Leon Purvis
From the East Coast to the West Coast and the Heartland, award-winning journalist Leon Purvis joined the FOX 9 Team in September 2024.
Before coming to The Land of 10,000 Lakes, he was in Wichita, Kansas, as the weekend anchor/reporter at KAKE News. During his time at KAKE, he covered the prayer vigil after the unfortunate Chief Superbowl Parade shooting, reported on severe weather events like tornadoes and grass fires, and many big stories and breaking news. He won two Kansas Association of Broadcasters Awards. One for Single Topic News Coverage for anchoring the year anniversary of the Andover Tornado, and best weathercast for reporting on storm damage from the Cowley County Tornado.
Before coming to the Midwest, Leon also worked in Springfield, Massachusetts, and got his start in Eureka, California.
The South Jersey native’s passion for journalism and storytelling all started at Rowan University, where he studied radio/television/film and journalism. During his time at Rowan, he covered the 2016 Democratic National Convention. He interned on nationally known shows like "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Good Morning America," and NBC’s "The Today Show."
Outside of work, Leon loves to go salsa dancing, belt his favorite karaoke song, go on walks, and root for the Philadelphia Eagles.
He’s excited to explore vegan restaurants and see what the Twin Cities has to offer.
The latest from Leon Purvis
Beltrami Co. State of Emergency: Thousands without power
Beltrami County declared a State of Emergency after storms ripped through Bemidji over the weekend. As of Sunday, thousands of people in Bemidji are without power. County officials say there’s no word on when everyone will have power restored, but it could take a couple of days.
Special Olympics Minnesota showcasing 2K+ athletes in Twin Cities
Special Olympics Minnesota is at the University of Minnesota this weekend, with more than 2,000 athletes competing across multiple sport categories.
Twin Cities mark Juneteenth's 160th anniversary with celebrations, reflection
FOX 9 celebrates Juneteenth. It's been 160 years since freedom reached enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas. Marking, June 19, 1865, the day all slaves became free. There were celebrations all over the metro on Thursday.
Bike tour to border ordeal: Minnesota man flees Iran as tensions rise
A Minnesota man barely gets out of Iran, as he puts it, he had a 50% chance of never walking out. This is stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict. His tour guide even said he could no longer protect him.
Twin Cities Pride faces $700K drop in corporate sponsorships, leans on grants and small donors
June is Pride Month and one of the nation's biggest pride festivals is just two weeks away. Twin Cities Pride is facing some fundraising challenges this year after losing more than a dozen corporate sponsorships.
Search for Manny Collins: Columbia Heights teen last seen 1 month ago
It's been one month since Columbia Heights teen Manny Collins went missing under circumstances that police believe were against his will.
St. Paul fire inspector kidnapped, attempted to sexually assault teen: Charges
It was a terrifying morning for a 13-year-old girl who was just trying to make it to school. Last month, after missing the bus, the girl ended up in a car with a man who is now charged with allegedly trying to sexually assault her.
Twin Cities Somali community leader speaks about Trump travel ban
President Donald Trump’s travel ban will go into effect Monday, and 12 countries are on the list, including Somalia. Minnesota is home to more than 86,000 Somali immigrants. One Twin Cities Somali community leader says he’s not surprised by Trump’s travel ban.
Minnesota Frost celebrates second Walter Cup, girls inspired
The Minnesota Frost and fans paraded in downtown St. Paul with the Walter Cup, celebrating back-to-back championship wins.
George Floyd's uncle reflects 5 years after Floyd's murder
May 25, 2020 marks five years since the murder of George Floyd. He died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes. It sparked one of the biggest nationwide protests in modern history.