Bouquets to Boudin
Michelle Boudin scored a winner in her Wednesday sweeps special, “Off the Registry,” in which she reported that some convicted sex offenders will be taken off the registry after 10 years. Boudin’s report had depth and context, and she told it through a case that was one of the most sensational sex offense cases in Ashvegas in recent history.
Boudin told her story through the case of George Pickering, a prominent member of the community who was charged with child molestation a decade ago. Pickering ran a camp in Black Mountain, and a former camper came forward with allegations that Pickering molested him. Pickering pleaded guilty and was convicted. Boudin gave us the history, and updated it in a couple of key ways. First, she contacted the victim and got a reaction about Pickering being removed from the registry. And, ever on her toes, she noted that WLOS had just recently interviewed Pickering for a story about Asheville Chamber of Commerce volunteers. Pickering, she said, had moved on.
Good job, Michelle. Finally, a non-sensational sex offender story with a little context.
Boos to Blunt
Boudin’s report came in sharp contrast to the second part of Larry “Gloryhole” Blunt’s sweeps special, in which he pretended that five-year-old news was news. His “Hit List” story was about how a third-grader at Leicester Elementary School wrote down names of five or six kids he said he was going to do harm to. The kid made the list in 2000, Gloryhole said, and it took the Buncombe County School a full year to notify parents their kids’ names were on the list.
Should parents be notified? This was the question Gloryhole kept asking, over and over, for two nights. Why was the story told in two parts? There was absolutely no new ground. Why was this story told at all? It wasn’t news. What – did you have to do a story to justify the fact that you wasted your time demanding old school records?
Blunt, you get boos. A bucket of bile for a report full of bulls**t.
Gibson trial
Russ “Beefcake” Bowen followed the Michelle Gibson murder trial in Jackson County. He told us about how Gibson broke down sobbing in court, and how the judge called a stop to proceedings. Russ said the medical examiner’s testimony about what caused her 8-year-old son’s death is what sent Gibson over the edge emotionally. Gibson’s roomate testified about how Gibson told her that her son was dead. “My baby’s dead. I killed my baby,” is what the roommate said Gibson said.
The prosecution rested on Wednesday. Will their case be enough to convince a jury that she acted with malice, a requirement for the second-degree murder charge to stick? Russ said that will be for the jury to decide.
In a follow-up to that, Blunt said that donations have been pouring to buy a headstone marker for Devin Gibson’s gravesite at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The money started coming in after a Citizen-Times newspaper story and photo showed the boy’s unmarked grave. So far, $1,200 has been raised. Call the cemetery to make a donation.
Teacher charged
The Polk County teacher that Cherub Charu reported on a couple of days ago was finally charged with misdemeanor child abuse after a 15-year-old student said the coach called him a pussy, grabbed his neck and scratched him. The teacher was served a warrant and went back to school. WLOSers quoted the student’s mom, who said the teacher shouldn’t have been allowed back at school.
Subway sex harrassment suit settled
Carolyn “Little Red” Ryan told us that the EEOC announced the settlement of sex harrassment charges against the owners of seven Subway stores in Ashvegas. The EEOC order the Subway owners to pay $140,000 to a group of six or seven women who said they were groped and subjected to taunts. One worker was fired after filing an EEOC complaint, Little Red said. Others quit their job. This all happened in 2002 and 2003.
Traffic sucks on I-26
Sheraldo continued his reports on how traffic sucks on Interstate 26 with a report about how road construction was slowing down traffic.
On Wednesday, traffic backed up several miles on the eastbound side of the interstate between the Fletcher and Hendersonville exits because crews were tearing up 400 feet of asphalt to repair a four-inch drop in the road. The work cost $50,000, Sheraldo said. Drivers who detoured down Highway 25 found more work happening there and still got tied up. Sheraldo stumbled badly over a word at the end of his report (is “resert” a word? no), corrected himself, and finished up.
In other news…
The Ashvegas school board held a retreat meeting at the YMI to talk about strategic plans… A bunch of tourism experts are in town to help locals talk about creating new destinations. Past planning led to the creation of a day spa and the historic trolley tours, WLOSers said.