News & Sports For September 23rd

Wilkes Cares This Saturday
The Wilkes Cares organization finds itself in need of supplies, funding and more volunteers. But this coming Saturday, they also want to show the people of Wilkes what exactly it is they do. An open house will be going on from 12 noon until 4pm, where everyone can come in and take a look around. That will be at their office on the Elkin Hwy in North Wilkesboro. For more information about the open house or how you can lend a hand, the number to call is 838-4900.

Break-In At Wilkesboro Store
Thieves broke into the Merita Bread Outlet this week, but apparently didn’t find what they were looking for. Nothing was taken from the building, but over $300 worth of damage was done to a side door. The theft fits a pattern that has been popping up over the last few weeks. Several Merita stores in Winston Salem and the surrounding area have been broke into, but there are currently no suspects in those cases. Wilkesboro police are continuing the investigation.

Prostate Cancer Awareness
Over the last two weeks in the 3WC Healthwatch, we’ve been talking about prostate cancer, going over some things to look for, how you can prevent it and what to do about it. Later today there will be a free clinic at Dr. John Hetterachchi’s office, for men 45 and older. You can either make an appointment or walk in, although walk-ins will most likely have to wait longer. The number to call is 838-5655.

Always Keep Your Car Locked Up
A Wilkesboro man learned why it’s a good idea to always keep your car locked this week. He went over to a family member’s house Wednesday afternoon and had a gun secured under one of the seats. However when he returned to the vehicle later in the day, the .45 caliber handgun was missing. No one in the area saw or heard anything suspicious during that time. The investigation however is still ongoing.

Hunting Safety Class Coming Up In October
This next bit of news is for all the would be hunters out there. Coming up October 18-20^th, there will be a class on hunting safety at the Kerr Scott Ranger Station. The class will last three hours and 20 minutes each night with a test at the end. Once participants pass the test, they can receive their certification. There is no minimum age to attend, however you must be at all three classes in order to take the exam. To pre-register for the class, you can call 919-733-7191. Or for more information, you can call Officer Mark Minton of the Wildlife Resources Commission. His number is 336-957-3061.

Wilkes Art Gallery To Hold Reception For Two Artists
Later today, the Wilkes Art Gallery will open its’ doors and invite the public in for a reception, presenting the new works of two local artists. Ward Nichols is one of the artists whose work will be on display. A full time painter for the last 36 years, his paintings have been displayed in 22 states and he’s received 30 awards. The work of Clarence Hayes will also be on display. The presentation will be available to the public from today until November 12^th. The reception will go on tonight from 6-8pm at the Wilkes Art Gallery. For more information you can call the gallery at 667-2841.

Thieves Break Into Local Cabin

A Lenoir woman came into the county to check on a vacation cabin she owned. When she arrived however, she found that someone had already been by the property. Several thousand dollars worth of tools had been stolen, after the thieves cut a hole through the screen door and came inside. There are no suspects in the case but that investigation is ongoing.

More Counterfeit Money Enters Wilkes

Counterfeit money continues to enter Wilkes County. For the second time in less than a week, the Sonic restaurant in Wilkesboro feel victim to counterfeiters. In two separate incidents, employees were given money but didn’t have enough time to check it due to the large crowd of people waiting to be served. One of the incidents happened at the drive through and video cameras were able to get the suspect on tape. The second incident however was inside and no video footage could be provided. Descriptions of both suspects however were turned over to Wilkesboro police in addition to the videotape. That investigation is ongoing.

Blood Drive Coming Up Today

The blood supply here in Wilkes is still at critical levels as you’ve heard on the news. Something to consider about that is the fact one bad wreck or other type of accident would use up most of what is stored away right now. With that in mind, the Red Cross has set up another drive going on today at the New River Behavioral Healthcare Center. This one is by appointment only, so if you want to give the gift of life, you can call the Red Cross and set up a time. The number is 838-4563.

Open Door Proves Too Tempting For Thieves

A North Wilkesboro man got a surprise when he returned home on Wednesday. Thieves had been inside the house, stealing three TV sets, a DVD player and over 33 different movies. Over $800 worth of merchandise was taken from inside. The back door had been pried open by the thieves, who then took the items and loaded them into their car. A witness saw everything happen and provided deputies with a description of both the thieves and the vehicle they were driving. That investigation is ongoing.

State News

Firefighters Ask For A Raise

Firefighters in Gastonia are asking for some changes to take place. They’re asking for higher pay and benefits, which they believe would stop the exodus currently going on in the department. Nine firefighters have left for higher paying jobs in other areas over the last three years, with six more currently interviewing with other departments. Gastonia is second to last in the state in regards to beginning salaries, with firefighters making less than $24,000.

Davidson Teacher Arrested By Police

A school teacher from Davidson County is in jail today. 31 year old Steven Eggleston was charged with breaking & entering, possession of stolen property and larceny of a motor vehicle. Eggleston was a science teacher at Davidson Day, who had previously worked in the Mecklenburg School system before being hired last month. A hearing is set for later today.

Greensboro Charged For Nonexistent Relief Effort

The city of Greensboro finds itself with a $115,000 bill to pay. All for evacuees that never showed up. Officials transformed the Greensboro Coliseum into a shelter for hurricane victims, hiring workers, renting out facilities and doing other things to prepare for the people. All this after FEMA announced that the city would be used as a relief shelter, promising that 500 evacuees were on the way. Somehow this got lost in translation, as no survivors were ever brought to the complex and this week the town was told it wouldn’t be needed after all. Local officials are calling for FEMA to reimburse them part of the cost.

Libertarians Take North Carolina To Court

The state of North Carolina is defending itself against a lawsuit today, filed by the Libertarian Party. Under state law, political parties have to get at least 10% of the vote in either the governor or presidential race to be considered an official group. The Libertarians failed to do so in last year’s election and so the 13,000 members here in the state are now labeled as unaffiliated. The group however is challenging the ruling, saying that it denies citizens their right to free association and protection under the law.

ID Theft Bill Now Law

It will be harder for thieves to gain access to your personal information, now that Gov. Mike Easley has signed the ID theft bill into law. Under the plan businesses can no longer use a person’s social security number as identification and are discouraged from asking for it at all. An estimated 286,000 people in North Carolina fall victim to ID theft each year.

Mecklenburg Officer Won’t Face Charges

No charges will be filed against a Mecklenburg police officer, who shot a 67-year-old double amputee. Family had asked police to check on the 67-yr-old after no one heard from him in several days. After identifying themselves, the officers came inside and saw the man pointing a gun at them. One of the officers pulled his own weapon and killed the man. Mecklenburg authorities determined that the officer was acting within the law.

Sports Headlines

Friday Night Football

Around the high school scene, it’s back to the gridiron tonight as all the local schools are in action. West Wilkes goes on the road to play Elkin, while East Wilkes is at home against Bishop McGuiness. The other two schools in the area will collide in our 3WC Game of the Week, as Wilkes Central heads into Viking Country to face North Wilkes. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm and the McDonalds’ pregame show goes on the air at 7:15pm. All on your home for local sports, 1240 3WC.

Tarheel Basketball Team Loses A Player

Already undermanned after this summer’s exodus, the UNC Tarheels lost another player this week, as Damion Grant announced he was quitting. The 6-11 Grant had injured his ankle earlier this summer and said it was a struggle to just get through practice, much less a game. Over his four years at Chapel Hill, Grant only played 28 games, due to injury. He missed virtually all of last season after developing a stress fracture in his foot. As for the future, he plans to graduate this year and go on to law school.

Wake Forest Loses Player For Season

The news wasn’t much better on the football field, as Wake Forest lost a player for the season. Freshman tight end Ted Randolph had to undergo surgery to repair an injury in his shoulder. Randolph will keep his eligibility as a redshirt this year, is expected back by the start of spring practice. The 6-3 250 pound freshman had been dealing with the injury since last year in high school.

Panthers Injury List

The injury bug continues to haunt the Carolina Panthers, who have six players looking to recover by Sunday. One player who definitely won’t be suiting up is safety Mike Minter, who sees his streak of 68 consecutive games come to an end. The 9^th year player is expected back on the field in two weeks.

Edwards Leads In Busch Rookie Race

Around the Busch Series, Carl Edwards may not be challenging for the championship, but he’s in the running for another title. Edwards currently holds the lead in the Busch Series rookie of the year standing, beating Reed Sorenson 310-301. The leader is determined based on the top 16 finishes for each driver.