Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hendrix Earns Awards

The National Weather Service presented the John Campanius Holm award to Owen B. Hendrix of Antoine on January 26.

The John Campanius Holm award recognizes cooperative weather observers in the field of meteorological observations. The award was presented to Hendrix by Renee Fair, meteorologist in charge, Jimmy Russell, data acquisition program manager, John Robinson, warning and coordination meteorologist, and Michael Reid, hydro meteorological technician from the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock.

Of the more than 11,000 cooperative observers nationwide only five observers received the prestigious Holm award for the year 2000. The award is named after a Lutheran minister who was the first known systematic weather observer in North America from 1644 through 1645.

The weather station at Antoine was established in July 1940 and the observer was Earnest F. Carroll. Hendrix became the observer in April of 1960. He reports rainfall amounts to the National Weather Service and maintains a punch rain gauge that is used to record rainfall amounts in 15-minute increments.

Modern day cooperative weather observers perform a variety of weather duties ranging from measuring rainfall, recording air and soil temperatures, evaporation, to reading river stages. Their weather data is routinely submitted to the National Weather Service and is archived for historical purposes.

For further details on this award to Hendrix for his contributions to the community, state and the nation contact Russell at the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock at 1-501-834-9102, extension 225.