Weekend news update

Jason Sandford

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

1

OMG, it snows in spring
WLOSers remain fascinated by the fact that it can actually snow in spring. Sheraldo on Friday, and Russ Beefcake Bowen on Saturday, told us excitedly that it snowed.

Sheraldo made sure to note that the snow he was reporting on fell on mountains about 4,000 feet above sea level. He noted that the snow “paints high mountain ridges white,” while flowers “droop with the weight of the frosty coating.” Paint me a picture, Sheraldo!

The snow shower story on Saturday was pretty weak. Holly Headache did a story about a kid who died Friday night in the French Broad River(see next), then basically had her camera man turn around and get some video of snow along River Road. Like I said – weak.

Teen dead
Holly Headache had a weird story about a dead teen – at least I think the kid was a teenager. Not sure Holly ever said. Anyway, here’s the story: a group of youngsters stop at Westgate Shopping Center sometime Friday night and the kid says he doesn’t feel good. Then he takes off running down an embankment, Emma Road and straight into the French Broad River.

Holly said police searched for a few hours Friday night and couldn’t find him. The went back Saturday morning and found his body in the river.

Murder charge
An Asheville man faces murder charges in Catawba County. Asheville police also say he’s a “person of interest” in the death of a woman, Amanda Pike, whose body was found last year along the French Broad River.

The Ashvegas Motor Mile?
WLOSers had an interesting story about car dealers moving to Brevard Road. Paramount Kia just opened a new dealership on the road, and Deal of Asheville is moving from its Merrimon location to a Brevard Road location. Already on Brevard Road, you’ll find Jim Barkley Toyota, Anderson Nissan and one other dealership.

So while the Biltmore Square Mall is dying a slow death, the car dealers say the location is great because it’s close to the interstate and close to a big segment of the Ashvegas population.

Dook, UNC students in trouble
In a bit of parity, WLOSers presented back-to-back stories about Dook and UNC students in trouble. First, Russ told us about nine Dook lacrosse players accused of rape. A woman who said she thought she was hired to dance at a bachelor party says she was raped. A lacrosse game Saturday was cancelled and police are investigating. Some 49 students have submitted DNA samples, and the lacrosse players say they’re innocent.

Meantime over in Chapel Hill, that guy that said he was avenging Muslim deaths caused by the U.S. by driving an SUV into the center of the UNC campus had a court hearing. He said he would have used a gun, but he couldn’t get one or something.

Remember that Mars Hill College kid?
The kid who had his computer taken away by the Secret Service because he posted some song lyrics the Secret Service said threatened President Bush? Well, the government gave him his computer back and he won’t be charged.

It’s Cryin’ Time Again
Buck Owen, dead at 76. Loved him on HeeHaw.

In other news…
The annual Youth Congress was held at the Ashvegas Civic Center, where students pretend to be lawmakers and propose legislation… Asheville-Buncombe Christian Community Ministries says it needs more money to provide heating assistance for poor people. ABCCM says it needs $15,000… The FBI arrested three men in Haywood County and charged them with a string of bank robberies. The men were father, son and son-in-law… A Macon County man sentenced to 40 years for beating and robbing his grandma will be resentenced because a court determined the sentence was too harsh… The city of Ashvegas is looking for about half a million dollars of taxpayers’ money to raise salaries for policemen and firefighters. Bellamy said finding the money could be difficult. We say, duh, because that’s my money.