Retro 1999 - Rike's Implosion - Cheryl McHenry - WHIO-TV 7 - Dayton, Ohio TV

The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton Ohio opened 19 years ago on February 28th, 2003. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the center, we take a look back at how it began... with an bang! It was a big day in Dayton TV history when on November 14, 1999, The Rike’s Building in downtown Dayton, Ohio was imploded to make way for the $121 million Schuster Arts Center. The controlled demolition was covered by all major news outlets in Dayton. This is some of the coverage featuring Cheryl McHenry from WHIO-TV 7. Cheryl McHenry is a nine-time Emmy award winning news anchor and reporter who started her career with WHIO-TV 7 in 1981. In the 1990's both her and Ken Jefferson served as daytime anchors as well as reporters. In the case of this event she was acting more in a reporting capacity, interviewing the crowd and gathering comments from onlookers. McHenry continues to work at WHIO-TV 7 to this day as an anchor and reporter. She was anchoring the news during the reporting of the Oregon District mass shooting in 2019 as well as the day 15 tornadoes tore through the Dayton region that same year. She's been inducted into the Radio/TV Broadcasters Hall of Fame of Ohio, Carroll High School's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, and the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame. She was also part of a team that won 2 regional Edward R. Murrow awards.