Some Friday news for you

Water bill outrage
In a story that truly had powerful potential, but fell short, WLOSer Carolyn “Little Red” Ryan told us the horrifying story of a Fairview man who killed himself over an out-of-control water bill.

Ryan said the man and his wife had water bills totaling almost $10,000 last year and into this year. The big bills started coming last March and recorded the couple as using hundreds of thousands of gallons of water – enough to fill a big pool 32 times, Carolyn told us while showing us the pool.

Debbie and Chuck Brown called the water department, who told them that there was a lead on “their side of the meter,” Carolyn said. So Chuck brown started digging up his water line, and Carolyn showed us video of that. But the bills just kept on coming, and Chuck Brown finally put a shotgun to his head and killed himself. Carolyn showed us a picture of a bloody suicide note, in which Brown blamed his depression on the water bills he couldn’t manage.

Ryan said officials at the water department felt for the couple, but the bottom line was they needed to fix their line. The water department recently shut off water to the house until the the problem could be fixed, Ryan said.

This is a truly horrible story, but Ryan didn’t take it nearly far enough. Is everybody responsible for fixing city water lines? Is there any more to the couple’s story about their financial troubles? Will anybody step forward to now help the widow settle the outrageous bill? C’mon, Carolyn, be a reporter.

Fire truck flips
WLOSer Russ “Beefcake” Bowen told us that a Cedar Mountain Fire Department truck, an ’89 Ford, turned on its side en route to a fire call. It happened in Transylvania County, near the Henderson County line, on DuPont Road.

Two people were injured – the driver, a 43-year-old assistant fire chief, and a 14-year-old “junior firefighter,” whatever that is. Tell us more Russ – do 14-year-olds often rush into the face of danger with local volunteer fire departments?

Driveway shooting verdict
A Henderson County jury found a man guilty of assault with a deadly weapon after deliberating about three hours, WLOSer Sheraldo told us.

Larry Ledbetter had argued that he fired into a truck occupied by a driver and passenger five times in self-defense. But the prosecution said the couple made a wrong turn into the drive.

The jury didn’t buy the self-defense argument. Ledbetter will get at least three years in prison and must pay a big hospital bill. Sheraldo talked to the woman who was shot in the back and leg, who said she really didn’t want Ledbetter to get jail time. She just wanted her hospital bills paid.

What was that?
At the top of the 6, after one of Charu’s story promos, we could hear people live saying “What was that?” It was weird.

When will parents ever figure out car seats?
WLOSers run the “car seat education” story into the ground – over and over again, they talk to cops and nonprofit groups that say 90 percent of parents don’t install car seats correctly for their kids. Look people – read the directions and figure the shit out.

Pat “Simple” Simon had a story saying that Consumer Reports retracted its recent story about how unsafe many car seats were because tests were incorrectly reported.

Friday weather
The weather-guessers were saying we might get some snow or ice on Sunday. The high was 43, the low 36.

Gas prices drop
Kassandra “Special K” Pride went just outside her studio doors to the Exxon Station on Long Shoals Road to tell us that gas prices had dropped as low as $1.99 in some places. That’s the lowest since 2005, she said. Special K said customers loved it. She talked to one guy who said it was great, but he really wished prices would keep on dropping. Special K also talked to UNCA econ professor Chris Bell, who told us the obvious – when you have low demand and crude prices drop, the price at the pump drops.

Punnyman on the construction beat
John “Punnyman” Le did a dumb story about a new Health Adventure exhibit that lets kid play with plastic construction equipment. Le donned a little yellow hard hat and sat on one of the kid cranes to tell us about it. He looked ridiculous. Which we’re sure is what he was shooting for.

Teacher faces sex charges
A former science teacher at Clearmont Elementary School in Yancey County was convicted on three counts of sexual assault on girls under 12. WLOSers said that the abuse may have been going on for years. The dude will be sentenced next month.

Panhandling problem continues
WLOSer Holly Headache told us that panhandlers just don’t roam downtown Ashvegas – they hang out at the end of Interstate 26 exits, too, to beg for money.

Holly quoted the police as saying that’s illegal. Good job, Holly.

In other news…
A Haywood County couple lost a workshop filled with woodworking tools and chemicals after something blew up and caught it all on fire. In the best quote of the day, the dude said, “I been here all my life. I’ll just do like a groundhog – dig another hole and keep on going.”