'Weather geek' Ollis shares joys of meteorology

Thursday, January 29, 2015
Snapping a quick photo to be featured on Facebook and the Friday "Daybreak" newscast, WISH-TV meteorologist Randy Ollis has some fun with the audience at the annual meeting of the Putnam County SWCD Thursday at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. (Photo by JARED JERNAGAN)

In a roomful of farmers, it's rarefied air to be easily identified as the most weather obsessed person in the room.

But with WISH-TV meteorologist Randy Ollis, a self-proclaimed "weather geek and proud of it" as the keynote speaker at Thursday's Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District annual meeting, it's safe to say that all the agriculturalists at the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building took a distant second.

Ollis went so far as to admit something few Hoosiers would -- he's actually looking forward to the winter storm likely moving into the state this weekend.

Having taken the oath of office, new Putnam County SWCD Supervisor Jim McGaughey (left) gets a handshake from soil conservation district support specialist Nathan Stoelting. (Photo by JARED JERNAGAN)

"I'm excited about Sunday with that snowstorm coming in," Ollis said.

Asked about his prediction for the coming storm, Ollis was ready to offer it before noticing a reporter in the crowd. He then moved into joke mode.

"You know, I heard Channel 13 say there was going to be 20 inches," he said to a round of laughter.

It's the sudden and frequent changes to Midwestern weather that Ollis enjoys most about his job.

"I love Indiana weather. It's never boring," Ollis said, further offering that he'd hate the boredom of San Diego.

A lifelong midwesterner, Ollis is no stranger to the weather changes, having grown up in Elgin, Ill., before college at Northern Illinois University. He went on to stops in Dayton, Ohio, Wausau, Wis., and Oklahoma City before landing in Indianapolis as the "Daybreak" meteorologist in 1984.

He noted "Daybreak" as having gone through a lot of changes in the last 30 years.

At that time, Channel 8 was the first to do a local morning news program. It was 30 minutes long and people said it would never last.

Fast-forward three decades and there are five local morning news programs and daybreak is 4-1/2 hours long.

"Partly because we're not CBS anymore and we have to fill time during the day," Ollis offered candidly of WISH-TV's longtime affiliation with the major network ending on Dec. 31.

"But since we are no longer CBS, we are doing pretty good," he added. The station has new ownership that is investing in its future.

"We are now free to do what we want," Ollis said of the now CW affiliate.

Running briefly through the perils of Indiana weather of all seasons, Ollis also discussed the perils of preempting sports coverage for weather alerts. A few years ago, a severe weather system was moving through Indianapolis at the same time as a Colts game on CBS. Station management was faced with a tough decision.

"It was one of those times I didn't want to be in management," Ollis said, before adding, "Actually, any time is a time I don't want to be in management."

The decision was ultimately reached to do a split screen between the Colts and weather coverage. Thinking they had really pulled something off, Channel 8 personnel went to their email to discover they'd made no one happy. Colts fans unaffected by the storm didn't want to see weather coverage. Those most seriously affected by the storm could have cared less about football that day.

Ollis said safety is ultimately the key in such a case.

"If we're going to err, we're going to err on the side of safety," Ollis said.

Rare for a keynote address, Ollis actually led off the program Thursday noting that he had to get up at 2:15 a.m. to prepare for the 4:30 a.m. air time of "Daybreak."

Before leaving, he took a picture of the gathered crowd, to be featured at 5:15 a.m. on the morning show.

Getting down to the local portion of the programming, SWCD Supervisor Kerry Ames recognized fellow supervisors Mike Rissler, Kerry Williams and Angela Kiste, retiring supervisor Byron Gough and association supervisor Peggy Royer.

Also recognized were SWCD Executive Director Sue Crafton, program assistant Sara Campfield and financial officer Laura Stearley.

Kiste later announced the nomination of Jim McGaughey of Clinton Township as a new supervisor, opening the floor for other nominations. None came and McGaughey was voted in unanimously and later sworn in by soil conservation district support specialist Nathan Stoelting.

Also announced as an associate supervisor was McGaughey's son David.

Crafton noted that David McGaughey's selection was with an eye toward the future. The selection gives a young farmer the chance to get his feet wet with the board of supervisors and the opportunity to be a leader in the SWCD in years to come.

The night was also a chance to honor the SWCD annual award winners. Phyllis, Patrick and Christopher Evens of Walnut Creek Farm were honored as Woodland Conservationists of the Year, but were not in attendance due to a previously scheduled family vacation.

"They did so well making money off the timber they went to Florida," Allen Royer joked in presenting the award.

Mike Warner of Arbor Terra Consulting accepted the award on behalf of the Evens family, outlining some of their woodland conservation efforts.

Jeff Cantonwine was honored as Conservation Farmer of the Year for his efforts at EA & J Cantonwine Inc. in northern Greencastle Township.

Cantonwine was quick to deflect praise to the presenting organization.

"I'd like the thank the SWCD," Cantonwine said. "It seems like with all the knowledge and practices they've passed along to us so freely over the years, they ought to be getting an award. So it's quite an honor for them to present an award to me."

Cantonwine was also honored by the state as a River Friendly Farmer in 2014, a fact noted in the presentation of his latest award.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: