Tom Vacar
After two years of freelancing while working full time in L.A., Tom became a full-time staff member of KTVU as Consumer Editor, in 1991.
Tom has covered every major disaster including earthquakes, wildfires, floods, levee breaks and droughts and has had a big hand in covering business, economics, consumer affairs, aerospace, space, the military, high technology, ports, logistics, airlines and general news.
Tom worked at KGO TV and KGO Radio from 1979-1985. He moved to KCBS-TV and KNX News Radio in 1985 before moving to KTTV in 1988.
Tom is originally from Salem, Ohio (a small industrial town of 11,000 people between Cleveland and Pittsburgh). He got his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Government at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio in 1972 as a designated Undergraduate Scholar. Tom got his Law Degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1978.
In his 31 years at KTVU, he calculates that he has covered 8,000 stories. For 18 years, KTVU was home to Tom’s syndicated Great American Toy Test (nominated for a national Emmy). He has covered many major disasters including the Caldor Fire in Lake Tahoe, the L.A. quake in 1994, the Napa Quake, the Great Recession, the Pandemic and the long drought.
Tom loves the diversity of the region’s people, cultures and ethnicities. That, he says, is what truly makes the Bay Area’s natural beauty even more beautiful.
Tom shoots still pictures, mostly of wildlife while traveling with his wife Sharon, a former SF Opera soprano who also worked as a producer for 17 years. He has also traveled to England, Italy, Japan, Honduras, Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, The Grenadines, St. Martin. Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Society Islands, Panama, etc.
The latest from Tom Vacar
California jobs defying economic gravity
The nation gained 199,000 jobs in October, well above the projections but lower than the monthly average for the year. California made up 40,000 of those jobs, 20 percent of new jobs nationally, well above its percentage of the national workforce.
A 'kind and gentle' 7-Eleven security guard murdered in Oakland
Oakland homicide detectives are investigating the Friday night killing of a security guard at a convenience store in a mixed community on the outskirts of downtown Oakland.
Federal government invests $6B in California high-speed rail projects
This week marked a significant development for proponents of the California high-speed rail system, as the federal government allocated billions to advance the long-delayed project.
Are more mostly dry months ahead for California?
As we enter the critical rainy months of December through March, we find ourselves in two unusual and conflicting situations: lack of water and an abundance of it.
PG&E fleet of drones inspect and help replace power lines
PG&E is touting the advanced capabilities of its drone system
The Grinch who robbed the Boy Scouts
It takes a real Grinch to steal from children, especially when the theft of their property occurs in the parking lot of a church.
Petaluma's environmentally friendly Christmas tree farmer has been serving community for decades
From this weekend to next, will be the peak of the peak of the Christmas tree buying season. As many as thirty million will be sold in the U.S. alone. One environmentally friendly farmer from Petaluma and his family have turned to making Santa’s elves into a helicopter pilots to keep tree groves pristine.
EVs: the future of transportation with a Cyber Hippo weight problem
Experts say the best time to by a new car is from October through December due to year-end deals and incentives. This year, electric cars will be high one that list
Caltrans removes encampment, unhoused folks say nowhere to go
The Joe Rodota Trail became the scene of yet another teardown of a homeless encampment right next to the SMART Train tracks in Santa Rosa.
California could see lowest gas prices since 2021 by Christmas
While it may remain a mystery as to why California's gasoline prices are so much higher than other states, for now, Californians are seeing substantial relief. If the downward trend continues, we could be seeing the lowest gas prices since 2021 by Christmas.