Abbey Hamachek Went From Campus TV to Reporting Her Hometown

Plenty of young journalists leave home to chase a bigger market. Abbey Hamachek did the opposite. NBC 26 hired her before she even finished college, and she now reports on Manitowoc and Wisconsin’s Lakeshore region, the same community where she grew up.

A First-Generation Graduate From Manitowoc

Hamachek was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a Lake Michigan port city. She attended Lincoln High School in Manitowoc, starting in 2018, then enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The university describes her as a first-generation college student. She graduated in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with an emphasis in broadcast, print, and web, and minors in film studies and electronic media.

During college, she also worked as an office assistant for the City of Manitowoc.

Building a Résumé at UW-Whitewater

At Whitewater, Hamachek was deeply involved in the campus media operation. She hosted UWWTV’s news updates, including a broadcast on April 7, 2022, and later served as the station’s student news director. She also worked as a video production specialist for the university.

Her student work earned recognition from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, including a first-place finish in Excellence in Writing (TV) in 2024. She also earned third-place finishes that year for Best General News Story and Best Photojournalism for a piece titled “Benedict Vigil,” and, with teammates, third place for Best TV Newscast for “Wake Up Whitewater.” More placings followed in a later contest: second place for Best Special for “Whitewater Wind-down” (April 15, 2024), and second and third place for TV news updates from fall 2024.

Hired Before Graduation

NBC 26 (WGBA-TV) in Green Bay hired Hamachek as a multimedia journalist for Manitowoc and the Lakeshore region, with a start date of May 27, 2025. UW-Whitewater highlighted her hiring as a “hired before graduation” success story. She announced the job on LinkedIn, saying she couldn’t wait to show off Manitowoc County and its people. Multimedia journalists typically shoot and edit their own stories as well as report them.

Covering the Lakeshore

Her beat is hyperlocal, and the stories show how wide-ranging that can be. She’s covered an $11 million program to help residents replace lead pipes, a new Manitowoc County task force on human trafficking awareness, the reopening of the Manitowoc skatepark after more than a year of renovations, and new owners reviving the Elbow Room supper club. She reported on the groundbreaking for the Maritime Lofts apartments on the former Mirro site, the city’s decision to add stop signs at 30 uncontrolled intersections, and a natural restoration project at Silver Creek Park to stop creek-bank erosion.

Manitowoc’s maritime history gives her beat a distinct flavor. She covered the P-82 crane’s journey to Pearl Harbor Naval Base, the USS Cobia developing a lean during SubFest weekend after rainwater seeped into a ballast tank, and an Algoma distillery’s bourbon inspired by the submarine, called Torpedo Fuel. She also reported on local radio station WOMT’s 100th anniversary, and on how rising fuel costs are affecting lakeshore fishing.

In October 2026, she was reporting daily from the Manitowoc County Courthouse on the trial of Timothy Hauschultz, who was accused of child abuse and neglect in connection with the death of a 7-year-old boy. Her coverage included testimony from the boy’s twin brother and sister and medical experts. I didn’t find a verdict in the sources, so that outcome isn’t covered here.

Age and Personal Life

Hamachek hasn’t shared her birth date. Because she started high school in 2018 and graduated from college in 2025, she’s most likely 22 or 23 as of 2026, but that’s an estimate, not a confirmed figure. NBC 26 says she enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and listening to live music. She hasn’t publicly shared information about a partner or family, and I didn’t find any, so none is included here.

One caution if you’re searching for her: a business-data listing places an “Abbey Hamachek” at a station in Augusta, Georgia, but that appears to be confusing two different “NBC 26” stations. She works for WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Net Worth and Salary

She receives an estimated net worth of around $1 million and $5 million as of 2026, and her annual salary ranges from $45,400 to $130,500.

Quick Facts

FAQ

What does Abbey Hamachek do at NBC 26? She’s a multimedia journalist who covers Manitowoc and the Lakeshore region of Wisconsin, shooting, editing, and reporting her own stories.

Where did Abbey Hamachek go to college? The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she earned a journalism degree in 2025 as a first-generation college student.

Is Abbey Hamachek from Manitowoc? Yes. She was born and raised in Manitowoc and covers her hometown for NBC 26.

When did Abbey Hamachek join NBC 26? In May 2025, after being hired before she graduated.

How old is Abbey Hamachek? Her birth date isn’t public. Based on her education timeline, she’s most likely 22 or 23.

A Reporter With a Home-Field Advantage

Abbey Hamachek’s path is a simple one: campus TV, a handful of state awards, and a job covering the community she knows best. For a newsroom, a reporter who grew up in the town she covers brings instincts that can’t be taught, and her early body of work, from lead pipes to a leaning submarine, suggests she’s using them.