Fired meteorologist lands at Lincoln presidential museum

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A Springfield meteorologist fired in June for criticizing his TV station’s severe weather-alert brand has been hired at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports that Joe Crain will be the $75,000-a-year director of public programs at the Springfield institution.

Museum director Alan Lowe says Crain will oversee the facility’s public events. The job will include developing ideas for public programming, logistics and marketing.

Crain was a WICS-TV staff meteorologist for 15 years when on the air June 5 he agreed with public complaints that “Code Red” weather alerts were overused and caused undue concern. Crain noted it was an initiative of WICS owner Sinclair Broadcast Group.

His removal from the air sparked public campaigns to reinstate him. The station revamped its notices and renamed them “Weather Warn.”