What’s in the news: Frigid fixes, freezing rain, MLK marches, stolen knives and more

It’s so dang cold outside ….
“How cold is it?!”
It’s so cold outside that all the lawyers in Ashvegas put their hands in their own pockets.

If you didn’t like that, try a few polar bear jokes.

Now, on to the WLOSer news:

It’s cold outside
Asheville recorded a low of 9 degrees over night, far from the record low of minus 16 in 1985, according to Mike Cuevas in the weather center, who also said there’s a freezing rain advisory for WNC in the morning.

The cold temps made fixing a water line tough, said John Le, who turned the Sandhill Hill Road water line repair into an epic. The story’s quick cuts, combined with Le’s dramatic intonations of “desperation” really built up the suspense, until – wait for it – the line was fixed!

WLOSers also noted that plumbers are fixing lots of frozen and broken water pipes and stores are selling lots of Ice Melt and snow shovels. But some insulation, people, and close those vents built into the foundation of your house.

In other news…
Somebody put up a posterboard memorial on a fence outside the Nebo house where three girls were shot and killed Friday… Police in Waynesville are looking for someone who stole about a dozen knives worth $1,400… The pilot of the small plane that crashed at the end of the Hendersonville airport on Dec. 1 said a big gust of wind was to blame… And the textile plant 3 Tex is adding a third shift in Rutherford County.

Honoring MLK
Charu Khumaria had the best Martin Luther King Jr. Day story of the day Monday, touching on the fact that the day is being celebrated amid a potentially historic presidential election with the viable candidacies of a woman (Hillary Clinton) and an African-American (Barack Obama.)

Charu quoted people who said MLK laid the groundwork for just such a history making event. WLOSers also noted that Haywood County for the first time celebrated MLK Day as an official county holiday.

In still other news…
There’s a tax referendum on the ballot in Henderson County in May. The county is asking voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax increase… Russ Bowen stayed on the campaign trail in South Carolina and was covering the Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach… And about 50 UNCA students, faculty and staff used their day off from school to do some volunteer cleaning work at the Aston Park Towers public housing complex.