KARE photographer Ben Garvin says he was fired after company car was stolen

Ben Garvin, the award-winning Twin Cities photographer, said he was fired from KARE after a company car was stolen off the street in front of his house.

Garvin, who was previously named journalist of the year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists and photographer of the year by the Minnesota Press Photographers Association, shared the news Tuesday on Facebook. He confirmed the dismissal in a separate e-mail to the Star Tribune.

In his posting, Garvin wrote that he had been keeping a KARE vehicle at his residence in south Minneapolis while he worked from home during the pandemic. Sometime before Christmas, the car was stolen. There was no camera gear inside, but some lights and tripods were in the trunk. Garvin admits he left the car unlocked and likely tossed the keys in the trunk.

He said he was fired the next day. According to Garvin, the car has since been recovered.

Garvin said he had previously been written up by the station for "more minor issues related to equipment and a social media post."

Before joining KARE five years ago, Garvin worked at the Pioneer Press. He recently released the critically acclaimed documentary, "Love Them First: Lessons From Lucy Laney Elementary," which he codirected with KARE reporter Lindsey Seavert.

In his posting, he thanked Seavert, as well as reporter Boyd Huppert, anchor Jana Shortal and former news director Jane Helmke.

KARE news director Stacey Nogy said Tuesday that the station doesn't comment on personnel issues.

Garvin said the firing was "a bummer," especially right before Christmas, but he put a positive spin on his situation.

"I've long felt like it was time to move forward and start something new," he wrote. "It's hard to leave a good job and I no doubt would've taken way too long to make that leap on my own. So I'm choosing to see this moment as a step forward. A scary anxiety-producing step, but a step."

KARE anchor Randy Shaver was among the high-profile names wishing their former colleague well on Facebook.

"What an honor is was to work with you at KARE," Shaver wrote. "You made us better."