Congressional Candidate Jim Lee Offering $2,500 Reward for Sign Rustlers or Site Hackers!
The general vacuousness of unemployed college students and baby boomers, sorry I understand they prefer to called political activists, is about to pay off big for some eagle eyed Greenville County residents as Greenville Congressional candidate Jim Lee announces his intention to pay a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of people caught illegally removing his signs.
His office sent around this press release earlier today:
April 13, 2010 (Mauldin, SC) The Jim Lee for Congress campaign has announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) stealing campaign signs in the Upstate.
“Unfortunately, this sort of behavior is almost expected during a campaign, but this level of sign removal goes beyond usual tactics. It is escalating each week as we put out more signs,” stated Jim Lee. “It has become obvious to supporters that our campaign is being specifically targeted as we receive calls and emails nearly every day of signs being stolen out of their own front yards.”
Signs in Jim Lee’s front yard were stolen twice Easter week.
Other reports of missing signs are coming in from across the district from volunteers who put out signs and are noticing that all other candidate’s signs are still there. “Only Jim Lee’s were missing,” has been stated by several volunteers.
One volunteer hearing of the reward this morning stated, “$2500!! I’ve got coffee and a camera and I’m good to go!!”
The Lee Campaign will also offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons(s) responsible for hacking into the campaign website over Easter weekend causing the website to be down for several days. The campaign has not yet determined an amount or offered further details as they are still investigating the incident.
“Timing would indicate it is likely the same individuals involved in stealing the signs and hacking the website,” stated campaign consultant Kerry Wood, “We would also like to encourage any would-be sleuths to avoid confrontation with those responsible. Get your evidence; physical description of individuals responsible, vehicle description and license plate, and take video or photographs if possible. Then contact local law enforcement and our campaign at 688-2500.”
Of course stealing signs or crashing the websites of people you disagree with politically is probably one of the most childish things people can do, which means the culprits are either college students or one of those baby boomers that hang around Coffee Underground looking for teens to smoke pot with. Of course, $2,500 buys a lot of weed so I assume someone will get turned in fairly quickly.
Beheading in Downtown Greenville [Update: Suspects Caught]
Please scroll down for updates.
A beheading that took place in downtown Greenville wasn’t an honor killing, it was an act of vandalism. Police say a pair of vandals removed the head of a brick sculpture across from the Peace Center on Main Street.
Greenville Police caught the two on camera scoping out the statue, taking off the head, and then taking off with it. “It’s fairly difficult to damage, but they seemed to do so,“ says Sgt. Jason Rampey with Greenville Police.
After going on a joy ride, investigators say the culprits came back, head in hand. “Maybe they thought if they returned it, it was like no harm no foul, but they’ve caused damage to the statue.“
The city of Greenville is looking into repairing the art, but there is no cost estimate at this time. Greenville Police hope the vandals will have a tough time keeping mum about their mischief, and that their loose lips will lead to an arrest.
Update, Feb. 10, 2010:
[Two 16-year-olds have been charged with malicious damage to the sculpture, a misdemeanor. The case will be dealt with in the juvenile court system, and both teens have been released into their parents' custody.
Vandals Cause $10,000 in Damage at 8 Greer Homes
Eight homes in Greer were targeted by vandals Saturday, causing more than $10,000 in damages. Mailboxes and cars are among the damaged property, according to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.
Responding deputies observed that a mailbox with an attached pole had been thrown through the rear windshield of the car. Deputies were able to locate an address from the mailbox that led them to the owner’s home, who was also a victim of malicious damage to the mailbox. During the investigation, deputies discovered that several other cars and mailboxes had been damaged on other area streets.
The vandalism occurred on Windward Way, Crosswinds Street, Bransfield Drive, Silverleaf Street, and Hedgewood Terrace, and was reported around 7 a.m. on Saturday.
Incidentally, this vandalism spree in Greer coincides with a Greenville News report that crime in Greer was down 10 percent in 2009.
Of course, once you wade through the Greenville News spin you’ll find that crime didn’t actually drop, it’s just that Greer Police didn’t have the resources to pursue as many cases. “Part of this is due to some shortages we’ve experienced and not having the time to do some proactive stuff or police work as much as we were last year,” explained Greer Police Chief Dan Reynolds.
Stolen Forklift Used to Steal Wachovia ATM
If you’re going to steal an entire ATM, you’re going to need some heavy machinery. And if you’re a thief, why buy a forklift when you can just steal one?
Greenville County deputies say thieves stole a forklift from a construction site near the Shoppes at Green Ridge and used it to pry a Wachovia ATM right out of the ground.
The robbery happened at the Wachovia Bank at 1174 Woodruff Road just before 5 a.m.
Deputies said that when they arrived, they found a forklift and broken cables, but no ATM. They said that surveillance video from the bank is being looked at in an effort to identify the thieves.
The bank was closed today for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
The thieves loaded the cash machine onto a vehicle and fled the scene, but not before triggering an alarm that alerted deputies to the crime. No suspects have been identified at this time.
One Arrested After Suspicious Truck Fire
A truck belonging to Furniture Market Place in Greenville was damaged in a “suspicious” fire Monday morning, police said.
Firefighters said they arrived at the intersection of Augusta and Potomac roads at about 6:15 a.m. and found a truck ablaze. The truck belonged to Furniture Market Place. They said that the cause of the fire was suspicious.
Police said that a man was arrested shortly after officers arrived at the scene.
The tires were slashed on another truck belonging to the store. The identity of the suspect is not available at this time.