Brecksville,
Authorities say his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit in the Thanksgiving night crash.
Strano later pleaded guilty to the charge and embarked on a public path to sobriety, where he regularly provided updates on social media.
He’s done some gigs providing weather forecasts and reporting for radio stations including Mix 94.1 in Canton, but this is his first return to more traditional TV.
Although its name sounds like a typical TV station, WCTU bills itself as a “community-focused news network” that delivers its news on digital platforms such as its website. cleveland13news.comYouTube and other social media platforms.
In a tongue-in-cheek teaser for her return to Cleveland TV, Strano says this time she’ll do it her way and ditch the “old version” of herself (the traditional long black dress that was the “inauthentic” version of herself).
She tells the audience she’s going to “rock it” in her own way this time, literally ripping off the old dress to reveal a chic, sleeveless version.
Cleveland 13 News President Matt Greminger said the community has a connection to Strano, from his career to his recovery.
“Hollie has always had a genuine rapport with her Northeast Ohio audience,” Greminger said in a statement. “His story is one of perseverance, integrity and growth. Cleveland 13 is proud to provide a platform where he can continue to share his passion for weather and this community.”
Strano said that in addition to reporting the weather, he will also be doing other news and interviews.
“People are longing for something real,” Strano said in a statement. “That’s what I want to do moving forward.”
Former WKYC Channel 3 meteorologist Hollie Strano is joining the WCTU – Cleveland 13 News news team.
In a sit-down interview with the station, Hollie heart to heart Conversation with Greminger aired Friday about his return to the Cleveland newsroom.
“I will never regret what happened,” Strano said in the interview. “… Now that I look back, I can 100% say that it was one of the worst days of my life, but also one of the best.”
Strano said in the TV interview that while he was struggling with sobriety, he was also diagnosed with cancer in 2024, which resulted in two surgeries.
Strano, who has worked to become a better person with the help of others and personally, said in an interview with WCTU Cleveland 13 News that he is looking forward to this new opportunity.
“The creative part (of this) is endless, and I love that,” he said in the interview. “I have no limits. I was limited, but I have no more. So stay tuned.”
This article first appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal: Hollie Strano returns to the Cleveland TV market
