SOLDIERS -- WE'LL BE SURE TO UPDATE YOU ON AIR AND ONLINE NEXT TONIGHT.. A PASSING TO NOTE... GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY HAS ANNOUNCED THAT FREEDOM -- THEIR LIVE BALD EAGLE MASCOT -- HAS DIED... FREEDOM HAS BEEN WITH THE UNIVERSITY SINCE 2004, WHEN HE WAS RESCUED FROM FLORIDA. HE WAS KNOCKED OUT OF A NEST, PERMANENTLY INJURING HIS BEAK AND PREVENTING HIM FROM BEING RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD. SINCE -- FREEDOM BECAME A BIG FIXTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY... FLYING AROUND AND PARTICIPATING IN THOUSANDS OF EVENTS, INCLUDING THE SAVANNAH ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE, NUMEROUS ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS AND ANNUAL COMMENCEMENTS. IN A STATEMENT -- GEORGIA SOUTHERN PRESIDENT KYLE MARRERO SAYS "FREEDOM WAS MORE THAN A MASCOT; HE REPRESENTED STRENGTH, SPIRIT AND UNITY FOR GEORGIA SOUTHERN... SAYING HIS LOSS WILL BE FELT BY MANY TONIGHT -- WE THOUGHT IT APT TO LOOK BACK OVER THE YEARS -- WE'VE COVERED FREEDOM'S MANY FLIGHT... AND THE IMPACT HE - *HAS **HAD-- BEYOND THE UNIVERSITY. IN THIS STORY FROM 2019 -- WJCL 22 NEWS' FRANK SULKOWSKI WAS WITH FREEDOM -- AND HIS HANDLER STEVE HEIN ON THE ROAD WITH THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES 00;00;00;00 - 00;00;21;53 UNKNOWN THAT WAS OUR FRANK SULKOWSKI REPORTING -- FROM 20