The baby Jesus is found, the bears can’t sleep and another child is abused

Hail to the chief
Funeral services for former President Gerald R. Ford were held Tuesday. He’ll be buried Wednesday.

Fire update
WLOSers updated the story on the fire that destroyed the old Summitt in in Franklin last week – they said police said that dogs didn’t find any accelerants to start the fire. But police did say the inn owners had their car tires slashed recently, and their investigating.

Russ does Washington
Russ “Beefcake” Bowen, the best reporter at WLOS, did a story on how he’s going to be doing a bunch of stories out of Washington the next few days as congressman-elect Heath Shuler gets sworn in.

Russ said he’ll talk to Shuler about immigration, raising the minimum wage and the war in Iraq. And he’ll cover Shuler’s swearing-in this week. And back at the anchor desk, WLOSers noted that Shuler has hired his campaign manager, Hayden Rogers, as his chief of staff. And he’s hired Bruce Peterson, a local Democratic wheel, as his point man in the 11th Congressional District to handle constituent services.

Larry loves this story
Larry “Gloryhole” Blunt told us over and over that we would love this story, a belated Christmas miracle is what he called it.

So Jon “Punnyman” Le told us the story – the baby Jesus stolen from a nativity scene in Biltmore Park right outside WLOS studios before Christmas had been found. Le said a guy named Steve was alone on Christmas Day and wandering along the Swannanoa River, feeling sorry for himself because he didn’t have a job and couldn’t see his kids on Christmas. Steve is a carpenter, Le noted heavy-handedly.

Steve spotted the large figurine and apparently called the television station. That’s when Le stepped in and drove Steve 16 miles across town to meet up with the Biltmore Park lady, who said “Yup, that’s my baby Jesus.” Le said the “synthetic savior” was back home. And that Steve had found “the face of hope.” And that the story was one “of biblical proportions.”

Then back at the anchor desk, Larry told us again how much he loved this effin story.

Back to school until it snows again
Buncombe County school kids hit the books today, a day earlier than scheduled. Tuesay was a make-up day for a snow day a couple weeks ago. But WLOSers told us that if it snows again gasp there will have to be more make-up days.

School officials warn that they can only make up five days between now and April before being forced to take spring break days. The Easter break is scheduled for April 9-13. School Superintendent Cliff Dodson’s mantra – be flexible. Pat “Simple” Simon told us this story in his usual lame reporting style, which usually includes talking to one source and using lots of filler video.

Where is Victoria Dunkelhead?
Anybody?

Speaking of school…
Buncombe County high school students will be taking mid-term exams next Wednesday and Thursday. They used to take them before Christmas break, but now they take them after the big holiday break. Sucks for them.

Child abuse charge
Cherub Charu told us that a Buncombe County man has been charged with felony child abuse after the woman was living with reported that he shook the child. Officials examined the 6-month-old and said they also found that the child’s leg was healing after being broken. The couple lived at Haw Creek Mews Apartments.

The mom talked to Charu because she wants her children back. DSS took the kids out of the house after the child abuse charges were reported and investigated. The mother said she passed a lie detector test and police had cleared her of any wrong-doing.

Breaking news: Tallahasee Tammy got 2.5 inches of rain at her house
That’s what she said.

The bears aren’t sleeping
WLOSers said the two black bears at the WNC Nature Center aren’t hibernating because this winter has been too damn warm so far. The WLOSers quoted the nature center person as actually saying that bears don’t hibernate, they just go into a “seasonal slumber.” Sounds like hibernation to us.

Breaking news: Pat Simon went skiing

Those Brevard break-ins
WLOSer Holly Headache followed up on an earlier report about a couple of break-ins on Big Bend Road in Brevard down in Transylvania County. Holly said two men had been arrested – Stephen Bracken and some dude nick-named Toad.

Holly said Bracken hired Toad to break into his own house and rough up his own sister, and also to break-in into a neighbor’s house and steal all their stuff.

In another follow-up
A 17-year-old Asheville High School student was arrested and charged on Saturday in connection with a shooting last August.

Breaking news: Mike Cuevas came back to work
Cuervo told us that Ashvegas got 48.29 inches of rain for 2006, or 1.25 inches above average. So much for any drought.

In other news…
A mudslide forced the closure of a 19-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway over the weekend. The slide happened near the Grassy Knob tunnel. The parkway has reopened… That Jackson County inmate that escaped on Christmas Day and was still on the loose turned himself in on Tuesday. Donnie Luker was one of four inmates who escaped – the other three were caught immediately. Luker eluded police until he was spotted in a car with his brother Saturday night about 9:45 p.m. There was a chase and the guys got away then, but turned themselves in about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday… North Carolina driver’s licenses will have a new security feature this year, a new holographic patch that you can see, plus some mysterious stuff you won’t see. Drivers in Wake County are first in line for the new licenses – we’ll get ’em later this year… Hendersonville Elementary School got a $10,000 grant for its library. The school raised $5,000 and got the $10,000 grant to replace books, most of which were 20 years old… Henderson County commissioners want to know when they’ll get their money back from the Blue Ridge Community College’s baseball program. The state community college board has said BRCC mishandled monies it received for the baseball program. Sheraldo brought us an update at 11, but we didn’t pay attention. … North Carolina and South Carolina are at odds over access to Crossroads Mountain in South Carolina. The only access is through the Gorges State Park in North Carolina, and N.C. park officials say a road through the park will ruin the park’s environment.

In still other news…
PSNC Energy is lowering its rates to reflect cheaper wholesale prices… The new Ingles on Hendersonville Road is taking shape behind the current one, which will be torn down. The project will be finished later this year…

In news you already knew…
Jay Seltzer went back out to Haywood Regional Medical Center’s workout facility to talk to people about how tough, yet rewarding, it can be to stick to your New Year’s resolution to lose weight.