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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Lee Ranson is retiring after 51 years in the
3broadcasting business; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Lee Ranson was the only son born to Seymour and
5Maxine Ranson on November 24, 1941, in Rock Island; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Lee attended Franklin Grade School in Peoria and
7Peoria High School before attending the University of Denver in
8Denver, Colorado, where he became a member of Beta Theta Pi
9Fraternity and a member of the Denver University Radio Guild;
10Lee began his career in broadcasting at the campus radio
11station, KVDU; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Lee returned to Peoria in 1960 to work at WIRL
13Radio "The Mighty 1290," as the host of the "Night-Time in
14Peoria Show"; Lee's show received one of the highest Pulse
15Survey rating in the nation in 1962; that same summer, Lee and
16WIRL hosted all the teenagers from the first St. Jude Teen
17March for a dance, where he made his first connection with Jim
18Maloof and St. Jude; and
 
19    WHEREAS, On December 28, 1962, Lee married his high school
20sweetheart, Beverly Betebenner, and together they had 2 sons,
21Ron and Brian; and one grandchild; Monica; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In 1965, Lee joined the station WXCL "The Country
2Giant," where he was promoted to Music and Program Director,
3and the station soon became the number one adult radio station
4in Central Illinois; Lee was nominated for Country Disc Jockey
5of the Year numerous times; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1971, Lee pursued the opportunity to do
7television at Channel 19 as a weekend weatherman alongside
8Rollie Keith; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1981, Lee left radio and joined Channel 19 as a
10full-time Sales Executive and weekend weather anchor, 3 years
11later becoming the weekday weather anchor at 5:30 and 10 p.m.;
12Lee would eventually become the leading sales person and was
13named Interim Sales manager 3 times; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 1994, Lee joined WEEK-TV after the death of
15longtime weatherman, Bill Houlihan; upon joining WEEK-TV, he
16reunited with Jim Maloof for the St. Jude Telethon; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 2007, Lee was diagnosed with prostate cancer,
18detecting it early during his yearly physical exam; as a
19survivor, Lee is now a spokesperson for Prostate Cancer
20Awareness; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Lee is active in his community, as an elder at the
2United Presbyterian Church in Peoria and has been an active
3supporter of the Salvation Army Tree of Lights and Coats for
4Kids campaigns for over 17 years; he received the Peoria Police
5Benevolent Fund Raising Award in 1981 and 1982, the Silver Dome
6Award in 2007, the "Pinnacle of Achievement Award" from the
7Salvation Army in 2009, and was nominated for Best Weathercast
8by the Illinois Broadcasters Association multiple times; Lee
9and his family are members of the United Way "Pillar's
10Society"; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we congratulate Lee Ranson on his lifetime of public service
14and professional success, and we wish him well in the future;
15and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to Lee Ranson as an expression of our respect and
18esteem.