Larry Conners,the KMOV anchor who said on facebook the IRS targeted him after an interview with President Obama last year, is off the air until further notice.

“He’s not suspended. We just all thought it made sense (for him) to take a few days off,” Sean McLaughlin, news director for the St. Louis CBS affiliate, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We take this very seriously, and we don’t expect this to drag on. We’re still looking into the situation and weighing our options.”

>UPDATE: Conners’ attorney told TVSpy in a statement, “As the attorney for Larry Conners, I am constrained to advise you that he is barred by corporate from making statements, posting on Facebook, or participating in interviews on the IRS issue. That is the only reason for his silence.” Read more

KMOV anchor Larry Conners, who claimed he was targeted by the IRS after he pressed President Obama on government spending during a 2012 interview, walked back his allegation on the St. Louis CBS affiliate’s 5 p.m. newscast Tuesday.

“First, I need to state those were my personal views, not those of KMOV-TV,” Conners said (video above). “Second, to be fair, I should disclose that my issues with the IRS preceded that interview by several years. As a journalist I understand the importance of keeping personal matters separate from my professional work — sometimes you have to do that retain your independence as a newsman. Those lines might have been unintentionally crossed yesterday by my [Facebook] post.”

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Conners and his wife owe more than $85,000 in back taxes.

KMOV anchor Larry Conners suspects the IRS has been targeting him since he pressed President Obama during an interview last year. In a lengthy Facebook post Monday, Conners wrote, “almost immediately after the interview, the IRS started hammering me.”

“At the time, I dismissed the ‘co-incidence,’ but now, I have concerns … after revelations about the IRS targeting various groups and their members,” Conners wrote.

During the interview, Conners asked about government spending, telling the President that some KMOV viewers were concerned about the First Family “jetting around on different vacations” and wondered if he was “out of touch.”

“The President’s face clearly showed his anger; afterwards, his staff which had been so polite … suddenly went cold,” Conners wrote on Facebook. “What I don’t like to even consider … is that because of the Obama interview … the IRS put a target on me. Can I prove it? At this time, no. But it is a fact that since the April 2012 interview … the IRS has been pressuring me.”

Conners declined to comment for this post. Watch his 2012 interview with the President here. [h/t Politico]

If viewers of St.Louis CBS affiliate KMOV have been wondering what happened to anchor Larry Conners, they can wonder no more.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Conners has been out of action after a second rotator cuff surgery. He posted the slow progress of his recovery on facebook last week saying,

Pain meds not working again but think infection is improving. Seeing doctor tomorrow. Still hoping [t]o be back on air soon. As always thanks for prayers and don’t forget those much worse off. Read more

Matt Sczesny, a reporter at St. Louis CBS affiliate KMOV, was reporting from outside the Alorton Police Department yesterday when he was attacked by a strange man.

KMOV’s Larry Conners reported on the incident during the 10 p.m. newscast:

We tell you about a lot of crime. Tonight, we have to tell you about one of our own reporters being attacked. About five hours ago, Matt Sczesny was on a story. He was standing outside one of our marked vans right across the street from the Alorton Police Department. A man walked up and asked, ‘can I ask you a question?’ Matt said sure. Then, for no apparent reason, he punched Matt. Matt and the man struggled for about 10 seconds or so before the man ran off.  Read more

KMOV anchor Vickie Newton announced this weekend that she is leaving the St. Louis CBS-affiliate next month.

“I am moving home to Arkansas to spend time with my family and pursue some new endeavors,” Newton said on Friday evening’s newscast. “I’m terribly grateful to all of you and from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the kindness you’ve shown me over the years.”

Newton joined KMOV in 2002 as an anchor and reporter. She currently anchors the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts alongside Larry Conners. Video of Newton’s announcement is after the jump… Read more

Longtime anchor and reporter Laurie Waters has departed KMOV, after more than two decades with the St. Louis CBS-affiliate.

Waters joined KMOV in 1989 as a reporter. Most recently, she co-anchored the station’s weekend evening newscasts in addition to reporting throughout the week.

“I want to take a moment to honor one of our best reporters and anchors,” anchor Larry Conners said during KMOV’s 10 p.m. newscast on Friday. “In 23 years at Channel 4, Laurie helped set the standard for good, solid, ethical reporting.” Read more