SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — One of the first female anchors in local television has died.  Joan Russell died Wednesday night after battling cancer. 

Russell, who grew up in Scotland, South Dakota, had a tremendous impact in local television and is remembered as a hard-nosed journalist who had a great understanding of local news.

Many of our viewers may remember Russell. In the 1990’s, Joan worked as our assignment editor and later reported and anchored Midday in KELOLAND.

But her career in tv news started long before that.

She anchored at KSFY back in the early 80’s.  The man who hired her there, Jim Paulson says Russell was extremely talented and you didn’t want to get in her way.  

Paulson also says Russell had a positive influence on younger reporters. 

Joan Russell was 64.