Washington, D.C
Veteran court reporter Lynn Els taking her skills to U.S. Capitol
Coshocton court reporter talks about her new job in the US Capitol
Lynn Els, who has been the court reporter for Coshocton County Common Pleas Court for 40 years, has a new job with the U.S. House of Representatives.
COSHOCTON − Court reporter Lynn Els has always wanted to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in Washington, D.C., and she’ll get that chance this spring thanks to a new job.
Starting Jan. 12, Els will work as a court reporter for the U.S. House of Representatives on the floor in the Capital building in Washington D.C. She’ll write for 10 to 15 minutes before a new reporter comes on.
The 62-year-old will then go to the downstairs office and enter what she wrote into the official Congressional record before going back to the floor, or what they call the well. One might be able to spot Els during hearings aired on C-SPAN.
“It’s not verbatim like I’m used to taking in the courtroom. Because of parliamentary procedures, things are supposed to be worded a certain way in the Congressional record. So, you have to clean it up or insert special language,” Els said of what she’ll be doing. “Now I always have transcripts hanging over my head. I won’t have that backlog of transcripts, because you’re continuing throughout the day building the Congressional Record.”
Distinguished duties
Els has been a court reporter since 1984 and and started with Coshocton County Common Pleas Court in 1986. She can type up to 300 words a minute. She was one of the first people in the nation to obtain a Certified Realtime Reporter designation in 1995.
“I’m excited for what’s new, but sad because I’ve done this for so long and it’s comfortable,” Els said of leaving her current court post. “The thing about this job is that I always have work to do.”
Along with serving as a court reporter for Coshocton County, Els has also done closed captioning for a variety of events. Everything from Cincinnati Bengals football games to the funeral services of Billy Graham and Whitney Houston to “Fox and Friends” to the royal weddings of Prince Harry and Prince William; all working remotely.
This has also included congressional hearings and recognition ceremonies at the Capital starting in 2013, which was the connection to Els’ new job. She worked as an independent contractor through Alderson Court Reporting.
Landing the job
With a laugh, she said living in a small, rural community was actually beneficial. Since she worked remotely and transmitted captions via landlines, the older equipment in Washington D.C. could keep up better with Els’ transmission, over digital lines from larger cities.
“They always kind of liked it when it was me. They knew they wouldn’t have any disconnection problems. So, I became their preferred writer,” Els said.
She was encouraged to submit her resume for the new position last summer. Els never dreamed she would get it, she just always wanted to travel to Washington D.C. to see what it looked like on-site.
Els went to D.C. for an interview and sat in on a committee hearing. She took notes and then typed them up back at the office. This was followed by a writing test and current events test. Els said captioning for the morning news program “Fox and Friends” helped her with that part.
“Just being there was exciting. I did it. I survived that day and it wasn’t bad,” Els said.
Els was slated to start in October, but that was pushed out due to the government shutdown. She will be living in a condo owned by a court reporter friend who works for the International Monetary Fund. Els said she’s received a lot of questions on her living situation, but she’ll be back in Coshocton when not working.
She’ll also continue to do some captioning work on weekends and her off hours, such as captioning for screens in the stadium for Bengals’ home games.
“I do want to keep my skills built up. It’s like playing a sport with captioning, because it’s fast,” Els said. “If you don’t do it, you lose that skill.”
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
The executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), a mainstay at the Kennedy Center, is leaving to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. It’s the latest departure from the Kennedy Center since President Donald Trump began asserting control over the storied performing arts venue in Washington, D.C.
The Wallis announced Friday that Jean Davidson had been appointed executive director and CEO. Before joining the Kennedy Center in 2023, Davidson had served for eight years as executive director and CEO of the Los Angeles Master Chorale at The Music Center.
“The arts are where a community sees itself, and where it imagines what’s possible next,” Davidson said in a statement. “I’m honored to join the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts at this pivotal moment.”
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell said in a statement to The Associated Press that she was among those who deserved “enormous credit” for their efforts.
“I have enjoyed working with Jean to cultivate new donors and patrons while cleaning up the financial mess at the (center),” he said.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Davidson said: “It has been a great honor to serve the NSO and to work alongside Gianandrea Noseda, Steven Reineke, the extraordinary musicians, and the dedicated staff and board. I’m deeply proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.”
Davidson told the Los Angeles Times that she had found it “more and more difficult” to remain at the Kennedy Center, “given the external forces that are at work that are just so far beyond my control.”
After mostly ignoring the center during his first term, Trump has made it a focal point in his war against “woke” culture.” He ousted the Kennedy Center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a hand-picked board of trustees who voted to rename the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say must be initiated by Congress.
Renée Fleming, Philip Glass and Bela Fleck are among numerous artists who have called off performances, and the Washington National Opera ended its decades-long residency. Last month, Trump said he would move to close the center this summer for construction he expects to last two years.
At the Wallis, Davidson succeeds Robert van Leer, who recently left to join the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as performing arts program director.
4 things to know about the weather:
- So Many Clouds
- Not Too Much Rain
- Milder For The Weekend
- Warmer Days Next Week
The dividing line between the 50s and the 70s is a cold front that has been wedged right down into our area by high pressure anchored over New England. East winds will bring our air off the ocean and Bay and both of those bodies of water are COLD this time of year.
Afternoon highs will stay in the 40s near the Bay, should reach the low/mid 50s near DC and could be near 60° west of Fredericksburg.
Very little sunshine today but not too much of a rain chance. Clouds, fog and 40s for all tonight.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
A developing storm over the Ohio Valley will finally begin to push that high pressure away tomorrow. Our afternoon highs will be dependent on how soon our wind can turn around to the Southwest.
Plan for a cloudy and chilly Saturday morning with a big jump in temperatures by mid-afternoon. Northern and Northeastern Maryland will remain cooler, but the rest of the area should pop above 70° for the first time this year.
The aforementioned storm will send a front through our area Saturday night. That front will bring a round of showers along with it. Showers will be likely Saturday evening and night.
The majority of that rain chance will be ending before noon on Sunday and the return of a little sun on Sunday afternoon should warm most areas to near 70° once again.
The first few days of next week will feel more like May than March. Highs on Monday should be near 75° and both Tuesday and Wednesday could top 80°. That warm pattern won’t last long, but it sure will feel good.
QuickCast
TODAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Coolest Along, East Of I-95
Isolated Showers
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 48° to 62°
TONIGHT:
Cloudy And Damp
Isolated Showers
Areas Of Fog
Wind: East 5-10 mph
Chance Of Rain: 20%
LOWS: 40° to 45°
SATURDAY:
Partly To Mostly Cloudy
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Showers
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 65° to 75°
SUNDAY:
Partly Sunny
AM: Showers Likely
PM: Dry For Most
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
MONDAY:
Sun And Clouds
Nice And Mild
Light Breeze
Wind: Variable 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 66° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:33 Sunset: 6:06
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Grab the umbrella
- Big temperature ranges
- Thunder possible Thursday night
- Warmer days on the way
Heads up commuters! For Thursday morning, there will be some thick fog in spots with some rain possible, especially around the Mason-Dixon line. The fog should clear out by 10 a.m.
Throughout the day, some sunshine should develop with highs warming into the low 60s. Those in Northern Maryland could see some showers throughout the day but those near the D.C. area will stay relatively dry except for a stray shower or two.
Some rain and evening storms by 8 p.m. will impact the area Thursday night. Although it’s a bit unusual for this time of year, don’t be surprised if you hear thunder Thursday evening.
Warmer temperatures coming this weekend
These next few days will come with some major forecast challenges.
Much, much warmer air is just to our south and cold, high pressure is moving into New England. The front separating the 40s from the 70s will be laying right across our region for the next two to three days.
So keep in mind, when you’re looking at the forecast highs in the text below, that it will be warmest in Fredericksburg, VA and coolest in northern Maryland.
Friday’s weather will be similar as a front system remains just over the area, separating chilly air to the north and warmer air to the south. There might be a stray shower or two, too.
For the weekend, Saturday looks to be the warmer of the two days with highs in the low to mid 70s. Some rain overnight Saturday will lead to cooler temperatures on Sunday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
THURSDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Shower Possible
Big Temperature Range
Wind: Southeast 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 62° to 72°
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Cloudy And Chilly
Rain Likely
Some Thunder Possible
Wind: Northeast 5 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
LOWS: 44° to 54°
FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler For Most
Isolated Shower Or Two
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 52° to 68°
SATURDAY:
Partly Sunny
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Shower
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 66° to 78°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:35 Sunset: 6:05
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
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