News & Sports For December 21st

Government Cutbacks Cause Problems For New River
A recent decision by the federal government could mean big problems for New River Mental Health. Medicaid funding has been cut off for those who work with mentally disabled people, leaving $80 million worth of programs here in North Carolina without the money to pay for them. The reason for the cutback is due to the fact officials made a mistake approving the funding in the first place. According to the government, Medicaid isn't supposed to be used for community services, which is what helping the mentally disabled qualifies as. In places such as New River Behavioral Healthcare, this is a serious problem. 255 people at New River will lose their health insurance, according to staff member Don Suggs and it will be virtually impossible to cover the cost locally, as it adds up to $2 million a year. In addition, no one knows exactly when the insurance will be cut off, as government officials have just said that the cuts were pending but an actual date hasn't been given. Requests are being made for North Carolina to take over funding of the program, but nothing has been set in stone.

Congresswoman Fox Calls For Return To Christmas
5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx called this week for a return to tradition. The congresswoman has signed on to a bill which would protect the symbols and traditions of the Christmas season. Foxx said that she found it tragic that people have tried to secularize Christmas into a generic holiday, banning students from singing religious carols in their school plays and trying to eliminate the phrase Merry Christmas" from the nation. The bill would make it clear such things are protected under law and overturn bans created by some department stores.

Employee Arrested At Kohl's
Wilkesboro police made an arrest at Kohl's Department Store earlier this week, after an employee was caught trying to steal money from the register. Over a three day period, 18-yr-old Matthew Daye took $1500 from the store's register, actions that were recorded by the security cameras inside. The store security guard detained Matthew after the third day, turning the evidence over to police. Daye was charged with larceny.

Deadlines Upcoming For Christmas Mail
If you have any last minute packages that you still have to mail, it might be a good idea to head out and do that today. So far this week, over one billion pieces of mail have been shipped through the U.S. Postal Service but time is ticking down if you want your shipment to arrive on Christmas. The deadline has already passed for regular first class mail and today is the final day if you want a priority package to get there by Christmas. If you can't send it out today, the last option is express mail, for which the deadline is Friday. But before you send mail out, the Postal Service does have some advice. Please print the addresses clearly, so that there's no confusion when it's delivered. Also make sure that you use a box strong enough to protect the packages from any bumps and jolts in the road.

Car Stolen From North Wilkesboro Home
How does a car just disappear? That's what a North Wilkesboro woman is asking today. She had parked her Jeep Cherokee at home earlier this week and went inside. Then the next morning when she came out, the vehicle was gone. There hadn't been any strange noises or other sights that she or anyone else in the neighborhood can recall during the night. Also there was no sign of a break-in to the vehicle or damage in the area. The jeep's information was turned over to sheriff's deputies and that investigation is ongoing.

Health Department Offering Car Seat Help
85% of child safety seats across Wilkes County were not installed correctly, according to the local SafeKids organization. While this is slightly lower than the national average, it’s still high enough for concern. And with Christmas less than a week away, it's important to get those seats installed correctly before heading out to visit family members. The Health Department is teaming up with Safekids to offer free safety seat inspections at any time, Monday through Friday by appointment. You can call up Jean Edwards at 651-7478 if you want to set one up.

Tip Leads To Drug Arrest
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on Germantown Road earlier this week, after getting a tip of drug activity inside. The owner allowed deputies inside, where they discovered baggies of marijuana, along with a set of rolling papers, scales and several used cigarettes. 41-yr-old Silvano Morales was arrested and charged with drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lock Up Before You Leave
Never leave your car doors unlocked. A Roaring River man found out why that's a good idea recently. He came home, parked his car and walked inside, accidentally leaving behind several items. When he came back out later that night, his cell phone and the laptop computer inside were both missing. No one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual, however the investigation is still ongoing.

The History of Christmas in Wilkes County
Wilkes County has been around since before the turn of the century and in all that time, many traditions have sprung up that we still follow today. Coming up this week on Focus on the Foothills, Brian goes back in time a bit, as he re-airs a conversation with Edith Carter from the Whipperwill Academy. They'll be talking about where Wilkes' County gets its' Christmas traditions from and also going over some that got lost along the way. That's coming up tomorrow at 1:05pm, right after the midday stock report.

State News

Suspect Escapes From Police Custody
Officials across North Carolina are on the hunt today for an escaped convict. 28-yr-old John Surratt, who's wanted in connection to a 2001 murder got away from police on Monday. He had been taken to Stanly Memorial Hospital to treat what he called a dislocated shoulder. When he went to use the bathroom, Surratt somehow slipped off his cuffs and took off through the window. John Surratt is a white man standing 5'7ft. and weighing 160 pounds. He has multiple tattoos on his arms and was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and orange prison pants. Officials are asking those with information to call the Stanly County Sheriff's department at 1-704-986-3700.

Jobs Coming To Charlotte
Good news for people in Charlotte, as more jobs are going to be coming over the next three years. Ameristeel Corporation, a Florida based business, announced plans on Monday to add 30 jobs at its' Charlotte plant. The company makes wire mesh, nails and rail spikes, among other things and employees receive an average salary of $1557 plus benefits. The move comes thanks to a $300,000 donation from Governor Easley's One North Carolina Fund.

Student Tied In With Series Of Robberies
Officials in Kannapolis are putting the pieces together regarding a series of robberies in the area, thanks to a local high school student. Over the past few weeks, restaurant employees have been robbed while making deliveries. Each time, a call would be put in, asking for a delivery to what turned out to be an abandoned building. Now police are starting to make arrests, after a tip led them to 17-yr-old Carleto Bell, a local high school student. While arresting Bell at A.L. Brown High School, officers found a handgun concealed on his person. One other suspect has since been arrested, 17-yr-old Nigual Brown and police are out hunting for the last two, one of which is believed to be a minor.

Man Who Kidnapped His Kids Has Charges Reduced
A man from Granville County who ignited a nationwide manhunt saw his charges reduced this week. Byron Reed disappeared with his wife and twin sons on December 5th, one day before social services was to take them away. The boys were later found safe at their grandparents' home. Now Reed has seen the charges reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, since the social worker he threatened is not technically a part of the judical branch of government and so the charge of threatening a court official had to be thrown out. Social workers planned to take the boys because of what they called poor conditions at the home.

Safe Stolen From Wilmington Boys & Girls Club
Wilmington police are investigating after a safe was stolen from the local Boys & Girls Club. The safe contained $18,000 in checks and cash. It's unclear how the thieves managed to take the safe, as police had been patroling the area after the alarm went off on Sunday. The police reported no signs of suspicious activity. Everything else was left untouched, including thousands of dollars in computers and stereo equipment.

Sports Headlines

Recruit Commits To Wolfpack
The NC State Wolfpack added another member to next season's basketball team, after landing a commitment from Trevor Ferguson. The 6-6 Ferguson originally committed to Pittsburgh for this season, where he took part in practice this summer. But after talking with the coaching staff, he reconsidered and agreed to transfer to NC State. He'll be eligible to play next fall.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the college scoreboard last night, it was UNC Wilmington over UNC Asheville 68-50. Also Appalachian State fell to Arkansas Little Rock 78-63, despite getting 15 points from DJ Thompson. The loss drops the Mountaineers back to 4-6 on the season, dead last in the Southern Conference.

Charlotte Bobcats vs. Chicago
The Charlotte Bobcats are on a winning streak, after knocking off Chicago last night 105-92. Raymond Felton had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Charlotte, who also got 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks from Gerald Wallace. The Bobcats improve to 8-18 with the win.
Tampa Bay vs. Carolina: NHL
The Carolina Hurricanes kept their winning streak alive with a 6-4 victory over Tampa Bay last night. Eric Staal had two goals and an assist as Carolina improves to 22-9 on the year.

More Hurricanes News
Before last night's game with Tampa Bay, Carolina made some roster moves. Goalie Cam Ward was brought back up to the main roster from the minor leagues, while the team sent back down goalie Kevin Nastiuk.

Panthers News & Notes
Coming off Sunday's win over New Orleans, the Panthers updated the list of walking wounded from the team. Defensive end Mike Rucker played last week despite a sprained ankle, and said that he's slowly returning to full strength. Meanwhile fullback Brad Hoover suffered what was reported as a strained right calf muscle and it's unknown if he'll be able to suit up against Dallas.