What’s in the news: Snowstorm, a murder-suicide, elementary school death threats and much, much more

Jason Sandford

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

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Wednesday was jam-packed with news for WLOSers. Here’s what they put on the teevee box:

Winter weather
With an impending storm, but no actual precipitation falling, WLOSers had to do the “storm prep” story. They hit us up with Mike Cuevas in the weather center calling for the veritable “mixed bag” of precip – snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain. All that means is he really doesn’t know what’s going to happen. He said it was snowing in Atlanta.

Then WLOSers threw it over to John Le, who said the temperature had “nose-dived by several degrees” in the hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Doubt there was a real nose-dive, John. But you’ve got to make the news sexy, right? Le said the “brrrr factor” was expected to go up. He said DOT crews were pounding the pavement and “primed for precipitation.” The work is “their bread and butter – and salt,” Le said, noting that they “seasoned the roads” with salt water. It’s the part of the job that “gives them the chills,” Le said.

Oy.

(A look outside shows that the storm has indeed begun. A hard, cold granulated snow has begun to fall .)

Murder-suicide
Two people are dead after a man shot his former boss in West Asheville and then drove home and shot himself, WLOSer Charu told us. The shooting happened at Mountain Valley Water on Haywood Road.

Charu interviewed the family of the alleged shooter, Gus McCurry. McCurry’s daughter, Stephanie McCurry, told Charu that she went to Mission Hospital when she heard that her dad had shot himself, but she said she had no idea that he would shoot somebody else. Thomas Scotchie was shot dead at the water bottling business about 5 a.m.

McCurry apparently shot himself at his home on Eva Circle, Charu said.

Stephanie McCurry said her father would “give the shirt off his back” to help somebody. Charu said Gus McCurry was depressed over losing his job. The family said he “struggled” with drug abuse. Charu said Gus McCurry had a dispute with his former boss over a workman’s comp issue. Charu further reported that Scotchie at one point had taken out a restraining order on McCurry, but it had been dropped. Charu also said that McCurry was a habitual felon, but she didn’t explain how he could be out of jail if that was true.

Kevin West, a spokesman for the Asheville Police Department, in a voice dripping with contempt, said that the incident was a “cold-blooded murder” with no provocation.

Elementary school death threats
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department deputies went to Johnston Elementary School Wednesday morning to deal with a kid who allegedly made death threats against other kids.

Two parents told WLOSers that their children were trying to break up a fight on a bus when one of the fighters said he was going to bring a gun to school and shoot them. The kid was sent home, suspended for two days.

Booster club funds boosted?
Terrie Foster said that the Pisgah High School booster club is missing some money.

The booster cub won’t say how much is missing, but it raises $30,000 to $40,000 a year. The club, made of volunteers, uses the cash to buy new equipment for sports teams. That was about all the meat this lean story had.

In other news…
There’s a suspect in a hit-and-run case after a man and his grandson were hit crossing Fairview Road in Oakely. The suspect left his vehicle at the scene and ran… Transylvania County officials held a press conference and didn’t say anything new about suspected killer Gary Hilton… There won’t be any charges or fines against Avery Creek Kennel after a pit bull in the kennel attacked and killed two other dogs… The Henderson County sheriff has changed the noise ordinance there. Instead of a decibel-based ordinance, the responding officer can now make a call on what should and shouldn’t be considered a noise issue… Asheville City Council approved a resolution asking the state DOT to consider an alternative plan for a new Smoky Park Bridge. They call it the “I-26 connector,” and the alternate plan was developed by Asheville Design Center and modified by Fig Engineers… A home that burned on Monday was probably arson, investigators say… And Russ Bowen was on the campaign trail in South Carolina in advance of Saturday’s Republican primary.