PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) – At WMBD-TV, Shaun Newell wasn’t just a general manager—he was a storyteller at heart. Newell, who passed away Monday at the age of 47, believed deeply in the power of media to make a difference.

“Shaun was passionate about telling the stories of Central Illinois and he pushed all of us to remember that our work could truly impact people's lives,” WMBD News Director Kristina Leahy said. “His passion for journalism will live on at WMBD and he will be missed.”

That passion drove him from his early days in radio, to leading newsrooms, to the corner office at WMBD. Since joining the station in 2017, Newell helped expand local coverage, launch newscasts, and build WMBD’s first digital news team. But he never strayed too far from the stories or the people who tell them.

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