Anchors Away
Jeff Oelrich
By Amy Hahn
THEN: Oelrich started working at KTTC in 1995 as a morning news and weather anchor, returning to the station in 1997 in the same role and later anchoring the weeknight 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. He left in 2000 to pursue a career as radio show host for WLOL and later KOOL 108 in the Twin Cities.
NOW: Oelrich returned to television news again when he joined KARE 11 in 2007 as reporter for its News@4, a newscast that is carried live on television and the Internet. He now works under the name Jeff Olsen. He is married to KARE reporter Julianna (Hofeld) Olsen, a former KTTC anchor and reporter.
ROCHESTER MEMORIES: Oelrich says he remembers Rochester as a growing city that maintained the best parts of a small town. The stop in Rochester truly changed his life. “The best part of living in Rochester was meeting and marrying Julianna,” he says.
There are a few Rochester stories that made a big impact on Oelrich. One of these was called ‘Blessed Bakers,’ about an annual bake sale benefit for needy patients. Sister Generose and the Rochester Franciscan Sisters organized the bake sale. “We had the chance to spend a full evening with the sisters while they were canning and baking in the hospital kitchen. Later we returned to see the bake sale success,” Oelrich says. “Great story, great people, great food! I also did a series of reports on foster care that brought us through homes of incredible families. It was part of our inspiration for becoming foster (and eventually adoptive) parents.”