SA: Shawna, the last time I interviewed you, you had recently joined the KVLY-TV meteorology team and you were single! Since then, there have been a few changes in your career and personal life. Please tell our readers about the changes you have made in the last few years.

SO: I got married and decided I wanted more set hours at work. So I got out of the TV business and took a job in sales. I quickly found that wasn’t my cup of tea. So I was happy when Joel Heitkamp called me one day and asked if I was interested in becoming the new ag director and back-up meteorologist at KFGO. I replaced long-time veteran Larry Ristvedt, who retired late summer. I have more stable hours. I’m done with work at 2 p.m., and I love having my afternoons to get outside and enjoy the outdoors with my horses and dogs.

SA: Since joining KFGO’s radio team, you have several different time slots for live/on-air programming. Is it difficult adjusting to the much more hectic schedule versus having a prepared 10 minutes on air twice daily?

SO: Yes. It has been a major adjustment! The pace has been my biggest challenge, but it’s also made it super-exciting. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in radio. I actually worked at a radio station in Grand Forks while I attended UND. I worked the midnight-to-6 a.m. shift. I also worked part-time at a Fargo radio station when I first started my career as a journalist for KX4. You have to be very quick on your feet in radio, and there’s a ton of preparation work. I have ag news in the morning, and I give markets on two stations until 1:30 (I also give markets on the FAN, our sister station). I also get out in the field several times a week. I like to meet with farmers and ranchers and get the story of what’s going on out there. When I’m in the field, I call my markets in on the phone. When I fill in for weather, it gets even crazier! Sometimes I forget which is coming up next, markets or weather! It’s a BIG change from TV. One of the nice things, though, is that hair, makeup and wardrobe are not such a huge priority. I’m loving wearing jeans and a hat every day!

SA: I recall our discussing you always being fascinated with the stars and weather when you were growing up and liking science. As someone who grew up in a rural/farming community, is reporting on agricultural stories as “natural” for you as doing weather-related stories was?

SO: I find it a real natural fit. My dad was a farmer and rancher. We had cattle, horses and small grains on our farm west of Walhalla, ND. My brother farms near Osnabrock, ND. I find myself at home in the field or in the tractor.

SA: I cannot recall another female ag reporter anywhere in the area. Are you the first for KFGO?

SO: I hear there was a female prior to Larry Ristvedt. Larry was at KFGO for more than 30 years, so it’s been a while.

SA: Do you still own and ride horses as a hobby? Do you ride very often in winter?

SO: Yes. I can’t imagine my world without my horses. My husband started riding a few years ago, and now he has his own horse too. He loves it almost as much as me. We enjoy trail rides through the Pembina Gorge in Walhalla and long weekends in Medora. I ride almost as much in the winter; however, there are very few trail rides in the winter. I still try to get out and ride a few times a week. I mostly ride bareback in the winter. It’s warmer and more challenging. I can last longer, and this way I don’t get bored riding in the indoor arena all winter. I like to get outside, but the conditions usually aren’t very ideal for outdoor winter riding.

SA: Since we last interviewed, you have married. How long have you been married, and what is the number-one change you have made as a married person?

SO: I’ve been married a year and a half. I guess changing careers was the biggest change I’ve made. I fish a lot more now! My husband, Kris, loves to fish and hunt. I’ve started tagging along for pheasant hunting as well. I love to watch our Golden Retriever, Chase, work. I bring my little Lhasa Apso, Radar, along too, just so he doesn’t get left behind at home. He thinks he’s hunting, but he really has no idea what he’s doing!

SA: Your day starts out very early on-air with Tom Wynn. What time do you start your day, and do you need a nap during the day (I sure would!) in order to stay up past 7:30 at night? How do you handle such long hours?

SO: [Laughs] I have had a hard time adjusting to early-morning hours. I worked evenings in TV for eight years. I started at 2 p.m. and got home at 11 p.m., so this has been tough! It took me a few months to get used to the change. I now get up at 5, and I’m at work at 6. When I fill in for weather, I get up at 3:30 or 4 a.m. some days! I don’t need a nap anymore — thank goodness! But I do go to bed before 9. I’m not sure what will happen this summer when it’s still light at 10 p.m.!

SA: Are there any special shows or reports you are planning soon?

SO: Yes. I’m going to Japan in February. SB&B Foods in Casselton has invited me along to go with them and several growers. I will be reporting live from Japan and will bring back several stories. We will be touring several companies that produce everything from tofu to soy sauce. It will be exciting to see what Japanese companies do with our North Dakota soybeans.