Fatal Ellenboro Fire

This was the scene Tuesday after a fire in Ellenboro claimed the lives of a father and his two children.

"They were just good people, good neighbors," said Bob Forbes of the family - Matt Robbins and children Mason and Dustin.

Matt Robbins was a former member of the Ellenboro Volunteer Fire Department, Forbes said.

Read more in Wednesday's Star.

Become a Simpsons Character

Look familiar?

Hopefully.

It's my Simpsons character.

You can build your own, using a personal photo, at http://simpsonizeme.com/

It can be a little tricky. Make sure you have some close-up shots where you are facing forward.

I'm hoping to catch the movie this afternoon (crosses fingers)

Justin Grant's Son

I had the chance yesterday to speak with Kelly Bumgarner, shown here with her son Levi, who turns 1 Thursday.

Levi is also the son of Justin Grant. Levi was born about two weeks after Justin's body was found last July.

Kelly was very upfront about what she thinks happened to Justin, moreso than anyone else has been to this point.

"Whoever did it knew him. He looked his murderer in the face."

Look for the story in Sunday's Star and in our Justin Grant section

It looked like Twister Part 2!

(paraphrased for clarity from the comments of a trailer home resident)

Don't worry. Neither of the Waco trailer park homes destroyed in a Friday night storm were occupied by people.

"Just rats," said Wallace Buckner, whose wife owns the property.

Read the story here

The Playlist: Arena Rock

The Playlist by Graham Cawthon

It's been suggested to me since this column began that I should do a piece on the music of the 1980s. The rise of Michael Jackson and Madonna to superstars. The creation of new music genres, such as new wave and glam metal. But, with the 80s being such a large topic to tackle, I'll spend this week focusing on one of the most popular aspects of 80s music - arena rock.

You know who they are. The rock groups popular in the early to mid 80s that lacked the edginess of AC/DC or Ozzy. Big hair, big guitars. And, when the opportunity arose, big ballads.



Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (album: Escape, 1981)
Everyone knows this song. Want proof? "Just a small town girl ..."
You finished the line, didn't you? Journey is the king of arena rock and this was their crowning achievement. It's a song that has lived on through movies (The Wedding Singer), sit-coms (Scrubs, above), cartoons (Family Guy) and even one of those award-winning HBO series (the much-talked about Sopranos finale). Because of the TV exposure in recent years, the song has frequently been listed among iTunes' most downloaded songs.



Europe - The Final Countdown (album: The Final Countdown, 1986)
VH1 rated it one of their "40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs." I respectfully disagree. In my opinion it's the epitome of over-the-top 80s rock. And when you throw in the catchy synthesizer ... well, that's just perfect. The signature song from the Swedish band peaked at #8 in the US but reached #1 in 26 countries. Not bad for an "awesomely bad" tune, huh?



Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me (album: Hysteria, 1987)
Twenty years later and the song still draws a crowd at college parties around the country. As of 2005, the song had been downloaded over 500,000 times, earning the song RIAA Gold certification for digital downloads. It is one of the few songs recorded before 2004 to accomplish that goal. The single reached #2 on the US charts and later ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Best Songs of the '80s" and #1 on MTV's "Top 100 Videos of All Time." Keep in mind that MTV poll was from 1991.



Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (album: Open Up And Say ... Ahh!, 1988)
Bret Michaels (currently the star of VH1's Rock of Love) has said the song was written in a laundromat after a stripper broke his heart. So sweet. The power ballad reached #1 in the US on Christmas Eve 1988 and stayed on top three weeks. It was the band's first and only chart-topping single.



Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer (album: Slippery When Wet, 1987)
Remember when Bon Jovi still did rock songs? The story of Tommy and Gina, "down on their luck," lasted four weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts in 1987. This is about as close a marriage between downtrodden Springsteen-esque lyrics and 80s glam rock music as I can imagine.

Those are my picks. What are yours? Shoot me an e-mail at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com and I might use them in a future column.

Vigil for Justin

I'm about to head out the door for some all-day training in Gastonia but wanted to post this first.

I spoke with one of Justin Grant's friends, Holly Mellon, via e-mail and she passed along some photos from the vigil held July 16, the one-year anniversary of Justin's disappearance, at the site his body was found.

She was nice enough to give me permission to share these with you guys.

Archived Justin Grant Video

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about a new video we've posted pertaining to the Justin Grant case.
We dug through our archives and found video shot on Selkirk Drive the day Justin's body was discovered. Of course, at that time, we had no idea it would turn out to be a murder investigation.

You can watch the clip either by clicking here or visiting the Justin Grant section of ShelbyStar.com.

First Female Boiling Springs Officer

Boiling Springs Police welcomed their first ever female officer Wednesday with the swearing in of Samantha Davis (shown here, alongside Police Cheif Marty Thomas).

"We're excited about you coming on board," Thomas told Mrs. Davis prior to the swearing in, held at city hall. "You'll do well."

"This is something I wanted to do since high school," Mrs. Davis said.

Catalytic Converters

At least two local car dealerships have reported a string of stolen catalytic converters in the past several weeks, like the one shown here.

Police say the car parts are being sold to junkyards for their copper, platinum and silver pieces.

Read more in The Star later this week about the problem and what's being done.

Revisiting the Justin Grant Murder

I remember the night pretty clearly. Well, more clearly than most.

It was a Friday night in July, mere minutes before I was to head out the door for a much-needed weekend. I was sitting at my desk and heard a body had been found out in the county.

Many of us in the newsroom that night thought it was that of Asha Degree, the young girl that disappeared back in 2000. But it wasn't her. And, as I would learn, the cause of death was anything but natural.

Here we are one year later. Who killed Justin Grant is as much a mystery now as it was the day his body was found that Friday on Selkirk Drive.

I spent much of last week revisiting this case. Going over old articles. Meeting again with the family. But throughout the past year, it's always been in the back of my mind. There are just too many questions surrounding this investigation to just ignore it and move on.

Who killed him? Why? Where? When?

You know the 5 W's and the H? Well, the only answer we have is the H - the 'how.'

Justin was shot. Repeatedly. And investigators don't know which bullet killed him.

His body was dumped to rot beside a dirt road surrounded by farm land.

That has to be personal. Whoever was responsible wanted there to be no doubt in their mind that Justin was dead. Or were they sending a message...?

Investigators have theories. But right now that's all they are. And, concerned over getting too much information out to the media, they aren't sharing the theories ... yet.

Earlier this week, Justin's family gave me a photo of him to keep out of appreciation for getting this story back out to the public. Considering what they have left of him is mostly photographs, I was honored and flattered by the gesture.

I only hope that the hard work we've put into telling their story will help the case ... get people talking ... get people angry ... and get people feeling guilty enough to come forward with what they know.

Be sure to check out the Justin Grant page under 'Interactive Features' at ShelbyStar.com (or click on the link in the previous paragraph). That will get you up to date on the articles we've already run on the case, family photos, video interviews with the family and much more.

Check back Sunday through Saturday as a new chapter in the 6-piece series is posted.

The Investigation Continues

This is Sgt. Bryan Gordon of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office displaying just some of the tips which have come in over the past year regarding the disappearance and death of Justin Grant, 21.

I will have a 6-part series detailing the case thus far beginning Sunday and continuing to next Saturday.

Look for a special sub site on ShelbyStar.com entirely devoted to the case. It should be online Saturday.

The Playlist: 5 Songs to De-Stress

A copy of my new music column. Check it out each Thursday in the Lifestyles section of The Star...



The Playlist by Graham Cawthon

I should preface this week's column by making it known I'm writing this at the end of a long and, as usual, stressful day at the newsroom. My head is throbbing out of my skull, my throat is dry because I haven't had a chance to drink in hours, and my blood sugar level is at an all-time low because I've been running around all day searching for arrest reports or the day's big car wreck. And the stress doesn't just disappear the moment I open the door to my apartment.

So what do I listen to when I'm in need of a good de-stresser? Here are a few songs I rely on to forget about the day's problems and recharge for tomorrow. Try them on for size the next time you're in need of some quick rest and relaxation.

Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World (released as a single, 1967)

I vividly remember playing this on my iPod one Friday evening as I was heading back to the office and got stuck in rush hour traffic. My road rage tendencies disappeared in two minutes flat.


Sarah McLachlan - Angel (album: Surfacing, 1997)

The song, one of the major tracks on 1998's City of Angels soundtrack, was inspired by the heroin overdose death of Smashing Pumpkins' keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin. If I had to choose the best ballet of the 90s, it would be this.


Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me (album: Crash, 1996)

Matthews has said he wrote this song, arguably the band's most well-known, about the worship of women. Yeah, the lyrics are a little on the R-rated side if you sit and take a look but it's still a radio favorite on pop and easy listening stations around the world.


Don Henley (featuring Bruce Hornsby) - The End of the Innocence (album: The End of the Innocence, 1989)

The title track to Henley's 1989 solo album was one of the most successful in the career for the longtime drummer of the Eagles. Pianist Bruce Hornsby joins Henley for the song, inspired by the Savings and Loan crisis of the late 80s that forced farmers across the country to sell their land.


Elton John - Tiny Dancer (album: Madman Across the Water, 1971)

I'm a longtime fan of Elton and still somewhat regret selling Managing Editor Alan Jenkins my tickets to see him a few months ago in Greenville, S.C. (I had other plans for the weekend). If you need a pick-me-up, try this. By the end of the song you might be singing along just like the famous scene in Almost Famous (featured above).


Those are my picks. Have any of your own? Feel free to shoot me an e-mail at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com. Maybe I'll feature them in a future column.

Justin's Place

More photos from the site Justin Grant's body was found. Family and friends have dubbed the location, and the makeshift memorial, "Justin's Place."
Here's Justin's grandmother, Shirley Sigmon, with just one of the photos she has of her grandson hung inside Shirley's Garden & Flower Center in Polkville.

Who Killed Justin Grant?

I drove to Selkirk Drive today, the dirt road surrounded by farms and wire fences, where Justin Grant's body was dumped after he was killed last July.

Despite the Star's coverage of Justin - we've probably run half a dozen articles at this point - this was my first chance to visit.

Justin's family and friends helped create a memorial for him where his body was found.

This his mother Cindy looking through the family's photo album detailing Justin's life and death. Cindy, along with Justin's father, grandmother, and sister, sat down and talked with me in-depth today about him, what they think happened one year ago this week, and the investigation into his murder.

Look for more in Sunday's Star.

Justin Grant's Murder: 1 Year Later

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the last time Justin Grant, 21, was seen alive. Grant's decomposed body was discovered in a field on Selkirk Road in Lawndale five days later.

County detectives worked the case hard, even forming a taskforce that worked the murder non-stop for several weeks earlier this year. And still no arrest.

I'll be meeting with members of the Grant family tomorrow to see what their thoughts are one year later. I also plan to speak with detectives about their difficulties solving the case.

There is a lot of rumor and innuendo regarding the murder. A lot of whispers and a lot of silence. Some people out there know what happened to Justin and who is responsible. Hopefully getting this story back out into the public will lead to those people coming forward and setting the story straight.

Look for the article in Sunday's paper.

If you knew Justin or have information regarding the case, feel free to give me a call at (704) 484-7000 ext. 126. I'd love to hear from you.

The Outage of 07

Where were you at 5:45 p.m. Thursday?

Me? I was right here.

Yep, that's The Star's newsroom. Dead center is the head of copy editor Hugh Koontz.

And exactly what was behind the outage that left much of Shelby without power for much of the evening?

One tree.

Yep, one downed tree in one backyard.

Specifically, this backyard.

I don't think I'm out of line in saying - if one tree can shut down Shelby, well, something's not right.

SPD Welcomes New Officer

Shelby Police welcomed a new officer Thursday.

Benjamin G. Travis (standing, right), 24, was sworn in during an outdoor ceremony attended by his wife, parents, and other officers.

Travis, a 2001 graduate of Burns High, was born in Shelby, is a former Eagle scout and has both military and firefighter experience.

"I would love to get (more) people who are born and raised in Shelby, North Carolina," said a smiling Chief Tandy Carter.

Shelby Crime Rate (Jan. to June 07)

Here are the numbers released Wednesday by the Shelby Police Department showing the drop in reported crime between the first half of 2006 and 2007 as well as what has contributed to the falling numbers.

Part 1 Crimes (Violent) (2006 to 2007)
Murder: 3 to 1
Rape: 5 to 8
Robbery: 30 to 29
Assault: 49 to 39
Totals: 87 to 77
11% Decrease


Part 1 Crimes (Property)
Burglary: 207 to 138
Larceny: 411 to 406
Auto Theft: 53 to 22
Arson: 2 to 4
Totals: 673 to 570
15% Decrease


Part 1 Arrest (Violent)
Murder: 2 to 2
Rape: 1 to 5
Robbery: 26 to 12
Assault: 66 to 51
Totals: 95 to 70
26% Decrease


Part 1 Arrest (Property)
Burglary: 51 to 38
Larceny: 125 to 155
Auto Theft: 7 to 4
Arson: 0 to 1
Totals: 183 to 198
8% Increase


Hot Spots where crime is still prevalent:
West Shelby
Ramblewood
Logan / Crawford / Highland streets
Suttle / Carolina streets
Lenoir Drive (growing)

Predominant Crimes:
Property crime
Narcotic charges (street level)

Number of Prisoners Returned to Cleveland County in the first half of 2007: 138

Solved cases by the criminal investigations division in 07:
Murder: 100%
Rape: 71.4%
Robbery: 40%
Aggravated Assault: 50%
Burglary: 23.4%
Larceny / Theft: 67.8%
Motor Vehicle Theft: 42.8%

CrimeStoppers:
2007: 46 calls so far
2006: 53 calls total
$950 paid out in 2006
$1,800 paid out in the first half of 2007

Community Watch:
Currently 27 CW groups in Shelby
2006: 21
2005: 15

Cherish the Cowgirl

There's a straw hat propped up on a police scanner antenna on my desk.

I'm not quite sure where it came from, it's just always been there. ... That and the red plush fish with buggy eyes.

Occasionally the hat with the mysterious past gets worn.

Wonder if she'll have lice in the morning ...

Pukey Pickles

So gross...

Emily has been playing with Kool-Aid pickles today. We're not quite sure why. We think she has a medical condition.

So gross...

Brenda Sue Back in the News

A TV crew from the Oxygen Network is currently interviewing former Star Lifestyles editor and cops reporter Megan Ward in our newsroom about her coverage of the Brenda Sue Brown murder 40 years ago.
I shot some video excerpts from the interview that should be online Monday, along with a story. Look for more at shelbystar.com

Live Earth

Copy editor Hugh Koontz just walked in the room and handed me a New York Times article that I just had to blog about.

If you haven't noticed, there's a big concert thingy going on today around the world. And in the wake of Live Aid and Live 8, it's appropriately named Live Earth.

The Times article is all about how Al Gore put the wheels in motion and how the message of the concert, held on all seven continents, is to bring awareness to "environmental issues."

I'm not blogging this because I'm for or against making the world colder ... I just love big historic all-day concert festivals. I have both 1985's Live Aid and 2005's Live 8 on DVD (it's a fun way to spend 10 hours in front of the TV).

For those interested, here's where you can check the show(s) out:

NBC will broadcast highlights Sunday at 8 p.m.
Bravo will telecast 18 hours beginning 9 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday
The Sundance Channel and Universal HD will air 22 hours of live coverage from 4 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
CNBC will air from 7 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday
MSNBC will air throughout the day with live reports from London and New York

Online resources:
Main website (with blogs updated throughout the day)

Watch live video from concerts around the world

The Bravo Channel website (blogs and photos from the concerts)

Now I know why my head hurts...

Star Editor Jon Jimison was joking with me yesterday, my first real day back since my car wreck, about how I was too calm and not my usual sarcastic self.

Well now I know why.

Graham has post-concussion syndrome!

From Wikipedia:

Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, is a set of symptoms that a person may experience for weeks, months, or even years after a concussion, a mild form of traumatic brain injury.

(In layman's terms, it basically means I feel like crap, have a constant headache, can't concentrate, and if given 5 minutes could be sound asleep)

Earlier this afternoon I had my first CAT scan done. That was neat...

So what can I do to lessen the symptoms? Basically nothing. It's supposed to go away on its own but who knows when that will be.

Yay! *twirls finger in fake enthusiasm*

How's that for sarcasm, Jon? :)

Transformers: The Movie

Still sore from Monday's wreck. Back, neck, shoulders, head. Feels like I was stuck in a pinball machine.

Anyway ...

I finally got around to watching Transformers this afternoon. Alan Ford gave me a ticket refund stub a few weeks back so I decided to use it as a free way of entertaining myself for about 2 and a half hours (yeah, a little long for a big explosion, popcorn flick).

I pre-gamed last night by rewatching the cartoon movie from 21 years ago (Oh my god, that movie is old enough to buy alcohol!).

It's still a downer to see so many characters killed off within just the first few minutes. Especially considering it's a cartoon.

From glimpsing around online, it sounds like the live-action film has received mixed reviews but I had no problem with it. Yeah, the robots do look a little ... odd with all their sharp mechanical pieces. And yes the action moves so fast that it's sometimes hard to figure out what robot is fighting what robot. But the story moved along well and, by and large, made sense.

Let's put it this way. If you enjoyed Independence Day or Armageddon, you'd probably enjoy this.

If you're die-hard Transformers and you know every episode and all the characters' names, you'll probably find a thousand problems with the film.

I'll give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I hear a sequel is in the works ...

Firecrackers

I just got back from a non-shooting...

(Scanner traffic says there's a shooting, I go out, there's no police at the scene, no EMTs, and no people)

With all the firecrackers going off tonight, it sounds like a war zone outside. Hopefully none of those turns out to be a real gunshot.

Savannah and My First Wreck

Wednesday at 11:25 a.m.

What a weekend.

I just got back in town after a long (and longer than expected) weekend in Savannah, Ga. and Beaufort, SC with my girlfriend Lindsay.

A few highlights:
Getting in to a Savannah Sand Gnats game for free Saturday and having a buffet of free hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, soda, and beer. And winning free stuff! (photo 1)
Eating at Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah, The Lady & Sons. It's a long wait to get inside (we got there at 11 a.m. and had to reserve a table for 3:45 p.m.) but worth it. Pulled pork in BBQ sauce, fried and baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes. And for dessert - banana pudding. Great buffet for only $15.

Being rear-ended at 70mph on I-95 while driving home Monday.

I was about 90 minutes into my drive home (around St. George, SC) when I saw a firetruck with its lights flashing in the left lane (I was in the right lane). I began to approach the truck and, seeing he was slowing down, I slowed down as well to give him ample room to change lanes if that's what he was trying to do. At that very moment a RV slammed into the back of me, jarring my entire body.

The RV pulled to the side of the road about 30 yards away as I sat there in my seat, holding my neck and back. When I eventually got out of the car, a woman in the RV first asked if I was OK and then scolded me for slowing down. When I mentioned I slowed down for the emergency vehicle with its lights flashing, she responded with "He wasn't even in your lane."

Apparently it's OK to speed AROUND emergency vehicles. ... You learn something every day.

I wasn't going to win that argument so I got back in my car and waited for Highway Patrol.

The trooper sided with me and noted the RV contributed to the wreck and I did not. But the fun doesn't end here.

After noting to the trooper I'd like to be checked out just to make sure I was OK health-wise, an ambulance responded to the wreck and EMTs fitted me with a neckbrace and taped me down to a backboard.

I really wish I had my camera handy while I stared up at the ceiling of the ambulance as I was sped to the closest hospital about 20 minutes away.

They wheeled me inside the hospital, all the while I wasn't able to turn my head or even sit up to see what was around me.

It was another 20 minutes before the doctor came in and freed me from the neckbrace and back board. After a brief examination, I had several X-rays done on my back, which at least showed I don't have any broken bones. All the while, the nurses and doctors told me I would be more sore in the morning and in the ensuing days due to soft tissue damage.

They were right.
I ended up staying the night at Lindsay's parents' home. She was nice enough to pick me up and I got my pain pills filled at the CVS down the road from the hospital.

The car, while banged up, was still drivable, according to the state trooper. But Tuesday when I got to the auto body shop it had been towed to, the owner told me he was shocked the trooper said it was OK to drive. Apparently there was severe structural damage to the vehicle and I was warned that if I did try to make the 3-4 hour trip home, I would be pulled over by police and possibly forced to abandon the car on the side of the road.

It could be totalled.

So I called my insurance company and they hooked me up with a rental pickup truck until my car is fixed, which is probably going to be weeks.

Finally got home last night around 9. Still sore from the crash. I have to work today but will probably take a sick day later in the week to help recover.

Thankfully my suitcase and work laptop, both of which were stored in the trunk of the car, survived the wreck intact.

Yay for insurance and yay for eventful road trips!