Carole Lambert, who has been KTUL‘s primetime anchor since 1982, announced last week she will leave Tulsa next month to return to her hometown of Springfield, MO.

Lambert tells Tulsa World that she is very close to her two sisters, who still live in Springfield. “My bottom line is if channel 8 could physically move to Springfield, you would have to kick me out of this place,” she said. “But I can’t be in two places at one time.”

Lambert anchors the weekday newscasts at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. for the ABC affiliate. Since 1990, she has been hosting and producing KTUL’s “Waiting Child” segments, which feature children up for adoption in the Tulsa area. As a result of the public awareness campaign, 4,000 children have found homes.

Lambert said she has no plans to retire. “I’m just getting some new opportunities in a different town.”