Lyanne Melendez
In 1999, Melendez won an Emmy and RTNDA for "Nicholas' Gift of Life," the story of a Bay Area boy whose organs were donated to seven Italian recipients. In 1992, she received the Latina Media Person of the Year Award from New York University, the Asociación de Cronistas de espectaculos Award for Reporter of the Year and the Outstanding Person in Communications Award from the Puerto Rican Institute of New York.
Melendez came from CNN-SPANISH in New York where she worked as a senior correspondent and substitute anchor. She's also worked at television stations in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She began her broadcasting career in 1984 as a production specialist at WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Melendez received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Alabama and a Master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Melendez has traveled to Somalia, Iraq, Central and South America, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on special assignments.
Melendez covers the AIDS and education beat in the Bay Area.
Lyanne's Stories
Unhoused impact: Does SF lack support for people in serious mental health crises?
Few of us will understand what goes on in the minds of someone with a mental illness. But most of us would agree that living on San Francisco streets, in these conditions, should be categorized as inhumane.
San Francisco launches new 'Living Proof' health campaign to encourage drug addiction treatment
San Francisco's health department, at times criticized for not doing enough to encourage people to go into drug treatment programs, is focusing on a different kind of recovery campaign.
Is the crackdown on SF homelessness working? Here are the persisting challenges
While San Francisco says there are fewer homeless people living on the streets, conditions for many have not improved and some say they are worse off.
Oakland PD's inaccurate crime reporting leads to questions about what's going on in city
Oakland PD has a data problem. They don't seem to know how many crimes are being committed in the city. The numbers they report publicly are different from what they are reporting to the California Department of Justice.
Why SF housing construction is still slow after permitting process loosened
Going through San Francisco's planning and permitting process has been, until recently, like watching paint dry. But the timeline is now shorter after the state pushed to expedite things. So why isn't housing being built at a faster rate?
SFPD response times for small crimes still slow, and it may not get better anytime soon
San Francisco police say their target response time to non-violent crimes such as a burglary, is 20 minutes. But they may not meet that goal for years to come.
How San Francisco Unified's new superintendent plans to tackle budget deficit, save school district
The school board will formally appoint Dr. Maria Su as San Francisco Unified's new superintendent on Tuesday. But before that happens, Dr. Su sat down with ABC7 to discuss her vision and how she expects to close their huge budget deficit.
San Francisco Unified school closures on hold as superintendent steps down, new leader appointed
In a stunning development, San Francisco Unified announced Friday it would not close any schools in the 2025-26 school year. This comes as current Superintendent Matt Wayne also announced Friday that he is stepping down and will be succeeded by Dr. Maria Su.
Oakland Unified facing projected $95 million deficit in 2025
Oakland Unified's financial problems began more than 20 years ago when the state approved a $100 million emergency loan, the largest school bailout in California history.
Here's a look at downtown SF, its small businesses after the return of Salesforce employees
Salesforce employees returned to the downtown San Francisco offices on October 1 and fast forward to today, it has been a mixture of satisfaction for many small business owners -- but the struggle is still far from over.