News & Sports For December 16th

Weather Causes Power Outages
The ice and snow that fell on Thursday led to some people staying in the dark for part of the day. Sections of Wilkes saw the power flicker on and off, thanks to downed power lines. In the Winkler Mill area, a tree limb fell and knocked out power for most of the day, while sections of Millers Creek and the Cricket community went without as well. For those still without power this morning, Duke Power and Blue Ridge Electric said that they hope to have everything restored to normal by this afternoon at the latest. 900 Blue Ridge Electric customers across a three county region were affected by the storm, while Duke Power said that 1600 people in Wilkes were without. All total, over 450,000 people throughout the Carolinas and Georgia fell victim to the ice storm, knocking down power lines and shorting out the phones.

In Case Of Power Outage
With ice and snow still hanging around the county, areas are still at risk of losing their power. If you do have a power outage to report this morning, you can call Duke Power at 1-800-769-3766 or Blue Ridge Electric customers can call 1-800-448-2383. Stay tuned here to 3WC and we'll have weather updates for you throughout the day.

Warnings When Heating Home
The things you don't do can be just as important when dealing with ways to heat your home. With the temps hovering around freezing, today and Monday we'll be going back for a look at things to be cautious of when trying to keep warm. First off, never use gasoline or starter fluid to ignite a fire in your fireplace. You'd be surprised how many people do that each year and cause a major blaze that puts the entire home at risk. Also fireplace chimneys commonly build up creosote, which is itself flammable. Be careful how much trash or paper you burn in your fireplace, as they are the number one cause of creosote buildup. Also be careful when using space heaters. They need to be kept on the floor, away from any combustible materials. Always unplug your heaters when going to bed or leaving the house and if you have a kerosene heater, never substitute gas or camp stove fuel. That could cause some serious problems you don't need. On Monday, carbon monoxide can be a major problem where furnaces and fireplaces are concerned. We'll take a look at some of the problems and offer some solutions.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
The Red Cross finds itself in need of help as we head toward the end of the year. The local chapter continues to sell cookbooks, to help raise the money it needs to cover costs of daily operations, in addition to the funds used to help victims of the recent hurricanes. The cost of a cookbook is $10 and it contains recipes from chapter members along with their family and friends. With Christmas coming next week, it might be a good idea for last minute shoppers. For more information or to purchase one, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

Anti-War Protestors Reach 5th District
The anti-war movement has apparently reached the 5th District. On Wednesday, protestors took a petition with just over 500 names to the Clemmons office of Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. Their goal? To convince the congresswoman to support a timeline to begin troop withdraws from Iraq. The Democratic group MoveOn.org was responsible for the creation of the petition and collection of names, taken from people across the 5th District. Congresswoman Foxx has said that she wants to bring the troops home, but not before their job is finished and the terrorists defeated.

Winter Booze It And Lose It Program Continues
Unfortunately the Christmas season can mean more opportunities for people to drink and drive. To help prevent any drunk driving accidents, the Highway Patrol will be out in force across Wilkes over the next few weeks, as part of the annual Winter Booze It & Lose It campaign. During the Christmas season last year, 47 people in the state died due to alcohol related accidents. Checkpoints will be out in full force and troopers will be patroling over the next month to prevent any more fatalities.

Newest Protection Against Fraud
With the Christmas season in full swing, this is also a busy time of year for thieves, both the usual kind and those who travel on the internet. Credit cards, social security numbers and other personal information is a major target. But now, people here in North Carolina can take steps to protect themselves against ID Theft. The Identity Theft Protection Act, a new law that went into effect December 1st will allow you to block access to your credit records, preventing any would be thieves from gaining access and ruining your finances. You will be able to do that thanks to a security freeze. The only problem is that while thieves won't be able to use your credit to purchase things, neither can you. Once the freeze is placed on, no company or business can check up on your credit history until its' lifted. If you do want to fill out an application for a credit freeze or just want more information, you can log on to the state Department of Justice website at www.ncdoj.com/idtheft.

State News

Black Made "Poor Decisions"
Jim Black, North Carolina's Speaker of the House, came out and apologized to citizens for what he called poor decisions in regards to the state lottery. He also promised to be more careful when accepting money from lobbyists and other donors associated with the lottery industry. In a conference with reporters earlier this week, he admitted poor judgement was used. Black and his office are involved in an investigation by federal agents into the video poker industry.

Winter Weather Not A Friend To Retailers
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and that's a problem for retailers across the state. According to business owners, the winter weather this week has caused their finances to take a hit, as ice & snow kept people at home. Owners said that if the bad weather lasts more than one day, it could cut into their profits and make things tight for the rest of the year. The top concern of store owners is that people will decide to go online instead of heading out, choosing to buy their gifts from ebay and other stores with the click of a mouse.

Deputies Bust Meth Maker In The Act
Officials in Davidson County have busted a meth making operation after catching the man in the act. After getting a tip, Davidson County sheriff's deputies went to a local house and the owner came to the door wearing rubber gloves. The deputies came inside and found that he had just started making meth as they were coming up to the house. County officials say this isn't the first time David McClain has been arrested and charged for meth making.

Former State Senator May face Jail Time
A former senator from here in North Carolina may face jail time after pleading guilty to charges this week. On Thursday, 71-yr-old John Carrington, a former state senator from Wake County, pleaded guilty to charges he helped illegally export items to China. Carrington's company makes law enforcement equipment and he went against U.S. law to ship some of his merchandise to the communist country. Carrington has already been given a 850,000 fine and could also be thrown in jail, depending on what the judge rules. A sentencing hearing has been set for March of 2006.

Work Continuing On Winston Roads
Bad news for anyone who is planning on making the trip to Winston tonight, for some last minute Christmas shopping. It might take awhile. The DOT will be closing the outside lane of I-40 at the Hanes Mall Boulevard exit, starting tonight at 7pm. Work will be going on to replace the outside shoulder of the road and will keep things blocked off until 3pm Saturday afternoon. Drivers in the area can expect some delays getting to and from the mall.

Sports Headlines

Games Cancelled
With no school today, all the basketball games in the county have been cancelled.

Tarheels Keep Their Defensive Coordinator
Coach John Bunting will at least have one member of his staff returning for next season. Defensive coordinator Marvin Sanders agreed in principle to a contract on Monday, agreeing to stay with the Heels. Sanders had been offered jobs at both Kansas State and Texas A&M, but he turned them down. Last season was his first as a defensive coordinator at Chapel Hill and Sanders said this was the best place for both him and his family.

Appalachian In Championship Game
Questions surround Appalachian State as they head into tonight's championship game with Northern Iowa. Gametime is set for 8pm, but no one's sure who will be coming in behind center. Quarterback Richie Williams was thought to be out for the year, after injuring a tendon last week, but now it appears he simply sprained it. The coaching staff said that Williams is makling progress in his rehab, but they aren't sure if he can suit up tonight. If not, the job will be turned over to backup Trey Elder, who took over after Williams' injury and guided the team to a 29-23 win over Furman last week.

Carolina vs. Columbus
The Carolina Hurricanes continue to roll as they beat the Columbus BlueJackets last night 2-1. The Hurricanes were led by two goals from Rod Brind'Amour as they improve to 20-9 on the season.

Carolina Panthers Ranked 8th Of All U.S. Sports Teams
The Carolina Panthers are one of the top sports teams in the U.S., according to a new poll from ESPN. Teams from most U.S. sports, including basketball, baseball and football, were all ranked based on several factors. Also fans from across the country were polled, asking where the teams rate as far as ownership, talent, the relationship with fans and several other things. The San Antonio Spurs came in first, followed by the Detroit Pistons. But 8th on the list were the Carolina Panthers, as fans said that they appreciated the team's impact both on and off the field, giving North Carolina a franchise we can be proud of.

Raleigh Sprinter Facing More Trouble
North Carolina resident Tim Montgomery is putting away his track shoes for good. Montgomery, who earlier this week was suspended for two years after being tied in with an illegal doping operation, said that he'd rather retire now then return later and be looked at as a cheat. Montgomery, who lives in Raleigh, has denied that he took any illegal substances. Even though he never tested positive, Montgomery's ban came as a result of evidence collected in the BALCO scandal, where federal officials are investigating a California lab that supplied illegal drugs to athletes.