Valerie Hurst joined KATU news in August 2008.  She didn’t have to go too far, coming from KIMA-TV in the beautiful Yakima Valley of central Washington where she anchored the 5 and 6pm newscasts.  Valerie also reported everyday, bringing Yakima viewers the stories most important to them.  She previously worked as a reporter and anchor for Cable News 2 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Valerie has earned local and regional awards during her career, including first place from the Society of Professional Journalists for spot news.  A newscast she anchored was also nominated for an Emmy.

Valerie is a native of Boston, MA and graduated from the College of Communication at Boston University .  Although New England will always be home, she’s fallen in love with the city of Portland and the beauty of the Northwest.

When she’s not reporting the news, Valerie enjoys hiking the wilderness areas of Oregon and discovering new and different restaurants around town.