News & Sports For September 21st

More Donations From Katrina Relief
With supplies still needed across the Gulf Coast, donation drives are going on throughout Wilkes County. The Red Cross has put together a cookbook sale, with proceeds going to benefit hurricane survivors. The recipes are taken from friends and family members of those who work for the chapter and are available for $10 each. You can pick one up by going to the local chapter or for more information call Carolyn Nichols at 838-4563. In addition, baby supplies are still being taken up at Our House. That includes diapers, baby food and formula and you can drop those items off anytime between 9am and 5pm through Thursday. Then on Friday morning donations will be taken until 12 noon, at which time it’ll all be packed up and shipped down.

Prostate Cancer Pt. 5
Once men reach a certain age, prostate cancer can become a serious problem. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and in today’s 3WC Healthwatch, we take a look at how to get more information about the disease. Dr. John Hetterachchi explains when is a good idea to go for your first test.
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Coming up this Friday there will be a free clinic for all men 45 and older in Dr. Hetterachchi’s office, where you can be checked for the disease. To call ahead and make an appointment, the number is 838-5655.

Gas Stolen From Woman’s Car
Gas thieves reached a new low on Monday, stealing fuel from another car in the area. A North Wilkesboro woman went to work Monday morning and when she got out of the car, she still had almost a full tank. When she returned to her car later in the day, the door was open, the gas cap was missing and she was down to half a tank of fuel. Another car in the area was in the same condition, but no one could locate the driver. There is a suspect however and the investigation is ongoing.

Focus On Missions Pt. 2
Mission work is a unique outlet of the church. People are sent out to other parts of the globe to spread the gospel, having to possibly learn new languages and new ways of living. But how do you know that you’ve been called? As Bob Strachan explains, there is a way.
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Pastor Strachan will be Brian’s guest tomorrow during Focus on the Foothills, as they discuss mission work in Scotland. What should people know before going over? How can the church in America lend a hand? That’s all coming up tomorrow at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Thieves Continue To Steal Flowers From Graves
Who would want to steal flowers from a grave? That’s what sheriff’s deputies are asking today, as several people have reported flowers being stolen from their loved one’s graves at a local cemetery. Nothing is damaged at the grave sites and flowers are the only things taken. There are no suspects but deputies are continuing the investigation.

Blood Drive Going On Today
Most of us have seen pictures of the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Supplies have been donated and money has been sent down. But in the wake of the storm, there are other problems to consider back here at home. The blood supply is still at critical levels here in Wilkes, as most of the recent donations have been sent down to aid in hospitals and emergency rooms across the Gulf Coast. To help give the gift of life, you can go out today to Wilkes Community College, where a drive will start at 9:30am and last until 3pm this afternoon. And before giving, just remember you must be at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 lbs.

Wilkesboro Man Falls Victim To Fraud
A Wilkesboro man called sheriff’s deputies this week after falling victim to computer hackers. He had received an email that appeared to be from ebay, asking for his personal information. After entering all of it in, the screen then changed and he realized it wasn’t ebay that everything had been turned over to. The man has alerted his bank and called in sheriff’s deputies, in hopes that the hacker could be tracked down. That investigation is ongoing.

Now Is A Good Time To Break Out The Axe
As we near the end of September, winter is not too far away. And with the winter months comes ice and snow, a small problem if there are dead trees in your area. Fire marshals advise that now might be a good time to break out that axe or chainsaw and cut them down. Otherwise this winter, they could fall on the roads or damage vehicles. It’s even a good idea to cut down unhealthy trees that aren’t dead yet, according to the forest service. The reason being that once winter comes, that tree could quickly die and crash, creating problems you don’t need. You can tell unhealthy trees by several ways. They always have dead leaves, also a hollowing trunk and peeling bark. And who knows, if you have a wood furnace, those trees you cut could help save on your power bill come November.

All For A Can Of Coke
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to the Rivers Edge Skate Park earlier this week after vandals did over a thousand dollars worth of damage to drink machines on the property. In front of witnesses, they also stole drinks from the machine once it was damaged and took off running. The vandals were described and identified by witnesses however and sheriff’s deputies are continuing the investigation.

Gas And Mower Stolen From Ronda Home
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a Ronda woman’s home on Monday, after she fell victim to thieves. While she was gone to work, someone had come by the house and stolen a push mower along with 10 gallons of gas. Nothing else was taken and there was no damage done to the property. No one in the area however could recall hearing or seeing anyone nearby. That investigation is ongoing.

State News

More People Arrested In Katrina Scams
On Tuesday, officials in Burlington arrested two more men accused of disaster relief scams. Quincy King had been going around the area, pretending to be a volunteer with the Red Cross and taking up donations. However when someone contacted the local chapter, they had never heard of the man. He was helped by a representative of a local church, Willie Frank Warren, who worked with Grace Fellowship Ministries. Both were released on bond.

Pay Increasing For UNC Healthcare Workers
Good news for people who work in any part of the UNC Healthcare system. Your pay could be increasing. Healthcare officials announced on Tuesday that the minimum wage for their workers will be increased to ten dollars an hour, effective at the beginning of next month. That will go for any housekeepers, entry level clerical workers, groundskeepers, dietary assistants and all others making the minimum. An estimated 365 employees across the state will get pay raises and that extra money will start showing up in the first check they receive in November.

Greensboro Asks For Help With Drivers
Members of a Greensboro neighborhood are tired of people violating the speed limit and so they’re taking the fight to city hall. Residents of Gretchen Lane have asked that at least stopsigns be installed in the area, if not speedbumps to solve the problem. However since Greensboro doesn’t have a speedbump program, their request had to be tabled until a report is created on what it would take to begin one. Traffic problems increased in the area when a new development was built and neighbors are concerned that someone, possibly an elderly person or child coming home from school could become a victim. Stopsigns are supposed to be installed at three intersections in the coming months.

Jobs Available In Greensboro
The U.S. Postal Service needs help and to solve the problem, 100 new jobs are being created in Greensboro. The jobs, which will be temporary, are at the human resource center and must be filled by January at the latest. Any and all applications are being taken for the jobs, which pay a range from $14 to $20 an hour. To apply in person, you can go to the USPS human resource center in Greensboro, located at 7023 Albert Pick Road. Applications are taken anytime from 2-7pm during the week and also on Saturdays from 10am until 2pm.

Time Warner Accused Of Overcharging
If leaders in Wilson North Carolina have their way, Time Warner Cable may have a bill of its’ own coming due. Each month, people in Wilson find an upgrade fee tacked on to their regular cable bill. An upgrade that was finished in the late 1990s. The fee is included as part of the standard cable service charge, so it’s hard to notice. City officials have approved a resolution that claims the fee is unwarranted and not only needs to be stopped, but that people in the area should be refunded. Over the last four years alone, that fee has taken $700,000 from local citizens, however a spokesman from Time Warner said that the cost hasn’t even been covered yet. Over five years since the upgrade was actually done, charges for technology improvements still haven’t been made back in profit, according to the company. In fact, Time Warner says the fee will go on for at least another 10 years, to make back the money paid on the project. The town meanwhile has filed an appeal with the FCC.

More Kids Get Sick From Salmonella
In a case strikingly similar to one late last year in Wilkes, some 25 students in Gaston County have become sick from salmonella poisoning. All of the students became sick after attending an etiquette class held at the City Club, a members only institution. While the health department said that food at the club was safe to eat, investigators did announce that the way employees handled it could have caused the problem. Targeted by the investigation was a pot of chicken, cooked by a combination of grilling and baking. Apparently according to investigators, it hadn’t been cooked all the way when delivered to the students. Keep in mind that salmonella is a deadly bacteria, but an infection can be easily avoided simply by washing your hands.

Sports Headlines

Son Of Former Hornet Selects College
Davidson will have a freshman coming in next fall with a famous father. Stephen Curry, the son of former Charlotte Hornet Dell Curry, announced this week that he was committing to Davidson. The 6-1 Curry turned down scholarships from Virginia Tech & Winthrop to join the school’s basketball team. During his junior year, Curry was a finalist for the National Christian Schools All America team, in addition to being one of just 100 athletes across the nation invited to the NBA Players Association Camp this summer.

Bobcats Re-Sign Gerald Wallace
In the senior circuit, the Charlotte Bobcats have almost wrapped up their offseason dealings. The team has come to terms on a contract with small forward Gerald Wallace, bringing him back under a three year deal. Wallace, one of the best athletes in the league, was a restricted free agent, meaning that other teams could offer him a deal but the Bobcats had the right to match it. Instead, Wallace and his agent hammered out an agreement with the team that took him in last year’s expansion draft. The move leaves two members of last year’s team unaccounted for, as shooting guards Jason Kapono and Keith Bogans are still unsigned. Kapono has been in talks for a trade to the Lakers or possibly the New Jersey Nets.

Rules Set For Developmental League
Also on Tuesday, the NBA set the rules for the Developmental League and handed out affiliations. Out of the eight teams in the new minor league system, each one will be linked with at least three NBA franchises. The Charlotte Bobcats are partnered with the Fayetteville Patriots of the D-league, along with the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. Each team can send down two players to the league, to get playing time and develop their skills. For the Bobcats, rookies Alan Anderson and Antonio Meeking both may spend some time in Fayetteville this season.

Former Tarheel Out For The Season
In the NFL, the season came to an early end for a former UNC Tarheel. It was announced Monday night that Oakland Raiders receiver Ronald Curry will miss the rest of the year after tearing his Achilles tendon in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. It’s the exact same injury that sidelined Curry a year ago and it’s unknown if he’ll undergo surgery this time. Last season he spent the better part of nine months in rehab and avoided going under the knife.

NASCAR Hands Out Penalties
In the wake of tempers flaring during Sunday’s race, NASCAR officials have handed down fines and penalties to several teams. Robby Gordon was fined $35,000 for attempting to hit Michael Waltrip’s car with his helmet and later cursing about the incident on tv. With the fine comes a suspension of 50 points and a sentence of probation for the rest of the year. Meanwhile Waltrip himself was fined $10,000 and docked 25 points for the obscene hand gesture that followed. Kasey Kahne was fined $25,000 after intentionally ramming Kyle Busch, knocking both drivers out of the race, in retaliation for an earlier collision. Kahne was also put on probation and docked 25 points.