NWS Southern Region Director Bill Proenza stands next to the Thomas Jefferson Award along with Benson Hendrix (right) and his sister Peggy Stanley (Photo: WFO Little Rock)

(Feb. 28, 2006) -- Recognizing 45 years of service to America, Antoine, Ark. resident Owen B. Hendrix has been awarded the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award for outstanding service in the Cooperative Weather Observer Program. The award was be presented by Little Rock Weather Forecast Office Meteorologist-in-Charge Renee Fair at the State Capitol. Since Hendrix was unable to attend the ceremony personally, the award was accepted on his behalf by his son Benson Hendrix.

Also on hand for the ceremony, National Weather Service Southern Region Director Bill Proenza said, "Hendrix and the thousands of cooperative observers across the nation give generously of their time and energy because of their interest in weather and dedication to our country. We honor them and thank them for their commitment."

Hendrix is also a recipient of the National Weather Service=s John Campanius Holm Award (2000) which is only given to 25 cooperative observers across the nation annually. He has shown unusual effort to continuously provide accurate, timely observations to the WFO in Little Rock. On the rare occasions when Hendrix was unable to take an observation, he always made arrangements for a backup observer.

In addition to his many years of commitment to the Cooperative Observer Program, he is a very active member of his community and is well regarded by his neighbors as well as local and state officials.

The NWS Cooperative Weather Observer Program has given scientists and researchers continuous observational data since the program's inception more than a century ago. Today, some 11,700 volunteer observers participate in the nationwide program to provide daily reports on temperature, precipitation and other weather factors such as snow depth, river levels and soil temperature.