Wilkes Soldier Arrested For Murder
A Wilkes County man is in jail today after being charged with the murder of his wife. 19-yr-old Army Specialist Brandon Scott Bare was arrested at Fort Lewis in Washington State, where he had been currently stationed. Bare’s 18-yr-old wife Nabila had been found dead earlier in the week at their home on the base and he now stands charged with premeditated murder. The North Wilkes graduate had just recently returned from Iraq in April, to recover from head injuries sustained during a bomb blast. But after his return, Bare didn’t appear to be completely ok, according to people close to him. He was still dealing with several problems linked to his injuries and had enrolled in a counseling program at the nearby Army Medical Center. No other information was released regarding why Bare was arrested and charged so quickly. In the past five months, two other officers from the base have been charged with killing their wives.

Traphill Man Arrested In Financial Fraud Case
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Traphill man late last week in a case of financial fraud. Over a hundred dollars was stolen from a Lewisville woman’s bank account over the past month, with the money being taken out in several small amounts. It’s unclear exactly how the account numbers were obtained, as the woman still had both her debit card and all of her checks. However sheriff’s deputies were able to track down a suspect, who gave a written statement as he was arrested. 22-yr-old Scott Brandon Wyatt was arrested and charged with financial fraud and financial card theft.

Health Department Offering Car Seat Help
85% of child safety seats across Wilkes County are 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. However if you’re still trying to figure out what the right way to install one is, you don’t have to wait until the next safety check. The Wilkes Health Department is partnering with SafeKids to help show parents the right way to install the seats. To set up an appointment, you can call Jean Edwards at the Health Department. Her number is 651-7478.

Wheels Stolen From Local Business
Sheriff’s deputies were called out over the weekend to Quality Heating and Air, after employees came in to find that someone had stolen the wheels off their work truck. Nothing else was damaged at the business and no other items had been stolen. There are no suspects but deputies are continuing the investigation.

Heat Actually Keeping Hurricanes Away
Tired of looking outside and seeing yet another thunderstorm dumping rain across Wilkes County? Well it turns out those storms are actually helping keep another larger problem out of the area. According to the national weather service, these storms we’ve been experiencing are part of what is called a Bermuda high. That’s a pressure system that expands during the summer months. Moving up from Africa to cover parts of the United States. Currently it’s sitting in the Atlantic Ocean pulling hot, moist air our way from the Gulf of Mexico. That air in turn acts as a buffer zone, blocking the tropical storms and hurricanes from directly heading our way. We may still see some wind and rain, but as long as the Bermuda system is just off the coast, there’s a significantly smaller chance we’ll see a full fledged hurricane knocking down the door. And according to weather officials from Raleigh, you can expect much of the same this week, as the front is expected to hang around for the next few days at least.

Man Arrested After Traffic Stop
Sheriff’s deputies pulled over a man for a traffic violation late last week and end up taking him to jail. Deputies had originally pulled over the man for a busted taillight and he informed them he didn’t have any identification. After telling them his name was William Rush, the man sat back as deputies went to run the license plates. While that was going on, additional units came in for backup and informed the deputies that the man hadn’t given his real name. In fact, the man was 28-yr-old Marty Gwen Shumate and had warrants out for him. Deputies arrested Mr. Shumate for the open warrants, in addition to resisting an officer by lying about his identity.

Drugs Found At Local Home
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a tip on the Liberty Grove Church Road, searching a nearby residence. Once inside, no drugs or any other illegal items were found until they came upon a man walking through the house. He told deputies he’d be back in a second, he just had to use the restroom. Deputies were suspicious of his behavior and the fact he had a large bulge in the pocket of his pants. Deputies searched the man and found a crack pipe along with a small amount of cocaine. 27-yr-old Henry Larry Shew was arrested and charged with drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

State News

Fire In Monroe Caused By 5 Year Old
A fire over the weekend in Monroe is being investigated by local authorities today. The blaze happened at a home on Carmel Church Road, putting a man and his 18-month old daughter in the hospital. Now the man’s 5-yr-old son has confessed to setting the fire, although he didn’t explain why. The man and his daughter are in serious condition at a nearby hospital, with burns covering their face and arms. They are expected to survive.

Police Searching For Young Girl
Police in the High Point area are on the hunt today for a 36-yr-old man and the 12-yr-old girl that he has with him. 36-yr-old Charles Douglas Parry of High Point left the area on Friday, picking up a 12-yr-old girl as she snuck out of her parents’ house to join him. The 12-yr-old, Pracilla Ann Frazier, is 5’3 ft, weighing 118 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The two are traveling in a 1999 Gold Jeep Cherokee with the license plates RPK7107. Police believe they may be leaving the state. An Amber alert has been issued for Frazier and warrants are out for Parry’s arrest.

Jobs Leaving Burlington Industries
Bad news tonight for people living in the Raeford area as 350 jobs will be gone by the end of this year. Due to a decline in the need for dress uniforms in the military, Burlington Industries announced plans over the weekend to lay off some of their employees. 200 people will lose their jobs in the Raeford plant, with an additional 150 to be dismissed from the plant in Richmond County. Most of the jobs lost will be in manufacturing and company officials said the move was needed to avoid losing profits.

Meth Lab Busted In Union County
Officials in Union County raided a home on Route 601 over the weekend, discovering a meth lab in the process. On a tip, sheriff’s deputies went through the home and found that virtually the entire structure was being used as a meth lab. However while the lab itself has been destroyed, it might be a while before arrests can be made. Whoever had been running the operation appears to have vanished with no evidence in regards to their identity left behind.

Bush Visits North Carolina
Attempting to raise support for his CAFTA proposal, President Bush visited Charlotte on Friday before stopping to speak at Gaston College. The trade agreement passed in the Senate earlier this month and will go before the House for a vote in the next two weeks. Supporters of the agreement say that it will help to generate jobs in the U.S., although no evidence for this can be provided. Opponents on the other hand say much like NAFTA, this agreement will simply make it easier for US companies to move to Central America, where the labor costs are cheaper. Since NAFTA was passed in the early 90s, 600 people have been put on the unemployment line as 42 textile plants have either closed or moved operations to other countries. Bush said he hopes to end restrictive trade barriers between the U.S. and Central America.

Sports Headlines

Coach Williams Under Investigation
In college basketball, UNC Coach Roy Williams finds himself under investigation today, after a report was released on Friday by the University of Kansas. In the report, university officials allege that Williams was responsible for several violations of NCAA regulations while he was the head coach. Williams spoke to the media over the weekend and apologized, saying that the violations had come as a result of a miscommunication about the rules. The two year investigation found that Williams had given $6.22 to a potential student for gas money, while two walk-on players had been allowed to eat at the training table without being charged, for a grand total of $26. As for the other violations, Williams said he wasn’t aware that NCAA regulations extended even after a student had graduated. Williams had allowed athletic boosters to give graduation gifts to some of the students, including a new suit and a small amount of cash. Nothing given totaled over $400. But under NCAA rules, once a student joins a college program, they can’t accept any type of gift from fans for the rest of their lives. NCAA officials said they are reviewing the report and will make a ruling of their own this coming fall.

UNC Possibly Lands Another Recruit
In some good news for the Tarheels, another face might be added to this year’s basketball squad, if he can pass summer school. Mike Copeland, from Winston Salem Reynolds High, has an offer from UNC waiting for him after the report card comes in from his last two classes. The 6-8 Copeland put up 17 points and 9 rebounds during his senior season last fall and just needs to pass World History and English in order to qualify for college. Copeland said it would be a dream to play for the Heels and he’s determined to pass with flying colors in hopes of suiting up for this year’s team.

NC State Out Of Jimmy V Women’s Classic
In a strange twist, NC State won’t be playing in the tournament named after a former coach from their school. The Jimmy V Women’s Basketball Classic won’t be held in Raleigh anymore, instead moving up to Hartford Connecticut. As a result, NC State won’t be a part of the event but rather the UNC Lady Tarheels will be facing off against the Lady Huskies of Connecticut on Dec. 5th. Poor attendance was the main reason cited for the move, as only 6734 fans attended last year’s game. Profits from the event go to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Minor League Scoreboard
Around the minor league scene, it was Hickory beating the Charleston River Dogs 6-3. Derek Hankins went eight innings for the Crawdads, striking out four while only giving up two runs for his 5th win of the year.

NASCAR Scoreboard
It was Tony Stewart taking the checkered flag Sunday at the New England 300. Kurt Busch was second, Bobby Labonte third, Kyle Busch fourth and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five.

Waltrip To Part Ways With DEI
After five years together, Michael Waltrip will say goodbye to Dale Earnhart Incorporated after this season. The move was announced over the weekend before Sunday’s race and Waltrip called it a mutual decision between himself and the company. It’s unknown where the 42-yr-old Waltrip will find himself next season, as he plans to keep racing but doesn’t have any sponsors lined up.