Longtime Kansas City Star writer Dave Helling announces upcoming retirement

Longtime Kansas City Star writer Dave Helling will soon retire after 45 years as a journalist.

Helling, a graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School and Creighton University, spent the first few decades of his career as a radio and TV reporter in Nebraska, Kansas and D.C. before returning to the Kansas City area in 1984 as a reporter at WDAF-TV, and later KCTV5.

He joined The Star in 2005.

“It was the proudest moment of my life to come to work for The Star where fairness and thoroughness are still high standards that you need at a newspaper,” Helling said Monday.

Helling, now 67, joined The Star’s editorial board in 2017 after more than a decade as a political reporter and multi-media reporter for the paper.

“It’s been a privilege to work closely with Dave over the past two decades,” said Greg Farmer, The Star’s managing editor. “In everything he’s done, he’s been a champion of our city. We’re grateful for his commitment to The Star and our readers.”

Michael A. Lindenberger, who became vice president and editorial page editor for The Star earlier this year, said when they first met over breakfast, Helling spoke of the challenges of editorial writing: someone always seemed to be mad about what he wrote. As they were getting the check, a couple stopped by their table to rave about Helling’s work. It wouldn’t be the last time it happened either, Lindenberger said.

“It was clear to me that Dave left a big impact in this community,” he said.

Helling’s last day at The Star is Dec. 30. The Lenexa resident looks forward to spending more time with his wife, children and grandchildren.

While he’ll no longer be making appearances in the paper, he hopes Kansas Citians will continue reading the news with as much fervor as ever.

“The newspaper is an essential part of our community, and good journalism is absolutely critical to the public choices we have to make,” Helling said.