Here’s what WLOSers were working on for the day before Thanksgiving:
Eight fires, two days
Fire officials say one person is responsible for setting eight fires on Monday and Tuesay nights in downtown Ashvegas. There were five small fires Monday, and three more Tuesday. Most of the fires haven’t caused any real damage, but one fire in Carolina Lane behind Scully’s on Tuesday night hit the bar’s electrical box, causing $40,000 in damage. The bar owner told WLOSers that it would take him a week to reopen, and he had to throw out all the food and beer he had. Damn.
In other fire news…
There was a brush fire in Haywood County just after midnight Tuesday/Wednesday. The fire on Peters Cove Road in the Bethel community scorched 35 acres and was set by teen-aged hunters trying to smoke out a racoon they were hunting, WLOSers said. No homes burned and no injuries, but the teens will likely face charges because there’s a statewide burning ban in effect.
Posters going up for missing couple
Police are creating posters for businesses to display in an effort to help find out who murdered Irene Bryant and to find Bryant’s husband, John Bryant. The couple went missing back in October and police think Irene Bryant was killed on Oct. 21.
Sheraldo reminded us that there’s a $10,000 reward offered for information related to the case.
New jobs coming to McDowell County
PRC Industries announced Wednesday that it will build a plant in Old Fore and open a business to recycle household appliances. The company plants to hire 288 people over five years.
Teasing a story we didn’t stay up to watch
WLOSers provided an extended tease for a story to be aired at 11 that we didn’t stay up to watch. Carolyn Ryan did a sweeps special on Sgt. Dan Brown, a guy who recently moved to the mountains and apparently risked his life to save a fellow soldier back in 2006 in Afghanistan. “Courage Under Fire” promised video from that fateful day. Sorry, but we just couldn’t stay up, Carolyn.
In other news…
State Highway Patrol troopers were watching speeders using radar and patrol cars, as well as helicopters, Terrie Foster told us. It’s all a part of “No Need to Speed – Operation Slowdown.” … The bridge on Bridge Street in Canton will be closed starting Tuesday for work to replace the old wooden bridge with steel. … Former NBA and UNC Tar Heel basketball start Brad Daugherty teamed up with Eblen Charities and Ingles to hand out some 500 turkeys to the needy.
And in alcohol news…
Jeremy Butterfield told us that cops found some 30 gallons of moonshine in some guy’s house in Polk County. The guy even had some ‘shine in a Mountain Dew bottle. Classic.
And in Mills River, they started selling beer after voters in the town approved alcohol sales in the November elections. WLOS got a great reaction quote from a bearded redneck: “I been waitin’ 40 years for this.” Hell yeah.
Le chasing the turkeys
Finall, John Le and company cranked up the pun machine for a story about turkeys that like to hang out around the new McDonald’s restaurant in Franklin. People could “feast their eyes” on the turkeys, which bring “extra value” to the meals there. Le went ahead with the story, even though store employees didn’t want to be identified and had to be blurred out.
One woman said she named the turkeys “Mac” and “Donald.” It’s all about “life in the fast food lane,” Le said. Ugh.