News & Sports For November 14th

Fire At Rendezvous Mountain Spread From Exercise
A fire late last week at Rendezvous Mountain turns out to be the result of a training exercise that got out of hand. 38 acres of the forest burned before firefighters were able to get it under control on Thursday, with crews from both Millers Creek and Wilbar responding. Strong winds that blew through the area are apparently at fault, as they fanned the flames that had been created as part of a controlled burn. The mini-fire had been started for training exercises in the area, but soon grew out of control thanks to the wind.

Last Week For Energy Applications
With the economy still struggling here in the area, it can be hard at times for people to afford to pay their heating bill. But there is help, if you qualify. Social Service here in Wilkes has been taking applications for their Low Income Energy Assistance Program. This is the final week for people to come in and apply, which you can do at the Social Service office, located on College Street in Wilkesboro. Applications will be taken from today until this coming Friday anytime from 8:30am til 5pm. Also this Wednesday you can apply at the Clingman Family Resource Center. This will be a one time credit to help in paying for your heating costs this winter.You can call Social Services for more information at 651-7400.

Thieves Break Into Home On Dowridge Lane
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on DowRidge Lane last week, after thieves paid a visit to the residence. It appears the thieves climbed through a window to get inside, shattering the double pained glass and ripping out the screen. All total an estimated $175 worth of damage was done to the property. Once inside, they took $200 in loose change, a watch and three packs of Marlboro cigarettes. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Blood Drive Today At Pilgrim Baptist
Throughout the last week, several blood drives have been going on here in Wilkes County and we've been telling you about the need as supplies hang around critical levels. What you may not know is the fact that blood taken from drives here in the county isn't used just for Wilkes, but also Alleghany and the surrounding area. As those parts of the state are also struggling to keep a day's supply, blood has to be sent out to lend a hand. To do that and also provide more supplies for Wilkes, a drive is going on today at Pilgrim Baptist Church from 2:30-7pm. You can either make an appointment by calling the Red Cross at 838-4563 or simply show up and they'll take you as soon as possible.

Thieves Run Off With Wilkesboro Man's License Plate
Who would steal a license plate? That's what a Wilkesboro man is wondering today, after stepping outside this weekend to find his had been taken. The man had parked his car at home and was going inside when he noticed the license plate was missing. There wasn't any damage done to the vehicle and nothing taken from inside, virtually no indications that a thief had been around. Sheriff's deputies were called out and the investigation is ongoing.

Muzz's Gym To Help Support St. Jude's Hospital
Coming up this Saturday, working out at Muzz’s Gym can also help a good cause. The gym is holding a weightlifting competition on Saturday, November 19th to benefit St. Jude Children’s hospital. A bench press contest will be going on, with divisions for women, teen men, adult men and men over 40. Money raised from the contest will go to help St. Jude’s work to treat children dealing with cancer and other life threatening diseases. To sign up for the contest or to make a donation you an call 838-4345.

Wilkes Art Gallery Opens Christmas Show This Friday
Coming up this Friday, the Wilkes Art Gallery will begin its’ Annual Christmas Show and Sale. The event runs from Friday Nvember 18th til Christmas Eve. As a kickoff to the event, a reception will be held from 6-8pm at the Gallery this Friday, to coincide with the annual Light-Up Downtown celebration going on throughout the night. Over 50 different artists from here in the region will have their work on display during the show.

3WC Healthwatch: Sleep Or Fail
The amount of sleep a student gets could determine if they pass or fail, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. A study was finished at Brown Medical School last week that took 74 kids, ages ranging from 6 to 12 years old and deprived them of sleep, letting them stay up as late as they wanted over a three week period. What they found wasn’t so much that the kids were tired, but rather their memory didn’t perform as well and also those who were deprived of sleep weren’t as creative as those who had gotten their rest. So how much sleep do kids need? According to specialists, 10 hours a night is suggested for elementary school students, while teenagers need at least 8.

State News

Raises Could Mean Problems For College Students
Some bad news today for students at colleges in the UNC system. The extra money put forth by the state isn’t going to help buy books or rebuild facilities. Instead, raises of anywhere from 8-16% have been approved for all of the university chancellors. This is in addition to a 2% raise given out to the chancellors already this year, along with all other state workers. Money for the move came from a special fund set aside by state lawmakers for that purpose.

Rewards Being Offered In Greensboro Investigation
Police in Greensboro are looking for help in solving a case of arson that went on over the weekend. A home on Park Avenue was torched with massive damage done. There were holes left in the roof and most of the rooms were gutted. Rewards are being offered for any information that can be given to Greensboro police. The number to call is 1-800-334-3000.

Skeleton Found In Harnett County
Boys investigating an abandoned house in Harnett County got a surprise this weekend. After climbing up into the collapsed ceiling of the home, they found a skeleton. The home caught fire more than a year ago, in December of 2003 and according to police had been abandoned for some time. But now it appears someone could have been caught in that fire or possibly left there later on. An investigation into the discovery is ongoing.

Parts Of History Up For Sale
In Albermarle, pieces of history are going up for sale this week. A news report from 1800, the original Gettysburg Address as printed in the New York Tribune and the first published photos of the Wright Brothers’ successful flight are all up for auction among other things, as a local collector tries to help a needy charity. Richard and Phyllis Davis have collected all these things over their lifetime, but are giving all proceeds away to Hopeline, a womens’ shelter in the area that needs a new home. It’s the only shelter for victims of domestic abuse in a six county area around Albermarle.

Water Restrictions Continue In Raleigh
While the mountain counties have experienced a slight bit of rain over the last few days, certain portions of the state still remain near drought status. To help keep the water running, Raleigh’s City Council has approved new restrictions that would hit offenders hard in the wallet. From now one, first time violators will have to pay $1000 for each offense, that’s up from the original target of $50. Lawns in the area can only be watered twice a week and if officials catch repeat offenders, those people will run the risk of having their water shut off. The reason for the increased restrictions is that the local water supply in Raleigh is down 8 feet from its’ regular levels.

Sports Headlines

High School Scoreboard
The playoffs kicked off in high school football this weekend and two Wilkes County teams were in the running. For West Wilkes, the season came to an end on a heartbreaking note, as they lost to Mount Airy 14-10. West had the Bears pinned down deep in their own territory, but Josh Johnson tossed a 65 yard touchdown bomb to give Mt. Airy the win. Meanwhile East Wilkes played at home against North Stokes and completely dominated, winning 27-12. The number seven ranked Cardinals will head up the road to Cherokee this Friday for a second round game.

ACC Scoreboard
In ACC football action, it was NC State falling to Boston College 30-10. State will have to win both of their remaining games to have a shot at the postseason. The UNC Tarheels find themselves in a similar position, after a 33-30 loss at home against Maryland. At 4-5, the Heels will have to beat both Duke and Virginia Tech to be eligible for a bowl bid. The news wasn’t any better for Wake Forest, who was blown out by Miami 47-17.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the rest of the NCAA, it was Tulsa beating East Carolina 45-13, Elon losing to the Citadel 21-0, Gardner-Webb beating Savannah State 31-21 and Appalachian State won the Battle for the Mountain Jug as they beat Western Carolina 35-7. Quarterback Richie Williams tossed for two touchdowns as the Mountaineers improve to 7-3 on the year.

Panthers Run Over Jets At Home
The Carolina Panthers made it six straight wins on Sunday, as they ran over the New York Jets by a score of 30-3. Stephen Davis ran for 81 yards and set a new team record with his 12th rushing touchdown of the season, as the Panthers improve to 7-2 on the year. Next week Carolina will head on the road to take on the Chicago Bears.

Hurricanes See Streak End
In the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes saw their winning streak come to an end, as they fell to the Atlanta Thrashers 9-0. The loss drops Carolina to 12-3 but they still stay in first place in the Southeast Conference.

Bobcats Lose In Miami
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats gave it their best shot but came up just short against Miami. The Bobcats lost 108-99, dropping to 2-5 on the year despite Sean May’s best game of the season. The rookie from UNC had a team high 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a block. Next up is Orlando tomorrow night.

NASCAR Results
Around the Nextel Cup circuit, Kyle Busch took the checkered flag Sunday at Phoenix International Speedway. Greg Biffle came in second, Jeff Gordon third, Tony Stewart was fourth and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top five. But while the younger Busch brother was in victory lane, the older one saw his chance at a championship vanish as Kurt Busch was suspended for the rest of the season. Roush Racing pulled the plug on Busch after a run-in with police on Friday. When Busch was pulled over, officers said that he smelled like alcohol and was harassing them. Heading into Sunday’s race, Busch was eighth in the Chase for the Cup.