Full Text of HR0549 97th General Assembly
HR0549 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Lee Ranson is retiring after 51 years in the | 3 | | broadcasting business; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Lee Ranson was the only son born to Seymour and | 5 | | Maxine Ranson on November 24, 1941, in Rock Island; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Lee attended Franklin Grade School in Peoria and | 7 | | Peoria High School before attending the University of Denver in | 8 | | Denver, Colorado, where he became a member of Beta Theta Pi | 9 | | Fraternity and a member of the Denver University Radio Guild; | 10 | | Lee began his career in broadcasting at the campus radio | 11 | | station, KVDU; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Lee returned to Peoria in 1960 to work at WIRL | 13 | | Radio "The Mighty 1290," as the host of the "Night-Time in | 14 | | Peoria Show"; Lee's show received one of the highest Pulse | 15 | | Survey rating in the nation in 1962; that same summer, Lee and | 16 | | WIRL hosted all the teenagers from the first St. Jude Teen | 17 | | March for a dance, where he made his first connection with Jim | 18 | | Maloof and St. Jude; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, On December 28, 1962, Lee married his high school | 20 | | sweetheart, Beverly Betebenner, and together they had 2 sons, | 21 | | Ron and Brian; and one grandchild; Monica; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, In 1965, Lee joined the station WXCL "The Country | 2 | | Giant," where he was promoted to Music and Program Director, | 3 | | and the station soon became the number one adult radio station | 4 | | in Central Illinois; Lee was nominated for Country Disc Jockey | 5 | | of the Year numerous times; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, In 1971, Lee pursued the opportunity to do | 7 | | television at Channel 19 as a weekend weatherman alongside | 8 | | Rollie Keith; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, In 1981, Lee left radio and joined Channel 19 as a | 10 | | full-time Sales Executive and weekend weather anchor, 3 years | 11 | | later becoming the weekday weather anchor at 5:30 and 10 p.m.; | 12 | | Lee would eventually become the leading sales person and was | 13 | | named Interim Sales manager 3 times; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, In 1994, Lee joined WEEK-TV after the death of | 15 | | longtime weatherman, Bill Houlihan; upon joining WEEK-TV, he | 16 | | reunited with Jim Maloof for the St. Jude Telethon; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, In 2007, Lee was diagnosed with prostate cancer, | 18 | | detecting it early during his yearly physical exam; as a | 19 | | survivor, Lee is now a spokesperson for Prostate Cancer | 20 | | Awareness; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Lee is active in his community, as an elder at the | 2 | | United Presbyterian Church in Peoria and has been an active | 3 | | supporter of the Salvation Army Tree of Lights and Coats for | 4 | | Kids campaigns for over 17 years; he received the Peoria Police | 5 | | Benevolent Fund Raising Award in 1981 and 1982, the Silver Dome | 6 | | Award in 2007, the "Pinnacle of Achievement Award" from the | 7 | | Salvation Army in 2009, and was nominated for Best Weathercast | 8 | | by the Illinois Broadcasters Association multiple times; Lee | 9 | | and his family are members of the United Way "Pillar's | 10 | | Society";
therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 12 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 13 | | we congratulate Lee Ranson on his lifetime of public service | 14 | | and professional success, and we wish him well in the future; | 15 | | and be it further
| 16 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 17 | | presented to Lee Ranson as an expression of our respect and | 18 | | esteem.
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