As many of you know by now, I'm a Kansas girl (very proud of my "Wu Shock" status). Every night my family and I would watch the news and of course pay close attention to the weather report. One of our favorites was Jim O'Donnell - he worked at our ABC sister station in Wichita from 1969 to his retirement in 1995. I was saddened to hear that Jim passed away earlier this week. This is a tremendous loss for his viewers and the weather community.

I never had a chance to meet him, but I have some good memories! He was always calm and personable. He didn't scare you to death when a tornado was approaching! I think the chimes the station used (they sounded like cowbells) to announce a tornado warning was the scariest as a young girl. I knew I could trust him. If he said go to the basement, I went. If he said the coast was clear, I knew I could go outside and play.

It's amazing how the people you watch growing up can have an impact on your life. I'm thankful for everything Jim taught me through the television. He has helped to inspire many meteorologists over the years...me included.