Evansville Police Officer Coordinates an Unforgettable Birthday Surprise for Young Man with Autism

Officer Taylor Merriss has been with the Evansville Police Department for seven years. Last year she stepped into the role of Special Projects Coordinator, and this week she was able to coordinate a very special surprise, that Noel will never forget.

Meet Noel

Taylor first met her friend Noel through some work with Autism Outreach with the police department. Noel stopped by a Coffee With a Cop event recently, and he really wanted to watch 14 News Sunrise on repeat. Noel and I have something in common, we love the weather and our local Meteorologists! Now, Noel is one of Byron Douglas's biggest fans, and when Taylor realized that, she put her media contact to good use and planned a special surprise for Noel's 21st birthday.

Forecasting An Amazing Birthday

I freely admit that I am a total fangirl when it comes to our local television news personalities. So, I can imagine how exciting it was for Noel to get a special gift from News 14 complete with a letter written and signed by Mike Blake and Byron Douglas. Taylor gave Noel the special letter at National Night Out.

But Wait, There's More

The icing on Noel's cake or I guess it would be frosting, in this case, was actually getting to meet his favorite Meteorologist, Byron Douglas. Not only that, but he was also able to behind the scenes and see how the 14 news crew delivers the news. Plus, he met Mike Blake who has been on the local news since I was a little kid!

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Behind the Scenes of a Weather Forecast

Not Just a Job

You can tell that Officer Merriss truly loves the community and helping to bridge the gap between citizens and police officers.

"There’s a lot I’m able to do within my job - but this is right up there with riding bulls. Seeing things come together and using the means that have been given to me truly make my heart happy to be a police officer and the position I’m in. I’m also grateful, through my position as a police officer to have these kinds of relationships with local news outlets." -Taylor Merriss

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