Accurate, Local...Well, Okay, Local

The lead story on Indiana's NewsCenter Sunday 6:00 P.M. newscast was that former Mayor Ivan Lebamoff "was laid to rest today."  According to Eric Olsen, funeral services had taken place earlier in the day at St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church.

Fort Wayne Observed called the station. I was thanked; another caller had also contacted the station just prior to me to correct the gaffe.  An on-air correction was made, but not before Mr. Olsen asked Fort Wayne City Councilman John Crawford his thoughts on Ivan Lebamoff given that burial took place today.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday at 11:00 A.M.

You might not expect video of the funeral procession, though, to accompany what Indiana's NewsCenter will now have as Monday's news report.  If they had sent a video photographer to shoot respectful footage of the funeral procession today, the station would have caught its error before broadcast.

Mr. Lebamoff, given his years of experience with local television news when he was mayor, probably anticipated this would happen upon his death.

Photo credit: Mitch Harper. Bumper sticker from his private collection.