How many of you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing thatday in history when KY3 weatherman Ron Hearst wore shorts to work?
The one-year anniversary was Monday.
That's the day Ozarks icon Ronald Anthony Hearst,59, rushed to the studio to inform viewers of a nasty storm that hit the area.
He wore a white shirt, tie, blazer and— as the cameramaninadvertently captured for posterity— shorts.
No, not boxer shorts.Regular shorts. The kind you wear when you play croquet.
Hearst already was beloved, but his meteorological stature grew like a storm-front in the eyes of manyviewers.
Hearst has been at KY3 for 26 years. Prior to that he was at KSPR.
I wrote about Hearst in December because a reader wanted to know how Hearst was able to rattle off the streets and landmarks of just about every small town in the Ozarks.
The answer: He's been there.
The idea to mark this day (Monday) in history started where many such ideas begin— on social media.
Specifically, it was on the Facebook page for "The City of Springfield, Missouri," a satirical page that does not appear officially linked to city government.
It is now known as Ron Hearst Day, orHappy Shorts-Versary. (As in anniversary.)
Obviously, it was an idea whose time had come. It quickly spread to the hallways of McBride Elementary School, which is southwest of Springfield, almost to Battlefield.
This, indeed, is Ron Hearst Country.
"I've seen him jogging outside the school," says Principal Lael Streight. "He lives right up the street."
The very offspring of Ron Hearst actually once walked these halls as students, I'm told.
Streight meets me at the door at noon Monday.She had asked staff and teachers to wear shorts to commemorateShorts-Versary.
It just seemed like a fun thing to do, she says.
I am introduced to 14staff members.Somewear their own blazers and some wear jackets raided from husbands' closets.
All are women. That's not surprising. Of the 65 staff members, only two are men.
When I take their photo they quicklyhold up three fingers— an indication of their love and affection for KY3, one of this newspaper's competitors.
"KY3 is the place to be," says Sheri Bauer, a para-professional at the school.
I think of asking them to make an "N" and an "L" (for News-Leader) but, first,how do you make an "N" with one hand and, second,too many people would make fun of the "L."
"We love Ron Hearst"
"We are doing this because we love Ron Hearst," says Libbey McDaniel, an early childhood teacher.
I wonder: How does a weatherman — who must forecast bad weather, too — become so beloved?
The memory of Ron in his shorts is a funny one, says JessicaMathes, a kindergarten teacher.
"And it's also a great opportunity to wear shorts," she adds.
Especially on a hot day.
"I'm doing it for school spirit," says Cherie Mahadevan, an early childhood teacher."And I love watching the weather."
Actually, on that fateful day, it was in the evening— on a Sunday.
Still, says Principal Streight, weather is serious business at an elementary school.
"We have 550 kids here," she tells me. "When we think bad weather is coming in, we tune in."
Colleague Jackie Rehwald reported on the momentous event when it happened a year ago.
Bridget Lovelle, KY3 and KSPR news director, explained what happened in an email:
"Both Ron Hearst and Abby Dyer came in on their day off to help Matt Jones after the first warnings were issued. Ron was in shorts on his Sunday off, running errands.
"He had grabbed an extra jacket, shirt and tie to help with live reports, but not pants.
Despite that, I made the decision to add Ron on-air as the weather situation deteriorated and several tornado warnings were issued.
"We knew he had shorts on and never intended to show them on-air.Unfortunately, it happened briefly during his nearly two hours of continuous severe weather coverage."
And just so you know, readers, I tried to reach the man himself for this story.
These are the views of News-Leader columnist Steve Pokin, who has been at the paper seven years, and overhis career has coveredeverythingfrom courts and cops to features and fitness. He can be reached at 417-836-1253, spokin@gannett.com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by mail at 651 Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65806.
More from Steve Pokin:
- Pokin Around: An unusual slice of Galloway history: the death of the first Mrs. Galloway
- Pokin Around: The Republican National Committee wants me ... to fight the biased media
- Pokin Around: Door-to-door mail service disrupted along Campbell due to Charley, the dog
