Monday Odds and Ends - All Over The Chart Edition

Felony Death By Vehicle  - In North Carolina will get you 3 years.

Steven Driggers who was charged with drunk driving in a deadly accident in east Charlotte last summer has pleaded guilty.

Steven Driggers Photo Meck Sheriff's Office

CMPD Officers say Driggers crossed over the center line on Reedy Creek Road and struck the vehicle carrying the Rodriguez family head-on. The father, Renaldo Rodriguez, was killed. His wife and teen daughter were injured.

Driggers pleaded guilty to felony death by motor vehicle and was sentenced to a maximum of just over three years behind bars.

40 months seems a little weak, on the other hand in South Carolina the standard for a drunk driving offense that results in the death of someone is 18 years.

Lisa Pistolis Update - Charleston's infamous party girl and former Hooter's waitress has bonded out of jail.

Pistolis is charged in the January 27, accident that claimed the life of Serjei Cahuantzi ,35 of Charleston and seriously injured his passenger on I-525 in North Charleston. Her reported BAL was .12 well over the .08 limit.

The trial date for her previous DUI is next month and late June for the DUI murder charge. If convicted she can expect a ten years or longer prison sentence. Other recent convictions for the same crime have resulted in 18 - 20 year sentences for first time offenders in South Carolina.

Cedar's Take: South Carolina DA's and Charleston County Judges have taken a hard line against drunk drivers who kill. Mallory Hood age 24 is serving a 18 year sentence for killing a Navy sailor who was also intoxcated and had crashed into another motorcycle. Her story here.

Charlotte Chamber's Shameful Plea - It is really sad when the Panther's turn to the Charlotte Chamber to do their dirty work. This email was sent to Chamber Members on Friday which continues the bogus idea that the Panther's will move the team if they aren't able to grab money from Charlotte taxpayers.

Help keep the Panthers in Charlotte!

 

Charlotte City Council will vote on Monday on a revised proposal to aid in renovations to Bank of America stadium. The deal has changed due to legislation which passed the legislature last week. The Panthers provide great economic benefit to our community in the way of sales tax revenue, occupied hotel rooms and restaurant meals on game days. The intangible benefits come from the national television time that shows our beautiful community to audiences across the county.

We need you to show your support for the team at Council's meeting on Monday evening. Several folks have signed up to speak and will ask you to stand up when they go to the podium.

Monday, April 22, 7 pm until

Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center

600 E. 4th Street

Please wear a Panthers jersey or t-shirt. 

Repo Man - Nothing says sluggish economic recovery like a repo guy prowling the streets of a local high end neighborhood.

Cedar Posts spotted this "grab and go" tow truck in South Charlotte's Piper Glen last week.

When the car owner spotted the tow truck backing up to the target car CMPD was called. Apparently the police intervention worked as the "Repo Guy" left empty handed.

Gun Control Fail - Lost in the news of Boston and the small town of West, Texas is the failure of President Obama's plan to take guns away from Americans.

The shame of failure was apparently just too much for "Shotgun" Joe Biden to bare. Others didn't take it so hard instead they resorted to blaming big money for buying off senators.

Boston Bombing - Developments

• The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, is awake in a Boston hospital and responding in writing to questions, a law enforcement official told USA TODAY.

• Charges may be filed today.

• A wake was held in Medford, Mass., for bombing victim Krystle Campbell.

• Authorities are looking at the possibility that a neck wound on suspect No. 2 the result of a suicide attempt.

• Word of suspect No,. 1's 2011 FBI interview and 2012 trip to Russia raises concerns about signs of his increasingly radical views. Republican Reps. Peter King and Michael McCaul want to know why the FBI released the suspect after questioning him in 2011. Republican Rep. Mike Rogers says he does not believe the FBI failed to detect any suspicious behavior.

• Watertown Police Chief Ed DeVeau, recounting the chase and capture of the suspects, says the two fired 200 to 300 shots at his officers, then tossed what appeared to be a pressure cooker bomb.

• The ACLU questions whether it's appropriate for law enforcement officials to use a public safety exception to justify not reading suspect No. 2 his Miranda rights.

• A moment of silence precedes the London Marathon, where some runners wore black armbands amid increased security.

Boston Officers Turn Streets Blue - A somber salute to fallen Officer Sean Collier.

CFD Ladder 23 in Indianapolis - Sunday afternoon found Charlotte Fire Department's reserve ladder 23 was ready to roll into Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium after making the 800+ mile trip to Indiana.

CFD's Reserve Ladder 23 and other Smeal rigs ready to go on display at the 2013 FDIC

Ladder 23 is part of a heavy promotional effort by Smeal Apparatus leading up to the 2013 FDIC. The event is the final four of fire fighting, a week long educational, and sale expo that gives firefighters a chance to share and learn.

Smeal Apparatus is the exseclusive supplier to the Charlotte Fire Department.

Cedar Posts prior story on Ladder 23's trip to Indianapolis was met with disdain by CFD public information officer Mark Basnight. That post is here.

Technology's Key Role - in the apprehension of the Marathon Bombing suspects is unquestionable.

But beyond the surveillance cameras and the helo mounted camera using infrared imaging from more than 3000 feet is the ability to simply "take out the suspect".

Laser targeting from above and a sniper on the ground, reverse to that of a seal team directed air strike but plausible. In this case ground forces using the above images were able to direct fire on flash bang charges near enough to the suspect to be affective but far enough away not to cause fatal injuries.