Tara Hastings joined Storm Track 8 in December of 2018.
Tara was born and raised along Lake Michigan in Hammond, Indiana. She didn’t travel far for college, getting her Meteorology degree from Valparaiso University. She was a part of the Valparaiso University Storm Intercept Team which spent 10 days in the summer chasing severe storms. She’s a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds the AMS seal of approval.
Before coming to Indianapolis Tara worked at WDTN in Dayton (Ohio), the same station Randy Ollis worked at early in his career. She’s excited to be back in the Hoosier State and closer to family and friends.
Tara is a caregiver for her father who has early on-set Alzheimer’s disease. She got married in August of 2020 and has a 9 year-old step daughter. Tara and her husband Brent had their first child, a girl named Haley, in July of 2021.
She enjoys cooking, singing in church, playing the piano, serves as a Panhellenic Area Advisor and is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.
Email Tara at tara.hastings@wishtv.com.
Storm Track 8 Chief Meteorologist Ashley Brown was born and raised in Indianapolis.
She previously worked as a meteorologist in Palm Springs, California and Cincinnati, Ohio before returning to Indianapolis last year. Her love for forecasting started at a very young age. She remembers taking Polaroids of clouds so she could research cloud types.
After high school, she attended Ball State University she studied meteorology and broadcasting. Her first job came during her junior year of college. She was hired as a radio DJ at Radio One in Indianapolis.
Her first TV job came years later. She packed her bags and moved from Indianapolis to southern California. In California, she had a chance to forecast mountain snow, extreme heat and haboobs.
After spending five years forecasting in her home state of Indiana she decided to pack her bags again. In 2017 Ashley took a job in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has worked all across the country from California to Good Morning America in New York, however, forecasting in Indy is a dream come true.
In 2017. Ashley received her dream job of Chief Meteorologist at WISH-TV in Indianapolis.
Email Ashley at ashley.brown@wishtv.com.
Meteorologist Ryan Morse grew up outside of Boston, Mass., which is where his passion for weather started with Nor’easters. Jim Cantore, a Weather Channel legend, became his idol which resulted in him tracking storms in his very own background.
Ryan attended Penn State University and obtained bachelor’s degrees in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, and Energy Business and Finance.
Ryan started his broadcast career at WFRV in Green Bay upon graduation from Penn State in 2020. The “cheeseheads” treated him well up there, and he got to expand his knowledge in forecasting for all four seasons.
Ryan is a massive sports fan who has also played baseball through much of his life. On nice days, you may find him at the golf course.
Email Ryan at ryan.morse@wishtv.com.
Randy Ollis joined WISH-TV in 1984 as meteorologist for Daybreak and the noon news.
He left a similar position at KTVY-TV, Oklahoma City, to move to Indianapolis.
Before that, Randy held positions at WDTN-TV, Dayton, Ohio, and WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Randy received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from Northern Illinois University and holds the seal of approval from the American Meteorological Society.
In addition to his forecasting and on-air duties at WISH-TV, he often speaks to local schools and various groups about weather casting and careers in television.
Randy and his wife Alison have four girls and six wonderful grandchildren, and are active in their church.
Email Randy at randy.ollis@wishtv.com.
Storm Track 8 meteorologist Marcus Bailey is originally from Muncie, Indiana. A graduate of Ball State University, with a degree in Meteorology and Climatology, Marcus is elated to be back in the Hoosier state!
Marcus got his first taste of broadcasting at a group of radio stations (WHBU, WERK, WMXQ, WLBC) in Muncie during his senior year of high school.
Marcus began his television career at WOHL in Lima, Ohio, but joins the Storm Track 8 team from WMBD in Peoria, Illinois. There he was honored as Best Weathercaster by the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Marcus is a die hard Colts and Pacers fan. He loves taking his family to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. When he’s not keeping an eye on the weather, Marcus loves spending time with his family, which is scattered throughout Central Indiana. He also loves to golf, and showing his kids how great it is to grow up in Central Indiana.
Marcus and his wife are the proud parents of three children.
Email Marcus at marcus.bailey@wishtv.com.