Jason Howland is hanging up his mic after 13 years at KAAL-TV in Austin.

His first and only employer in the media industry, the well-known local celebrity started as a photographer, moving to sports reporter and eventually to the coveted morning news anchor position, where he has been for three years.

Howland, 35, has accepted a job as community relations coordinator at Fairmont Medical Center; his last day at ABC 6 News is Wednesday.

“This is something I just couldn’t pass up,” Howland said. “I will be working regular hours for the first time ever.”

A native of Riceville, Iowa, Howland married Katie Harmon last month. They and his stepdaughter will continue to live in Albert Lea. His wife works at Main Street Dental Clinic in New Richland, Minn.

His exit from TV news is bittersweet, however.

When deciding when his last day at the station would be, Howland opted for Nov. 5, the day after the election and perhaps the most important news day for TV networks.

On Oct. 25, Howland and the rest of the ABC 6 News Good Morning team — former co-anchor Shelly Hexom (who has since left the station with husband and meteorologist Fred Hexom), editor Zach Becker, meteorologist Rusty Dawkins and director Rick Seiver — won their third consecutive Upper Midwest Emmy for best Daytime Newscast in their market. The station collected four nominations this year.

“It’s a great way to go out for me,” Howland said. “It’s just the icing on the cake.

“I think a lot of people had to do with it; we had a lot of great people on air,” he said. “And, we had top-notch people behind the scenes. The station as a whole is improving, and I think the viewers see it, too.”

Though he is sad to leave his long-time employer, the daily news grind and his co-workers and friends, Howland said working in external and internal communications and establishing media contacts at a hospital is not a far cry from the work he does now.

“I’ve told stories pretty much my whole life,” he said.

Howland, a 1995 graduate of Iowa State University, started at KAAL after college as a photographer.

“I knew I wanted to get a job somewhere near my hometown,” he said. Howland said that although co-workers have moved on to bigger markets in New York, Los Angeles and the Twin Cities, he never felt compelled to make that move.

“I guess that was always an option for me,” he said.

Howland explained that technology is the only major change he has seen in his line of work.

“I had a tape deck over my shoulder and a battery back around my waist,” he said with a laugh.

“Telling the stories — it’s pretty much the same,” he said.

Howland may not miss the long hours into the night or getting up before dawn, but he does feel heavy-hearted leaving his second home for 13 years.

“It’s sad because I’ve worked with a lot of these people for a long time,” he said. “I know I will miss it.

“No more TelePrompTer for me,” he said.