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
Santa Rosa, SMART reach deal for pedestrian crossing along train tracks
SMART Train and Santa Rosa have come to an agreement over a pedestrian and bike crossing.
Five shops hit by burglars in a San Rafael shopping plaza
A bold and blatant series of burglaries plagued five merchants at popular shopping center in one of Marin's nicer neighborhoods where such crimes are few and far between.
Waymo in Wine Country? Self-driving cars also expanding to Sacramento, San Diego in 2026
Waymo, a Mountain View-based self-driving car company, says it has clearance from the Department of Motor Vehicles to expand operations in both Northern and Southern California with its eyes set on San Diego next.
Suspected arsonist still on the loose in Richmond
Six days after a fire threatened multiple families at a property in Richmond, a detective is working to identify the individual who started the blaze.
North Bay preps for atmospheric river
Wednesday was the calm before the storm in parts of the Bay Area, including at the Golden Gate Bridge, where by night, winds whipped in the air as the atmospheric river approached.
President Trump endorses a 50-year mortgage for home buyers
Over the weekend, President Trump endorsed a suggestion from the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to create 50-year-long mortgages, 60% longer than traditional 30-year mortgages, to combat higher home prices and interest rates. This idea drew a lot of criticism after the increased costs to home buyers were calculated.
Air travelers start to feel the pain ahead of further potential flight reductions
With the federal government shutdown in its 38th day and no end in sight, warnings about air travel complications have become ominous.
Government shutdown could cause a dangerous domino effect for airlines
With respect to the airlines and that aviation industry, the government shutdown is starting a dangerous domino effect. By slimming down airlines to need less controllers, the government could cost a lot of other people their jobs.
Airline flights reduced by 10% despite high holiday demand
The unpaid air traffic controller situation is so bad, Uncle Sam is ordering airlines to reduce flights regardless of high holiday demand. There is actually a funded fix for this but those who could fix it are staring each other down.
Drone pilot helps rescue family's lost dog in Petaluma
An Alaskan family's tragedy was turned into triumph thanks to a committed community and an unlikely techno-wiz hero, all looking for a lost dog named Crash.