Elias Johnson

09/06/2026

I’ve had a lot of people notice the change...

When you go from being a news anchor with a head full of flowing locks to… well, nothing, people tend to have questions. 😂
So, I figured I’d explain.
The first time I had COVID, I noticed a few small bald spots on the back of my scalp. I honestly had no idea what was happening. A dermatologist diagnosed me with alopecia. After a series of steroid injections, the hair eventually grew back.
Then I got COVID a second time.
This time, the bald spots were much larger, and I started losing everything—my hair, my eyelashes and my eyebrows.
Everything except the hair in my ears.
Awesome, right? 😂
I went through another round of extremely painful steroid injections throughout my head and face, hoping it would reverse the process. Unfortunately, this time, it didn’t work.
In the meantime, I looked like I had used a couple of Black & Decker power tools to cut my hair. It was uneven, patchy and, honestly, embarrassing.
So I went to Mayo Clinic, where I was diagnosed with alopecia areata.
Essentially, my immune system went a little haywire after COVID and began attacking my healthy hair follicles. I started an oral medication to try to stop the process, but unfortunately had to discontinue it after it caused my blood pressure to spike.
And so, here I sit.
Maybe my hair will come back someday. Maybe it won’t.
Do I miss my hair?
Absolutely.
You don't realize how important your eyebrows and eyelashes are until they're gone. Turns out they serve a pretty important purpose—and apparently make your face look a little less surprised all the time. 😂 (I'm getting better at sticking my eyebrows on each day)
I know I don’t owe anyone an explanation for shaving my head. But I decided to share this because there may be someone else out there going through the same thing, wondering what is happening to them, feeling embarrassed or simply trying to understand why their body has suddenly turned against them.
If that's you, I get it.
As for me, I'm learning to embrace the new look. It certainly makes getting ready in the morning a lot easier.
And thankfully, my wife still thinks I’m handsome.
That’s enough for me.

09/06/2026

RIP to one of the best farmers and man I ever met. Also, one of my all-time favorite interviews. Truly a loss for so many. Ray Gaesser was a great man.

08/27/2026

Blessed to speak today at the Fareway Stores annual supplier summit with our valued partners & discuss ways to grow outreach & charitable efforts in communities we serve.

08/26/2026

I've added a new title as I continue to work at Fareway Stores, Inc...
I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted the position of Head Girls Golf Coach at Urbandale High School! ⛳️🏌️‍♀️ With the school year now underway, I wanted to make sure families know that our golf season officially begins March 15th. If you have a daughter who is interested in golf—or even just curious about trying it—I would absolutely love to have her join our team! I have a big vision for Urbandale Girls Golf. That vision includes professional-level instruction, a strong team culture, and making sure our athletes have access to top-level equipment and team attire that allows them to look and feel like the program we are building.

Last year, Urbandale didn’t have enough golfers to field both a varsity and JV squad. Those days are over. My goal is to build a program that is competitive, welcoming, and committed to developing every golfer, regardless of where she is starting.

We are the Urbandale Girls Golf Team, and we will live our mission through PRIDE. We will challenge ourselves to become better students, better athletes, better teammates, and better leaders every day.

P — Purpose
We understand that school comes first and golf comes second. Our purpose is to become better student-athletes by leading in the classroom and on the golf course. We will take pride in our academics, our preparation, and the example we set for others.
R — Resilience
We will respond to challenges with confidence and a growth mindset. We will not say, “I’m no good.” Instead, we will say, “I’m getting better.” We will overcome obstacles together, support one another, and refuse to let setbacks define us. We will respect ourselves and each other, recognizing that every teammate has a valuable role in our team’s success. We will encourage one another, build each other up, and face challenges together.
I — Integrity
We will do the right thing, even when no one is watching. We will be honest with ourselves, our teammates, our coaches, and our opponents. We will know and follow the USGA Rules of Golf, play the game with honesty, and hold ourselves accountable. We will listen to instruction, practice with purpose, and use every opportunity to improve. We will be focused, attentive, and safe on the golf course.
D — Determination
We are driven to be champions. Our goals will be lofty, and our work ethic will match them. We will push ourselves and one another every day, believing that together we can achieve a level of greatness beyond what any team has accomplished at Urbandale.
E — Excellence
We will pursue excellence in everything we do. We will be leaders to our peers, lift up those around us, and celebrate one another’s success. We will carry ourselves with honor, represent Urbandale with pride, and set an example for others to follow.

The Head Coach’s Promise
I am not leading this team because I have to. I am leading this team because I get to.
It is a privilege to coach each of you, and I accept the responsibility that comes with it. I have a duty to meet every player where she is, understand her individual skill level, strengths, challenges, and goals, and then help elevate her to become the best version of herself.
My promise is to invest in you—not only as golfers, but as students, teammates, leaders, and young women. I will challenge you, encourage you, hold you accountable, and believe in you, even when you may not yet believe in yourself.
Our growth will extend far beyond the golf course. We will learn to respect authority, our coaches, teachers, parents, adults, our opponents, our teammates, and most importantly, ourselves. We will learn that how we treat people, how we respond to adversity, and how we carry ourselves when no one is watching are just as important as the scores we shoot.
I promise to give you my best every day, and I will expect you to give your best in return. Together, we will create a team culture where everyone matters, everyone is challenged, everyone is respected, and everyone has the opportunity to grow.
Our Commitment
We choose PRIDE.
We will lead with Purpose, respond with Resilience, compete with Integrity, pursue our goals with Determination, and strive for Excellence.
We are student-athletes. We are teammates. We are leaders. We are Urbandale.
We will respect. We will work. We will grow. We will get better together.
We will strive for greatness. We will play with PRIDE.

08/25/2026

Very special day for me at my SEVENTH store opening since joining this amazing company in 2024. The new Fareway Stores Meat Market in South Kansas City is officially OPEN to serve you!

(JOHNSTON, IA) – Fareway Stores, Inc. is proud to announce the grand opening of its new Fareway Meat Market located at 7921 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114, marking an exciting new chapter in the company's continued investment in the neighborhood. The opening follows a ribbon-cutting ceremony ...

08/24/2026

"You're going to school today..."
Here's to having the best year EVER my little minions! is BACK!!!
Be a buddy, not a bully.

08/19/2026

Thanks to the generosity of our customers and the enthusiasm demonstrated across our stores, Fareway Stores was proud to present Josh Nuss, Regional Director for the ALS Association, with a check for $52,998.83 today.

This was an exceptionally strong result for a non-holiday, week-long campaign, and it speaks volumes about the commitment of our employees and the compassion of our customers.

A special thank you also goes to our CEO, Reynolds Cramer, whose Ice Bucket Challenge video kicked off a wave of participation across our seven-state region. Many of our store managers accepted the challenge and posted their own creative videos, generating tremendous buzz on social media. Our customers noticed. They saw our teams rallying around an important cause and chose to support a campaign with purpose.
Check the Ice Bucket Challenge videos here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19Diq6oQgD/

08/07/2026

Once again, Mindy made my day better!
(And we could all use some sunshine in Boji today)
Good luck at Special Olympics Golf in Spencer this weekend!!!

08/07/2026

Started teaching Drivers Ed to my middle child, Gia. Sooo weird. Today, she's learning the highways and backroads to Okoboji. She's a pro with 10 & 2 placement and total focus on the road.

08/01/2026

Great progress on the Fareway Stores freezer expansion project at our distribution campus in Boone. We should be finished and operational in the new space by August of next year.