Ben Kaplan
Anchor
Tallahassee, Fla.
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/gray/53e93f57-ed09-494d-83f6-b0e28c16c0b5.png)
After years spent braving 'chilly' winters in the Northwest, News Anchor and MMJ Ben Kaplan is excited to join the WCTV team in the Sunshine State.
Ben came to Tallahassee after spending almost three years as an Anchor and Sports Director at KFBB, the ABC/FOX affiliate in Great Falls, Montana. During his time in the Treasure State, Ben covered everything from election season to National Police Week in Washington D.C. after a local sheriff's deputy was killed in the line of duty.
Before Great Falls, Ben spent nearly five years at KXLY, the ABC station in Spokane, Washington where he was nominated for a Regional Emmy for his series on individuals using sports to overcome personal and physical obstacles. Ben has also worked at WWSB in Sarasota, Florida where his family has lived since 2000 and is one of the reason's he's excited to make his return to Florida.
Community involvement is also very important to Ben. He has been involved with several fundraising efforts for organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, and was even a 'Big' while in Spokane. He's excited to getting involved as soon as he can in the Big Bend Area.
Ben is a 2002 graduate of the University of Montana, Go Griz! He is also a big Cubs fan... and is always hoping 'this is their year'. He is also excited to see a football game at Florida State. While different than Montana, he really enjoys the amazing trees and greenery the Tallahassee area has to offer. He would appreciate any suggestions you might have about local restaurants and other neat spots to check out, and hopes you stop and say ‘Hi’ if you see him around town.
Please contact Ben with any awesome story idea!
Education
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 9:12 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
A family remembers the life of WWII veteran Rod Dugger, who died March 15 at the age of 102.
Updated: Mar. 17, 2023 at 7:42 AM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan and Madison Glaser
A fatal crash on I-10 in Madison County blocked westbound traffic overnight.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2023 at 10:31 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
The Monticello man who was killed when a speeding car crashed into the entrance of the Thomasville Walmart will be laid to rest on Monday at the Tallahassee National Cemetery.
Updated: Mar. 1, 2023 at 8:29 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
The annual weekend of boat racing and on-shore shenanigans in honor of a man who loved to sail and whose cancer claimed too soon.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2023 at 10:37 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
Get out your dancing shoes! This weekend is the 18th annual Daddy-Daughter Dance put on by the Rotary Club of Tallahassee Northside.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 10:15 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
The Florida Democratic Party is now in need of a new leader.
Updated: Jan. 6, 2023 at 9:32 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan and Katie Kaplan
It happened on State Road 20 in Leon County just before 4 p.m.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2022 at 9:16 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan and Katie Kaplan
If you plan on attending an event at a Valdosta City School, you’ll need to follow the new clear bag policy. The school board voted to adopt the new guidelines on Tuesday night.
Updated: Dec. 7, 2022 at 9:29 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan and David Johnson
The Tallahassee City Commission voted to remove a member of the Citizens Police Review Board who was accused of bringing a controversial coffee mug to a board meeting.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 11:51 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan and David Johnson
If you bought a ticket for Monday night’s Powerball drawing, you’ll have to wait a little longer to find out if you won the record jackpot of $1.9 billion.
Updated: Nov. 2, 2022 at 7:40 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man was shot outside his own home Wednesday evening in the northern part of the county.
Updated: Oct. 25, 2022 at 6:15 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan and Mike Rogers
Fire contained to large pile of tires on the property of the Pick-N-Pull salvage yard shuts down traffic.
Updated: Oct. 17, 2022 at 7:14 PM EDT
|By Raghad Hamad , Ben Kaplan and Katie Kaplan
Police say preliminary findings indicate the remains are those of Jason Winoker, a Tampa man last seen in Aug. of 2021 a half mile away at the Sprinfield Suites Hotel.
Updated: Oct. 13, 2022 at 9:47 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan and Katie Kaplan
Witnesses told investigators the suspect and victim did not know one another and described it as an "unprovoked attack."
Updated: Sep. 29, 2022 at 2:15 AM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
A former WCTV anchor quicky went from covering Hurricane Ian to seeking refuge from it on Wednesday.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 10:38 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
TPD tells us they are still searching for the suspect, identified as a black man between the ages of 29-39, and the car, which is a 2016 silver Honda Civic with a Georgia plate.
Updated: Aug. 11, 2022 at 9:26 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after finding a man suffering from a gun shot wound at the intersection of Byington Circle and Huntington Woods Blvd.
Updated: Aug. 1, 2022 at 10:05 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Rattler Nation has lost an icon. FAMU Hall of Famer and voice of the Rattler Sports Network, Michael Thomas, has died
Updated: Jul. 27, 2022 at 5:12 PM EDT
|By Katie Kaplan and Ben Kaplan
Leonard Martin was featured in WCTV’s “It’s Our Honor” series, which highlighted the return of Tallahassee’s Honor Flight, earlier this year.
Updated: Jul. 12, 2022 at 11:28 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
A woman was arrested in connection to a deadly crash at the intersection of West Tennessee and Basin Streets.
Updated: Jun. 16, 2022 at 1:28 PM EDT
|By Katie Kaplan and Ben Kaplan
One person was shot on the south side of Tallahassee Wednesday night.
Updated: May. 23, 2022 at 9:17 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Teachers in the Leon County School District will get a one-time bonus by the end of June.
Updated: May. 20, 2022 at 9:45 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
In a trip of grand spectacle, that at times elicited smiles and at others’ great sorrow, it was the simplest gestures that provided an appropriate thank you.
Updated: May. 6, 2022 at 5:21 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
U.S. Navy veteran Ted Dickerson celebrated his birthday on the same day of the return of Tallahassee's Honor Flight.
Updated: Apr. 18, 2022 at 4:22 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
There are three seats available for veterans who served in either WWII, Korea or Vietnam.
Updated: Apr. 18, 2022 at 2:42 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
According to the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, there are currently an estimated 219,600 WWII Veterans still living today, nationwide.
Updated: Apr. 1, 2022 at 4:56 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
For the past several years, the Valor Team has traveled across our area to perform a service for veterans in their care who have been diagnosed as terminal and have six months or less to live.
Updated: Mar. 17, 2022 at 3:25 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
A section of North Monroe Street in Tallahassee was shut down Wednesday night after multiple vehicles were involved in a crash that TPD says resulted in life-threatening injuries.
Updated: Jan. 25, 2022 at 11:12 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
Leon County Schools is putting an advisory committee together to build a new LGBTQ+ guide for the district.
Updated: Dec. 3, 2021 at 9:20 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office says it is currently investigating a homicide, after responding to a call on Bradwell Road in Quincy.
Updated: Dec. 3, 2021 at 5:34 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
A team from the Big Bend will be on center stage at a national competition next week in Orlando!
Updated: Oct. 29, 2021 at 9:03 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
New Student Body President Carrington Whigham is excited to get to work at FAMU, adding to her family's long legacy of contribution to the school and the community.
Updated: Sep. 8, 2021 at 6:31 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
20 years after living it, sharing her story still drives Christina Ray Stanton to tears.
Updated: Jul. 15, 2021 at 6:09 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Her list of records and accomplishments is staggering. But what truly makes Theresa Edwards our ultimate Olympian is her love for Cairo today.
Updated: Jun. 8, 2021 at 12:58 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Terrance McPherson's commitment to the community earned him this scholarship.
Updated: Mar. 11, 2021 at 8:04 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
The annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has a mythical quality to it.
Updated: Feb. 17, 2021 at 8:53 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
Following an accident at the 1000 block of Broughton Street in Bainbridge Wednesday evening, Bainbridge Public Safety says that a child was life flighted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
Updated: Feb. 11, 2021 at 7:36 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
According to the American Heart Association, there are 356,000 cases of out of hospital cardiac arrests every year. That means about 1,000 times per day or 42 times an hour, someone’s heart suddenly stops working.
Updated: Jan. 21, 2021 at 7:15 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
The newest addition to Florida A&M University’s campus is striking to say the least.
Updated: Dec. 30, 2020 at 10:45 PM EST
|By Ben Kaplan
According to the Bradfordville Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page, one burn victim was transported by helicopter.
Updated: Dec. 15, 2020 at 12:11 AM EST
|By Ben Kaplan and Abby Walton
A Tallahassee couple has donated five years worth of pocket change to help those in need.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2020 at 10:04 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
The Tallahassee Police Department is investigating after a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle on Woodville Highway near Gaile Avenue on Wednesday.
Updated: Oct. 13, 2020 at 9:51 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Thousands of students preparing to return to brick and mortar learning in Leon County Schools next month will have a new Chromebook waiting for them.
Updated: Sep. 24, 2020 at 8:33 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
New details have been released on an alleged escape attempt by an accused murderer at the Tallahassee International Airport last week.
Updated: Aug. 28, 2020 at 9:59 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Two staff members at Chiles High School in Tallahassee have tested positive for COVID-19.
Updated: Jun. 16, 2020 at 3:33 PM EDT
|By Ben Kaplan
Retired Florida firefighter Robert Amick knows seconds can save lives. And, after three decades of rushing to fight flames, it's an RV, not a firetruck, that carries his team all around Florida.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VMTYNBNAXRGH3EEUORZMKZAXZI.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Q5TAF2DQRZHFXJNYXMOWEZ6UGM.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/Y5JCH2HGXFCZ3ERQ5FP35X4UPE.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/GULNW5UT5ZEB7HSTRKE46EUFYA.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/227LIINXBZF5HJULCDJNR3GDWU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/REHS6NTIUFCJLDDK3HDVTP2UXU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/BSGZDANW75DJ5PTIWEK636574I.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SAFGSYMFAFB4HBDGOHG2HOFN64.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/L6DRB7QTU5DHJMN4ZXRUJPD45A.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/6NUM4LVDJRBZDM3BG2FENU3R2U.jfif)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WOVZ3HZZUNFD7GLJPDLGPGSE4A.jpg)