The Aviation Weather Center, Central Region Headquarters, and NWS Training Center hosted their annual chili cookoff benefiting the Combined Federal Campaign in October 2004. Sandy Boyse (right), CFC Coordinator for Central Region and NWSTC, recruited three firefighters from the South Platte Fire Protection District to judge homemade chili brought in by employees. After winners were selected, employees of the three NWS units and students at the Training Center enjoyed the various batches of chili, with all proceeds going to CFC. Photo by Tom Schwein, Central Region Systems and Facilities Division Chief.

Cooperative Program Manager, Terry Benthall (left), and Meteorologist-In-Charge Joseph Pelissier present the framed John Campanius Holm Award to Malcolm Gregory of Santuck, SC. Gregory celebrated his 62nd birthday on December 12, 2004, the day after he was awarded the John Campanius Holm Award for his consistently accurate weather reports as a Cooperative Weather Observer. He received the award at his home in Santuck, SC, with his sister and a few friends on hand. Gregory has been the Santuck observer for 31 years, continuing a family record that dates back to the station's origin in 1893, 111 years of continuous family service. Photo by Paige Rumph, Gregory's sister.

The Austin/San Antonio, TX Weather Forecast Office recently honored Edwin (Sammy) Lundgren, cooperative weather observer in Elgin, TX. In a ceremony at the Elgin Kiwanis Club, Lundgren, with more than 52 years of service, received the John Campanius Holm Award as one of the Nation's top observers in 2004. He also received a congratulatory letter from U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. From left: William Runyon, Data Acquisition Program Manager, Edwin Lundgren, Joseph Baskin, Hydrometeorological Technician, and Joe Arellano, Meteorologist-In-Charge. Photo by Troy Kimmel, Chief Meteorologist for KVET, KASE, and KFMK radio in Austin.

Take a look at other NWS news, as submitted for the NOAA Weekly Report.