[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF BILL MARDIS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2021

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the memory of my beloved friend, Bill Mardis, who was the long-time 
editor of the Commonwealth Journal in Somerset, Kentucky.
  Though small in stature, Bill Mardis was a journalism giant in 
Somerset, wielding a mighty pen, a humble approach and a steel-trap 
mind. We first became friends in the 1970s, with shared roots in radio 
broadcasting and a zeal for history and politics. Our friendship never 
swayed Bill from asking tough questions and writing an occasional hard-
hitting piece; still yet we maintained a mutual respect for one another 
at all times. He was a dearly loved, iconic member of the Lake 
Cumberland region and his life's work kept all of us more informed. If 
a story had heart and soul, it was undoubtedly penned by Mardis. His 
signature ``Humble Reporter'' satire series also provided much-needed 
comic relief to the serious nature of the daily news covering the rest 
of the pages. In person, Bill also brought a unique and jovial 
interview style to every situation, while remaining fair, straight-
forward and balanced through-out his career spanning nearly six 
decades.
  Bill was known for his stellar work ethic, often putting in 12-hour 
work days to publish an accurate, reputable newspaper. In recent years, 
our interviews would occasionally linger an hour or more as we drifted 
off topic and reminisced about our mutual friends and mentors who were 
instrumental to the growth and progress in southern Kentucky, from the 
late U.S. Sen. John Sherman Cooper to the late Pulaski Circuit Judge 
Roscoe Tartar, and others. He kept a tight grip on the political pulse 
of the Lake Cumberland region, cultivating a trusted network of friends 
across party lines, lending to his rich, in-depth reporting.
  May his legacy of balanced and fair journalism live on at the 
Commonwealth Journal where he dedicated nearly 60 years with the utmost 
integrity. My wife Cynthia and I send our heartfelt condolences to 
Bill's family, his coworkers at the newspaper, and his expansive 
community of friends. In the words of our satirical Humble Reporter, 
``I ain't never seed nothin' lak hit'' and I don't suspect we ever will 
again.

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