Jackson & Mattea Learn Handball | Kato Living 2026

Mankato, MN – February 5, 2026, saw local personalities Jackson and Mattea step outside their usual roles at KEYC and attempt to learn the intricacies of handball, as featured on Kato Living. The pair traded the newsroom for a new athletic challenge, documented in a segment that aired on KEYC platforms.

While the specific details of their handball training weren’t fully outlined, the segment highlights a continuing effort by KEYC’s Kato Living team to engage with the Mankato community and showcase local activities. Kato Living, a community-focused program on KEYC, encourages participation from local organizations and individuals, though requests must be submitted at least three weeks in advance due to a busy schedule.

Jackson and Mattea are both familiar faces to viewers of KEYC. Mattea Skinner joined the Kato Living team in June 2025, bringing a background that includes graduating from Mankato Loyola and Texas Christian University in May 2025. Originally from Iowa, Skinner now calls North Mankato home. Her role encompasses co-hosting, producing, and reporting for Kato Living, and she expressed a particular enthusiasm for meeting community members and highlighting what Mankato has to offer.

Skinner’s journey to journalism wasn’t a lifelong plan. She initially aspired to be a singer, but discovered her talents were better suited to news reporting during her college years. She even possesses a unique hidden talent – the ability to recite the alphabet backwards at a remarkably fast pace. Her favorite season is fall, citing a fondness for the crisp air, fall foliage, and football.

The segment featuring Jackson and Mattea learning handball follows a recent YouTube video documenting their attempt at skiing, further demonstrating the duo’s willingness to immerse themselves in diverse local experiences. The YouTube description directs viewers to the KEYC website for more local news.

Kato Living’s commitment to community engagement extends beyond on-air segments. The program’s calendar is consistently full, indicating a high level of interest from local groups and organizations seeking coverage. This demand underscores the program’s importance as a platform for showcasing the vibrancy of the Mankato area.

While the handball segment itself doesn’t carry competitive implications in the traditional sports sense, it represents a different kind of competition – the challenge of learning a new skill and embracing local activities. It’s a demonstration of the Kato Living team’s dedication to experiencing and sharing the diverse facets of life in Mankato.

The broader context of KEYC’s programming includes coverage of significant local issues, such as the MnDOT ‘name a snowplow’ contest and a recent Greater Mankato Growth legislative forum. The station also provides updates on statewide concerns, including cancer rates and upcoming legislative sessions focused on issues like ICE presence. This blend of community-focused segments like Kato Living and hard news coverage positions KEYC as a comprehensive source of information for the Mankato area.

NewsBreak also highlighted Kato Living’s 2026 bingo cards, suggesting ongoing interactive elements designed to further engage the local audience. This indicates a strategy of continuous community involvement and a commitment to providing diverse content formats.

The willingness of Jackson and Mattea to step outside their comfort zones and try new activities, like handball and skiing, resonates with the spirit of community engagement that Kato Living embodies. It’s a reminder that local news isn’t just about reporting events. it’s about participating in and celebrating the life of the community.

Looking ahead, Mattea Skinner has expressed a professional aspiration to cover unsolved mysteries, revealing a personal interest in investigative journalism and a desire to provide closure through storytelling. This ambition, combined with her established commitment to local reporting, suggests a promising future for her career at KEYC.

The segment featuring Jackson and Mattea’s handball attempt, while seemingly lighthearted, contributes to the larger narrative of Kato Living as a vital platform for showcasing the people, places, and activities that make Mankato a unique and thriving community. It’s a testament to the power of local media to connect with audiences on a personal level and foster a sense of shared identity.