You know it's ratings when your anchor that was arrested last year, comes on the first night of sweeps and announces she has been fired from the station.

OK...officially she says she has retired, but let's be honest. If she wasn't busted by police she would have been anchoring the entire newscast last night and not on for just few minutes sweeps stunt.

Long-time broadcast anchor Amanda Davis was given a few minutes on WAGA in Atlanta last night to announce her "retirement" from the station after more than 26 years.

"There have been awards, honors and accolades. There have also been challenges, disappointments and stumbles," Davis told the audience at 10:14 p.m. Then paraphrasing Psalm 23:4, she said, "Yea, though I have walked through the valley, with God's help, I made it through. And that's what I want you to know. I am blessed. So it's with a heavy heart that I announce now that I am officially retiring from Fox 5 as I look ahead to a new chapter in my life."

Davis was arrested by Atlanta police Nov. 11 after she crashed her car going northbound in a southbound lane on Piedmont Ave. off 14th Street in Midtown, hitting and injuring another driver. She was charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain lane and DUI.

She was taken off the air and has been awaiting trial at Fulton County state court.

Davis, who has not submitted to any interviews since the arrest, did not mention the DUI case on air.

Co-anchor Russ Spencer ("My TV husband," she said.) and meteorologist Ken Cook (she called "Cookie"), both long-time Fox 5 veterans as well, came up to her and offered their own accolades.

"We want to thank you for what you meant to us," Spencer said. "We hope you know how much we love and appreciate you."

"And thanks for coming on the first day of the book to become part of the circus." they should have said.

H/T Atlanta Journal Constitution