What’s in the news: A RiverLink clean-up, a plea bargain in the works, vandalism at Mitch Carver park and more

Russ Bowen, looking sharp as a tack, anchored the news Sunday. Here’s what we saw:

RiverLink clean-up
Kassandra Pride told us that dozens of Diamond Brand employees, paddlers and other volunteers went down to Ledges whitewater park along the French Broad and picked up trash. The found everything from a couch and a television to bottles, cans and other garbage.

Wet weather
In the weather center, Lisa Rodriguez said it’s gonna rain. That was about it.

Plea bargain
WLOSers said family members are upset about a planned plea bargain in the case of 52-year-old Leonard Smith, who was charged earlier this year with having sex with minors. Smith will plead to seven counts of indecent liberties and end up with about a 16-month sentence, which family members say is a travesty. WLOSers said the district attorney’s office wouldnt comment on a pending case.

Community center vandalized
The Leicester Community Center and Mitch Carver Park was vandalized over the weekend. Somebody tore down a fence. There’s a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest, WLOSers said.

The Sgt. Dan Brown story
WLOSers re-ran the Carolyn Ryan sweeps special report on Sgt. Dan Brown, a guy who move to Candler two months ago. He was in Afghanistan back in March of 2006, working as an Army explosive ordnance disposal technician, when he had to pull an RPG out of a fellow soldier, Channing Moss.

Carolyn showed us actual video from the surgery, where we saw Brown grab the tail fins of the bomb sticking out of Moss and pull it out. Carolyn interviewed Moss, now living in Georgia. A touching story, but Carolyn poured on too much drama.

There’s a parking deck going up, if you haven’t noticed
If you haven’t noticed, Buncombe County is building a 700-space parking deck on College Street. It’s costing $13 million. Right next door, work has begun on another parking deck and addition to the Department of Social Services.

12 Bones wins
And WLOSers said 12 Bones won Good Morning America’s “Best Bites” competition.