Tony Edwards - NOAA Federal <tony.edwards@noaa.gov>

To: Randy Barr

Hello Randy,

I didn't talk about amateur radio in the presentation because we don't have a good system for incorporating amateur radio into our operations right now.  I'm a ham myself, KJ4FYM, and understand how much of a benefit it could be to our operations.  However, shortly after I arrived at this office, the building we are in developed a serious mold issue and we had to actually evacuate the building for a few months.  They took everything out of the building and gutted it.  We are back in the building now, but we don't have much furniture and our ham radio equipment has never been reinstalled.  The NWS is actually building us a new facility at the Tech Park in Charleston, so while that is going on we are in limbo and just getting by with what we have.  My goal when we get into our new facility is to have a designated area for ham radio equipment.  If/when that happens, I'll be doing more outreach to the ham community and will get some protocols in place to get that incorporated back into our operations.  In the meantime, feel free to identify yourself as a ham radio operator if/when you call in a report.

Tony

We are located near the main entrance to the fair, next to the original exhibit hall.

We have a large white tent located next to Riverview Consession’s big red trailer.

KENNA, W.Va.  — A missing 3-year-old Jackson County boy has been found safe.

Search crews located Makilynn Cole Berry on Tuesday morning. The boy walked away from his home on Bonny Knob Lane about 7:15 p.m. Monday.  A massive search had been under way to locate the boy. Investigators said they estimated there were anywhere between 400 to 500 people searching for the boy since Monday evening.

"The number of troopers, city officers, county officers, volunteers, firemen from probably close to every county in the state. I couldn't even come close mentioning everybody, let alone the civilians. I'm going to guess we've had 400-500 people up there since 8 o'clock last night," Jackson County Sheriff Tony Boggs said.  Boggs said a family located the missing child in a hay field in the Savannah Oaks subdivision about three miles from his home. Boggs said the boy looks "good, looks healthy and looks happy."

Neighbors had been searching for the boy.  "This is the best response and best outcome of any search I've been involved with," Boggs said.  Investigators said it appears the boy wandered from the home.

"I think it was truly one of those moments that we've all been capable of having. You turn your head and then 'uh oh.' And it appears that that's what this is. And again, it took us a long time, but the conclusion was exactly what we were looking for," the sheriff said.