Wreck On Hwy 16 Shuts Down Traffic
Highway 16 Mountain was closed down for portions of the afternoon and into the evening hours yesterday, after a tractor trailer wrecked. It’s unclear how many other vehicles were involved, although one person was airlifted by chopper and another was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The incident happened around 2:40pm at the Ashe County/Wilkes County line. DOT workers shut down the road for most of the day as they cleaned up the wreckage.

Fox Meets With Local Vets
5th District Congresswoman Virginia Fox was in Wilkes County on Wednesday, holding a meeting with local war veterans. The meeting took place in the county commissioners’ room, with Fox promising the vets that she would stay on top of issues that affected them. She also asked for any concerns they had, dealing with problems she could help with. They cited a lack of veterans’ clinics in the area, with the closest one being in Winston Salem. Also the question of health benefits was brought up, namely how can all veterans get the coverage they need? The congresswoman promised to look into all of the subjects brought up at the meeting and said she hopes to have conferences like this several times a year at least.

Local Man Falls Victim To ID Fraud
A North Wilkesboro man found himself the victim of identity theft this week, after his card was declined at a local store. He soon discovered that someone had been using his name and social security number to get a credit card and run up debt. The name of the suspect was turned over to sheriff’s deputies and the investigation is ongoing.

Focus On Schools
With the new school year fast approaching, it’s time to start getting ready for class. But for students in the local high schools, it may also be time soon to move into a new building. Today on Focus on the Foothills, Brian will be talkign with Dr. Steve Laws, superintendent for Wilkes COunty Public Schools. They'll be discussing the renovations planned, also dealing with the ABC testing results and talking about where Wilkes County stands as a public school system. That’s coming up at 1:05pm, right after the midday stock report.

Gas Theft At Run-In
Another Wilkes County business fell victim to gas thieves this week. A man pulled up to the Run-In store in North Wilkesboro, pumped $59 worth of gas into his vehicle and then drove away. A description of both the man and the vehicle were turned over to sheriff’s deputies. That investigation is ongoing.

Orientation Tonight At Local Schools
The countdown to the first day of school continues tonight, as orientation sessions are being held across the county. C.B. Eller, C.C. Wright, Moravian Falls, Mulberry, Roaring River, Traphill and Wilkesboro Elementary will all hold orientation sessions tonight. Also the four high schools will all hold freshman orientation, beginning for each one at 6pm.

Always Keep Your Windows Locked
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a Hays residence on Wednesday, after reports of a break-in. The homeowner had returned to find that someone had broke in through an unlocked window. There was no damage done to the property and the only things taken in the theft were several bottles of pills from the woman’s medicine cabinet. There are no suspects but the investigation continues.

Golf Tournament This Saturday
The Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home is gearing up for their annual benefit golf tournament, which will be held this coming Saturday, August 13th at Oakwoods Country Club. The format will be four man captain’s choice, with over $50,000 in prizes up for grabs. There are still a few spots open for the afternoon flight and to sign up or for a brochure you may call the Home at 667-5683.

Ran Off With The Steak
The Food Lion in Wilkesboro was the victim of thieves this week, as someone tried to run out the door with a pack of steaks. The man had come inside holding a large black bag, which he used to pick up three family packs of steaks and walk out the door. He then went across to Wilkes Family Pharmacy and tried to sell the steaks to employees. They turned him down and helped provide a description of the suspect. All total $50 in food was stolen and the 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. 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.

State News

So Close To A Budget
North Carolina apparently doesn’t have a budget. While the details behind one were announced this week and lawmakers appeared ready to vote it in, Governor Easley has sent everyone back to the drawing board. Easley has said that he’ll veto the budget if raises for state employees aren’t taken out. The reason for the challenge is that Easley assigned a spending cap to the budget and with the employee raises, it crosses over his limit by a few thousand to finish at $17.2 billion. However some Republicans are coming out in support of the governor’s veto, because they feel that there are too many pork barrel projects in the budget. Several projects have been slipped in from different senators and representatives, all benefiting their districts. The added projects exceed $100 million dollars, according to Senate Republicans. More meetings are scheduled for the rest of this week as lawmakers try to cut down the number to one that Easley agrees to sign.

Highway In Hickory Shut Down
Portions of Highway 70 in Hickory had to be shut down late Tuesday night, after a nearby sinkhole flooded and spilled over into the road. The sinkhole at Buffalo’s Southwestern Café filled with water due to constant rain in the area. The water soon began to pool up and spill into the nearby highway, creating a dangerous situation for drivers. The road has since been reopened, however as nothing has been done about the sinkhole, local DOT officials said to expect the same problem when it rains again. A decision has not yet been made as to what to do with the sinkhole and more important for some making that choice, who’s going to pay for it.

Street Racing Leads To Power Failure
The lights went out in Charlotte on Tuesday night, thanks in part to some nighttime racers. Several street racers were driving on Independence Boulevard when they lost control and hit a power pole. That in turn created a domino effect, breaking a nearby underground water main and tearing down several power lines in the area. Duke Power crews spent all Tuesday night and part of Wednesday morning repairing the damage, which caused two lanes of Independence Boulevard to be shut down. Officials are still searching for the drivers involved.

Police Know Who Abducted Thomasville Woman
The search is on today for a Thomasville woman, however police believe they now know who took her. 23-yr-old Kimberly Tripp went missing on Saturday after calling her mother to tell her goodbye. She also said that her ex-boyfriend was planning to send her home in a body bag. That was the last time anyone saw the woman. Her ex, 23-yr-old Anthony Duncan is now wanted for questioning in her abduction.

Inmates Brought Back To Prison
Two inmates are heading back to prison today in Granville County, after being discovered late on Tuesday. 19-yr-old Noel Waff and 17-yr-old Kristen Whitaker were both picked up by officials on the side of the road, after they saw them walking along Highway 15 South. No details have been released as to how exactly the two managed to escape early Tuesday morning. Waff was in jail on second degree burglary and larceny charges, while Whitaker had been arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle.

North Carolina Sued By Asheville
The state of North Carolina finds itself in legal trouble today, after papers were filed by the city of Asheville. Asheville officials are suing North Carolina, after a dispute with Buncombe County. In June of this year, state lawmakers made it illegal for Asheville to charge different water rates to residents outside city limits. They also made it illegal to spend money set aside for water maintenance on anything else. Now city officials are calling the laws unconstitutional, saying that the state is attempting to regulate trade and is denying Asheville equal protection under the law. It’s unknown when a hearing on the subject will go forward.

Sports Headlines

Student Chooses College Over Pros
For most student athletes, the promise of dollar signs far outweighs the chance at a degree. But one Black Mountain student turned down a major league team to pursue his education this week. Steven Hensley was drafted in the 44th round of this year’s Major League Baseball draft by the Washington Nationals. But instead of signing on the dotted line and getting his career started, Hensley announced that he’s enrolling at Elon University. The Black Mountain Owen grad says that he wants to develop his pitching arm and get a degree, while also helping Elon reach the regional NCAA tournament. When he does decide to enter the draft, there won’t be a lack of interest. Hensley has great control over his arm and throws in the early 90s, recording a Western North Carolina record of 153 strikeouts this past season.

North Carolina Players Shine In World Championships
Several players from around North Carolina are turning heads in the Under 21 World Games this year. Duke shooting guard J.J. Redick scored 22 points in the U.S. team’s win over Nigeria 113-78 this week. Redick tied a tournament record by hitting six three pointers in the game. Wake Forest guard Justin Gray also got in on the action, putting in 11 points.

Minor League Scoreboard
In the minors last night, it was Winston Salem falling against Wilmington 10-5.
Warthogs’ starter Wes Whisler was roughed up in the loss, giving up nine runs in just 3 1/3 innings of work.

Bobcats Sign Three
From the NBA, the roster continues to fill up for the Charlotte Bobcats. The agent for point guard Brevin Knight said that his client and the team have come to terms on a deal, however it won’t be finalized until the first of next week. Also the team signed deals with two of its’ summer league players, Antonio Meeking of Louisiana Tech and Alan Anderson from Michigan State.

One Hurricane Sticking Around
Despite all the turnover and trades in the NHL, one Carolina Hurricane will be coming back for another season. Kevyn Adams signed a new deal with the team, locking him up for at least the next two years. The 30-yr-old Adams says that he wants to finish out his career in Raleigh and hopefully bring the Stanley Cup to the Carolinas.

NASCAR News
In NASCAR, Ryan Newman became the latest driver to sign a new deal this week. Newman agreed to stay with Penske Racing, signing a three year extension with the team. Currently Newman is seventh in the points hunt with five races left before the playoffs.