Originally posted Monday, January 7, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Former 11Alive education reporter Donna Lowry has returned from semi-retirement to become Capitol correspondent for Georgia Public Broadcasting's "Lawmakers" this session.

She starts Monday when the 2019 state legislative session begins. The show, which covers subjects ranging from taxes to immigration to education to social issues to the environment - airs at 7 p.m weeknights hosted by WSB Radio's Scott Slade.

Lowry takes over for Lisa Rayamwho became the new local morning host at 90.1/WABE-FM today.

This part-time gig works well for Lowry, who left a public affairs job at Fulton County Schools last year after seven months in part because she didn't want to work that much at this point in her life. She had also spent 13 months in the public affairs office at Cobb County Schools.

“I wasn’t looking for any full-time permanent thing,” said Lowry, who took a buyout from 11Alive in 2016 after 29 years mostly covering education. “This is a great opportunity for me to get back into the news business and cover something I enjoy.”

Lowry has also done some freelance work including videos for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

She noted what a small world this is. She said she many years ago, former Fox 5 host Rayam replaced her at a TV station in Orlando. Now she is replacing Rayam.