SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – This weekend, KELOLAND’s Angela Kennecke will be honored for her work as an investigative reporter and anchor.

Angela was named as a Silver Circle Honoree for the Upper Midwest Regional Emmys.

While the business has changed as much as Angela’s hairstyles during her nearly 30-year career, her solid journalism skills during breaking news remain constant.

But it’s Angela’s investigative reporting that has made the biggest difference in people’s lives.

Her three-year investigation exposing the GEAR UP grant scandal in South Dakota led to criminal charges and changes in state laws.

While Angela has spent three decades covering thousands of stories, her own would be the hardest to tell.

In May of 2018, Angela lost her oldest daughter Emily to an overdose.

“I never intended a member of my family to become part of the statistics you hear on the evening news. Nobody does,” Angela said.

Her colleagues at KELOLAND Media Group rallied behind Angela and her new mission to educate and tell the stories of those suffering in the opioid epidemic; producing a one-hour special on the opioid crisis.

“Together we can begin tackling the plague of opioid abuse in our community and save lives. I do this work to raise awareness in honor of my daughter’s name and to ensure that Emily’s legacy lives on,” Angela said.

Also this weekend, KELOLAND Media Group is up for eight Emmy Awards. This includes a nomination for Breaking News and the Evening News for our flash flood coverage in March. Angela has also received a Community Service nomination for her work through Emily’s Hope.

The winners will be announced Saturday night during the Upper Midwest Emmy Gala.