[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 22353-22354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JOHN BELSKI

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Louisville, 
Kentucky's, longtime meteorologist John Belski, whom a large swath of 
Kentuckians have relied on for accurate weather forecasts for over 23 
years. After a long and successful career, John has retired. This 
September 8 he presented his final weather broadcast.
  John began at WAVE-3 TV in Louisville in July 1987 and has been 
welcomed into Kentuckians' homes ever since. A typical morning for 
residents of the greater Louisville area began by tuning in to John for 
important details about the day's forecast.
  Before joining WAVE-3, John worked in Louisville at WLKY-TV and also 
at stations in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. John's professionalism has 
earned him several awards, including 15 different Best of Louisville 
Magazine honors, the Best of Kentucky award by Kentucky Monthly 
magazine and the LEO Readers' Choice Award, just to name a few.
  John was at the center of the hard-hitting winter storm in 1994, when 
Kentucky was blanketed with a record snowfall of more than 15 inches. 
In August 2009 he stood watch when a massive rainstorm produced large 
hail and flash flooding that caused major damage to some of Kentucky's 
most well known attractions, including Churchill Downs. And who could 
forget this time last year, when one of the most severe ice storms in 
Kentucky's history crippled the area, leaving 760,000 residents without 
power and causing 36 deaths across the State. Throughout it all, John's 
was a calm and steady voice, providing viewers with critical 
information.
  Now that he has retired, I hope John will have more time to spend 
with his wife Lynn and his two daughters. John is not just known for 
his abilities as a meteorologist in Louisville. Whether it be partaking 
in one of the many county fairs or being present at the Kentucky Derby, 
John was always there, reporting. He is going to be missed enormously, 
and I would ask my colleagues to join me in thanking him on behalf of 
all Kentuckians for his service.
  Mr. President, WAVE-3 TV recently published a story on the retirement 
of their friend, John Belski, and I ask

[[Page 22354]]

unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                    [From WAVE3.com, Aug. 18, 2010]

            Meteorologist John Belski Retires from WAVE 3 TV

       Louisville, KY (WAVE).--WAVE 3 Meteorologist John Belski 
     will retire from WAVE 3 TV on September 8, 2010, it was 
     announced by Regional Vice-President & General Manager Steve 
     Langford.
       ``Retirement for a deserving friend should always be looked 
     upon with happiness,'' said Langford. ``While I regret to see 
     John leave the airwaves, I respect his decision and wish him 
     and his family much happiness.''
       ``This is an opportunity for me to explore some new 
     possibilities outside of the TV business,'' Belski said. 
     ``After all these years at WAVE 3 it's time for Kevin Harned 
     to take the reins and lead the weather team.''
       Kevin Harned and John Belski first met when Kevin was in 
     high school. Harned wrote to Belski asking him to speak to 
     his 4-H Club in Nelson County. That meeting left an indelible 
     mark on Harned who persistently pursued his new career goal 
     to become a television meteorologist. ``John has been a great 
     mentor and a great friend,'' said Harned. ``We've covered a 
     lot of severe weather together and hopefully have helped to 
     keep our community safe from harm.''
       John Belski first joined the WAVE 3 weather team in July 
     1987. Prior to that, he worked at WLKY-TV in Louisville and 
     also at stations in St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri. In 
     addition to his television forecasts John makes multiple 
     daily postings to his blog, Twitter and Face book sites. Over 
     the years John has been on the air on 18 different radio 
     stations and currently on 84 WHAS-AM and WMPI 105.3 FM. His 
     weather book ``Backyard Weather Folklore'' sold thousands of 
     copies.
       ``For the past 23 years John Belski has been the calming 
     voice in the storm while protecting our viewers during severe 
     weather,'' said Langford. ``His folksy, friendly style of 
     forecasting has made him a favorite in our community.''
       John Belski has received numerous awards from community 
     organizations and publications including 15 different Best of 
     Louisville Magazine honors, the Best of Kentucky by Kentucky 
     Monthly magazine and the LEO's Readers' Choice Award. He has 
     anchored Emmy Award winning coverage of severe weather and 
     received the Special Service Award from the National Weather 
     Service and the Mark Trail Award for public awareness of NOAA 
     weather radios.
       John Belski will present his last weather broadcast during 
     WAVE 3 News at 6:00 p.m. on September 8, 2010.
       WAVE-TV is owned by Raycom Media, Inc., an employee-owned 
     company which is now one of the nation's largest 
     broadcasters. Currently the company owns and/or operates 42 
     television stations in 18 states. Raycom Media stations cover 
     more than 10.6 percent of the U.S. television households and 
     employ 3,500 individuals in full- and part-time positions. 
     Through Raycom Sports, the company owns and operates the 
     Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte and two LPGA golf 
     tournaments, as well as produces pre-season NFL football 
     games for non-owned stations.

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