Travis Breese
Investigative MMJ
Hello! I am a passionate and detailed investigative reporter who prides himself on his news judgement. I have worked in broadcast news for almost 10 years and am looking for my next opportunity. I want to work in a competitive newsroom that's also embracing solutions to the changing media landscape. I'm excited to connect with you!
Investigative Reporting Reel
About Travis
My news journey began in 2015, when I decided to leave my home in San Diego to pursue a degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. My time at Mizzou gave me hands-on experience and a foundation of journalistic principles I still rely on every day.
In 2019, I took my first full-time job as a nightside MMJ in the Iowa City bureau for KWWL. I was a jack-of-all-trades for the newsroom; doing my traditional nightside reporting duties, while also shooting D-1 football games, and sports and news anchoring.
In July 2022, I took a job as an investigative MSJ for WHAS11 in Louisville, KY. While I have a lot of fun doing sports, I realized my true calling is in news. Over the last four years, I have established myself as one of the most well-sourced and fearless reporters in the market.
UPS flight 2976
UPS flight 2976 was an MD-11 cargo jet with 3 crew members on board that crashed on 11/4/25, killing 15 people south of the Louisville airport. My job in the newsroom was to investigate why this plane crashed. By interviewing industry experts and using open records from the FAA and FlightAware, we got many answers in the first two weeks. I also compared the crash to another incident from 1979.
UPS MD-11 that crashed was recently on the ground for six weeks, likely for maintenance
NTSB releases preliminary report into UPS cargo jet crash
Link between 1979 American Airlines crash and 11/4 UPS crash
Jamey Noel investigation
Jamey Noel was the sheriff of Clark County, IN from 2015 - 2022, and also a fire captain for 20 years. It came out in early 2024 that he and his family stole over $3.5 million from a nonprofit fire and EMS department, which led it to bankruptcy. I made this story my sole priority in 2024, and became a wealth of knowledge on the case. This required scrupulous, daily checking of court cases. I did several 30-minute specials about the story, all mostly unscripted. The people who took over Jamey’s EMS company have told me many times that “I was the most fair reporter who covered the story.”
Judge sends former sheriff back to jail for “60 Days In” after contempt of court hearing
New head of New Chapel EMS says Jamey Noel lied to organization for years
FOCUS finds lack of oversight for years in Jamey Noel’s largest government contract
Jamey Noel pleads guilty to 27 felonies, gets a 12-year prison sentence
Jamey Noel case | Why a former Indiana sheriff and his family face numerous felonies
Noel’s car collection nets $1.2 mil. for his restitution
Environmental reporting
Severe weather, water quality and air quality are things that affect every one of us. I strive to do data-backed stories that show the effects of climate change all around us, and also give people context when their elected officials make decisions on energy production. The data center debate has been a great beat to practice these skills in 2025 and ‘26.
FOCUS: Debating the value of farmland vs. solar energy
Will data centers raise your electric bill?
Number of tornadoes increasing in KY. Experts cite climate change and better tech
Sheriff Kleinhelter investigation
I was tipped off in the summer of 2025 that another local sheriff was being investigated. This story is on the fringes of our viewing area, and when I started working on the Tom Kleinhelter investigation, I was behind a few other outlets outside of our market. In September, I broke an exclusive email chain that no one else in the state had gotten. The unwillingness of these public officials to do interviews gave me a lot of opportunities to practice my “unscheduled,” or “ambush” interviews. My reporting was validated in April 2026, when Kleinhelter was charged with a felony in another county for his actions.
Emails show special prosecutor ended Kleinhelter investigation over detective’s objection
County Council presses embattled sheriff over commissary expenses
Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter charged with one felony for actions in 2024 investigation
Airport noise
With the UPS WorldPort, the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is a top five cargo airport in the world. The airport authority has bought-out land and offered free sound insulation to people in certain areas to try and mitigate noise. I found the program to install the free insulation moves at a snail’s pace, and people must sign a restrictive contract that lasts forever to get it.
Residents near Louisville airport wait years for noise insulation
“The cost of silence”, what landowners give up to get free sound insulation
LMPD tow lot thefts
In April 2025, I proved that civilian employees with Louisville Metro Police were going through impounded cars and taking items right before the cars were sold at auction. I was the first to break this story, and our competitor followed me a few months later. This story took a lot of patience. I did the first story, proving that “someone” was stealing these items, in September 2024. Police finally confirmed the subjects seven months later. This story was made possible through a very helpful anonymous source, who I stayed in contact with for about a year.
Items going missing from Louisville police impound lot
Louisville tow lot employees caught on camera taking items from impounded cars
Homelessness
Homelessness is a tough topic to cover. It requires a balance between empathizing with people on the streets, while also realizing camps can be a nuisance and cities are limited to what programs they can fund. I try to ask people on the streets how they became homeless, so the viewer can relate to them. I also show the work the city is doing, while holding elected officials accountable to deadlines they have set for themselves.
Louisville's largest homeless shelter hasn't had a required license in 16 months
Organizations say camp clearings aren’t leading to connections
FOCUS: Houseless man who died at LMDC was arrested 21 times in 21 months
Vertical social media videos
About a year ago, my company started encouraging reporters to post more vertical videos. At first, I didn’t know how I would fit this into my schedule, or what the payoff would be. I have found this to be a much more lax way to engage with the viewers, while still adhering to the same tenants of fairness and objectivity. I think it’s a great way to remind younger people that the news is still here!
Hyper-scale data center will take as much electricity as 68% of LG&E’s total customers
Indiana prosecutor refuses to answer questions about her case
Lawmaker tries to pass “GLOCK switch” bill in Kentucky
Contact Travis
travis.breese1@gmail.com
310-490-4444
Investigative News Reporter
9 years of experience reporting
University of Missouri, Columbia, 2015 ‒ 2019