News & Sports For July 15th

Soybean Rust Following Dennis
While it’s been several days since the rain from Hurricane Dennis fell on Wilkes, the storm left behind some potential problems for farmers. On the way up here Dennis managed to pick up particles of soybean rust from the Gulf Coast, which can ruin an entire year’s crop. Officials from the Cooperative Extension have warned soybean farmers to be on the lookout and take preventive measures, even if there hasn’t been any sign of the fungus. Soybean rust appears on the plant as little bumps that will quickly spread if not immediately treated. The only way to save the crop once rust has started to seep in is to spray it with fungicide that same day. With around 300 acres of soybeans here in the county, farmers need to keep an eye out for their plants.

Look Before You Leap
One car was totaled during a wreck on Hwy 268 this week. The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon, as a Thurmond woman attempted to cross all lanes of traffic to get to a nearby building. That didn’t work out so well, as she slammed into a Wilkesboro man’s vehicle as he was coming from the other direction. The man’s car was totaled and hers was damaged. Thankfully however no one was injured in the accident.

Drugs Stolen From McGrady Home
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a home in the McGrady community on Wednesday after thieves ran off with the homeowner’s medication. She had locked up and left home a few hours earlier, only to return and find that someone had been inside her medicine cabinet. Several bottles of pain medication had been taken, however aside from that nothing was damaged in the home. There was also no sign of a break-in. Sheriff’s deputies do have a suspect however and the investigation is ongoing.

3WC Eye On Health: Wood Smoke Can Be Health Hazard
In today’s 3WC Health Report, If you were to hear that smoke could cause lung cancer, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise would it? But we’re not talking about cigarette smoke here. In a recent report in the medical journal Chest, doctors identified wood smoke as possibly a major trigger for the disease. Researchers studied 62 cancer patients, most of them non smokers who hadn’t been exposed to any major tobacco products for extended periods of time. Instead, one third of them had used wood stoves all their lives. But the smoke itself wasn’t the problem. Most of those who took part in the study didn’t routinely check to make sure vents and windows in their homes pushed the smoke outside. So instead the smoke just hung inside the house, leading to asthma, bronchitis and the doctors believe, lung cancer. While the evidence wasn’t strong enough to officially link the two, doctors said it might be a good idea to make sure your chimney vent is working before you toss another log on the fire.

Money Taken From Elkin Home
Thieves broke into an Elkin residence this week, walking out with $60 in cash. The incident happened while the homeowner was out of town, as she returned to find the money was missing from her bedroom and also some cigarettes had been stolen. In addition, gasoline had been siphoned out of the lawn mower in the front yard. There was no damage done to the home however, no sign of a break-in and also nothing else missing. There is a suspect in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Samaritan’s Kitchen Update
Samaritan’s Kitchen has been expanding their operations in the last few months, to the point where they now deliver meals to over 450 different families across Wilkes County. That’s just over 1600 meals that need to be prepared, loaded up and delivered each week. With that progress comes a greater need for volunteers, as the organization finds itself falling short in most categories. The man need is for drivers to transport the meals on Saturdays, however cooks, assembly line workers, greeters and other volunteers are needed as well. If you’re interested in volunteering or just want some more information, you can drop by the Kitchen anytime from 8am til 2pm during the week. They’re located just down the road on Woodland Blvd from the Wilkesboro Post Office. You can also give them a call at 838-5331.

Check Road Conditions Before Leaving
With rain once again in the forecast this weekend, it’s important to know what the road conditions are like across Wilkes. Where the DOT has been working, what sections of highway have been closed off, things like that. You can access that by visiting the state DOT website at www.ncdot.org. Also you can check out information on proposed road projects and how the weather might affect both their schedule and your traffic at www.ncdot.org/projects/wilkescounty/. There you will also find information on public meetings, schedules, and area maps.

Voting Continues For Gospel Music Awards
There’s not much time left if you want to cast a ballot for this year’s Southern Gospel Music Awards, put out by online magazine TheSouthernGospel.com. In each category ten finalists are presented for voters to choose from and this year 3WC made the cut. The station was named as a top ten finalist for Favorite Radio Station and morning show DJ John Wishon was selected as one of the Favorite Radio Personalities, in addition to making the list of Favorite Concert MCs. Now if you want to get involved and vote, you can log on to www.thesoutherngospel.com , click on Southern Gospel Music Awards 2005 and cast your ballot. All it takes is a working email address to be able to make your voice heard.

State News

Election One Step Closer To Resolution
Eight months after voters first went to the polls and North Carolina still doesn’t know who is going to be the new superintendent of public instruction. State lawmakers took another step toward solving that problem on Thursday, as both candidates testified before a legislative committee. Democrat June Atkinson won the election in November and the ensuing recount, holding a lead of 8355 votes over Republican Bill Fletcher. Still Fletcher refuses to admit defeat, as he has continued to challenge the legitimacy of the current results. Fletcher kept that up on Thursday, questioning even the legitimacy of the committee he was testifying at. He said that until the final vote count is determined, nothing else should be done. Fletcher was referring to a ruling by the state Supreme Court in February that determined 11,310 ballots were illegally cast in precincts other than the one voters were registered in. Atkinson meanwhile contends that the out of precinct ballots were legal, as a law passed in 2004 states that such votes should be counted. After the committee wraps up testimony, it will make a recommendation to the full House and Senate, who will then meet in a joint session and decide the winner. If that happens it will be the first time since 1835 that lawmakers in North Carolina have determined the winner of a statewide race.

Defendant Walks Out Of Court
A man in Troy North Carolina was found guilty on drug charges this week. Now all police have to do is find out where he is. Francisco Garcia Reyes just got up and walked out of the courtroom during a break in the trial, disappearing from sight. Officials lost sight of Reyes due to the crowded courtroom and have since issued a warrant for his arrest. It’s unknown if any of the officials in the courthouse will face disciplinary charges because of the escape.

Cell Phone Customers Have Information Leaked
A mistake made by a cell phone company in Pineville North Carolina exposed the personal information of hundreds of clients this week. The mistake was discovered when a man asked if he could have some empty boxes from Cingular’s store at a local strip mall. Store employees agreed, telling him to dig through the garbage and take what he wanted. However when the man started going through the trash, he found several boxes full of papers and folders. Those documents in fact contained the credit card numbers and bank account statements from store clients. One paper even gave the details for when the store’s armored truck pickup stops by for the money. When told of the error, the company said it was a one time accident that happened as an employee was cleaning out the office.

Students Might Pay To Play
Controversy is being stirred up in Pender County today, after a proposal by the Board of Education has people up in arms. The board wants to charge an annual fee of $50 to each high school student who takes part in a school sponsored athletic event. In addition, all middle school athletes would be charged a fee of $15. The reason for the fees? The Board wants to eliminate a gap in the budget of $500,000 and projects that charging to play sports would raise $80,000 over the next year alone. The topic is going to be brought up during the next meeting of the Pender County commissioners.

Dell Bringing In More Jobs
Some good news for people in the Winston area today, as Dell announced plans to bring in over a hundred new jobs. The company is building a conveyor system at its’ new plant and has issued a contract for the construction work. Just over a hundred temporary jobs will be created by the move and after the conveyor is complete, 10 workers will be hired on a permanent basis to help with tech support.

Move Over Law Signed By Easley
Drivers across the state have to move over now when they see flashing lights behind. Governor Easley signed the Move Over Act into law yesterday, making it illegal for drivers who block emergency vehicles. Under the new law, all drivers have to either pull over or slow down so that emergency vehicles can get around them without any delays. Anyone caught in violation of the law will be looking at a $25 fine and having to pay all court costs.

Sports Headlines

Little League Scoreboard
It was a tough night for the Wilkes National #1 Little League squad, as they lost in extra innings to East Catawba 2-1. The game went down to the wire, going into extra innings as the two teams battled it out. But even with the loss, the season isn’t over for the 9-10 year olds, as the playoffs are a double elimination tournament.

Minor League Scoreboard
Around the minor leagues, it was Winston-Salem beating Myrtle Beach 12-3 last night. Travis Hinton had four hits to lead the Warthogs, driving in three runs with a double and a triple on the night. And Winston starter Gio Gonzalez got his second win of the season, giving up two runs in five innings of work.

Charlotte Guard Goes To The Bulls
Former UNC Charlotte guard Eddie Basden will start his NBA career this weekend after agreeing to a contract with the Chicago Bulls. Basden, who went undrafted after a senior season where he was named defensive player of the year in Conference USA, will look to not only make the team, but be a key part of the rotation. The 6-5 Basden will sign a 5 year deal with Chicago when the free agency period officially begins next Friday.

Charlotte Gets Set To Impress NASCAR
NASCAR officials will be going around the country in the next two months to the final five cities who are trying to land the Hall of Fame. North Carolina gets its’ chance to impress on August 17th, which is the date set for NASCAR to tour Charlotte and see the plans presented for the Hall. Delegates will also hold meetings with local officials, discussing the proposal and touring the potential site. A final decision will be made by the end of the year.

$50,000 Fish May Be In North Carolina Waters
Currently somewhere in North Carolina a fish worth $50,000 is swimming. The Early Times company has created a contest, in which they released 25 tagged largemouth and spotted bass into both Lake Norman near Charlotte and Jordan Lake near Raleigh. If one of the bass are caught, the fisherman then can register the number on earlytimes.com. At the end of the month, one of the tags will be drawn out and the fisherman will walk away with the $50,000 check. The contest is open to anyone 21 and older.