1 JUL 08: DEE'S DAY, NARC'S NIGHT

We planned to write about one big local topic today -- but then another story developed right under our nose. In fact, we couldn't smell anything about it. And that fact might be important in a courtroom someday....

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Columbus undercover narcotics agents raided an apartment in the Historic District around 6:50 p.m. Monday. In fact, it was an apartment immediately next door to ours. At least it wasn't another beggar looking for one dollar in gas money.

We were minding our own business watching the network newscasts, when shouts and noise developed at the apartment to our right. I've heard this on a small scale from time to time, late at night - but for all I knew, it could have been some (ahem) preliminary wrestling match before the main event....

But this shouting was louder and firmer -- like a fight was about to break out. Before I called police, I stepped outside to peek at what was happening. Good thing I did -- because it WAS the police.

A man who lives in the apartment next door was face-down on the concrete front porch. A couple more narcotic officers were making sure everything was "clear" inside - as in no one hiding with weapons. The shootouts can be reserved for the Olympic trials at Fort Benning, thank you....

I counted six narcotics officers, searching for drugs of some sort. The officers wouldn't tell me exactly what they were after - but they had a search warrant for it. It's almost enough to make me double-check my medicine cabinet, and throw away any expired aspirin.

In less than five minutes, four people stood outside in handcuffs -- then sat on the short front porch. Three were male, one female. All seemed cooperative - with none of them blurting out the sort of language or weird sentences which earns you a spot on "COPS."

Officers with the narcotics task force later told me the four people were being "held." So apparently they were being questioned, but NOT necessarily arrested. And of all the timing - they were questioned just in time for "Jeopardy."

A couple of disclaimers should be noted here: we have blurred the faces of the officers on our Blog picture page at the request of the task force. Members noted we have every right to take pictures -- but they ARE undercover officers. So no, this is NOT an experiment in bringing back blue-dot flashcubes.

(Yes, we told the officers we wrote this blog. They didn't seem to know what it was - which gives me some extra protection, if the residents next door come home and decide we told on them.)

And as they say on TV reality shows, all the people taken into custody are innocent until proven guilty. If only the ardent supporters of presidential candidates would remember that principle....

If the undercover officers found any drugs in the apartment next door, they didn't tell me. I noticed them checking for evidence, but did NOT see any evidence being removed. Then again, if I had stood around staring too long, I might have become the fifth person in handcuffs.

The narcotics task force did NOT seem pleased when a TV news crew showed up. "You're killing me here," one officer said. "You're shooting pictures of my men and of our cars." Someone should remind the police that simply because a video camera is present, that does NOT always mean live streaming video is in progress.

(And here we are, only two weeks from the "streets and safety" sales tax vote. Isn't a police raid like this good publicity? Show you're doing good work, and the voters might say yes for more. Spend all your time in hiding, and voters might decide you don't exist anymore.)

With most of the searching seemingly finished, we stepped outside around 7:45 p.m. for an evening jog. But there we noticed something else unusual - a marked Columbus police car driving down the Riverwalk near Golden Park. Was this a backup officer for the drug raid? Or are the bicycle police preparing for the Tour de France?

I came home from the evening jog around 8:20 - and found the last of the task force officers literally driving evidence away. He was able to start a motor scooter, which the man next door had acquired in recent weeks. That'll teach my neighbor to keep the dealer tag on it too long....

This next-door neighbor didn't seem all that unusual to me - just a bit different for the apartment complex. He put on a big summer party for his child a few Saturdays ago, complete with a miniature sand volleyball court. For most complex residents, a big party consists of a few folding chairs under a tree with a case of beer.

So I'll have to wait a few days, to see if anything comes of the undercover raid. If the foursome come back and hold a weekend victory party, I guess that means police were wrong. If the next visitors at that apartment are moving out furniture because the July rent was late, that will be another story....

Oh yes, before I forget - that black ski mask we pointed out here a couple of times [16 Jun] finally has been picked up. It took about three weeks, and it apparently was removed by a grass-cutting crew of prison inmates. I hope none of them tried it on first, and stuffed it inside their shorts.

BLOG UPDATE: Only minutes before all that happened, an era ended in Columbus television. It ended modestly -- not with the bang some people might have been expecting. No, Dee Armstrong's parting words were NOT "see you in court."

Dee Armstrong admitted to your blog she questioned showing up for work Monday at all. But she fulfilled her contractual obligations, and appeared one last time on the evening news. That really shouldn't be a surprise. Armstrong's been performing music at the Liberty Theatre - so she realizes even the TV show must go on.

(Besides, she presented plenty of news stories about West Point and LaGrange - enough to qualify her as a real Trouper.)

Dee Armstrong choked up for only a moment, as she noted how "God has blessed me in so many ways" - and how she's glad to have made Columbus her home for 26 years. It doesn't sound to me like she'll be doing commercials against the sales tax question.

But if you're expecting Dee Armstrong to race around the bend and up the hill from Wynnton Road to WRBL, think again. She will NOT move into a new TV news job right away. Armstrong hinted at that, when she said you might see her at "the hardware store." A Christian woman like her would be a perfect fit at Habitat for Humanity....

In fact, Dee Armstrong tells me she plans to get into "renovating, contracting." This admittedly surprised me. But then again, you can wear hard hats all day when "anchor hair" isn't an issue anymore.

(But hold on - Dee Armstrong told former co-anchor Dick McMichael she plans to work in "financial services." So maybe she'll fix up homes, then know how high the interest rate on financing should be.)

A big farewell party for Dee Armstrong took place Saturday night, at a home in Harris County. Other commitments required us to arrive shortly after sundown, well after it began - but we arrived just in time to see a woman reading the story of Armstrong's life. So will the tell-all book come out first, or the autobiography?

Dee Armstrong was joined by dozens of her friends and former co-workers. One familiar face was John Lyles - a former weekend news anchor, who now is in charge of transportation for Clayton County Schools. From what I've heard about that district's problems, he could be only two years away from becoming superintendent.

The guessing game probably began months ago about who will replace Dee Armstrong. I have my own idea, but I do NOT plan to publicize it here. After all, I thought somebody from Augusta would come all the way across the state to Columbus and win the Miss Georgia pageant.

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E-MAIL UPDATE: Monday's look at other departing journalists brought this message....

I go to Biloxi a few times a year and always enjoy reading their newspaper which is owned by McClatchy. They have very clear color photography, a full color weather report and map, the print is clear and not blurred, quality of paper is good and every section is evenly folded. There is no evidence of any austerity program. I'll bet the people of Biloxi were pleased when the L-E quit printing their paper after Katrina.

The local McClatchy can't even afford a decent folding machine. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go to a weekly.

Lon Gammage

We should remember there's one big financial difference between the Biloxi Sun-Herald and the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - all those greedy casinos, desperately seeking greedy customers.

Because of our two big stories, we'll make quick work of some other Monday news....

+ The high temperature in Columbus was a comfortable 86 degrees F. - and with low humidity, it was downright nice for the last day of June. It was SO NICE that some air conditioning theft rings might have taken the day off.

+ Beacon University's President offered more details on the decision to shut down next year. Dr. Ian Bond admitted Beacon was in financial trouble LAST year, but tried one more promotional effort to increase enrollment. Apparently not enough Cottonmouth hockey fans were persuaded to stop rooting for fights, and consider the ministry.

+ The Georgia Supreme Court ruled judges can order criminals to live in one specific county, barring them from all others. Wait until those judges find out how run-down parts of Stewart County are....

+ The late University of Georgia mascot UGA VI was laid to rest at a private ceremony in Athens. His crypt is located in a wall at the side of Sanford Stadium. Compared to this, Herschel Walker's grave site might take one of the university's intermural fields out of service.

(Somebody's got to ask it - are Georgia fans making too big a deal over the passing of UGA VI? Some of the tributes make it sound like the dog was as responsible for as many football titles as Coach Mark Richt was.)

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