We. Are. Peoria (Area)

https://week.com/2020/11/23/downtown-pe ... y-morning/

Here's the whole story from WEEK-TV:

PEORIA (WEEK) -- Peoria Fire Department crews arrived to find a large pile of bricks and major damage to a building after part of a facade fell from the top floor of a three-story building in downtown Monday morning.

No one was hurt in the incident, but fire officials estimate the damage at $200,000.

Crews were called to the building in the 400 block of Hamilton at around 9:20 a.m. for a partial building collapse when they located the damage and safely evacuated the remaining occupants of the building, according to the PFD's report.

The area around the building was closed off to prevent anyone else from entering the danger zone and a building next door was also evacuated for safety in case of another collapse.

The scene was turned over to the Peoria Police Department and Building Code Enforcement.

Notice anything missing from this article? Do you find yourself at the end of the report wanting more information? Like, which building is it, specifically? Who owns the building? What businesses were affected? Don't these seem like obvious questions that any "reporter" would ask and pass along to the public? Or are my standards too high? Is "a building downtown partially collapsed" more than enough information?

After a few minutes of searching on the Internet, I see that the only three-story brick building in the 400 block of Hamilton is 414 Hamilton Blvd, and it's owned by President Place Ltd, of which National Financial Planning, Inc. is general partner, and the president of which is Larry L Hartley, who gives his address as Suite 302 of the building. The building also houses the "Peoria Injury Law Center" with personal-injury attorney Harry Williams. Probably with a few more minutes of digging, I could find the other tenants. Shouldn't a full-time reporter have a few minutes to gather pertinent information like this? And maybe, I don't know, try to contact the owner and get a quote from him?

Maybe all the reporters are too busy with the thousands of stories about Covid they run all the time to mess with insignificant things like a building partially collapsing.

On a positive note, at least WEEK covered the story at all. Nothing in the award-winning Journal Star about it.

real journalism is dead.

WMBD TV also didn't mention any names of affected businesses either. The main angle was how old the building was, what possibly could have caused the facade to fall, and that no one was hurt.

WEEK may be short staffed right now. Their 6 pm news are being done remotely by anchors and Chuck at home. Perhaps a COVID outbreak going on, or quarantining. But really don't want to speculate too much.

There used to be an awesome blog that covered local events in the way @cjsummers describes. It was called The Peoria Chronicle. We need that now, more than ever.

1470wmbd also had a basic story on it with a generic picture.
I think 414 Hamilton is only 3-4 blocks from their downtown studios, but no one could even take a cell phone picture?

Then there is this gem from the folks at WMBD TV.




"combating food security". LOL

Tazewell wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:57 am Then there is this gem from the folks at WMBD TV.





"combating food security". LOL

Byline: Les Nessman.

AV8R wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:29 am Byline: Les Nessman.

I had to look that up. It was before my time. Hilarious though, and fitting.

Unfortunately, typos happen to everyone and everywhere in various media. A better job at proofreading is needed, in my opinion.

Tazewell wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:40 am

AV8R wrote: ↑Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:29 am Byline: Les Nessman.

I had to look that up. It was before my time. Hilarious though, and fitting.

Going wildly off-topic here: @Tazewell if that is the case, please watch the infamous Thanksgiving Day episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. You’re welcome