Bedford County Bingo

Posted Wednesday, September 30, 2009, at 2:46 PM

During the time I covered the sports and police beat for the Times-Gazette, many nights, and sometimes days, I'd hear things really begin to get erratic at best and downright crazy at worst over the police scanner on my desk or else get called to come take photos.

When this happened I often remarked, "Oh, oh. They've started playing Bedford County Bingo again."

I've often thought ofr writing 300 or 400 of the incidents that took place and putting them in a book. Believe me, most were funny, many interesting and some just crazy.

As an example, a man caught running from a suspected home burglary with a portable television under his arm told law enforcement officers he went jogging every afternoon. He was wearing wing-tipped shoes.

Or there was the well-known woman caught in a rather compromising position by her husband who told police she wanted to think it over for a couple of days to decide whether or not she had been raped.

And there are times when I asked coaches to change their quotes. I'd read their quote back to them and always be told note to run what he had said.

Of course I might have to leave town after writing such a book.

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Bo, As one of the coaches you had to help in my early days, I remember our funny dicussion of why we shouldn't refer to female athletes as "real hustlers" haha What a conotation that would have been. Thanks, Neal Gordon

-- Posted by gordo1965 on Thu, Oct 1, 2009, at 8:42 AM

Put me down for a copy Bo! You snapped my photo once in a situation that I'd just soon forget. It was at the old city jail and that's all I'm gonna say about that. LOL

-- Posted by Tim Lokey on Wed, Sep 30, 2009, at 11:04 PM

Y'all might want to leave town BEFORE your book gets published if it relates some of the less flattering tales of Bedford County history.

We've had quite a few people who should have won Darwin awards and prompt folks to say "Here's your sign" more than "What's your sign?)

They may not be representative of the intellect and character of the typical Bedford County resident but they are colorful and make their neighbors feel a little smarter (if a lot more boring) by comparison.

-- Posted by quantumcat on Wed, Sep 30, 2009, at 10:57 PM

Bo, be sure and advertise it when you write such a book. I will want to be sure and get a copy of it. I am sure you have got thousands of stories.

-- Posted by leeiii on Wed, Sep 30, 2009, at 2:53 PM

Bo Melson

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Bo Melson is a retired sports and police beat editor of the Times-Gazette.

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