Here’s some of what WLOS had on the teevee box on Tuesay:
Urban Trail targeted
WLOSers said somebody stole yet another bronze marker along the Urban Trail in downtown Asheville. The bronze basket of apples at Walnut and Lexington was actually sawed off a bench. WLOSers said the “surprising motive” was that the thief probably sold it to someone who would melt it down and reuse the metal. Urban Trail organizers say they’ll replace it.
The pigs on Pack Square have also been stolen from the Urban Trail – a couple of times. And someone sawed the heads off the Urban Trail metal figures in front of Malaprop’s this summer.
In crime news…
The local Hispanic newspaper La Voz is helping get word out that police are searching for another suspect in the Haywood Road pool hall shooting Sunday night that left two men dead. … And there was a homicide in McDowell County after a fight at someone’s home in Old Fort.
Is Toys for Tots supporting a child molestor?
That was the question WLOSers asked as they followed up on the Artimus Pyle story. As you’ll recall, Pyle was recently arrested in Florida for failing to register as a sex offender – 15 years ago, he pleaded guilty to sex offenses involving children and has been required to register.
WLOSers said Pyle had been scheduled to be the grand marshal of a toy run for the Toys for Tots chapter in Lake Lure. Pyle backed out of the event, but the local coordinator posted a statement on the Toys for Tots web site saying basically ew miss you and love you and support you. The local Toys for Tots spokesman, a military sergeant in uniform, said the statement was meant as a Christian expression of support and that’s all. The statement was removed from the web site.
In other news…
Scully’s restaurant hopes to re-open this week after an arson fire last week forced the business to close and repair major electrical components… Hillary Clinton campaigned in Spartanburg… And there are three candidates seeking the job of superintendent of Asheville City Schools – Allen Johnson, Nettie Collis-Hart and Donna Gutshall… Asheville City council approved $36 million in improvements to city water pipes. It also agree to spend $455,000 to fix up the Reid Center.
In still other news…
A group met downtown to talk about a new farmers market to be held on Charlotte Street. It will be open in the spring…. There’s a new North Carolina law that goes into effect Dec. 1 that will stop people who are caught speeding 25 mph above the speed limit from asking for a prayer for judgement…. And six Asheville businesses received four diamond ratings from AAA: the Albemarle Inn, Horizons Restaurant, Gabrielle’s at Richmond Hill, Inn at Biltmore, Richmond Hill Inn and Grove Park Inn Spa and Resort.
2 Comments
Becky, each sex offender has their own story, but as a parent, you should be concerned, not that Artimus is a danger to your kids, but that an organization like WNC Toys for Tots would "defend" his situation. What kind of message does that send to people who have been abused and molested. Its OK for Artimus to be helping organizations, but not one’s associated with kids. Until he is exonerated, you can’t defend a sex offender in this particular situation. It makes you look like an idiot.
I’m disappointed you are just going with what the press has printed about Artie Pyle. Everyone who knows him, and a lot of us have kids who play at his house often with his young son, knows that he is innocent. He pled guilty because the public defender said it was the best way to get it behind him. The girls are his daughters and are now adults, and are fighting to exonerate him. He and their mother were going through a bitter separation at the time the charges were made. The daughters say nothing ever happened. He’s a good guy, and a good dad.