Hey, lookie! It’s a brand new SouthsideCentral feature!
Leonard Harville is a good photographer. Unfortunately, he tries to be a reporter too. That doesn’t work very well. His guessing at facts, making them up, and his conspiracy theory horsecrap makes things bad… real bad. I’ve got a network of friends that are now helping me watch out for his horrible attempts at journalism, and we’ll be featuring them here on SouthsideCentral.
Let’s get it started…
There was a suicide in Danville and that’s not newsworthy at all. Even if you make the bad decision to run the story, you have to get your facts straight and not guess at things. Leonard did just that and got “corrected” on his horsecrap.
Let me get this right. “I DON’T WANT FALSE INFORMATION” but he’s going to just guess that the victim is male without asking the police? Then he’s going to print that guess? GAH!
I’m going to use Leonard’s own photo to show the reaction he gets from the police when they see him arrive on a scene.
Oh, that look.
Gah!!!!
What a hack! Leonard is nothing but a glory hound, chasing after anything bad he can find. If you question his “facts” or tactics, he bans you. He believes his right to free speech trumps all others.
Really? Don’t you ppl have anything better to do? #toomuchtimeonyourhands
I dunno. I’m preparing for the Warner/Gillespie joint appearance at the Institute tonight. Do you think he’ll be covering that event?
pretty sure Leonard is the one with too much time on his hands…. it probably took all of 5 minutes to make this article..
Leonard follows the police scanner around all day every day like a lemming;
Instead of reporting, he speculates and informs on police checkpoint locations.
which is counter productive
Criminals read his posts to see where and when to steer clear of police.
Way to inform the criminals Leonard! What a service! (insert sarcasm here)
Wow, some people don’t have anything better to do but talk bad about people and down the good things they try to do. He is a good man and very kind you guys need to leave him alone!
he’s an idiot that needs to let the police and reporters do their job.
informing people about police checkpoints and reporting false information is not a good or kind thing… it’s a menacing thing.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be nice Bruce, even reporters get facts wrong, take a look at CNN…happens everyday.
I agree. We all need to be called out when we get something wrong. We also need to write clear retractions, apologize, and to take steps to prevent it from happening again.
There’s also ethical standards when it comes to suicides and how newsworthy they are.
I’m interested in your perspective on suicides. I understand that you say they aren’t “newsworthy.” What is your definition of “newsworthy”? I ask this, not because I have ANY desire to ever read of a suicide in the paper. I think we should respect a family’s privacy.
However, it’s no “secret” that in a small town like Danville…..this news spreads via “word of mouth” very quickly. Which makes me think that there must be some interest by the public about the information. Also, the media was all over Gary Bengston’s death. I don’t remember if that was classified a suicide or not, but I know that the local media ran a ton of stories about his death.
Just wanted to add that I felt horrible for the Bengston family when all of that was in the news. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to see all the coverage during such an emotionally devastating time.
people suiciding themselves in danville like crazy past few years; they need to stop it.
Bruce! GOOD JOB! Way to draw attention to someone who is informing criminals about police checkpoints and wasting taxpayers money!
Real reporters (like you) report stuff like that AFTER it happens not during!
To all the people who think that this is a waste of time…maybe ask yourself if LEONARD HARVILLE might have too much time on his hands.
Bruce is reporting FACTS… Leonard is endangering people and ‘reporting’ speculation.
It’s a real reporters responsibility to ‘out’ fools like this so they will stop being a nuisance.. GO AWAY LEONARD… We know how to use a scanner, just like you.
Most of these criminals don’t do social media! At least the people who care about what’s going on can get a heads up and facts will surface! The news barely tells us anything , oh and by the way if you think the official news release is all facts that haven’t been altered for the public then I hate to spoil it for you but they are the worst! Smh
If you don’t want his information, simply block him, no need to start a page to talk smack! This is what he does, he’s a reporter, you people , simply haters!
Reporters don’t guess at important details. They factcheck, interview sources and rarely make mistakes. When they make a mistake, the immediately retract and issue an apology.
As for your allegation that news releases have been falsified, Proof Or Not Real. Go anywhere in the past five years and ahow where local authorities altered any information in a news release. This burden of proof is on you.
Bruce that may be how you act but I know I have pointed out more than one instance of inaccuracy to the local fish wrapper with the result being denial sometimes and an unacknowledged correction the other possibility. I have yet to see a properly done correction on their site.
Vic, assuming that “most of these criminals don’t use social media” is faulty on so many levels.
I am a computer technician and service all of Danville and Pittsylvania County.
There are VERY few people that aren’t on social media in some form or fashion…and most of them are geriatrics.
I hear plenty of people praising his page for the information on police checkpoint locations and other nonsense, and how it’s so easy to check from their phones.
If you really “want a heads up about what’s going on” learn how to use a scanner….
You too can be as informed as Leonard with a moped and a free scanner app.
heck, you dont even really need the moped! 😉
Bahaha!!!!!
I am sure he don’t have press credentials from any one so I am sure DPD will not let him near a crime scene and give him a scoop . Or put him on a media list. It is also bad when people follow his page calling it news !
Well he prolly won’t be a thorn in your side much longer , he has cancer. But I’m sure you’ll still trash him after he’s gone and we will be stuck getting our watered down/ sugar coated news again, just hoped I could talk you into leaving the man alone for now, but if this is what gives you pleasure keep it up! Smh
I have no sympathy for people who unapologetically put the public and law enforcement at risk.
Like having cancer makes you a saint or something?
What he is doing is not news…. there are standards for news, he follows none of them.
Whatever helps you sleep at night! I mean if a woman’s body is found in my neighborhood I feel entitled to know about it, my son plays in those woods and I’m thankful to know about it, suicide or no suicide, how are they so quick to determine that anyway! If it won’t for Leonard my son might stumbled on danger and now I know, I’m keeping him out of those woods, if you had young children you might could understand the importance of some issues that you feel aren’t ‘news worthy’…. It’s not so much that he’s “reporting” but communicating to the ones that care about our community , communication is something that lacks in today’s time, like I said earlier if you don’t agree with what Leonard does just block and let the ones who care continue to follow, simple as that!
just to be clear… a woman offs herself in the woods and you never let your kid play in those woods again?
did the woods somehow become dangerous overnight? do you expect more suicides to follow?
I didn’t follow that one either.
way to assume! I actually do have several young kids!
and I appreciate real reporting and contribute financially to my preferred news source.
but people who spew speculation AND inform criminals of police checkpoints are worthy of negative attention until they stop being a nuisance.
and I didnt have to block him, he blocked me….
I was praising him for a few photos and then politely questioned him about informing the public about police checkpoints
(being a taxpayer, I feel that its a risk to public safety and a waste of our money to be announcing these while they are in progress
…’.maybe if you had young children you could understand’ the risk in informing intoxicated people where the cops are so they can be a danger to other motorists and pedestrians)
but he got rude and defensive and blocked me. It speaks volumes when someone won’t even defend their position….
I think the community needs to be vocal about this until he ceases to be a nuisance.
On the subject of the girl, it could have been a homicide, it’s one less crime to solve to quickly assume it was a suicide, I’m not taking any chances with my children, secondly I think the real issue on silencing Leonard is to eliminate your competition, because he reports circles around you, so I can understand your determination, as I’m sure you will be commenting back , I don’t have the time to keep this debate going and the person you are MUST have the last word, so go for it and good luck in defeating your arch rival! Best wishes and GOD BLESS
competition? ok now I think you’re just confused.
I’m not a reporter, nor did I ever claim to be.
My main issue with Harville is the fact that he doesn’t take criticism very well. God forbid you have a difference of opinion with the man…Donald is right, the guy is an ambulance chaser and a public menace. If you’re gonna report the news, please have ALL of your facts straight before reporting and not go off of rumors. When you report the news, you don’t do so with off color remarks.
He’s aggressive only on the Internet.
Why don’t you all ask any one that works wrecks and fires in the city and county what kind of person he is. Then you may change your mind about him. They have had to ask him numerous times to get back. He has wanted to cross that tape as well to get pictures. he is not a credentialed media person. Do you want to be exposed to what he may tell you he sees or what he thinks he sees. I have been doing this for over 20 years and I have been to wrecks. when I learn it is a fatality and I am told to drop the camera and stop filming I STOP. I have even showed my video to law enforcement at time before I have showed it. That is how I work with them. It is called a partnership. Years ago he would get on tv and bash them because they would not grant him access to scenes. or allow him to get what he wanted. They are there for the victims not for the MEDIA or the public. Like I said. Ask any fire, rescue member or even police officer. They will back what I am saying.
AMEN!
I used to enjoy keeping up with his page because I work in Danville and it is sometimes nice to know what is going on around you. But something has changed here lately. Leonard’s page has become nothing but hate, speculation, and misinformation. He accuses people who don’t agree with every statement he makes as being a part of a hate group and performs his magic “poof be gone” and deletes them. If you’re going to run a page that is supposed to allow people to comment, you should be able to accept criticism. I don’t like how he bases his stories on assumption a lot of times and not pure facts. You would think there would come a time when he would realize that if the police won’t give him information because he is lacking the proper credentials, it would be up to him to get a real, tax paying job as a reporter. Anyone can claim to be something on Facebook, but that doesn’t make it true. And it’s funny how all the people who jump to his defense when he posts the speed traps, they wouldn’t be singing the same tune if their family member was hit by a drunk driver. Everyone wants to say that it’s some kind of public service to announce everywhere the police are and the public should “have the right to know” when they are looking for a wanted person.. Why can’t these nosy people just let the police do their jobs? Maybe if we had more citizens concerned about getting RID of crime in Danville instead of instigating “stories” they hear on gossip pages- this town might turn around for the better. And my last comment is for the person who says that most criminals don’t use social media. Are you kidding me? Who in this day and time DOESN’T use social media. The criminals and their families love keeping up with gossip pages to see what’s going on. There’s always more than one side to a story. I would much rather wait half a day to hear confirmed, factual details on a news release officially sent out by the police department any day over made up comments from all the snowball stories that he and some of his followers come up with.
Lol everybody talking about when he posts roadblocks, its no different then me telling my friends. His news articles are almost always right, and at least he gives complete information, unlike the local news. Even the local news has told false information!! He is very helpful, when he reports wrecks and things, helps me avoid unnecessary traffic and keeps me informed on break ins, thieves, etc. If you feel he is a glory hound, then block him on Facebook. Nothing he has done makes him seem to be a “glory hound” whoever wrote this article– you should feel like a piece of SHIT. If you’re posting “southside news” then how does this article pertain to news?? And why do you feel the need to post an article about another human being. Just because you feel this way does NOT mean you should post an article, maybe I should post an article about the mistakes you’ve made in your life!! Bullying, I guess some adults never grow up either!
I don’t think you get it. I don’t give a damn about Leonard’s personal life. I’m criticizing his ethical standards and his methodology for getting facts.
As for this article pertaining to news, SouthsideCentral is way more than a news site.
If you think he reports the truth and the facts then I have some beautiful swamp land to sale you. He is going make the wrong person mad one day sticking a camera in someone’s face and get hurt. Get all the facts before you claim a crime even occurred!
Leonard poshts roadblock information? That makes him a public shervant, my dear shir!
Crackheads don’t use social media b/c they don’t even have phones, computers, homes for that matter! Smh , the REAL criminals don’t fool with FB, yeah maybe misdemeanor crimes yes there are some who probably use it!
In the last two murder trials in Danville, social media evidence has been used by the prosecution.
#TheMoreYouKnow