What’s in the news Monday: Dolly Parton comes to visit, a home invasion, attempted arson, the Ingles Giving Tree and a groper at the local theater

Jason Sandford

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

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You know it’s the holidays when the local television news have the following stories:
-The “official” lighting of the Ingles Giving Tree at the Ashvegas Mall
-A follow-up on some spilled water at Reynolds Mountain
-And a Dolly Parton sighting story

So here we go, as seen on WLOS:

Assault at local theater
A woman said some dude ran his hand up her thigh at the showing of Beowulf Friday night at Carmike Cinemas and she wants people to know about.

The woman told Cherub Charu that the guy ran his hand up her leg, squeezed her thigh and reached for the “inner thigh.” The whole time, she sat there, taking it. She told Charu she was “paralyzed by fear,” and told her sister to go get help. As soon as the sister stood up, the groper jumped and ran.

All that police found later was a bottle of lotion in the seat and, luckily, no other deposit. I want to know why in the hell this woman didn’t just punch the guy in the nose and scream holy hell. C’mon, sheeple.

In other crime news…
Some people were charged with a home invasion on Gill Branch Road on Sunday night… Police want help from the public in finding people who might have witnessed someting in connection with the Henderson County couple that went missing in Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County. The cops found the woman dead, but they haven’t found the guy.

Attempted arson at condo project
An apparent amatuer arsonist tried to set fire to some bulldozers at the University Terrace condo project near UNCA over the weekend. Gas was poured on the vehicles and a trail of gas poured onto leaves and twigs, but nothing burned up. An arson investigator told WLOSers that neighbors don’t like the construction.

Speaking of fires…
There was a fire in a warehouse next to the Baxter plant in Marion. The 6 p.m. fire damaged some cardboard inside, but didn’t stop the plant from operating as usual.

In other assorted news…
A Woodfin police officer trying to pull over an 18-year-old for a seatbelt violation got into a high-speed chase and the officer ended up flipping his car. The officer is recovering. … A car went over an embankment on Beaucatcher Mountain and rolled 100 feet down near Windswept Drive. People in the car are recovering… A guy in McDowell County says somebody soaked hot dogs in antifreeze and fed them to his dog, and he wants something done. …. Speaking of killing animals, deer season started Monday. Wear blaze orange if you go out in the woods. … And you can get your water tested if you live near the old CTS plant site on Mills Gap Road. Call someone.

Dolly Parton and the girls visit
Country songbird Dolly Parton dropped by KISS Country 99.9 to pimp a new album she’s got coming out. She talked on the radio and signed autographs and stuff.