[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 190 (Tuesday, December 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13204-S13205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JACKIE HAYS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to wish a fond farewell to one 
of the Nation's finest television news anchors, Louisville's own Jackie 
Hays. After more than three decades in broadcasting, most of it spent 
in Louisville, Jackie will be retiring, and people throughout 
Louisville and across Kentucky are sorry to see her go.
  The level of respect Jackie has earned in the community is reflected 
in the many awards she has won over the years. She has received 16--
16--Best of Louisville awards, including numerous honors as Best Female 
News Anchor.
  In 2005, she was named ``Best of the Best'' by Louisville Magazine. 
She has also received the Star Awards from the Women in Radio and 
Television, and Emmy nominations for her work both in Louisville and 
Philadelphia.
  Jackie has had a lot of wonderful experiences in her career, all in 
pursuit of getting the best story for her viewers. She reported live 
from the scene of the bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. 
She interviewed two Presidents; one of them was Ronald Reagan over 
lunch. And, of course, she has been a fixture in many Louisville homes 
on the first Saturday of every May, as she has anchored coverage of the 
Kentucky Derby 25 times.
  Once she went up in an F/A-18 Hornet with the Blue Angels, a U.S. 
Navy flying acrobatic team that has performed in the Kentucky Derby 
Festival. She flew at 600 knots--that is nearly 700 miles an hour--and 
was subjected to seven times the normal force of gravity. She may have 
blacked out briefly with all that force--as the instructor told her 
most people do--but for the thrill of the ride, and to better tell the 
story to her viewers, she says it was worth it.
  Jackie was born in Paris, TN, right over the border from Murray, KY, 
and she attended Murray State University on a special Presidential 
academic scholarship. She was named the outstanding senior in radio and 
television and began her broadcasting career at a Paducah station while 
still a senior in college.
  After graduating with highest honors, she went on to a full-time 
position, until moving to Louisville in 1980 to work for WHAS 
Television. After 5 years, she briefly went to work in Philadelphia, 
but in 1988 she returned to Kentucky and River City where she has 
stayed ever since.
  For the last 21 years, since returning to Louisville, Jackie has been 
with WAVE-3 News. She is currently the anchor of that channel's 5 p.m. 
and 6 p.m. newscasts.

[[Page S13205]]

  After 32 years in broadcasting, Jackie has earned a well-deserved 
rest, and I know she is looking forward to spending more time with her 
husband Paul, their two daughters, and their dogs. Jackie and Paul are 
avid horse riders, and I hear they just got a new horse named Chipper.
  But Jackie will be greatly missed by the people of Louisville and the 
surrounding area. Every day, through the television, viewers have 
welcomed her into their homes. Now we should stop and recognize that we 
have welcomed her into our community and our lives as well. So I just 
wanted to take this moment to thank her for her incredible career on 
behalf of Kentuckians everywhere.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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