So Long, Cefus — After 15 Years at The Bull, We Wish You ‘Happy Trails’ [PHOTOS]

That boyish grin. That smooth, easygoing voice with juuuust a hint of a drawl.

For 15 years, Micah Cawley -- "Cefus," to all of us here at 92.9 The Bull -- has been one of the most recognizable and popular personalities in Yakima Valley radio. Why, heck, he even spent 10 years on the Yakima City Council, including six years as mayor.

But when the Morning Bull Pen signs off this morning (Jan. 29), Cefus will step away from the mic for the last time. It's his final day with Townsquare Media, parent company of KDBL.

He's moving on to a new position with Yakima's largest hops distributor, John I. Haas Inc.

It's great news for him, but it feels pretty sad to us.

In a way, Cefus has grown up along with The Bull. He arrived in November 2000, about the same time the station was just getting going at its old 99.3 FM setting.

He started as a part-time board operator and "stunt boy," meaning he was the guy the other DJs would send out into the streets to stage all kinds of wild and spontaneous bits for on-air shows.

When The Bull marked its first birthday, for instance, his bosses had him head downtown in ducky slippers and a diaper.

"No shirt, in the freezing cold of January," Cefus remembers with a laugh, "with my hair curled up like a baby."

The minimalist look came in handy again a few years later when Blake Shelton, Trick Pony and Blue County came to town for Bull Bash 2004.

Shelton's band manager, Rob Byus, pulled Cefus in on a prank Shelton's band was planning for their boss. The gag was based on Shelton's "Playboys of the Southwestern World," which includes this line:

Ah but my
Favorite memory
At school that fall
Was the night John Roy
Came runnin down the hall
Wearin nothin
But cowboy boots
And a big sombrero ...

Yup. That night during the show, The Bull's stunt boy tore across the stage in front of a surprised Shelton wearing nothing but a pair of Hanes boxers, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat -- "literally in my chones," Cefus laughs.

Luckily, Shelton took the joke in stride.

"If you ever run across my stage again, Cefus, I'll kill you," he told our guy good-naturedly after the show. Then Shelton handed the underage Cefus his first beer.

Shelton's just one of the stars Cefus has encountered during his time in radio -- among others, he has stories about Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini.

Concerts, celebrities, great music. It's why everybody gets into radio, right?

"It's considered a fun job," Cefus says, " but there's a lot of behind-the-scenes that people don't know about." Nowadays, DJs work extra hours to pre-record shows, plan promotions, do production -- as well as write weblogs, make videos and chime in on their stations' social media conversations.

Early on, he also put a lot of sweat into his first solo program, "Cefus Live," a 6 p.m.-midnight show that still makes him shudder.

He was green, felt awkward behind the microphone -- and with no partners to keep the patter rolling, the risk of gaffes, technical problems or worse was great.

"It was horrible," he says.

Still, his listeners and bosses must've like what they were hearing, because more shows -- with better time slots -- followed. Before long, he was on-air from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In September of 2013, he finally got his shot at a morning show. He's been working with Rik Mikals and Michele Mathews on the Morning Bull Pen ever since.

Cefus has reveled in the role. "I'm the color commentator, so I get to tell all the jokes," he explains.

The jokes might be harder to come by when the 9 o'clock hour rolls around, though. That's when Cefus officially switches off his mic and hangs up his headphones. After all he's been through with Rik, Michele and 92.9's listeners, the emotions could well up a little, he admits.

"I'm gonna miss working with my two best friends," he says.

Mathews, who banters with and badgers him like an older sister, says the feeling is mutual.

"What can I say about Cefus?" she says. "Sure, he annoys me most mornings, but working with him has been one of the best experiences in my life! That's because he went from being my co-worker to one of best friends. My brother from another mother! I'll miss everything about him ... even the annoying part!

"He's a nice guy," Mikals agrees. "We'll miss him."