sendoff

Veteran L.A. anchor Leslie Sykes signed off from behind KABC-TV Channel 7’s “Eyewitness News” desk for the last time Tuesday. She is retiring after more than 30 years at the station.

“It is so hard to believe that this is my last day on this set,” the longtime co-anchor of the morning news show said while flanked by her colleagues. “It’s been the privilege of my life to wake up with you and to share your stories and to be welcomed into your homes every morning. I carry with me so many memories, so much laughter, endless gratitude for the trust you’ve placed in me.”

“I may be signing off but I will always be cheering for this city and this station, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting me be part of your lives,” she concluded, before the St. Joseph High School marching band filed onto the set to salute their alum.

Sykes, who was born in San Diego, grew up in Compton. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta before eventually heading to Hattiesburg, Miss., for her first on-air post. She returned to her hometown to join KABC in 1994 as an on-air reporter before moving behind the anchor desk for the weekend, daytime and, eventually, the morning news show. Sykes announced her plans to retire last month.

ABC7’s tribute package to Sykes included a sendoff from David Muir as well as a sit-down interview with fellow anchor and friend Jovana Lara.

“[Sykes will] admit to some jitters in the beginning, but she was mostly fearless even when some of those stories proved bigger and more impactful,” Lara said in a voice-over on the reel that included clips highlighting Sykes’ life and career. “She’s been among the best covering local news and reporting from abroad.”

When asked about what it feels like to know that she is cherished by the local community, Sykes said she couldn’t believe it.

“I feel the love,” she said. “I feel the connection. And I just feel like this is my hometown, these are my people, and I’m just very grateful.”

A MAJOR car manufacturer is axing its record-breaking hot hatch just three years after its latest revamp.

The FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R is being culled in the UK and Europe from 2026 – but is set to go out with a bang.

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Forty final Ultimate Edition models with a classic Championship white paint job, and red accents, including a central pinstripe, are being made as a swansong – but is likely to cost more than the regular Type R (£48,900).

Just 10 of these special edition motors will be available in the UK – and these will be available on a first come first serve basis, according to Honda.

The news will come as a bittersweet blow to petrol heads, with the FL5 having broken countless front-wheel drive lap records during its short reign.

Honda’s European strategy boss Hannah Swift put the axing down to the industry “changing” and an evolution of its model range “in accordance with European legislation”.

Those changes relate to stricter emissions standards in Britain and the EU, with which the Type R doesn’t comply.

The four-wheel-drive hatch market comprises of the Golf R, Toyota GR Yaris and Mercedes-AMG A45 S – but all are risk due to the new regulations.

Several brands are instead moving to e-performance cars.

It comes 28 years after the first Civic Type R arrived as a grey import from Japan.

Arriving in late 1997, before a second generation model in 2001, a third in 2007 and a fourth in 2015.

Its fifth and sixth generations are widely regarded by experts as the finest driver’s cars of the modern age.

According to the Honda website, the current Type R features a two litre- four cylinder VTEC TURBO engine and can accelerate from 0-100km/hr in 5.4 seconds.

It adds: “The Type R is the fastest front wheel drive car to have driven the legendary 5.8km Suzuka circuit.”

Ms Swift said: “As we say farewell to a true icon of the Honda automobile line-up in Europe, we thought it was fitting to give the Civic Type R the ultimate send-off with this special edition model offering our customers a unique opportunity to celebrate its legacy.

“The industry is changing, and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation.

“However, Type R has always been Honda’s ultimate expression of our passion for driving excitement, and we look forward to celebrating its heritage in the weeks and months ahead.”

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