Manhunt, moonshine and mobile homes in the news

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Manhunt
Police out in Jackson County were hunting for a man accused of shooting and killing his wife on Monday night inside a domestic abuse shelter in Sylva. Terrie Foster brought us the top story.

The suspect, John “Woody” Woodring should be considered armed and dangerous, police told Foster. Police had a helicopter up looking for him, and they seized his computer. He apparently posted some sort of apology to his wife on his own web site. We haven’t gone looking for the site, but if you come across it, let us know.

Police also are searching for an electric blue Honda Civic, JRY-2108, that Woodring may be driving.

Foster said police told her that Woodring tried to strangle his estranged wife, Bonnie, twice within the past week. She worked as a nurse at Harris Regional Hospital, which beefed up security following the shooting.

And here’s the eeriest detail of all – WLOSers interviewed Woodring at one point about a book he had written about famous killers. It was called “The Convict Speaks.” WLOSers said Eric Robert Rudolph is in the book.

So can Woodring elude capture for five long years, or longer, like Rudolph did? Doubt it.

Dead doctor
New WLOSer Kassandra “Kitty” Pride brought us a story about a Pardee Hospital doctor found dead in the wilderness.

Dr. Kevin Patrick, an anesthesiologist (spelling help, please?), loved the outdoors and spent a lot of time at DuPont State Forest. His wife reported him missing Friday, and searchers eventually found his dead body lying in water near Wintergreen Falls.

Foul play has not been ruled out, Kitty Kassandra said.

Moonshine knocks student out
A Smoky Mountain High School freshman, aged 14, was hospitalized earlier this week after she apparently drank some corn liquor given to her by a 15-year-old boy at the school, WLOSers said.

WLOSers interviewed some kids with braces, who said yeah, I heard that she chugged 20 ounces of moonshine and passed out in class. The uptight principal just read a statement saying some kids are in big trouble.

More erosion
Looks like WLOSers, hurting for some sex offender news, have decided that instead, they’ll just have an erosion story every day. Wednesday’s version came out of Black Mountain, where people were complaining that the developer of the Goodson Cove development let a bunch of silt run into Lake Tomahawk and onto a golf course. Jay Seltzer was on the dirt beat.

In other news
Yancey County gets a nearly $500,000 grant to expand its jail and buy new vehicles… The weather has been cooler than normal, with some near-record lows, but still really beautiful. But it might rain on the weekend… Larry “Smoka” Blunt asked Mike “Cuervo” Cuevas about a weather graphic of “Old Man Winter.” Larry said it looked awful, like “a gray potato with a blue wig.” He demanded a new look…

Mobile home park to close
The Overlook Village mobile home park will close by April 1 of next year, according to a notice that resident of the park just received, WLOSers said. One resident said she was shocked. In the best video of the day, WLOSers also talked to a good ol’ boy who obviously put on a camoflage shirt just for the camera and held up the notice, then put on a great stunned face. He said he couldn’t afford to move his trailer.

Hawkrun Development says it will clear the four acres and build a medical park on the property.

Screaming for help
John “Punnyman” Le went out and interviewed a woman who held up signs on Pack Square saying that mental health patients need help.

New Vistas-Mountain Laurel, a company that serves mental health patients, announced that it was closing Oct. 1. That means some 10,000 patients need to find treatment someplace else.

The woman Le interviewed said she’s bi-polar and she wants help. She yelled a lot at passing vehicles.

In still other news…
The NC Department of Labor brought a trailer to a construction site and used it as a classroom to teach Hispanic construction workers about job site safety and worker rights. The trailer is called Labor One and will move about the state… Will Kennedy, mayor of Black Mountain, is resigning because of health concerns. He’s battling kidney disease. The board will appoint a new mayor, which could be a sitting alderman. If they pick from themselves, then they’ll appoint another person as alderman… And Warren Wilson received a nearly $200,000 grant to reduce violent crime against women on campus.