[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 35 (Thursday, March 3, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1274-S1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PAULA FRANCIS

 Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate Paula 
Francis on her retirement after bringing the great State of Nevada 
accurate and reliable news coverage for the last 30 years. Ms. Francis 
was an important icon in Nevada journalism, bringing local residents 
nightly news at 5, 6, and 11 p.m. Her passionate and in-depth coverage 
of southern Nevada's news will be sorely missed.
  Ms. Francis's career began in Madison, WI, immediately after 
graduating

[[Page S1275]]

from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1985, she moved to Las 
Vegas, beginning her experience in broadcast journalism for southern 
Nevada at KTNV. In 1988, Ms. Francis joined KLAS's news team, initially 
starting her extended tenure with the news station as a health 
reporter. After proving to be an invaluable resource to the news team, 
she moved into the anchor chair. During her time on air, Ms. Francis 
placed a special emphasis on health care issues, familiarizing viewers 
with important health information, in addition to bringing southern 
Nevada breaking news coverage.
  Throughout her tenure, Ms. Francis was recognized as Best TV Anchor 
in Las Vegas by Las Vegas Review Journal readers more than 15 times and 
was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Association hall of fame and 
the KLAS TV Hall of Fame. Ms. Francis went above and beyond in her 
ambitions to bring Nevadans up-to-date and truthful news coverage. The 
accolades she has received are awarded to only the greatest of Nevada 
journalists, and without a doubt, she deserves each one.
  For the past 30 years, Ms. Francis has been a tremendous contributor 
to southern Nevada journalism. Her commitment to the local community is 
without question, creating a great amount of trust between the viewers 
and the station. She stands as a role model to journalists across 
Nevada with her unwavering dedication to familiarizing herself with the 
local issues. The knowledge she gained throughout her tenure is 
irreplaceable to the newsroom. Ms. Francis's legacy both at KLAS and 
within Nevada journalism will be felt for years to come.
  Outside of her career, Ms. Francis continues to be highly involved in 
a number of activities for the betterment of the local community. She 
is a founding member of the Nevada chapter of the International Women's 
Forum and serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Shade 
Tree Endowment Fund. She has also received numerous humanitarian awards 
for her efforts and spearheaded Buddy Check 8, a campaign to increase 
breast cancer awareness. I extend my deepest gratitude for all of her 
efforts on behalf of the Silver State.
  I ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in thanking Ms. 
Francis for her tireless dedication to bringing southern Nevada 
excellent news coverage and in congratulating her on her retirement. I 
wish her well in all of her future endeavors.

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