[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 9 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING LOCAL BROADCASTING LEGEND KEN THOMAS

  (Mr. STAUBER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and 
contributions of Brainerd, Minnesota, broadcasting legend, Ken Thomas.
  Ken's broadcasting journey began in 1978 at the WMIN radio station in 
Maplewood, Minnesota.
  Ken then moved to the Brainerd Lakes area where he spent the next 
four decades hosting the morning show on WJJY-FM.
  Ken has had a number of different morning show partners, but for the 
past 20 years, he has shared the microphone with his current cohost, 
Tess Taylor.
  Together, Ken and Tess have been the trusted voices that many in the 
Brainerd area listen to as they enjoy their morning cup of coffee and 
drive to work.
  Ken's joyful and quick-witted commentary even made him a recipient of 
the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Award for Small 
Market Personality of the Year in 2017.
  Ken's legacy goes beyond the microphone. He is a longtime supporter 
of the Brainerd Lakes Area Walk to End Alzheimer's and works as a 
member of the Sertoma service organization. Additionally, every 
Thanksgiving, he volunteers to serve meals at the local legion.

  As Ken enters retirement, I hope he finds time to enjoy everything he 
loves about Brainerd, which includes his loving family, his fellow 
members of The District cover band, Norman's Bait & Tackle Choir, and 
the tight-knit community he helped shape.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ken. He will be missed from the airwaves, 
but he has earned this next chapter.

                          ____________________