Sunday, May 19, 2013

Latest local news, weather, high school sports in the Rio Grande Valley

Valley Central
Our Team
Joey Horta
Anchor/Reporter

School: California State University, Stanislaus
Hometown: Merced, California

Joey joined KGBT in March 2010 as Anchor and Producer of Action 4 News Sunrise.

He now anchors Action 4 News at 5 pm.

Joey previously covered the news just up the border at the number one television station in Laredo, NBC affiliate KGNS.

While in the "gateway city" Joey co-anchored a highly rated morning newscast and the news at noon for three years.

At the same time, he also served as weather forecaster, reporter, and producer on a daily basis.

Joey’s aggressive reporting includes a highly controversial confession from a former Webb County official who was later sent to prison for soliciting a minor.

Much of the district attorney’s evidence was made up of Joey’s interviews with the defendant, revealing vivid details of how the formerly trusted leader picked up a young boy and took him back to his apartment.

Joey was the first to report live on the breaking news of a group of Laredo police officers who were shot and wounded by a suspect who would die in the daytime shootout.

The gunman’s mother who witnessed the ordeal spoke exclusively to Joey about her son’s final day.

When a group of high ranking Laredo police officers were accused of taking bribes from eight liner owners who were breaking the law, Joey chased down one of them at a police academy graduation for that officer’s own son, who set the example of how not to uphold the law to a class of cadets.

The sergeant and police chief were later sent to prison.

Joey’s political coverage has included interviewing now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her campaign for president in 2008.

He was the only Laredo journalist to ask U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison why she voted against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Joey grew up on his family’s fourth generation farming operation in Atwater, California where he spent his childhood days driving tractors in the fields and delivering newborn Holstein calves into the world.

He even started his own business venture and paid his way through college running a carpet cleaning company, while interning at the ABC affiliate KFSN in Fresno, CA and juggling a stint as a correspondent for the Merced Sun-Star newspaper.

Joey graduated in June of 2006 from California State University, Stanislaus with a B.A. in communication.

He’s excited to be part of the Action 4 News Team.

Recent Stories by Joey Horta

Educators react to student's anti-STAAR test viral video   

The heat is on in classrooms across Texas with students under pressure to take those all important STAAR tests.

Video of student's anti-STAAR test rant goes viral   

The heat is on in classrooms across the state, with students under pressure to take those all important STAAR tests.

Fallen Valley soldier's body returned to the United States   

The remains of Army Specialist Kevin Cardoza are back on American soil.

More stories »

Follow Valley Central
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Valley Weather Regions
Get to know the Rio Grande Valley's three main weather regions.
Action 4 News Mobile App
Download the Action 4 News mobile app for iPhone or Android.
Win Schlitterbahn Tickets
Win a family four-pack of tickets to Schlitterbahn on South Padre Island!
Border Bridge Wait Times
Estimated times to cross into the United States from Mexico.