Wednesday, August 06, 2003

By Al Lowe, Tri-State Sports & News Service

Jennifer Hughes knows what it is like to be a television news anchor and to have her proud parents show clips of her programs to neighbors.

	Jennifer Hughes is moving from anchor desk to teacher's desk. (Tony Tye, Post-Gazette)

Now, Hughes wants to help Brentwood High School students produce their own newscasts and programs so they can learn about communications and produce their own clips for relatives' viewing.

The Brentwood school board recently hired Hughes as visual communications teacher and assistant girls' volleyball coach.

Hughes, 27, anchored the news at TV6, KAAL in Austin, Minn., and KTVB 7 in Boise, Idaho, before coming to Pittsburgh and obtaining a second degree, this one in secondary education from Point Park College.

She moved here with her husband, Nathan, who wanted to come back to his hometown to attend Duquesne University Law School. He recently took the bar exam.

Hughes said she knew after they started dating that she would live in Pittsburgh some day.

"On our second date we watched 'Monday Night Football.' He couldn't miss the Steelers," said Hughes, who has grown to love the Grandview Avenue view close to her Mount Washington home.

One highlight of her TV heyday was an interview with Jesse Ventura when he was running for governor of Minnesota. "He's a reporter's dream. His aides tried to get him to be quiet, but he just keeps on talking."

Another memorable story involved an Idaho man who threatened to kill himself and a police officer. There was a standoff until he pulled out his gun a second time and a police sniper shot him.

Hughes said she has no regrets about giving up the limelight. She remembered thinking during her first day in an education course, "This is where I belong."

"My mom is very excited about the change," she said. Hughes' mother, brother, all her aunts and two of her four cousins are teachers.

She'll teach Introduction to Communications, Communications I, II and III. She replaces Brentwood teacher Rick Altomar, who retired.

Hughes is also eager to try coaching volleyball. She was twice all-conference in that sport at Truman State University in Missouri and one year was nationally ranked.

"I want do something where at the end of the day I feel good," she said.

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