It’s a crazy, long, rewarding day for local mom and WRCB traffic reporter Julie Edwards

By Emilia Pastina Jones

Photo by Scott Ingell

It’s 3:15 in the morning, and the sounds of NPR signal it’s time to get up. On cue, the coffeemaker drips its first drops. And Julie Asciolla’s feet hit the floor—running.
The WRCB Channel 3 traffic reporter—known on-air as Julie Edwards—arrives at the television station at 4:15 a.m., puts on her makeup and prepares her reports, looking for any signs of snarls that may mess with morning commutes for Eyewitness Today and NBC’s Today show viewers.
At 10 a.m., she leaves the station and heads to Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Chattanooga, where as director of Christian education she oversees the programs and events for the youngest members of the church.
At 12:30 p.m., it’s time for one of Asciolla’s favorite times of the day, picking up her youngest daughter from preschool. After spending a few one-on-one hours with her 4-year-old, she picks up her oldest daughter at school, eagerly waiting to hear all about the fifth-grader’s day.
And then it’s back to the television station at 4:30 p.m. for the afternoon traffic reports before heading home for the evening at 6.
It’s an exhausting schedule with lots of responsibilities that demand precise coordination and attention. But Asciolla loves her crazy life.
“It was an adjustment at first,” she says. “But being a mom prepares you for this.”
Asciolla, a University of Georgia graduate, started her television news reporting career in Alabama. She later anchored news programs at stations in Vermont and Indiana. And it was in television where she met her husband, Mark, a former sportscaster and television news reporter.
Ten years ago the couple moved to Chattanooga for Mark’s television career, which also brought them closer to her family in Atlanta. They were in a new town with a new baby girl, Emily, who is now 10 1/2. Suddenly, Asciolla knew what her new role should be—full-time mom. So she put her television career on hold and soaked up every moment with her newborn daughter.
“When Emily was born, from the moment I first held her, I knew I was ready to be with her,” says Asciolla. “I just found such joy in it.”
Meg, now 4, came along six years later, and Asciolla relished her role of wife and mother of two.
“I have owed my children me all of those years,” she says. “I so value the time I have with them.”
But then, last year, an opportunity came up at Channel 3 that would get her back on TV and back to the career she loved. With both girls in school, the timing seemed right. But, as many mothers know, her excitement was tinged by doubt about whether this was right for her and her family. Her reassurance came from her husband.
“He said I have sold myself short,” she recalls.
Asciolla quickly plunged into  the busy life of juggling family and career. One of her first career decisions was to take on her husband’s former television name, Edwards. (Edward is his middle name.)
But the major change meant a slight role reversal. Since Asciolla leaves the house when her husband and daughters are still sleeping, it’s Dad who makes breakfast, packs the lunchboxes, and gets the girls dressed and ready for school before heading to work.
“He was nervous,” Asciolla admits. “The parenting end of things has always been mine. But he has always been an involved dad. It’s been a blessing. They are certainly in good hands.”
However, there are things moms do best, like fixing a 4-year-old girl’s hair. So before Meg, whom Asciolla affectionately calls her “diva child,” goes to bed, Mom puts her hair in a ponytail or braid so it’s ready for the morning.
“Now that I’m back in the game,” she says, “I find myself grimacing at washing the dishes and doing the laundry. My poor husband would be happy to help, but I am a controlling person. I do like to be in control of me. My house and my children were my job.”
There are a lot of sacrifices with juggling so much. She doesn’t get to eat weekday meals with her family, her house isn’t as tidy as it once was, and every minute of the day is scheduled. But Asciolla says it’s all about balance and controlling the things that you can and should, letting go of things that aren’t important, and listening to your own gut.
And now, less than two years from 40, Asciolla says she’s ready for this crazy, busy, wonderful life.
“I’m not just their mother and Mark’s wife,” she says. “I’m Julie.”
Want to see Julie Asciolla?

Julie Edwards, as she is known on-air, can be seen on WRCB Channel 3 weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. for morning traffic reports and beginning at 5 p.m. for afternoon traffic reports. For more information, go to WRCBTV.com.