Dave Ward wants to make something clear.

Yes, the longest-running news anchor in TV history will be leaving Channel 13 after 50 years.

"My contract with Channel 13 expires at the end of this year, and that's when I'll say goodbye," Ward said.

"But, no, I am definitely not retiring."

Ward said that Channel 13 management has invited him to stay with the station through 2017.

It was an offer he couldn't accept, Ward said.

"They took me off the 10 p.m. newscast two years ago. They were taking me off the 6 p.m. news at the end of this year. So I would not have an anchor role anymore."

With no anchor duties, Ward said he felt like Channel 13 was showing him the door.

"They seemed like they really wanted me to make my exit. I always thought I would continue to anchor the news at Channel 13 until I thought I couldn't do the job anymore. I'm not there yet. My research is very good, and our ratings are very good. They won't give me an answer why I'm being taken off the 6 p.m. news."

According to Ward, if he stayed with Channel 13, he would "maybe host the Livestock Show and Rodeo parade or the July 4 fireworks. That just didn't interest me at all.

"Essentially, I would have nothing to do here. I thought it would be better for me to separate from the station. Then I could do some commercial work and freelance, maybe some documentary work."

Channel 13 president Henry Florsheim said he still hopes an agreement can be reached for Ward to stay with the station beyond this year.

"Dave is always welcome at the station, and there is always a role for Dave on the air. We can't wait to celebrate his 50 years of service with us. I don't know if anybody has ever done that, and we want to celebrate his success," Florsheim said.

"Dave is part of the fabric of the station. We'd love to work out a way for him to stay."

Ward, 77, joined Channel 13 as a street reporter in 1966. He was promoted to the anchor desk a year later. Earlier this year, Guinness World Records honored him "for the longest career as a television news broadcaster."

Ward said he will be free to join another TV station after his current contract expires Dec. 31.

"I don't see myself doing that, but who knows? You never know. Never say never."

What would he say if another station called and asked him to anchor one of its newscasts?

"Sure, of course!"

Pethouse Pet of the Week

Name: Daisy, as in Fuentes, Duke and Dagwood Bumstead's dog.

Ethnicity: I'm kinda, sorta a terrier girl.

Birthdate: March 8, 2016, just a pup.

Daisy's doin's: Funniest Olympics comment so far: Former gymnast Shannon Miller said the excitement in Rio is "contagious." Not the best choice of adjectives during these Games in Brazil.

McDonald's is testing a 24-hour "walkup" window, where people can stumble up to the restaurant and order five Big Macs and 10 extra-large fries at 3 a.m. Unfortunately, this test window is in Wales. So in the U.S., it's still only cars allowed in the drive-through lane. McDonald's says it's for safety reasons. I say it's discrimination against joggers and walkers. At 3 a.m., I'd much prefer to bump into people walking crazy instead of driving crazy.

With 20-plus gold medals, where do we rank Michael Phelps on the list of greatest athletes in history? Maybe I have Olympics fever, but I'm putting him No. 1. Quantitatively, there's no dispute. I don't know if Phelps has traditional sports hand-eye coordination, can hit a baseball, sink a free throw or hit a golf ball straight, but he's No. 1.

Look at it this way, if Phelps were a country, he'd be No. 38 on the all-time Olympic medals list.