News & Sports For Monday June 13th 2005

Chicken House Catches Fire In Storm
Over the past few days, several storms have hit Wilkes County, leaving their mark with both rain and damage. Now one of those storms may be responsible for a fire that happened early Friday morning. Firefighters were called out to a blaze on the Red White & Blue Road as a chicken house had caught fire. The call went out just after 5am on Friday but before fire crews could arrive on the scene, the building had already collapsed. Roaring River and Broadway crews responded to the fire, which had apparently been burning several hours before the call went out. An exact cause hadn’t been determined but fire marshals said it was possible the weather played a part in igniting the blaze.

Counterfeit Money Found In Deposit
Wilkesboro police were called out to the Northwestern Bank on Curtis Bridge Road late last week, after some counterfeit money was discovered. A bank teller had found fake cash in a local man’s deposit, which he exchanged for the real thing. The counterfeit bill was turned over to police, as the man had no idea how it ended up in his possession. There are no suspects but the investigation is ongoing.

Tobacco Transition Payment Program
This coming Friday is the deadline to sign up for the 2005 Tobacco Buyout Program. Under the plan, growers would receive $3 for each pound of tobacco grown during 2002-2004 and then additional payments for the years following. $3.9 billion has been allocated for farmers in North Carolina and currently state officials estimate that 90% of growers have already signed up. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so by going to the Wilkes Farm Service Agency and filling out the paperwork today. To set up an appointment you can call the agency at 838-3622 extension #2.

Walked Off With The Air Conditioner
The hot weather has led to several break-ins over the last few days, as local people try to find ways of staying cool. Thieves broke into a Millers Creek woman’s home late last week, taking her air conditioner along with some medication. Nothing else was taken from the house and no damage was done to any part of the property. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

Blood Drive Later Today
The rain and wind over the past few days hasn’t just caused problems on the roads. It’s also severely lowered turnouts at the area’s blood drives. With the blood supply in Wilkes currently at critical levels, it’s important to come out and give the gift of life if at all possible. Later today Wilkesboro Methodist Church will be holding a drive from 2-7pm. In order to schedule an appointment you can call the Wilkes Red Cross at 838-4563.

Nicotine Fix Leads To Break-In
Thieves broke into the Run-In on Hwy 421 West late last week, stealing almost $3000 worth of merchandise. A window was shattered in the back supply room, allowing thieves to come in and take over a hundred cartons of cigarettes along with some cans of snuff tobacco. The store is monitored by video camera and the thieves were caught on tape. There are suspects in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Heat Relief Available For Elderly
The recent heat has caused problems for many Wilkes County citizens, but especially the elderly. As the temperature is expected to climb back into the 90s this week, it’s important for every senior in the area to be taken care of. The Wilkes Senior Citizens Council is giving away fans this summer to any senior citizen that meets their requirements. In order to get a fan, you must be at least 60 years old, live in Wilkes and be served by Duke Power. In addition, your home situation must present a threat to your life without the fans. Applications are being taken from 8:30am til 5pm at the Wilkes Senior Citizens Council office, located at 910 C Street in Wilkesboro. For more information you can contact them at 651-7811.

Just Broke In To Have A Look Around
A Wilkes County man called sheriff’s deputies late last week after finding over $200 worth of damage done to his car. The vehicle had been parked outside his house and during the night, the man had heard several loud noises, but didn’t go to check them out. The next morning, he came out to find someone had shattered the car’s windows. Nothing was taken from the vehicle and no other damage was done. The investigation is ongoing.

West Park To Hold Dedication Tomorrow
Tomorrow a ceremony will be held to honor American soldiers and dedicate the new American flag at West Park. The event will be held Tuesday June 14th, beginning at noon with a special performance from the Liberty Grove Baptist Church Choir, in addition to tributes from the local VFW group and the Boy Scouts, who will be raising the flag into its’ new position. Once again all of this will be held at West Park in the Health Foundation area. For more information you can contact the Foundation at 838-1949.

Local Business Falls Prey To Vandals
Wilkesboro police were called out to Dooley’s late last week after vandals caused over $600 worth of damage to the business. Someone gained access to the building and managed to empty out the propane tank, releasing over a thousand lbs. of the gas into the area. There is a suspect in the case, as a black Dodge truck had been seen just outside a few minutes before and the driver yelled that everyone in the building would get what was coming to them. Witnessed provided descriptions of both the man and his vehicle to sheriff’s deputies and the investigation is ongoing.

Regional News

Jonesville Man Killed In Head-On Collision
A Jonesville man died last week after a wreck on Center Road, according to the Highway Patrol. 53-yr-old Danny Ivan Wilkins was killed after his car crossed the median and struck another vehicle carrying a local family. All three family members were taken to Baptist Medical Center, treated and then released without serious injury. It’s unknown what caused Wilkins to cross the center line, but drugs or alcohol were not involved.

State News

Police In Concord Searching For Scam Artist
Concord police are warning people to be aware of a group of con artists operating in the area. Over the past few weeks, a man has come up to local homes, pretending to be with the power company. He then asks to look at some trees on the homeowner’s property that might need to be cut down. While the homeowner goes with him to check out the property, a second man then walks into the home and steals whatever he can carry. Usually in the scam, the second thief also cuts the home’s phone lines before leaving. The only description police have is that the first man has a scar and acne on his face and drives a four door gray truck. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Department at 704-920-3011.

Pet Snake On The Loose
Johnston County officials are asking people in the area to help them locate a pet that escaped from its’ house recently. It’s hard to miss this pet, as it’s an 8-foot long boa constrictor. The animal escaped from its’ home in Pine Level and so far, there have been no reports of sightings. Still, animal control officers warn that boas like to climb trees or hide in tall bushes and the rising temperatures could have driven it into hiding.

Series Of Armed Robberies Hit Raleigh
Three armed robberies in the Raleigh area this weekend may have been linked, according to local officials. All three robberies happened in a one hour period that stretched from late Friday night to the early morning hours on Saturday. In the first robbery, a man was robbed in a Hillsborough Street parking lot by at least two men. Then 30 minutes later, a second man was robbed and shot on Friendly Street. The bullet only grazed him and he had no serious injuries. In the final incident, a man was robbed in a parking lot on North Harrison Avenue. In all three, the men are described as being in their early to mid 20s, about 6 ft and weighing 180 lbs. Also in all three incidents, the robbers drove a silver Nisan Altima with a 30-day tag on it. Raleigh police are still investigating.

Jobs Coming To High Point
Good news for people in the High Point area today, as American Express announced plans to open a new call center in the area. The move, which was announced this weekend, will bring 300 jobs to High Point over the next two years. A five year lease was signed by the company for the Piedmont Centre, where the business will be located. This call center will focus on helping business and corporate customers make their travel arrangements. It’s expected to be open by September.

Almost 200 Yr Old Church Burns Down
A church in Nash County that had stood for almost 200 years burned down over the weekend. A fire ignited in Peachtree Baptist Church shortly before 5am Sunday morning and by the time firefighters had arrived on scene, the roof had already caved in. The church was built back in 1909 and has stood ever since. Church officials said that God knows what He’s doing and they believe He has a reason for allowing the fire. Fire investigators say while unsure what caused the fire, there’s no evidence to suggest arson. Meanwhile the church will be meeting at a local Masonic lodge.

Sports Headlines

Wilkes County Becomes Turkey Land
Wilkes County finished out this year’s turkey season as the number one destination for hunters in North Carolina. For the second straight year, there were more turkeys bagged in Wilkes than any other place in the state. 334 birds were killed this year, 14 more than second place Caswell County. Overall, 9824 turkeys were killed this season by North Carolina hunters, up from 8846 last year.

Minor League Scoreboard
Around the minor leagues this weekend, it was Winston Salem beating Wilmington 4-2. Warthogs’ starter Ryan Rodriguez got his seventh win of the year, going seven innings while giving up two runs on five hits. Relief pitcher Rafael Flores got the save by throwing two innings of shutout ball. Down the road in Georgia, the Hickory Crawdads took the 3-2 loss as they fell to the Rome Braves. The loss put Hickory’s losing streak at eight games, a streak they look to end tonight in the second game of the series.

Edwards Gets Win At Pocono
In NASCAR over the weekend, it was Carl Edwards pulling ahead of the field and taking the win at Pocono. Brian Vickers came in second, Joe Nemechek was third, Kyle Busch fourth and Michael Waltrip rounded out the top five.

Minter Signs Extension
In the NFL, some good news for Carolina Panther fans, as the team announced this weekend it had signed an extension with safety Mike Minter. Minter, who came to Charlotte in the second round of the ’97 draft, will finish out his career as a Panther under the new four year deal. Terms of the extension were not revealed, however the numbers for Minter speak for themselves. He’s the team’s all time tackle leader with 790 and last year alone, he had 94 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. Minter said he & his family had put down deep roots in Charlotte and wanted to play for the same team that had drafted him.