Kristen Rary
MMJ
Savannah, GA
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Kristen Rary is the Lowcountry Reporter for WTOC. She is an Atlanta native and joined the WTOC team in June of 2019.
While at The University of Georgia, Kristen earned a Bachelors in Journalism and a Bachelors in Political Science. She also reported and anchored for UGA's Grady Newsource. While in school Kristen was awarded a Hearst award for her work covering deaf accessibility and limitations at the University. She was also named a Deborah Norville Scholar for her political coverage leading up to the 2018 midterm elections.
Prior to her work at WTOC, Kristen spent time in newsrooms such as Atlanta's WSB-TV and D.C.'s WRC-TV, where she learned the skills she needs to report on the Lowcountry and greater Savannah area.
Kristen is excited to get to know the people of Savannah and South Carolina, so if you see her around please stop and say hello! She loves to learn more about people, and definitely won't turn down restaurant suggestions!
If you have any tips that you think Kristen should investigate, please email her at krary@wtoc.com.
Education
Updated: Jun. 10, 2021 at 6:27 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
This week we’re taking a deeper dive into something we’ve been following across Georgia and South Carolina for months - LGBTQ rights.
Updated: Jun. 9, 2021 at 6:18 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The Palmetto Championship is bringing thousands of people to the South Carolina Lowcountry to a more rural area that doesn’t normally see a lot of traffic.
Updated: Jun. 9, 2021 at 5:05 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The Palmetto Championship at Congaree officially tees off Thursday in Ridgeland.
Updated: Jun. 8, 2021 at 5:11 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, the Gullah fishing industry took a massive hit, but our local fishermen now say that as the pandemic subsides, they’re able to get business back up and jumping.
Updated: Jun. 8, 2021 at 5:02 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The governor of South Carolina lifted the state of emergency order Monday afternoon. As a result, the city of Beaufort’s was automatically lifted.
Updated: Jun. 7, 2021 at 6:03 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
New construction on Highway 278 in Beaufort County is still in its planning stages but local representatives are looking at how they can use this construction as an opportunity to rebuild a community that was separated when it was first constructed decades ago.
Updated: Jun. 7, 2021 at 3:01 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
One month after mask ordinances were lifted in the Lowcountry, COVID-19 is still a concern to many, but doctors say as long as you are being careful, you should be safe.
Updated: Jun. 4, 2021 at 5:00 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Visitors to Hilton Head Island’s beaches can now take a more active role in keeping the beach clean while making sure the kids are having fun, too.
Updated: Jun. 3, 2021 at 5:03 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
After a Lowcountry cemetery was damaged in a car crash, the family of those buried there asked the South Carolina Department of Transportation to install guard rails.
Updated: Jun. 3, 2021 at 4:46 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
For many members of the LGBTQ community, it can be a massive challenge to find a healthcare provider that understands your exact needs. Luckily, there is one healthcare provider in Savannah who is trying to fill that gap.
Updated: Jun. 2, 2021 at 4:31 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
A demolition project starting Wednesday on Hilton Head Island will change the landscape of the main entrance to the island.
Updated: Jun. 1, 2021 at 3:52 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Last fall, when students went to class in Beaufort County, they entered a space that was far from usual.
Updated: May. 31, 2021 at 5:44 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
As many spent Monday at a local Memorial Day event to honor and remember our military men and woman, others spent the day in a much quieter and intimate way.
Updated: May. 31, 2021 at 5:06 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Several Lowcountry American legions joined together Monday in honor of those who have served our country, and they handed out these poppies and asked everyone to keep in mind soldiers that have fallen.
Updated: May. 28, 2021 at 5:21 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Shore Beach Services on Hilton Head Island say they have already seen a massively busy early spring season and as they fill up their staff they encourage people to use the resources lifeguards have to offer but still take precautions.
Updated: May. 28, 2021 at 3:40 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Busy crowds on Hilton Head for Memorial Day means there are a lot of cars on a very small island.
Updated: May. 25, 2021 at 6:37 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
One family in the Lowcountry is looking for help after a car accident destroyed several family plots in a local graveyard.
Updated: May. 25, 2021 at 4:02 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Beach season is officially here and Shore Beach Services says they are finally fully staffed.
Updated: May. 24, 2021 at 6:20 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The town of Hilton Head Island is already busy ahead of Memorial Day and say they don’t expect that to change for at least the next few weeks.
Updated: May. 24, 2021 at 3:48 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
South Carolina state troopers are starting a new campaign Monday to make sure people are staying safe during the Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
Updated: May. 21, 2021 at 5:45 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Hilton Head Island is preparing for hurricane season and they say they have a few extra tools you can use this year to make sure you’re ready for anything.
Updated: May. 21, 2021 at 4:15 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
An updated attraction is opening on Hilton Head just in time for the busy summer season.
Updated: May. 20, 2021 at 5:16 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The City of Beaufort is reviewing its budget for fiscal year 2022 and making a few changes to how they do things - meaning savings for many residents.
Updated: May. 20, 2021 at 2:37 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Parents and other taxpayers in Beaufort County may want to take a look online. The Beaufort County School District is offering a virtual forum asking for feedback on their new school year budget.
Updated: May. 19, 2021 at 6:00 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
If you drive on Highway 17, across from the Talmadge Bridge, you are aware there is a major construction project going on.
Updated: May. 19, 2021 at 4:44 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Hurricane season is just around the corner and preparations are underway.
Updated: May. 18, 2021 at 5:36 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The new Open Carry with Training Act changes how South Carolinians can carry their gun throughout the day.
Updated: May. 18, 2021 at 5:02 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Lowcountry doctors are warning people who have not gotten the vaccine yet to take those around you into account.
Updated: May. 17, 2021 at 5:28 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
It’s a story we’ve been reporting on for weeks now - the labor shortage being felt now more than ever in the Lowcountry as the busy tourist season ramps up.
Updated: May. 17, 2021 at 4:36 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
As mask restrictions are lifted, vaccination sites are decreasing in the Lowcountry.
Updated: May. 17, 2021 at 12:11 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The City of Beaufort has joined a list of Lowcountry municipalities allowing the mask mandate to expire.
Updated: May. 16, 2021 at 11:16 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
A woman that was reported missing in Greenville, S.C. was found unharmed on Thursday, May 20.
Updated: May. 16, 2021 at 6:21 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
You might have a hard time filling up at the pump if you’re not looking for the right type of gas.
Updated: May. 15, 2021 at 11:45 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Protestors marched through the streets of downtown Savannah on Saturday in reaction to the violence in Gaza.
Updated: May. 15, 2021 at 10:28 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
They say they knew removing the ship would be a learning process and they were prepared for a fire, but that preparation doesn’t mean they can stop it from happening again.
Updated: May. 12, 2021 at 4:23 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Following the executive order from the governor of South Carolina, some school districts in the Lowcountry are lifting more COVID-19 restrictions.
Updated: May. 11, 2021 at 4:35 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for emergency use in anyone over the age of 12.
Updated: May. 10, 2021 at 5:30 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
We’re hearing reaction from people in the Lowcountry who will be impacted by a new change that will soon happen in South Carolina.
Updated: May. 10, 2021 at 5:12 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
A new program in the Lowcountry will teach students two languages at one time. All while learning their normal curriculum.
Updated: May. 9, 2021 at 11:17 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
City officials kicked off a 100-day campaign Sunday afternoon with several mothers who can no longer can spend Mother’s Day with their children after losing them to gun violence.
Updated: May. 5, 2021 at 7:38 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Doctors are looking at data and giving their opinion on whether or not children should be expected to wear masks when they return to school in the fall.
Updated: May. 4, 2021 at 5:53 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Throughout the pandemic milestones have been acknowledged whether they are good or bad. Tuesday, one massive milestone in South Carolina is letting locals look back on how COVID has changed in the last year.
Updated: May. 4, 2021 at 3:57 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, masking up, staying socially distanced, and washing our hands a little extra have become expected.
Updated: May. 3, 2021 at 7:01 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Hampton County School Districts One and Two officially merge on July 1.
Updated: May. 3, 2021 at 6:40 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Hampton County School District One is working to finish what’s been one of the most difficult academic years yet.
Updated: Apr. 30, 2021 at 4:45 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The Beaufort County School District says they are seeing concerningly low numbers in preschool registration for the new year.
Updated: Apr. 30, 2021 at 4:17 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Organizers and locals say this year’s Beaufort Water Festival will bring a big boost to the economy.
Updated: Apr. 29, 2021 at 5:39 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
The Beaufort County School District has had one of its most challenging academic years yet and school supervisors say now, they are trying to put together a program that will help students recover from the “pandemic school year”.
Updated: Apr. 29, 2021 at 4:26 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
Just over 30 percent of people in the state are fully-vaccinated. And roughly 10 percent more have gotten their fist dose.
Updated: Apr. 26, 2021 at 6:01 PM EDT
|By Kristen Rary
A long-term project in Beaufort County has finally opened.
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