Farewell to Toya Washington (2024)

TEMPUR-PIC MATTRESS HEADQUARTERS RELAX? IT’S STEINHOFF. FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, YOU HAVE TURNED ON YOUR TV AND TOYA HAS BEEN THERE. TONIGHT WE ARE SAYING GOODBYE. THIS IS TOYA, HIS FINAL NEWSCAST AT WISN 12. AFTER TWO DECADES IN MILWAUKEE. I THINK WE HAVE PROBABLY NEAR THE BEST SEATS IN TOWN. IT’S A GREAT LOCATION. AND THE ENERGY HERE, YOU CAN REALLY FEEL IT. FROM CELEBRATIONS TO UNSER CERTAIN TIMES NOW TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. AND 750 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED FROM THE VIRUS IN WISCONSIN. TROY HAS BEEN THERE. TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY BACK WITHOUT THE MANDATE. NIGHT AFTER NIGHT OR AS IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO. AND I’M TOYA WASHINGTON. IT’S A CHILLY THURSDAY MORNING. MORNING AFTER MORNING. SHE ARRIVED IN MILWAUKEE FROM MADISON IN 2002 AND GOT RIGHT TO WORK DESPITE THE WINTERY CONDITIONS, VOLUNTEERS WILL BE OUT SEARCHING AGAIN TODAY. AND ANCHOR ON 12 NEWS THIS MORNING. GOOD EVENING. I’M TOYA WASHINGTON UNTIL THE EVENING’S CAME CALLING HER HOME. EVER SINCE 12 NEWS IS COMMITTED TO HELPING YOU PREPARE FOR THE SWITCH TO DIGITAL TELEVISION. HER REPORTING PUTS YOU ON THE DAY’S BIG STORIES. DEANNA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. ANY TIME YOU HEAR THE WORD CANCER IS GOING TO BE SCARY. SHE’S KEEPING A VERY POSITIVE ATTITUDE. SHE IS GIVING SOMEWHAT OF A CONCESSION SPEECH TONIGHT. AND WE ARE ONCE AGAIN STEPPING AWAY FROM PROGRAMING THIS AFTERNOON FOR BREAKING NEWS IN DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE FROM BREAKING NEWS. ON MAY 10TH, 2006, THE SHAW TWINS WERE BORN. TWO BREAKTHROUGHS GIVEN A 5% CHANCE AT SURVIVAL. MATEO AND MIKAEL WERE BORN, JOINED AT THE LOWER BACK JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE MOTHER’S DAY. TOYA WAS THERE, BRINGING US THE STORY OF CONJOINED TWINS FROM SHEBOYGAN. SHE FOLLOWED THEM FROM WISCONSIN TO THEIR SEPARATION SURGERY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. GOOD NEWS SO FAR. DOCTORS AT THE CHILDREN’S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER METICULOUSLY PLANNED. THE SHAW TWINS SEPARATION SURGERY. TWO YEARS LATER. THEY ARE GETTING WILDER AND MORE IN THE MIDST OF A RETURN VISIT AS MOTHER’S DAY 28 APPROACHED. I WANT MY WORDS THAT THEY WERE UNCERTAIN THEY’D EVER HEAR A HOPE CRADLED IN THEIR HEARTS AS SHE COVERED THE SHOT. TWINS 12 YEARS OWN FAMILY WAS GROWING. THERE SHE IS, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE OLIVIA AND TONI LOOKS GREAT IN A RIVAL JUST IN TIME FOR THAT YEAR’S SEASON, THE CELEBRATE. SO, TOYA, BRIAN AND OLIVIA, IF YOU’RE STILL UP, ENJOY. A FEW YEARS LATER. TOYA WASHINGTON TWIN GAVE BIRTH TO A BABY GIRL. LITTLE MAYA MARIE. DAY AFTER DAY. WHAT OUR VIEWERS SEE AT HOME IS THE REAL DEAL. SHE’S AS GENUINE AS THEY COME. TOY IS TIMING IS ALWAYS ON MY TALK ABOUT CLOUDS HERE, BLAINE. APPARENTLY HE’S GOING TO TALK ABOUT CLOUDS. ANOTHER PERFECT WEDNESDAY NIGHT YET. MARK, WE ARE THERE. OH, YOU HEARD IT. YOUR MICROPHONE WAS HOT, BUT THAT’S OKAY. THAT’S ALL RIGHT. WE’RE LIVE. THIS IS LIVE. TALK ABOUT CLOUDS FROM THE STUDIO TO THE RED CARPET IN NASHVILLE AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDS. YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS ACCESSIBLE? ALL THE STARS. I’M HERE WITH MADDIE AND TAKE ALONG MILWAUKEE’S LAKEFRONT. JUST OVER MY SHOULDER HERE. CREWS HAVE BEEN OUT HERE ALL AFTERNOON SETTING UP FOR TONIGHT’S BIG SHOW. AND BIG CHANGES IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC. PATRICK, YOU AND I CONTINUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE. TOYA IS A JOURNALIST TO THE CORE, COMMITTED TO INFORMING OUR COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING IT. LET’S SEE. YESTERDAY, I MADE A CHALLENGE. I WANTED TO GET FOUR LINES GOING AT ONCE. THERE WE GO. WE GOT ONE. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GET TWO MORE. THERE WE GO. NUMBER THREE. OH, THERE WE GO. NUMBER FOUR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HER SUPPORT EXTENDS TO SPORTS, ESPECIALLY HER BOX. BUT TO SHOW YOU FOLKS AT HOME HOW DEAR FRIEND, SHE IS. SHE’S GOING TO TELL US RIGHT NOW WHY THE CELTICS ARE GOING TO WIN TONIGHT AND NOT MILWAUKEE. SO GO AHEAD FOR YOU. I’M SORRY. IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BOSTON WATER THERE? DO YOU NEED A SNICKERS BAR? THAT’S TOYA DISHING IT OUT SOME GOOD NATURED BACK AND FORTH WITH OUR SISTER STATION IN BOSTON. MUST SEE SEGMENTS DURING THE BUCS CELTICS SERIES IN THIS YEAR’S NBA PLAYOFFS. HE WAS LISTED AS PROBABLE, WHICH MEANS THAT HE COULD SHOW UP, THAT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT HE’S GOING TO SHOW OUT AGAINST MILWAUKEE. I CAN JUST TELL. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. HE HE HE MIGHT SHOW UP, BUT HE’S NOT GOING TO SHOW OUT. IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YES, THAT’S WHAT I SAID. YEAH, THAT’S WHAT I SAID. THAT PASSION IS WHAT WE KNOW AND EXPECT WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT OUR FRIEND. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING, MARCUS? YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING? IT’S GOING TO SHOW MEANS IT’LL HAVE DIFFERENT WEATHER. HOW ABOUT THAT? THERE YOU GO. ALWAYS KEEPING IT REAL AND ALWAYS MAKING US SMILE. WELL, COMING UP NEXT, BUBBLES, A BABY ELEPHANT AND MARK BADEN. I MEAN, REALLY, IT SOUNDED LIKE THE BEGINNING OF A JOKE RIGHT THERE. YEAH, IT DID. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THIS ISN’T REAL, IS IT? IT’S REAL. I KNOW. IT’S FOR REAL. REAL? YEAH. I’M EXCITED FOR YOU. GET MORE TIME WITH YOU GIRLS. I’M EXCITED. I’M EXCITED FOR THAT, TOO. AND I’M EXCITED FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY GET ME ON YOUR T SHEET. ABSOLU LUTELY 100%. I’M GLAD THAT WE HAVE SNOW TO TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I WON’T UGLY CRY. OH, GOSH. ALL RIGHT, WELL, I GUESS HERE’S THE PART WHERE I SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE TWO OF YOU. FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE BEEN JUST MY ANNOYING BROTHERS THAT I LOVE SO VERY MUCH. I’M GOING TO MISS YOU BOTH EACH AND EVERY DAY. THANK YOU TO THE PRODUCTION CREW, ENGINEERS, PRODUCERS, PHOTOJOURNALISTS. YOU NEVER REALLY TRULY GET ENOUGH CREDIT FOR THE AMAZING JOBS THAT YOU DO. I HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOU AND THIS NEWS TEAM BEYOND BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT. THE PEDIGREE, THE EXPERIENCE, THE INTEGRITY, YOUR SUPPORT HAS CARRIED ME FOR TWO DECADES. AND TO OUR VIEWERS AT HOME, THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME AS SOMEONE WHO HAD LITTLE TO NO BUSINESS JUMPING INTO SUCH A LARGE MARKET WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE. BACK IN 2002, YOU INVITED ME INTO YOUR HOMES IN THE MORNING AT FIVE, AT SIX, TEN, SOMETIMES NINE, SOMETIMES THE WEEKENDS, AND SOMETIMES THE FOUR. WELL, YOU HAVE HELPED ME GROW INTO THIS POSITION AND HELP KEEP ME HUMBLE AT THE SAME TIME AND KEEP ME IN CHECK. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE SURE THAT THE SAME PERSON YOU SAW OUT HERE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM ON TV WAS THE SAME PERSON YOU WOULD MEET IN PERSON. TO MY PARENTS WHO ARE WATCHING IN MINNEAPOLIS, TO MY LITTLE NEPHEW, TO MY SISTER, TO MY BROTHER, THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME DREAM BIG AND NOT LAUGHING WHEN I TOLD YOU AS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO TO MY HUSBAND, BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING MY PARACHUTE AND ALLOWING ME TO RETURN THAT FAVOR FOREVER TO OUR DAUGHTERS. WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING SO SUPPORTIVE AND ALWAYS BEING MY NORTHSTAR. AND FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS TO HEAR IT. KNOW YOUR VALUE. KNOW YOUR WORTH. PROTECT IT WITH INTEGRITY AND NEVER, NEVER SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS. EVER. THERE NOBODY KEEPS YOU IN CHECK. THIS IS TRUE THAT NOBODY MIGHT NOT. MY ARM WILL BE BETTER NOW. ALL RIGHT. WORLD NE