News & Sports For September 14th

Public Hearing Ends Without Answer

There was no answer last night after the town of North Wilkesboro’s public hearing. A meeting had been called to determine if the town should switch to non-partisan elections, a hot topic with a primary coming up a week from this Friday. Five years ago during the last primary, it cost taxpayers $2898. Counting North Wilkesboro, only seven areas throughout the entire state continue to run partisan elections. While members of the board were split on the issue, all agreed that it should be decided by a referendum. No vote was taken on the subject however, so it will be at least three weeks before any final decisions can be made. The board meets again on October 4^th.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Once men reach a certain age, prostate cancer can become a serious problem. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and coming up next week there will be a free clinic here in Wilkes, available for any men 45 and older. For more information about the disease itself or the clinic, you can call 838-5655.

Gas Thieves Hit Another Wilkes Business
Despite the drop in gas prices, some people here in Wilkes still refuse to pay at the pump. Gas thieves hit H.G. Greens on the Clingman Road on Monday. A man pulled up and pumped diesel fuel into several cans he had stored in the vehicle. Then after getting them loaded he took off down the road. A copy of the store’s video camera was turned over to sheriff’s deputies and there is a suspect in the case.

Focus On The Persecuted Church
For many of us, the closest we’ve been to a foreign country is when we sit at home and watch the news. But in some of the countries around the world, Christians are facing persecution and enduring trials for their faith. One such man of God is Pastor Aniel Rupnuran of Dundee South Africa. Pastor Rupnuran will be Brian’s guest this week for Focus on the Foothills, as they’ll be discussing the struggles of the persecuted church in the world. That’s coming up tomorrow on Focus, at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

The Grass Needed Mowing
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a home in Roaring River on Monday, after thieves ran off with over a thousand dollars worth of material. The homeowner went out to a storage building on the property, to discover that the lock had been broken and several weed-eaters, along with a chainsaw had been taken. There is a suspect in the case and the investigation is ongoing.

Wilkes Students In National Semifinals
Two Wilkes County students have made it into the semi-finals of the National Merit Scholarship Program. Emily Wayne and Nicholas Frazer are both in the running for the scholarship. Emily Wayne is a senior at Wilkes Central High. She attended Governor’s School over the summer and works with both the debate and quiz bowl teams. Nicholas Frazer was also a Wilkes Central student until this fall, when he began attending Simon’s Rock College, the nation’s only college of arts & science designed for students of high school age. He was also a member of both the debate and quiz bowl teams. The two were part of 16,000 students who made the cut as semifinalists. Out of that number, 8000 will receive scholarships totaling $30 million next spring.

Tip Leads To Drug Bust In Boomer
Sheriff’s deputies received a tip over the weekend about drugs being sold at a Boomer residence. Once arriving at the residence on Boomer Road, deputies saw a man standing in the driveway. After a search, they found crack cocaine in his hip pocket. People inside the home told deputies they could come in and search the place, where they discovered bags of crack cocaine totaling over seven grams and drug paraphernalia. Marijuana was also found after a search of the vehicles. Geoffery Earp was charged with maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs, in addition to drug possession with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kendra Moore, Robin Anderson and Charles Bullis were all charged with drug possession, while Benny Ferguson was charged with maintaining a vehicle for the sale of drugs and drug possession.

Free Food & Clothes Coming This Saturday
For people out there who are in need, this Saturday you can get some new clothes and a hot meal. The Wilkesboro Church of Christ is holding a giveaway, where people can come in, get a free breakfast and also pick up some clothes as well. There will be men’s, women’s and children’s sizes available at the church, which is located at 1103 Walnut Circle in Wilkesboro. That’s just behind Dwight Phillips Auto Sales. The event starts at 8am and continues until 11am. For more information you can call 838-5695.

More Disaster Relief Being Sent
The relief efforts continue throughout Wilkes County. Now from 3-7pm each day, people can drop off supplies at the old K-Mart Building. Several area churches have set up a donation drive there, with volunteers to organize the donations and get them ready to ship to Mississippi. There is still a need for volunteers, so if you have thirty minutes or three hours to spare, call Pastor Larry Adams and he’ll set that up. His number is 667-8660. Carolina West Wireless is also sponsoring a donation drive in connection with Wilkes Telecommunications, Parsons Trucking, Surry Telephone and Skyline Telephone. Until this Saturday, you can drop off supplies at Carolina West including water, diapers, baby supplies and toiletries. Also the The Brushy Mountain Chiropractic Center is working with the Red Cross to donate items for Hurricane Katrina victims. For every $20 donation given until September 27th, the Center will offer a free exam and x-ray. Those exams will be done on the 27^th and only by appointment, on a first come first serve basis. Finally there will be a benefit concert held this Saturday at Peace Haven Baptist Church, with all funds being donated to World Vision, to help the hurricane victims. The concert will be free but a love offering will be taken up. Appearing at the church will be Living Well, Faithwalk, Jonathon Cox and Greg Cook w/ Set Free. The number to call for more information is 764-8616. And if you missed any of these or other donation sites that we mention on the news, just call the 3WC Studios here at 838-9992 and we’ll be glad to get you that information.

State News

Man Arrested In Katrina Scam
In Jacksonville North Carolina an 18-year-old was arrested this week in yet another scam regarding Hurricane Katrina. However once the case was over, he found himself facing six different charges. 18-yr-old Jerod Edward Bates and his 15-yr-old accomplice broke into a Frito Lay truck on Monday, taking an estimated $500 worth of food from inside. Then they set up shop and attempted to resell the items, pretending to be raising money for the hurricane victims.

Evacuees Return To Coliseum
Some victims of Hurricane Katrina would rather stay at a shelter than go with family and friends. That’s the case today in Charlotte, as the Red Cross and Salvation Army see people return to the shelter within days of leaving. The city of Charlotte has set up a shelter in the old Charlotte Coliseum, providing medical care and food to victims at a cost of around $70,000 a day. Many don’t give reasons as to why they return, but some say that it’s because they’re out of money. Shelter officials are working to find long term housing for evacuees, in addition to permanent jobs and healthcare.

Lawmakers Bend But 't Break Rules
A two month investigation came to an end this week, as State Attorney General Roy Cooper found that lawmakers didn’t violate the state’s constitution. At the center of the dispute was the fact that $14 million had been set aside last year for certain legislators’ pet projects. Senate leader Marc Basnight and the co-speakers of the House, Jim Black and Richard Morgan, set aside the money from last year’s budget. Some money went to fund health care centers and historic buildings, while also helping to create a job that a friend of Representative Black was given in the Department of Cultural Resources. That position was created using $45,000 of state tax money and then Black’s friend was recommended for the job. Attorney General Cooper said that he could find no specific violation of the law, but was disturbed by the way things were handed. He recommended that from now on, all state spending be explained in detail before the legislature and announced to the public.

Robbery Suspect Hit By Car
In Asheville, a robbery suspect was killed as he was leaving the store. The man had jumped the counter at Oakley Food Center and took some cash from the register. Then he took off running out the door, followed by an employee of the store and a customer. The customer got into his car and after that the details become sketchy. Somehow the robber ended up behind the customer’s vehicle and was hit by the car. His injuries were bad enough to earn a trip to the hospital, where he died soon after. Authorities haven’t decided if any charges will be filed against the store customer.

Central NC Gets New Name
A name change for part of North Carolina has people up in arms today. The central part of the state has long been referred to as the Piedmont. Now it will officially have that title in North Carolina’s travel website. Some businesses are questioning the move however, saying that they believe the name should have been kept as central North Carolina, due to the fact it didn’t need to be explained. Regardless of the discussion, the new name will officially be introduced later this week.

Sports Headlines

Wake Forest Loses Basketball Player
In college basketball, Wake Forest is losing another member of its’ team. Senior guard Richard Joyce announced this week that he’s quitting the sport so that he can graduate early in December. The 6-5 Joyce missed most of last season recovering from a foot injury and now without him, Wake only returns six scholarship players. Seniors Eric Williams, Justin Gray, Chris Ellis and Trent Strickland are all returning, in addition to sophomore Kyle Visser. Those six will most likely be a strong part of the rotation, as no other players have much experience on the college level.

Duke Football Lands Offensive Recruit
On the football field, despite their blowout loss at Virginia Tech, there was some good news for Duke coach Ted Roof this week. Doug Weaver, a junior from Roxboro committed to the team for 2007. The 6-6 275 lb. junior, who plays offensive tackle turned down offers from Wake Forest and East Carolina to attend the school. He said that he wanted to play close to home and was also impressed with Coach Roof’s determination to rebuild the program.

Duke To Stick With Two Sided System
In other Duke football news, Coach Ted Roof announced this week that he’ll be sticking with the same two quarterbacks for the present time. Juniors Mike Schneider and Curt Dukes have taken all of the snaps this season but have posted up horrific numbers the first two weeks. Schneider tossed for 153 total yards over the first two games, with three interceptions and no touchdowns, while Dukes has only completed one pass for eight yards. The main reason Roof is sticking with the two is to give freshmen Gene Donne and Zack Asack time to study and perfect the playbook. Both were listed in the nation’s Top 40 quarterbacks last year as seniors.

Grasshoppers GM Leaving For A New Type Of Team
In minor league baseball, the Greensboro Grasshoppers are in the market for a general manager today, after Tom Howe quit. Howe resigned his position to join a different type of team, accepting a job with the Piedmont Baptist Association. He had served as the club’s GM since October of 2004, helping in the transition to the new stadium and the new name.

Carolina Hurricanes Get Back On Ice
The countdown has finally started for the return of NHL hockey. As the Carolina Hurricanes get set to take the ice, the team opened training camp this week at the RBC Center. Head coach Peter Laviolette has opened practice to the public, letting the people get to know their team. Then on Friday the team will suit up for their first preseason game against the Washington Capitals. The puck will drop at 7pm.