Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Soldier killed
A local man was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend, the TV news folks tell us. Joe Ray was an Army reservist who worked at the Buncombe County jail. Friends said Ray wanted to fight for his country after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and went to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ray and three other U.S. soldiers were killed over the weekend in a roadside bomb attack. Buncombe County officials notified the public, and flags flew at half staff. Joe was a member of the 391st Engingeering Battalion, which is based out of upstate South Carolina, but has a company based in Ashvegas.
Wolf Laurel debate
Cherub Charu went out to the wilds of Madison County to watch county commissioners approve a huge expansion of the Wolf Laurel resort. The expansion will add hundreds of new homes to the resort. It’s a massive building project, but just one of dozens and dozens happening all over these mountains.
Residents, who packed the courthouse (one even brought a guitar to put his plea to song), said they’re worried that the growth and development will ruin the tight-knit community, it’s quiet rural nature, blah blah blah.
Let the bulldozing begin, commissioners said. There’s no stopping progress.
Chuckleheads
Have you noticed that Julie Blunder has started to chuckle her way through her weather-guessing, just like old Bob? She had her giggle going yesterday afternoon. I think all this warm weather has her a bit giddy.
Model railroader
Jon Punnyman Le must have known he missed the boat by not jumping on the model railroaders convention that Ashvegas brought to you a couple of weekends ago. So the Punnyman went out and found him his own model railroad enthusiast.
We were waiting for Le to put on an engineer’s cap and really get into it, but alas, all we got was some video of the guy in his basement with his incredible model trains, and a few puns.
RIP Tomarken
Peter Tomarken, who anyone who grew up in the 1980s knew as the host of the gameshow called Press Your Luck, died when his single engine plane went down off Santa Monica, Calif. His wife died with him.
No whammies.