NEWS NOTES for Friday, June 26, 2009 on WGFA >
NETWORKS CHANGE LINEUPS TO REMEMBER MICHAEL & FARRAH…. Gary, IN Mourns Pop Star’s Death…. Missing Indiana Toddler’s Body Found….
WX > A Sunny, Hot, Humid Friday in store, high near 91. Saturday’s high near 91, sunny. Mostly cloudy Sunday, high near 83.
* Television’s major networks re-worked their Thursday night lineups to make room for special programs on the passings of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. ABC devoted two hours of primetime to the pop king and iconic actress who both died Thursday. A special episode of “20/20″ titled “The Life and Death of Michael Jackson.” Barbara Walters and Martin Bashir will host the special that took a look at the pop star’s 50 years of life. After that, “Farrah Fawcett: Her Life, Her Loves, Her Legacy” aired. The program was originally scheduled to air tonight but was bumped up a day following the news of Fawcett’s death.
* NBC also aired a two-hour episode of “Dateline” devoted to both Fawcett and Jackson. And CBS aired an hour long news special titled “The Life and Death of Michael Jackson.”
Michael Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday after he was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Former “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett also died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.
* Gary, Indiana’s faithful gathered outside the boyhood home of Michael Jackson and his famous Jackson Five brothers. Reporters flocked to “Jackson Family Lane” where fans had already lined up to leave flowers, teddy bears and other mementos outside the home of where the Jackson family grew up.
* The body of a missing Portage, Indiana toddler was found Thursday in a field outside of Otis, Indiana. The “Gary Post-Tribune” reports that the body of two-year-old Jada Justice was found in a field. The girl was reported missing on June 16th by her 18-year-old babysitter Angelica Castillo from Hobart. Castillo told police that she had left the girl in a car when she went inside of a convenience store to buy milk and the girl was gone when she returned.
* The Ford County town of Roberts is celebrating its 150th anniversary today and Saturday. The Gilman Methodist Church is marking its 140th year. A special church service is scheduled for 10:30 Sunday morning. Bourbonnais’ Freedom Festival is underway and continues through the weekend.
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