A Federal Government Shutdown Could Cancel “Fat Bear Week”

September 29, 2023 Rex Howard

It’s one thing to mess with important government services and agencies, but when you start messing with the fat bears, there’s a problem. Every year during the first week of October, the bears of Alaska’s Katmai National Park are put into a March Madness-style bracket on the Fat Bear Week website, where people vote to crown the best, fattest bear. If the government shuts down, the National Park Service won’t be permitted to update websites or social media pages, which means that Fat Bear Week wouldn’t happen. Keith Moore, the lead interpretive park ranger at the park, says there are “plans in place” in case of a shutdown, but hasn’t revealed what kind of backup they have for the chunky bears and their annual contest.

I grew up on a farm south of Rawson with my Mom, Dad and two brothers. I graduated from Cory-Rawson High School and went on to get an Associate’s Degree from Ohio University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Bowling Green State University.

I grew up on classic country music like Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins, Kenny Rogers and Dottie West . My dad played in a country and western band around this area so I have always been surrounded by country.

During college, I worked at 106.3 in Ottawa and WHIZ in Zanesville. After graduation, I began working full time at WCIT-AM and WLSR -FM in Lima, Ohio. I had the opportunity to work with Easter Streaker, a Lima radio and TV legend.

My career path then took me out of radio for a while and I worked for Enterprise Rent-a-Car as a Branch Manager in Findlay, Lima, Bowing Green and Defiance.

Then, the radio bug came back and bit me again and I started working part time at WKXA. Then, I came on full time and began working on WKXA and 106.3 The Fox. For the past 13 years, I have worked on WKXA during afternoon drive and middays. Most recently, I have been handling the afternoon drive time slot on 106.3 The Fox, assisting The Big Kahuna with programming 106.3 The Fox and assisting with production duties.

I have been married to my wife Kellie for 26 years. We have a 20 year old son who is a sophomore at the University of Toledo and a 6th month of Kitty named Jillie. We live in Findlay and are in the process of remodeling a house for us to move into as soon as it’s done.

I enjoy watching football (Go Bucks!), baseball and golf. I like to read and am currently reading “The Way I Heard it” by Mike Rowe. In the evenings, you can usually find me hanging out at home with my family and listening to music or watching sports.