Longtime WTHR Anchor John Stehr will wrap up his anchoring career at the station this week.

The station says that Stehr do his final newscast on Friday.

Stehr joined WTHR as an evening news anchor in 1995 from CBS News in New York, announced his retirement in March.

While it has been a looooong goodbye, it is really not a final goodbye. The station says he’ll be a regular contributor for community events and special coverage such as the 500 Festival, the Indianapolis 500 and WTHR’s annual broadcast of the Circle of Lights celebration in November.

"John has made a tremendous impact on our station and across Central Indiana,” Larry Delia, President/General Manager and President of Dispatch Broadcast Group, said in a statement. “We cannot thank John enough for his contributions as a journalist, storyteller, and ambassador of WTHR.”

“I am enormously grateful to my WTHR family and the many people I have worked with over the years. Together, we have journeyed through the highs and lows of our community and country,” Stehr said in a statement. “After forty years in the business and a few months to reflect following my heart surgery last year, it really gave me perspective as to the importance of family, health and other ways to contribute.”

H/T Indy Star