WAPT weekend anchor Celeste Wilson dies of heart attack at 42

Celeste Wilson, a 42-year-old weekend anchor at ABC affiliate WAPT 16 in Jackson, Mississippi, died of a heart attack, the station announced Wednesday. Wilson had joined the station only recently, and colleagues said her sudden death on Aug. 27 left staff and viewers shocked and grieving.

"We have some very sad news tonight about one of our own," anchor Troy Johnson said on air. Coanchor Megan West told viewers that Wilson "had only been with us here at 16 WAPT for a short time, but we were already touched by her professionalism, her warmth and her dedication to the work of journalism." The station added in a written statement that "all of us here at 16 WAPT are heartbroken by this sudden loss," and extended condolences to Wilson's family and friends. Some reports described the heart attack as apparent, while WAPT stated she died from a heart attack.

Wilson was a New Orleans native who began her broadcasting career at CBS affiliate KNOE in Monroe, Louisiana, and went on to work at several local stations, including a period with NBC affiliate KARK in Little Rock and as a host on a weekly PBS broadcast, according to her biography on WAPT's website. She earned a bachelor's degree...