THE WEATHER RIGHT THERE. OF COURSE, TODAY IS HEATH ALLEN DAY. WE ARE HONORING HEATH ALLEN HERE ON WDSU. I FEEL LIKE IT HAS BEEN A WDSU MORNING BECAUSE WE ARE HONORING JAN CARR, HER FUNERAL SERVICES ARE TODAY, A STORIED ALARM. WE HAVE ANOTHER ALUM, NOT ONLY IS IT HEATH ALLEN DAY, BUT IT IS ALSO HELENE MURRAY KNOWS BIRTHDAY. THE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT FOR THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS JOINING US HERE IN THE STUDIO. [LAUGHTER] >> THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. RANDI: THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR MORNING WITH US. SHE HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU. >> IT’S BEEN A WHILE. BUT YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE. [LAUGHTER] LET ME TELL YOU. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS MAN TO THE CITY COUNCIL SO THAT WE COULD DO THIS PROCLAMATION AND HE HAS NOT EVEN RESPONDED. [LAUGHTER] HEATH: YES I DID! CHECK YOUR TEXTS. RANDI:RANDI: HE TRIED TO CALL OUT SICK TODAY SO HE WOULDN’T HAVE TO DO THIS. >> THEN IT WAS LIKE, I FEEL TERRIBLE JUST DROPPING IT AT THE FRONT DESK. HEATH: THAT WOULD WORK. [LAUGHTER] >> I KNOW THAT’S WHAT YOU WANTED BUT YOUR ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR WAS LIKE, NO, LET’S DO ONE LAST SURPRISE. HERE WE ARE. I’M SO PROUD OF YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN A DEAR FRIEND FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. . I SAW THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL STORY AND THAT IS HOW HEATH AND I HAVE BECOME CLOSE. PARTICULARLY A YOUNG BOY NAMED ROY. WE LOST ROY YEARS AGO, BUT HIS WORK AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WAS ALWAYS SO TREMENDOUS, AND INSPIRED ME TO GET OUT THERE AND HELP THE KIDS. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR YOU FROM THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HONORING YOU AND COMMENDING YOU FOR A TREMENDOUS CAREER. IT IS KIND OF LENGTHY. YOU CAN SEE IT UP THERE. I WILL NOT READ THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T GIVE ME A WHOLE LOT OF TIME. [LAUGHTER] RANDI: YOU GET THREE MINUTES. DON’T WORRY. >> THANKS. [LAUGHTER] BUT I WILL JUST READ THE BOTTOM PART. AT THE REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT HELENA MORENO, THAT THE COUNCIL CONGRATULATES HEATH ALLEN ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION AND SELFLESS COMMITMENT TO DOCUMENTING AND TELLING THE STORIES OF HEARTBREAK, DESPAIR, AND TRIUMPH. WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST IN YOUR RETIREMENT.IT IS SIGNED BY ALL SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS CONGRATS, HEATH ALLEN. [APPLAUSE] HEATH: THANK YOU. SHE TALKED ABOUT ROY FISHER, WHO WAS VERY CLOSE, BUT SHE LITERALLY, SHE GAVE THINGS FOR THAT YOUNG MAN AND GOT HIM ON THE FIELD WITH THE BENSON FAMILY AT HALFTIME. SHE STEPPED UP FOR THIS CHILD. I TOLD YOU THE OTHER DAY, I WILL CARRY THAT ONE WITH ME. >> THAT WAS PRETTY COOL, BUT YOU ARE THE ONE WHO INTRODUCED ME TO ROY BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT WE WOULD GET ALONG AND I WOULD GET ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY, AND I GOT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH HIM AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT. HEATH: WELL. YOU ARE ACES IN MY BOOK. [LAUGHTER] RANDI: ANY OTHER MEMORABLE STORIES? >> I WILL NEVER FORGET AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, AS YOU KNOW, THE MORNING SHOW FOLKS, WE STAYED BEHIND HERE AT THE STATION. AND THEN WE HAD REPORTERS LIKE HEATH OUT IN THE FIELD. JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE HIM AND TOM FITZGERALD WERE, TOM FITZGERALD WAS THE PHOTOGRAPHER. JUST THINKING ABOUT THOSE DAYS FOLLOWING LIKE WHERE IS HEATH? WHERE IS TOM? ARE THEY OK? WE WERE NOT GETTING INFORMATION. I WAS ACTUALLY TELLING THE FOLKS OUT IN THE NEWSROOM THAT STORY BEFORE I EVEN WALKED IN. HEATH: YOU TALK ABOUT TOM, TELEVISION IS RADIO WITHOUT PHOTOGRAPHERS. WE HAVE A GREAT BUNCH OF PHOTOGRAPHERS. TOM IS STELLAR. RANDI: A MINUTE LEFT OF YOUR LAST BROADCAST WITH US HERE AT WDSU. HEATH: OH GOOD. ONE MORE MINUTE. [LAUGHTER] RANDI: WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. YOU’VE BEEN PRETTY QUIET. I KNOW THIS IS A LOT FROM YOU. HEATH: I WILL SAY THIS. IT WAS A GOOD RUN. WITH GREAT PEOPLE. THE SHOT THAT YOU HAD UP THERE, I KNOW WHAT IT WAS, YOU WERE AN INTERN. YOU REMEMBER STORY AFTER STORY AFTER STORY. IT IS EVERYBODY’S LIFE. EVERYBODY’S LIFE IS MADE UP OF STORIES AND I TRY TO TELL PEOPLE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, GO DO SOMETHING, WITH SOMEBODY ON THEIR BEST DAY OR THEIR WORST DAY, BUT IT IS THEIR DAY. RANDI: WELL, TODAY IS YOUR DAY AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. CHAD:CHAD: EVERY DAY WORKING WITH HEATH WAS THE BEST DA