News & Sports For August 24th

Deadline Fast Approaching For Farmers
There is less than two weeks left for Wilkes County farmers to receive state funds if their property was damage by hurricanes last year. State aid money will be sent out on September 9th to anyone who suffered crop losses or had to rebuild from last year’s storms. However when filing out their information sheet, several hundred farmers throughout North Carolina refused to allow the state to share their information with federal agencies. This causes a problem because the Department of Agriculture is the one in charge of sending out the aid money & without that consent form, they don’t know who to send it to. The deadline to turn in a form is September 9th and you can pick one up at the Cooperative Extension office. To call for more information, their number is 651-7331.

Drink Machines Targeted Across Wilkes
Around Wilkes, thieves hit a series of drink machines, apparently looking for some easy money. Two Wilkesboro businesses were hit, first at a lumber yard on Hwy 16 and then at 421 Motors. In both cases the thieves pried open the machine door and removed the money from inside. The same thing happened to another business on Boone Trail, as thieves ripped open the machine and took the money. In all three cases, the missing money totaled up to $50, while $800 in damages was done. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

United Way Campaign Begins Tomorrow
On Thursday of this week, the Wilkes United Way organization is holding an event to kick off their 2005-2006 campaign. The price of admission is one can of non perishable food. There will be food and games, along with musical performances, face painting and other things. IN addition, raffle tickets will be sold, with the winner receiving two tickets to the Food City 500 Nextel Cup Race in Bristol. To get more information you can call the local United Way office at 651-7800 or visit their website at www.Uwwilkes.org.

Just Came By To Borrow A Few Things
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro residence this week, after the homeowner returned to find thieves had been by. The man’s tiller was missing, along with his chainsaw. However there was no sign of a break-in and nothing else damaged or stolen on the property. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

WCC To Host Financial Class For Adults
Sometimes it can be a pain collecting on a debt. Regardless if it’s something owed by a neighbor or payment charged to your business. Coming up next month, Wilkes Community College is holding a seminar, to help people understand what their legal rights are in such a situation. Such as what are your options for collecting a bad debt? What to do when a debtor skips town? The meeting is free, however you must register ahead of time to get in. To sign up, you can call WCC at 838-6210. That will take place on September 29th, sponsored by the Small Business Center of the college.

Another Case Of Gas Theft
Yet another business in Wilkes fell victim to gas thieves this week. A man drove up to the Little Market Basket in Wilkesboro, pumped just over $10 in gas and then drove off without paying. Employees however were able to get a description of both the man and the vehicle, which were turned over to deputies. That investigation is ongoing.

Focus On The Kitchen
When people can’t afford to buy food, who do they turn to? Here in Wilkes, the Samaritan’s Kitchen lends a hand. The Kitchen, which has been in operation for over six years, is involved with several different programs throughout the week. Later this week on Focus on the Foothills, Brian will be talking with Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth Ferguson about what exactly the organization is and how you can get involved if you want to do that. That’s tomorrow at 1:05pm, right after the midday stock report.

Wreck On Winkler Mill Road Totals Two
It’s always a good idea to look before you leap. A North Wilkesboro man learned this week it’s the same when you’re driving. The man was driving on the Winkler Mill Road when he looked away for a few minutes. He turned back around just in time to see his car slam into the one in front. Both cars spun in the intersection, finally coming to a stop a few feet down the road. Both cars were totaled in the crash and had to be towed away. Estimated damages were placed at $3500. Thankfully however no one was injured in the wreck.

Mailbox Vandals Hit Another Home
Yet another home in the Wilkes County area fell prey to mailbox vandals this week. A Roaring River man walked outside to find that his mailbox had been pulled up and damaged, with estimated costs placed at $30. Despite the damage, no one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything during the night. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

State News

The Wait Is Over
North Carolina finally has a superintendent of public schools. June Atkinson was selected by a joint session of both the House and Senate 93 to 21. However the vote was not without controversy, as nearly 50 lawmakers wrote “protest” on their ballot, saying that they couldn’t and shouldn’t determine a winner in the race. This marks the first time since 1835 where the General Assembly had to step in and select a winner in a statewide race. Atkinson was immediately sworn in and will assume her duties later today. This ends almost a year of court battles on the subject. Atkinson won the election by 8535 votes, however Republican Bill Fletcher challenged the results, saying that some of the provisional ballots were cast out of the voter’s home precinct and shouldn’t be counted. Atkinson then won again in the recount but Fletcher continued to block her appointment with new court challenges. Now that state lawmakers have stepped in, there’s no other options left open.

Over A Hundred Students Released From College Team
Controversy has ignited at Louisburg College here in North Carolina, after over a hundred students were released from the football team. The problem came after head coach Tim Newton guaranteed spots to players, despite there being more than the necessary limit. The president of Louisburg said the college made a decision to order the players cut, because they couldn’t afford to keep them all on the team. Costs of uniforms, meals and other problems were raised. However that doesn’t help some students, who paid $19,000 to attend on the promise of having a shot at the football team. Now without a tryout or any other chance, they’ve been released. The NAACP is considering filing a lawsuit in the case.

Truck Goes Hog Wild On Interstate
Officials near Raleigh had to clean up portions of the interstate on Tuesday, after several passengers of a truck went hog wild. The vehicle had been carrying pigs when the driver suddenly had to pull over, as he noticed that some of the animals were falling onto the road. It’s unclear exactly how the pigs escaped, but several were running around the Beltline before being rounded up. None of the animals were killed and thankfully no drivers were injured while swerving to avoid them. Traffic however was backed up for several hours during the cleanup.

Man Drives Into Raleigh High School
High school students in Raleigh got a surprise when leaving class yesterday. At Broughton High School, a truck crashed into the school’s lobby. Apparently the driver had come by to pick up his grandson, but got his foot stuck on the accelerator. As a result, he drove into the building, through the glass doors and came to rest in the gym lobby. While people were in the area at that time, thankfully no one was hurt in the crash. Police are determining today if the driver will face charges, however the first day of school will go on as planned later this week.

Fake 911 Calls Land Iredell Teen In Hot Water
An Iredell teenager has been arrested after police discovered she was responsible for over 1500 fake calls to 911. 19-yr-old Heather Garrison called 911 repeatedly since the first of the month, always cursing, whispering or laughing. The calls were eventually tracked down to her phone, leading to the arrest. It’s still unclear why exactly she made the calls, as she didn’t say anything to officers.

Sinkhole Grows In Hickory
It’s become the case of the giant expanding hole. A sinkhole at Buffalo’s Restaurant in Hickory continues to grow today, to the point where it soon might begin affecting traffic on Highway 70. In July, the sinkhole opened up, but no one has stepped forward to pay for the necessary repair work. As a result, water pools up during each rainfall and spills out into the nearby highway, creating problems for drivers. Now, as portions of the pavement continue to fall in, Hickory officials continue to debate who is actually going to pay for the needed construction. A decision on the matter isn’t expected until next month at the earliest.

Water Goes Out In Mount Holly
Residents of Mount Holly had to do without water for parts of this week, after a pipe was damaged. On Monday, a gas company was doing some work when they punctured a nearby water main just off Highway 273. While work crews repaired the damaged pipes, residents living around Old Hickory Grove Road found themselves without water for eight hours. Crews worked around the clock, finally finishing the repairs around 1am Tuesday morning.

Sports Headlines

Edwards Has Goals For UNC
You could say that Barrington Edwards has some modest goals for his first official season as a Tarheel. But then you’d be wrong. Edwards told reporters that his first goal this season will be to rush for 1,000 yards. By comparison, the last Tarheel running back to do that was Jonathan Linton back in 1997. Taking over as the starter due to Ronnie McGill’s injuries, Edwards doesn’t have much competition for the spot, as backup Vince Wilson recently announced he’ll be transferring before the season begins. And UNC will have their first game just over two weeks from now, as they go on the road to face Georgia Tech September 10th.

Wake Forest Loses Two Players
Bad news up the road in Winston Salem, as two Wake Forest players were lost for the season due to injury. Andrew Conroy, a freshman linebacker and Will Hollis, a junior receiver, both had serious knee injuries that have developed during camp and will require surgery. Conroy has already had the procedure and Hollis went under the knife yesterday. Losing Hollis especially hurt the Deacons, as he was a key player on special teams last year.

North Carolina Players Added To Lombardi List
In other college football news, several players from here in the state made the Lombardi Award Watch List. The Lombardi Award is handed out each year to the top offensive lineman in the country and 123 names were put in for consideration this season. Manny Lawson, a senior from NC State, senior Kyle Ralph from North Carolina and junior Steve Vallos from Wake Forest were all added to the list. Throughout the season, names will be eliminated until the top lineman is chosen by a committee at the end of the year.

Tarheels Turn Down European Basketball Player
Despite having some depth problems, UNC’s basketball program turned down a potential recruit on Monday. European forward Cem Dinc had recently attracted attention from both the Tarheels and Indiana, based on his offensive skills and 6-10 frame. But UNC officials told Dinc on Monday that if he wanted to suit up as a member of the ‘Heels, it would probably be a good idea to first take a year of prep school to get ready. While Dinc considers his options, he’s scheduled to visit Indiana this week.

Minor League Scoreboard
Taking a look around the minor leagues, it was Winston Salem beating Lynchburg 7-4. Warthogs starter Ryan Rodriguez became just the second 11 game winner in the Carolina League, giving up two runs in seven innings of work. With the win, Winston stays a game behind the Salem Avalanche in the hunt for the Southern Division title.

Davis Makes Position Change For Panthers
For the second time in less than a week, Thomas Davis is changing positions with the Carolina Panthers. Originally Davis had made the switch to linebacker, after starter Brandon Short went down with a leg injury. But now after strong safety Colin Branch is out for the year with an MCL tear, Davis is moving back to his original position. Davis played strong safety for three years at Georgia, while also developing skills as an occasional starter at linebacker.