A ConAgra plant near Raleigh, N.C., that makes and packages Slim Jim beef jerky was rocked by a huge explosion on Tuesday, killing three employees and sending dozens of workers and three firefighters to hospital with severe burns or “exposure to toxic fumes.”
north carolina
Time Warner Cable Cannot Possibly Compete With The Small City Of Wilson, NC
By 4.23.09
The city of Wilson, NC was tired of high internet, cable, and telephone prices, so they decided to do something about it. They started their own, city-owned, ISP. Now Time Warner Cable and Embarq have teamed up to convince North Carolina‘s legislature to propose bills outlawing community owned ISPs because the big guys cannot possibly compete.
Not Even Money Saves You From Foreclosure
By 12.4.08
Eric lost his home to foreclosure, but unlike other homeowners, he had actually been trying for the past month-and-a-half to buy it back from the mortgage company for more than the mortgage. The law firm that was handling it, however, wanted an extra $20k in fees to make that happen. He told the realtor that he would buy it for more than it was going to be listed for. The realtor told him that he couldn’t make a bid until it was “active,” which would happen on 11-29. On Sunday he tells the broker he;ll give an offer on Monday. Monday rolls around and they’ve already sold the house to someone else, for less than Eric was willing to pay. They said they “forgot” that he was going to make a bid. Eric is livid. His story, inside…
Mail Carrier Gets Probation For Burying Your Junk Mail In His Backyard
By 11.20.08
“Mailman Steve,” as he’s known to the children on his route, got 3 years probation yesterday for failing to deliver years worth of junk mail that was found stacked in his garage and buried in his backyard. He’ll also have to pay a $3,000 fine and serve 500 hours of community service.
Best Buy Caught Using Sneaky Sneaky Tricks To Sell HDTV Calibration Service
By 11.3.08
I’ve read some bad Best Buy stories in my time here at The Consumerist, but this one really takes the asshole cake. To sell its special HDTV calibration service, this Best Buy in NC set up two identical model HDTVs, both showing ESPN. As seen in the picture tipster Robert took, the “calibrated” one is noticeably better. That’s because it’s showing ESPN HD and the one on the left is showing just regular ESPN. You can also see how a set of box have been placed in front of the non-calibrated tv on the left so you can’t see that’s it not ESPN HD. That, my friends, is quintessential deceptive marketing. Robert’s story of what he saw, and the rivers of bullshit and non-answer that came out of the Best Buy employees’ mouths when he confronted them about it, inside…
Two More Weeks Of Gas Shortages In The South?
By 9.30.08
The New York Times has quoted an expert from Rice University who thinks that the gas shortages in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee could continue for two more weeks.
Complete Medical History Required For Manicure
By 8.29.08
In a dime-a-dozen business like nail salons, you need to have a hook or a gimmick to be unique. At the The Bella Aqua Spa in Laurinburg, North Carolina, they seem to have settled on requiring a copious amount of personal and medical history from you before you get to have a manicure as their little way of standing out.
Delta Steals Cremated Remains From Passenger's Luggage
By 1.21.08
A North Carolina man says that his son’s cremated remains are missing from his suitcase. When he got his luggage at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport after a trip to Orlando, he found his bag was unzipped. Inside, some gadgets items and a box with some of his son’s ashen remains was gone. The family says it has filed complaints with Delta Airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and Orlando International Airport. They should also file a police report, but more importantly, if they have the electronic item’s serial numbers, they should check to see if the gadgets have shown up on eBay. One guy did that, found a guy listing his camera stolen from his luggage, and the thief ended up getting caught and prosecuted.
By 1.20.08
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“Excessive price-scanning errors” earned the Kmart in Madison, North Carolina a $5,000 fine from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. [Eden Daily News]
74-Year-Old Man Jailed For Shoplifting $3 Sirloin
By 12.28.07
A North Carolina Food Lion called the cops on Joe Neal for pocketing a $3 steak. The 74-year-old didn’t have enough change to pay for the sirloin, which he intended to cook for his son’s birthday dinner. The steak was later consumed, not by Joe’s son, but by a fire that ravaged Joe’s house. The cops were summoned when Neal returned to the store to pay for the steak. Defending the arrest, Food Lion’s press-keepers explained that the store has a zero tolerance policy. Don’t miss WBTV’s expert analysis at the end.
With Free Rickshaw Rides. Chase Lures College Students To 23% APR Credit Card
By 10.30.07
Chase is giving college students free rides in special marketing rickshaws. Reader Ben reports seeing some, which look like the one pictured, on the campus of his North Carolina State University. Apparently the whole ride around the driver tries to sell you on the “Plus 1” credit card with its super-dope 23% APR. There’s also pitches for Bee Movie. The card gives you “karma points” which you can cash in for crap, share with friends or donate to “causes.” College kids go love to feel socially aware and responsible, and if it can be accomplished without leaving the dorm, all the better. Chase is also marketing the card on Facebook, the social networking site for people who go to college. The Plus 1 card earned a lemon award from creditcards.org.
Her Depot: Home Depot For Women
By 10.14.07
Scary man tools will be replaced by decorative trinkets and stylish furniture at the new Home Depot pilot store designed to attract women. Tragically dubbed “Her Depot,” the store will abandon Home Depot’s warehouse aesthetic in favor of shorter, “cleaner” aisles that emphasize home organization and interior design.
“There is a showroom of doors and windows unlike any other we’ve ever tried,” Feldman said.
Walmart "Stalking" T-shirt Angers Stalking Victim
By 9.30.07
A stalking victim that has found she has little legal recourse against her harasser due to North Carolina’s weak laws is angry at Walmart for selling a T-shirt that makes light of stalking.
As The Fed Snoozes, States Step Into The Subprime Breach
By 8.26.07
States are beginning to enact protections for subprime borrowers, reacting to the absence of a national solution from Washington. North Carolina last week became one of one of several states to clamp down on the adjustable-rate mortgages that have fueled the subprime meltdown.
Time Warner Charges You $0.23 For The Coupons Included In Your Bill
By 8.9.07
Time Warner charged Nick $0.23 for the Home Shopping Network coupon included in his monthly bill. The “Adhsn fee” listed on his bill was an oversight, according to a Time Warner representative, who defended the omnipresent charge as something that is usually “just bundled somewhere else.” Nick writes:
Reader Says He Found Brains In His KFC
By 7.24.07
UPDATE: This is probably deep-fried small intestine, according to commenters, for some of whom finding this in their KFC is apparently a common occurrence. [More]
The Potentially Apocryphal, Yet Well-Worn, Story Of Ken Lewis' Personal Dedication To Customer Service
By 6.12.07
According to a tale, possibly apocryphal, we picked up while visiting Charlotte, Bank of America’s home base, BoA CEO Ken Lewis was once standing behind some customers having trouble with a malfunctioning BoA ATM.
Pizza Hut Worker Fired For Reporting Mice To Health Department
By 6.11.07
Health inspectors closed a Pizza Hut restaurant in east Raleigh after a worker found live mice inside it. The employee who notified the health department about the mice says she was fired for reporting the problem.
In an initial inspection, a heath department inspector found mouse droppings behind an ice machine, but gave the restaurant a passing grade because she didn’t find any live animals. A contractor put out glue traps, and when the worker in question arrived at the restaurant the next morning, she found 6 live mice stuck to the traps.
