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Thursday, January 11, 2024

The 'Say It Isn't So...Joe! Story

It was an ordinary day.  I had just hit a button on my keyboard and found out my favorite broadcaster at my local WGAL-TV station is going to retire.  Guy by the name of Joe Calhoun.  I got to know Joe many years ago when I had his son, Eric, in my Graphic Arts class at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA.  I had Eric in class for two years and both years Joe came to open house to see what his son was learning and to find out how well Eric was doing in my class.  Eric was enjoyable to have in class and questioned me many times if there was something that he didn't understand.  I always enjoyed talking with Joe on his visits about not only his son, but about his job at Lancaster's local TV station...WGAL-TV.  Joe was one of my, as well as most other Lancastrains, two favorite broadcasters on WGAL-TV.  My other favorite broadcaster was Kim Lemon, head news reporter who happened to be the daughter of Dean Lemon who was the head of the Manheim Township Industrial Arts Department.  What follows is Joe's online retirement story: After a 36-year career that defined him as the Susquehanna Valley's most trusted weather forecaster, Chief Meteorologist Joe Calhoun is retiring.  His successful tenure at WGAL 8 will end on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.   For more than three decades, Calhoun has been the leader of the WGAL News 8 Storm Team, bringing his expertise and warmth to viewers across the Susquehanna Valley.  A Philadelphia native, Calhoun graduated from Penn State University in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in meteorology. He began his career with Freese-Notis Weather in Des Moines, Iowa, and later transitioned to broadcast meteorology as the morning meteorologist at Hearst Television’s KETV in Omaha, Nebraska.  In 1987, Calhoun's talent led him back to his home state of Pennsylvania when he joined WGAL News 8 and started a tenure that has lasted nearly four decades.  Behind the scenes, Calhoun has been a leader in his field and a broadcast meteorology instructor at Millersville University. Calhoun’s mentorship has shaped the careers of many young meteorologists, including several members of the WGAL News 8 Storm Team.  "When I look back on my career, I’m most proud of the team I’ve built here at WGAL 8 and the students and young broadcasters whom I’ve impacted along the way. Seeing them blossom into stellar meteorologists has been a wonderful experience," Calhoun said.  Calhoun's dedication to service has been evident through initiatives like WGAL 8’s Coats for Kids Telethon, which he championed for nearly three decades. He was the co-creator and longtime face of this annual fundraiser that still generates tens of thousands of dollars every year for the Salvation Army."   My wife and I are going to miss him and his smiling face.  Lancaster's weather forecasting will never be the same.  Those bright, wonderful days will lack some of the shine that Joe brought into our home!  Yeah...I know, the weather broadcast will go on and we will get to enjoy everyone else, but my wife and I, as well as many other Lancastrains, will miss Joe and his smiling face.  So Joe, here's wishing you a fantastic retirement and may all your days be filled with sunny skies and rain for your garden.  And...see if you can't do something about rain on the days I plan to go to the beach before you leave.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.


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