Thieves Try To Steal 4-Wheeler
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro residence late last week after reports came in of a break-in in progress. The homeowner had heard some noises out at a storage building on her property and walked out to see two men trying to steal her 4-wheeler. After she turned on the light, the two men took off running, but not before she was able to get a look at both of their faces. Descriptions of both were turned over to sheriff’s deputies. There are suspects in the case and the investigation continues.

Blood Drive Coming Up Today
With the holidays just around the corner, a lot of people will be on the road in the next few weeks. And unfortunately with those drivers will be several accidents. The blood supply here in Wilkes is still at critical levels, as most of the recent donations have been sent down to the Gulf Coast. To help build back up the local supply, a drive is going on today at the North Wilkesboro First United Methodist Church from 2-6:30pm. Just remember before donating, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh no less than 110 lbs and be in good health. To set up an appointment or for more information you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

Just Came In To Have A Look Around
An Elkin homeowner got a surprise when she arrived home late last week. The back door had been kicked in and her front door had been seriously damaged. However despite all that it appears the would be thieves were scared off by the home’s alarm system, as nothing was missing from inside. Estimated damage was placed at $200 and the investigation is ongoing.

Grant Handed Out For North Wilkesboro Sculpture
People walking down Main Street in North Wilkesboro will soon see a little something different. The Wilkes Art Gallery, Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro and the county’s Cultural Arts Council have all partnered together and received a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. The money will be used for a sculpture, to be put up at the gateway of the historic downtown section of Main Street. Artist Wayne Trapp from Vilas North Carolina is working on the sculpture, which is expected to be finished before Thanksgiving.

Thieves Hit Moravian Falls Home
A Moravian Falls man returned home from work last week to find that thieves had paid him a visit. Gone from inside were several hundred dollars worth of tools. There was no sign of a break-in at the home and no damage done to the property itself. That investigation continues.

3WC Healthwatch: New Treatment For Cancer
There’s a new treatment being examined for cancer patients, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed last week that they’ve been working with nanotechnology in mice. The microscopic robots were injected inside the mice, containing a cancer drug inside their cells. After 100 days the nanobots helped to not only contain but also cure prostate cancer. In the mice used in the experiment, the European scientists announced that the cancer was successfully cured, but unfortunately it’s not quite ready to be used on humans as all of the test subjects died in the procedure. The scientists involved say they hope to continue experiments and possibly have something ready to test on humans in the next five years.

Mysterious Caller Continues To Harass Wilkesboro Woman
Sheriff’s deputies are trying to determine who’s been harassing a Wilkesboro woman over the past few weeks. The caller, who’s male, never identifies himself and after a few minutes hangs up each time. Phone records are being pulled from Wilkesboro telephone and that investigation continues.

Toolbox Stolen From Ronda Home
A Ronda man returned home last week to find that his toolbox was missing. However there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the property. It’s unclear exactly how thieves managed to get inside and steal the tools, which were estimated at just over $1500 in value. That investigation is ongoing.

Always A Good Idea To Lock Your Doors
Keep your car doors locked when you leave. A North Wilkesboro man found that out the hard way last week, after thieves went shopping inside his truck. He left the vehicle unlocked while going into a local store. Witnesses then reported seeing a man open up the truck doors and take off with several hundred dollars worth of tools, including a grinder and drain sock. The store’s security cameras were turned over to Wilkesboro police and that investigation is ongoing.

State News

More Jobs Coming To Lincolnton
Some good news today for people in Lincolnton, as more jobs are headed into the area. The Bosch Tool Company announced plans this week to expand their operation in the area, a move that will provide 45 new jobs. New manufacturing lines for different types of saw blades are going to be created as part of the expansion.

Taxpayers To Foot The Bill For Out Of State Students
Your tax dollars will be going to pay for a different kind of college scholarship next semester. Instead of giving out assistance to in state students, a provision in the new state budget takes taxpayer money and hands it out to those who are coming in from other areas. Out of state students who have been given scholarships are now classified as North Carolina residents. That way they won’t count as part of the 18% limit on out of state students issued by the UNC system. The bad news is that it will cost taxpayers several million dollars. For example over the next five years, 625 out of state students are projected to qualify at Chapel Hill and NC State alone. That is expected to cost an added $8.2 million dollars. The NC School Board Association is planning to call for a repeal of the law.

Group Home Falls Victim To Arson
Officials in Greensboro have ruled that a fire over the weekend at a local group home was in fact arson. The Vision Youth Group Home was partially damaged before firefighters got the blaze under control, a fire they believe was started in an upstairs bedroom. No one was injured in the blaze and according to the fire department, it shouldn’t be long before the kids can move back in. The arson investigation however is continuing.

200 Year Old Cemetery Gets Facelift
A 200 year old cemetery in Oak Ridge got a facelift over the weekend, as over 45 people came out to clean up. The cemetery, which holds some of the earliest settlers in North Carolina, including Revolutionary War soldiers, was found by members of the local Preservation Committee this past February. They chopped down trees and cleared away timber so that people could see part of history.

Shelby Police Search For Bank Robber
Officials in Shelby are on the hunt today for a bank robber. Just as the Alliance Bank & Trust was closing its’ doors on Friday, a woman walked in armed with a gun. It’s unknown exactly how much money she got away with, but officials believe this robbery was linked to several others that have happened in the area recently. All three were committed by a white woman fitting the same description. That investigation continues.

Search Continues For Missing Man
A Charlotte man is still missing today and police are asking for help in the search. Local musician Wyatt Rivens vanished over the weekend and so far no one has had any details as to where he could be. Rivens was starting to hit the mainstream with his second CD and it’s unknown if his rising status is linked somehow to the disappearance. Officials are asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 1-704-334-1600.

Sports Headlines

Friday Night Scoreboard
Some major games this weekend around the high school scene in football. North Wilkes fell against Starmount in a close game that went down to the final quarter, as the lost 42-35. East Wilkes also lost, wrapping up their regular season at 5-6 with a 49-14 defeat against Mt. Airy. The Cardinals will play host to North Stokes this Friday in first round playoff action. West Wilkes however steamrolled into the postseason with a 31-14 win over North Stokes. The win locks up fourth place in the Northwest 1A for the Blackhawks, who will go on the road against Mt. Airy this Friday in the first round of the playoffs. And finally Wilkes Central fell just short in their quest for the playoffs, losing on Senior night to Forbush 20-14. Central will wrap up the season at 2-9, having been eliminated from postseason play.

High School Track Competition
In the state girls track championships, it was Anna Hayes from East Wilkes finishing fourth with a time of 21:08 . Overall the East Wilkes team came in fourth for the team championship, ranking up 114 points on the day.

ACC Scoreboard
Around the ACC, it was mostly a bad weekend to be a team from North Carolina. The Duke Blue Devils lost to Clemson 49-20, dropping their record to 1-9 on the season. However one bright spot for the Blue Devils as freshman quarterback Zack Assack tossed for 328 yards in the loss. Also Wake Forest saw their chances for a bowl game die as they lost to Georgia Tech 30-17. Chris Barclay was held to just 24 yards rushing on the day as Wake was eliminated from playoff contention. In a major upset, NC State knocked off the Florida State Seminoles 20-15. State improves to 4-4 and stays alive in the playoff hunt. And the UNC Tarheels kept their own playoff hopes alive with an upset win over 19th ranked Boston College 16-14. The Tarheels improved to 4-4 and still have to win two out of their last three games in order to qualify for the playoffs.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the rest of the NCAA, it was Western Carolina beating Wofford 24-0. Charleston Southern blew out the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs 38-7 and Coastal Carolina knocked off Savannah State 42-16. Also Appalachian gave it their best shot but were shut out against LSU 24-0. Mountaineer quarterback Richie Williams tossed for 70 yards while rushing for 80 more.

Panthers Run Over Bucs
In the NFL, it was a blowout win for the Carolina Panthers as they beat Tampa Bay 34-14. Jake Delhomme passed for 216 yards and a touchdown,, while Steve Smith caught 5 passes for 106 yards. The win puts Carolina in a tie with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South, as each team stands at 6-2.

Bobcats Beat Celtics
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats have a winning record for the first time in their history. Stepping into their new coliseum for the first time this year, the Bobcats beat the Boston Celtics 107-105 to improve to 2-1. Gerald Wallace once again led the way for Charlotte with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals.

Hurricanes Continue To Roll
The Carolina Hurricanes kept steamrolling over the competition this weekend, as they beat the Florida Panthers 2-0. Eric Staal kept his scoring streak alive at eight games as the team improved to 10-2-1 on the year.

Points Race Shaken Up After Texas
For the second straight week, Carl Edwards took the checkered flag and improved his shot at the title. Edwards won the Dickies 500 Sunday at Texas Speedway, beating out Mark Martin, who finished second. Matt Kenseth was third, Casey Mears was fourth and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.