Valerie joined the 44News team in August of 2020 as a reporter.
Valerie is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She grew up watching the news with her parents but her interest in journalism and storytelling sparked in high school when she joined her school’s drama club and newspaper. She credits her time in musical theatre as a big help in her on-air performance.
She is a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and majored in Telecommunication-News with a concentration in Political Science. At UF, she was an award-winning anchor and reporter for her school’s PBS affiliate station, WUFT.
A long way from the Sunshine State, Valerie is excited to be in the Midwest. She’s always longed for winters and looks forward to the change in seasons. When she’s not reporting, she loves exploring the Tri-State and meeting new people, reading, playing piano and spending time with her dog Chewie.
While our doctors and nurses have been the medical lifeline throughout the pandemic, Deaconess chaplains have been providing the just-as-vital emotional lifeline.
44News reached out to CenterPoint Energy ahead of the hearing and they believe the planned projects are a long-term investment in the community and said if their request is approved, the soonest a rate increase would take effect would be at the end of 2023.
Nationwide the food industry continues to be among the hardest hit. The most recent U.S. Labor Department report shows nearly 900,000 people left jobs in restaurants, bars and hotels in August, up 21% from July.
The memorial fell during National Police Week. Usually taking place in May, events across the county were canceled last year due to the pandemic and postponed this year to October.
Previously just a misdemeanor, the law now raises the crime of domestic battery to a Level 6 felony if the victim has a protective order against the suspect or if the court has issued a no-contact order, and that means potential jail time.
The rally took place one day before Deaconess' October 1 deadline for employees to receive the vaccine.
Led by a local doctor, the group believes the mandates are illegal, immoral and unconstitutional.
After months of training, there are now only three days left until the big race kicks off Saturday so participants got in some last-minute practice before they take their marks on race day.
High demand, labor shortages and shipping delays are leaving shelves sparse and now one major chain is reporting the biggest case of déjà vu.
It won't take crews long to bring the Sycamore down. Interior demolition began in August, and with heavy machinery, the exterior demo will wrap up quickly, but crews will be at the site for weeks clearing away debris.
