A bittersweet moment.
Our colleague and good friend
Bruce La Shane is winding down s
career after 28 years at W USA.
Not unbelievable, right?
His reporting has a tremendous impact.
On countless lives across
DC Maryland and Virginia.
Yeah, we say winding down, but this is it.
This is this is the last day I'm
going oh, my look at
that. Actually, we're going to go to a party.
Everybody's invited after this.
He turned in all of his stuff.
This is it. I mean, listen thate
legacy that you leave behind he.
The longevity the stamina,
the work ethic everything that
you've put forward here at WSA 9
is something to be cherished and
definitely valued. And tonight
we want to we want to just
thank you. That's right.
Thank you. And here's how
we're going to do it. OK.
So Stephanie Wilson and Larry Ss
put this piece to showcase your
time in the DMV is a true repor.
Bruce Le Shan.
Bruce Le Shan. Mr. Bruce
Le Shan, I like saying your nam.
Union officials have a simple
response to that argument.
Year 1995 and this young reportr
at the Supreme Court brucelessly
at Channel 9 Eyewitness News
hired from a Baltimore station.
Nobody knew Channel 45 was,
so you got there and then I
did a great job there and
they brought you to Channel 9.
Investigators say a couple who t
happened to be driving by actually saw
Claudia's killer was working ha.
The suspects stuck a gun in the
face of the driver of this car.
Forced him out
to gather the facts to deliver
the news to viewers with his st.
Tell her storytelling.
You give him anything and he can
turn it around and make it spec.
I can think of so many stories
where I work with you,
Bruce and I thought to myself, man, he
is good. He knows
how to get to
the heart of the story.
You always get the well written
facts from Bruce The Who, what, when,
where, why and how Youngblood fed her
daughter's sleeping pill gummies in 2018.
At her McLean apt.
I don't know how many times I've
watched a Bruce Lashan story
and you're just left speechless.
You are reporters,
reporter in the sense of not
only getting the story,
but also understanding the impact of it.
Bruce
is a journeyman journalist who s
spent decades mastering his cra,
covering breaking news as it happens.
You know you have this pile her.
You have another pile there.
The big stories.
Well, he could take away just eh
votes to deny Gore the presideny
to the charge of capital murdern
the Commission of an act of ter.
Guilty. Mohammed bit his lip.
How did could you bring yourselo
pull the trigger on your own husband?
I slept about war.
They hate Putin as much as you .
Absolutely.
Social strife.
More than a dozen ministers from
across the DC region.
With a message to
activists and allies alike,
even soul stirring news.
Ready 123. Let's go. You
don't become an educator to get a Grammy,
coworkers say it's a
testament to his work ethic.
You are among the best who have
ever done it here at Channel 9.
A great example of what
Excellence in a newsroom.
Looks like every single day
and point to his passion for caring about
the people in this Washington community.
You get me involved in the
lives of the people you've met.
You are the real deal.
You have changed lives.
You've made an impact. I want to
thank you for representing us
in the union all those years.
That's not a great job.
I can't thank you enough for
constantly teaching us how to b.
Great journalist These
days Bruce works as a one
man band, a multimedia
journalist shooting, editing and
transmitting the final product o
microwave for air during the newscasts.
You did it all so successfully with your
editing and your photography sk,
but the thing I like most was te
bruceless and selfie stick. The
most frightening thing? The carjackings.
You embraced all of these changs
and had an amazing long career.
And I got you to thank for
me carrying all this stuff.
Bruce Leshan has been recognized
for his journalism excellence,
receiving several Emmy and
journalism awards for his work.
Now, after 28 years,
he's ready to put the camera do,
leave the deadline stressed beh,
and spend more time with his wi,
Tracy, and their children.
You had a chance to finish your career.
On top, Bruce, welcome to retirement.
Bruce, congratulations on
your wonderful career.
Cheers, Bruce to retirement.
I wish
you the best in your retirement.
Bruce, Congratulations.
It's been a heck of a run.
You did it all. Rest, relax and
enjoy the new chapter in your l.
Congratulations on an amazing career.
You've done a great job, Bruce.
God bless you, Bruce. All the b.
And I know I'll be seeing
much more great stuff coming.
From you, we'll miss you.
Congratulations Bruce.
You are earning a well earned retirement.
Happy retirement, Bruce.
Good luck on your next adventur.
Congratulations
on a great career at Channel 9. Good luck.
Wow. How about that trip down
there? Amazing. I mean,
I can't believe all those old colleagues.
I mean, it was so great to see people
from when I started in 95 who I
worked with and and I am so hond
to have Maureen and everybody cg
in and and talking about my car.
It's incredible.
I mean, I I this is the second time I
watched it and I cried the first time.
The second time I'm a little better off.
It's
funny because you know. This job is so
intense that I lots of times feel like I
can't even remember what I did yesterday.
But then there are people that t
me and that shimmer in my memor.
And I think back to them.
People like the Korean War vet who was,
you know, going on crutches
down Independence Ave.
to the dedication of the Korean
War Memorial to the grandma.
Who was praying for her grandsoo
was fighting HIV and wanted to a
trinket a prayer from Mother Tea
And I got to talk to Mother Tera
and I got a prayer bead for that mom.
I mean, so many incredible memo.
Yeah.
I don't know how many times I've texted you
after your stories aired here and said,
you know, crying or that was gr.
And what we love about you, Bru.
It is not we know that you're
a fantastic journalist.
That's evidenced by the people that you know.
Saying your praises today but
you you're a wonderful human,
a human being and that comes
through in your stories as well.
We can tell you care about the people
you cover and his community as l
and that's that's really what ts
job is all about is about the pe
and trying to make a differencen
people's lives and trying to mae
people's lives just a little bit better.
Those people centric stories
have been key but but let's
talk about you're still a young
man So what
is what is next for Bruce with Shannon
My my wife Tracy retired
two months ago who's here?
That's tonight is here but
doesn't want to go on TV.
In 39 years, I haven't ever
gotten her on TV and and she and
I are going to do a whole lot of
traveling and just have a blast.
That's fantastic. Well, don't be a stranger.
We we hope you'll still be arou.
Just will be available and accessible.
I mean you've taught us all so h
about being wonderful journaliss
and I know that that experience
would pay dividends for the next
generation of journalists as we.
Love you. Congratulations.
Thank you. Good night.
Y'all. We'll see you later.