(WBZ NewsRadio 1030)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Tributes were flowing in for long-time WBZ NewsRadio 1030 reporter Lana Jones, who passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 62 after 27 years at WBZ.
"It was my great honor and privilege to work with Lana Jones here at WBZ for many years," WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "Like any reporter, she covered a lot of sad stories, but she had a wonderful knack for finding the good in this world."
Stevens said he learned from Jones that, despite the fact that headlines could be filled with the bad, we shouldn't forget the good. He remembered the time she covered the story of a young grocery clerk from Brazil who sang while he worked--so well that he got accepted to Berklee College of Music.
"That's the kind of story she would find," Stevens said. "There's always somebody singing somewhere, but not every reporter can find the singers or hear the songs. Lana did."
"Heartbroken and stunned this morning to learn the news that my colleague and friend Lana Jones died suddenly overnight," WBZ NewsRadio 1030 reporter Kim Tunnicliffe tweeted. "Lana was an amazing reporter and amazing person. The newsroom won’t be the same without her."
Tributes to the veteran reporter were pouring in online, including from the Mayor of Worcester, where Jones lived:
"I am truly sorry to hear about the passing of your friend and colleague Lana Jones," Mayor Joseph M. Petty said in a tweet. "Lana was always a tough but fair reporter, and covered stories about Worcester that others missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire WBZ family today."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called Jones a "total pro."
Suffolk DA Dan Conley said Lana Jones "stood tall on the landscape of Boston news reporting."
"Bold when chasing a story, compassionate with the people those stories touched, witty in conversation, and always a professional," he tweeted. "We'll all miss her."
Massachusetts House Speaker Bob DeLeo said Jones "was a fixture in the Boston media scene and was integral to political dialogue."
Lana's counterparts in the Boston-area reporting scene--as well as those she covered--offered condolences and shared memories.
Jones began working at WBZ NewsRadio 1030 in 1991 as a news writer, editor, and fill-in anchor/reporter, and went on to be part of the station's award-winning coverage of the priest sex abuse scandal, the Whitey Bulger and Aaron Hernandez trials, and the Boston Marathon bombing.
Jones is survived by her husband Steve who resides in Worcester, Massachusetts.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports