After 11 years as general manager of KFOX, John Witte retired from the El Paso Fox affiliate on Friday, according to the El Paso Times.

Witte has worked at KFOX since 1996. His retirement comes months before the arrival of his first grandchild. “I am looking forward to that,” Witte told the El Paso Times. “My grandchild will be here in August. But this has been difficult. This has been my family for 18 years.”

KFOX is being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group. News director Elizabeth O’Hara said a new general manager has yet to be named.

In an effort to focus on larger markets, Cox Media Group has agreed to sell five stations in small markets to Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Sinclair will acquire KFOX in El Paso, WJAC in Johnstown, Pa., WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio, and KRXI-KAME in Reno. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“All of these media locations are valued brands with talented professionals who are committed to their audiences, advertisers and communities,” Cox Media president Doug Franklin said in a statement.  “We wish all of the employees well and know they will continue to work hard to produce quality entertainment, news and information for their customers and new owners.”

Lissette Garcia is joining El Paso Fox affiliate KFOX as a traffic reporter, according to the El Paso Times.

Garcia, who is Miss Florida 2011, previously worked as an associate producer and traffic anchor at WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami. She replaces Kandolite Flores, who left the station to join the Humane Society of El Paso.

Garcia began at KFOX on Monday.

Ric Dupont has resigned from KFOX in El Paso after being arrested on suspicion of public intoxication last month, according to the El Paso Times.

“He resigned this morning,” news director Elizabeth O’Hara said Wednesday.

Dupont was arrested on October 30 at El Paso International Airport. He was held at the police airport on suspicion of being intoxicated and released to a friend without being charged or booked. A police spokesperson told the El Paso Times that Dupont became “uncooperative with officers at one point due to his intoxication.”

Dupont, who joined KFOX’s East Side Bureau  in 2011, was arrested on suspicion of DUI last December. That case is still pending in court.

In an effort to focus on larger markets, Cox Media Group has announced that it is selling four of the stations it currently owns and buying four stations from Newport Television.

The stations being sold are KFOX in El Paso, WJAC in Johnstown, PA, KRXI in Reno and WTOV in Stubenville, OH.

The stations Cox is buying from Newport Television are WAWS and WTEV in Jacksonville and KOKI and KMYT in Tulsa.

“This simplified structure will enable CMG to capitalize on continued growth and synergies, while retaining its size financially,” president Doug Franklin said in a statement.  Read more

A KFOX crew was preparing for a roadside live shot in El Paso on Friday afternoon when a passing car slammed into their news van.

Ric Dupont, a reporter for the El Paso Fox-affiliate, and photographer Adrian Montes were sent out into the field to cover flooding in the area. They were both in the van at the time of the accident.

“I was working from the back of our van and my photographer, Adrian, was sitting in the driver’s seat,” Dupont reported on Friday’s evening newscast. “The Dodge Avenger spun out of control and slammed into us. Luckily, no one was hurt. The driver did not want to be on camera, but told me slick roads were the problem.” Read more

Hema Mullur, a primetime anchor at KFOX in El Paso since 2008, has announced her departure from the station for an undisclosed anchor job in a top 20 market.

The Fox affiliate is undergoing a national search for Mullur’s replacement. “It’s always bittersweet when one of our own leaves,” news director Elizabeth O’Hara said in a press release. “On the one hand, we’re proud that the training we provide allows our employees to make such large leaps in their careers … on the other hand, Hema is an important part of the team and you never want a key player to leave.”

Mullur is a University of Texas graduate who started her career at KWES in Odessa, TX. Her last day anchoring the 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. broadcasts for KFOX will be August 26.

Kevin Hayes, the general sales manager at El Paso’s KFOX, is set to become vice president and general manager of WJAC in Johnstown, PA. Cox Media, which owns both KFOX and WJAC, made the announcement today.

“Kevin brings a wealth of broadcast industry experience to WJAC, and it’s great to promote such valuable talent from within our company for this important role,” said Ray Carter, who oversees WJAC in addition to serving as vice president and general manager of Pittsburgh’s WPXI.  “Additionally, his vast sales experience is the perfect fit for building on the great relationships WJAC has with the local community and delivering strategic results for our advertisers.”

Hayes worked his way up the sales ranks at stations throughout the southwest. Before joining Cox’s KFOX, he worked as a local sales manager at El Paso’s KDBC and as an account executive at Phoenix’s KSAZ.

“I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to join the outstanding team at WJAC, with their rich heritage and dedicated tradition of serving the community,” said Hayes.