[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2121-E2122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF MELANIE CHRISTOPHER

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, as this Congress comes to an end, we see 
the closing of an era for News Channel 12 in Jackson, Mississippi. 
After 25 years in the business, Melanie Christopher--the cheerful and 
informative co-anchor of WJTV--will be retiring at the end of this 
year. She will be focusing more time and attention on her husband and 
family, but we, her viewers, will miss her.

[[Page E2122]]

  Melanie is one of Jackson's most respected and honored television 
journalists. This year, she was voted ``Newsperson of the Year'' by the 
Mississippi Associated Press, the first female journalist to earn this 
distinction. Her work has also won awards from the National Commission 
on Working Women, the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, and the 
Associated Press. She has served as emcee of numerous fund raising 
events on WJTV over the years, including the Children's Miracle Network 
telecast to benefit Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson.
  In recent years, Melanie has been the face of health and medical 
reporting for WJTV as she informed viewers about the latest treatments, 
drugs, and how to improve their health.
  Melanie serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan YMCA and 
MORA, the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency. She also works with the 
March of Dimes, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Blair E. Batson 
Hospital for Children. She is also a board member of Ballet Mississippi 
and hosts ``The Learning Exchange'' four times a year on Mississippi 
ETV.
  Mr. Speaker, Melanie Christopher has long been a reliable, 
trustworthy source of news and information for Mississippians, and her 
dedication to the community has earned her well deserved honor. She has 
served in her role as journalist and kept the public trust in that 
institution. We will miss tuning in to see and hear her on WJTV, but 
I'm convinced she will continue to benefit her community and all of 
Mississippi for many years to come.

                          ____________________