Photo: ABC 13 - WSET
ABC 13 - WSET news anchor, Noreen Turyn, retires today after 36 years on the air.
WSET's Pattie Martin writes about what Noreen has accomplished over the years:
LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — After 36 years at ABC13, Noreen Turyn is retiring, bringing to a close a career defined by award-winning journalism, memorable investigations and a commitment to telling stories that matter.
While many viewers know her as the familiar face behind the anchor desk on ABC13's 5, 7 and 11 p.m. newscasts, Noreen's journey began in 1990 as a part-time reporter with a simple goal: to tell stories that could make a difference.
"I was feeling nervous and excited," Noreen recalled of walking through the station's front doors on her first day.
It wasn't long before Noreen was covering some of Central Virginia's biggest stories.
Among the most significant was her investigation into Virginia's eugenics program, which forcibly sterilized people deemed unfit to have children. The practice continued at the Central Virginia Training Center in Amherst County until the 1970s.
"I found some people who lived here who didn't find out until much later in life that they'd been sterilized, and nobody had ever apologized to them," Noreen said.
Her reporting earned the prestigious Scripps Howard Award for Excellence and an Edward R. Murrow Award. More importantly, Noreen says the series helped lead to an official apology from Virginia's governor and later financial reparations for victims.
Throughout her career, Noreen also covered many of the region's most high-profile criminal cases.
One that has stayed with her was the 1991 Bedford County murder case involving Kenneth Stewart, who killed his estranged wife and infant daughter on Mother's Day.
She also spent years covering the internationally known Jens Soering murder case, conducting multiple prison interviews and following the case long after the original trial.
Noreen's investigative reporting on the death of Lynchburg resident Johnny Cashman also earned a Regional Emmy Award. Cashman's family challenged police conclusions that his death resulted from a medical issue rather than foul play.
As her reporting career flourished, Noreen also became a fixture behind the anchor desk. She first joined Good Morning Virginia before taking over the 6 p.m. newscast in 2004. She later became the anchor of ABC13's 5, 7 and 11 p.m. broadcasts.
As for retirement, Noreen says she's still figuring out what's next. One thing she knows for certain is that storytelling will always be part of who she is.
More on this story from our media partner, ABC 13 - WSET.
Happy Retirement, Noreen, from your friends at iHeartRadio, Roanoke/Lynchburg!
Be sure to check out Noreen's YouTube Channel and Facebook page!