Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Don’t touch that mailbox
Carolyn “Little Red” Ryan told us that we can’t use our mailboxes any more.
Carolyn talked to a lady somewhere who said paid some bills and put the mail in her box, then somebody stole it. Police said it happens every day. People steal the checks and use chemicals to wash off the ink so they can make changes. In this case, the check amount was changed from $231 to $331. It had been made out to Sun Trust Bank, but that was changed to somebody’s name.
The woman says she doesn’t have a computer, so she can’t pay bills that way. Carolyn said you need to use a secure mailbox, or drop you mail off at the post office.
In other mailbox news…
WLOSers said a McDowell man was charged with stealing mail from mailboxes.
Mad about a molester
WLOSers said child advocates like Grier Weeks are pissed off about a plea agreement in the case of Andrew Reid, a man sentenced to 10 to 12 months in jail for a child porn charge. Reid should have gotten more like 64 months in jail, according to Weeks, who said we have to send a message that trafficking in child porn is wrong and creates an “enormous market” for children to be raped and tortured.
Breaking news: Everybody loves Maya Angelou
That was the bottom line out of a story that Russ “Beefcake” Bowen did Thursday night. Angelou spoke at Mars Hill College in front of a sold out auditorium to help the college celebrate its 150th anniversary.
In other news…
Eight people died in Columbus County, down around Wilmington, yesterday after a tornado hit. Local charity Hearts with Hands is sending a team to help… U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and homeland security chief Michael Chertoff had lunch at the Biltmore Estate Thursday and talked about border security with their Canadian counterparts… And there’s a master diamond cutter at Wick and Green Jeweler for the next couple of days as part of a Cancer Society fundraiser.
Pabst Blue Ribbon or Professional Bull Riders?
I think I learned about ‘check washing’ from Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie "Catch Me If You Can". I haven’t left a check in the mail box for years, I drop them off at the P.O.
I learn a lot at the movies. If it wasn’t at the movies then it was a Public Radio interview with the real guy that the movie was based on.
See, you can learn a lot from going to the movies and listening to PBR.