KOLD’s Chuck George Taking Leave of Absence After On-Air Rambling, Strange Tweets

By Merrill Knox 

Tucson CBS affiliate KOLD announced last night that chief meteorologist Chuck George is taking a leave of absence following an incident of on-air rambling and a string of strange Tweets.

“We want to give you an update tonight on our friend and co-worker, chief meteorologist Chuck George,” Dan Marries, anchor of KOLD’s 6 p.m. news, said on the broadcast last night. “Chuck is taking a leave of absence from KOLD News 13. We hope that Chuck will be back with us in the next six weeks or so.”

George has not been on the air since September 6, when Marries and co-anchor Heather Rowe had to finish George’s forecast after the meteorologist appeared slow and rambling while on the air. That same day, George Tweeted 33 times in rapid succession on a variety of different, and sometimes strange, topics.

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“Light rain all over town!! YEah!!!” George wrote in one. He directed Tweets at Sharon Osbourne (pictured, right) and Rob Lowe, as well as posting a picture of what is apparently the bathroom at the station with the caption, “Wanna see what the boys’ room at KOLD is like? Ugh!” His Twitter feed has remained active since September 6, but only weather-related Tweets have been posted.

KOLD vice president and general manager Debbie Bush told the Arizona Daily Star that George’s leave is “not indefinite,” but there is no timetable for his return. Bush said that meteorologist Erin Jordan will handle the morning forecasts and Aaron Pickering will do the evening forecasts until George returns to KOLD. The station will also bring on a freelancer for the weekend shifts.

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