Highway Patrol Still Investigating Wreck
The Highway Patrol is asking for help in their investigation of a wreck on Browns Ford Road. The incident happened at 10:35 Monday morning and involved two vehicles, but that’s all the information released at this time. A Hayes man was taken to Baptist Hospital as a result of the crash. If anyone was in the area during that time and saw the wreck, please call Trooper McNeil with the Highway Patrol at 667-1236.
Serving a search warrant led to a drug bust for sheriff’s deputies over the weekend. They arrived at a house right off the Old U.S. 421 and searched the place. Inside there were glass jars laying in plain view filled with crack cocaine. The homeowner, 53-yr-old Larry Donnell Harris was arrested and charged with drug possession with intent to sell and maintaining a home for the sale of drugs.
Primaries Held Today
If you live in North Wilkesboro, it’s time to step out and cast your ballot. Primaries are going on for both the mayor’s race and the town board. In the Republican primary for mayor, incumbent Steve Foster is running against challenger Gerald Lankford. On the Democratic side, five people are running for two commissioner seats. Incumbents Faye Cox and Robert L. Johnson are up against Debbie F. Ferguson, Eric Williams and Billy Joe “Crow” Church. Votes are being cast at the North Wilkesboro Fire Department and will continue until later tonight.
Local Church Falls Victim To Break-In
Deputies were called out to Bethel Baptist Church on Monday, after thieves broke into the building. Nothing was stolen from the church except for some mail and also the thieves broke into a nearby storage building, but left empty handed. Nothing was touched on the property except for the doors of both the church and the storage building, where estimated damage was placed at $125. No one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual during the day. That investigation is still ongoing.
Always Keep Your Doors Locked
A Wilkesboro woman learned why it’s a good idea to lock up before you leave. She came home to find that someone had been inside and while they were there, had stolen $300 from her bedroom. Nothing else was taken from the home and nothing had been damaged. As the doors were unlocked, there was also no sign of a break-in. Deputies are continuing the investigation.
Paintings Stolen From Hays Home
A Hays woman called sheriff’s deputies earlier this week after coming home to find that thieves had stopped by to pay her a visit. Someone had walked into a storage building on her property and taken two paintings, one of a flower pot and the other of a banjo and flute. There weren’t any locks on the doors, so the thieves just walked in and back out again. Deputies are continuing the investigation.
Thursday Business Class
With unemployment rising here in the county, now’s a good time to start thinking about running your own business. Wilkes Community College is trying to help with that as they’re hosting a series of seminars that give you the knowledge needed to start one. The fifth and final seminar is coming up this Thursday in the Student Resource Center. The topic of this week’s seminar deals with how to obtain a small business loan. That will go on from 6-9pm Thursday night in Room 1110 of the Student Resource Center. Even if you missed the first four, you can still join in the seminar. There is no cost but school officials ask that you call ahead and register if possible at 838-6210.
Counterfeit Checks Found At Wal-Mart
More counterfeit items are entering the county, as law enforcement now has to deal with fake checks being passed. On Friday of last week, Wal-mart was contacted by a local bank, regarding a fake check that had been used at the store. It was apparently almost a perfect copy, nearly impossible to identify as a fake. Wilkesboro police worked with store employees to track down the particular receipt and also found video footage of the check being passed. There is a suspect in the case and the investigation is continuing.
More Disaster Relief Being Sent
The relief efforts continue throughout Wilkes County. The Brushy Mountain Chiropractic Center is working with the Red Cross to donate items for Hurricane Katrina victims. For every $20 donation given until this afternoon, the Center will offer a free exam and x-ray. Those exams will be done today and only by appointment, on a first come first serve basis. And if you missed this or other donation drive that we’ve been mentioning on the news, just call the 3WC Studios here at 838-9992 and we’ll be glad to get you that information.
Wreck Near Winkler Mill Road Totals One
It’s usually good idea to look in the rear view mirror before taking off. Failing to do that cost a Yadkinville man over the weekend, as he totaled another car. The man had been backing out of a local store’s parking lot and didn’t pay attention to any vehicles behind him. He apparently slammed on the gas and crashed into a Wilkesboro woman’s vehicle. That second car was unoccupied and parked at the time, even so $1100 worth of damage was done.
State News
New Teachers Coming To NC From Gulf States
North Carolina will be adding new teachers to its’ public schools over the next few weeks, all of them coming from the Gulf Coast. Officials from the State Board of Education have waived the normal $85 fee to apply for any teacher looking to relocate because of the hurricanes. All they have to do is fill out paperwork stating where they were licensed and what they taught. So far 10 teachers have taken advantage of the proposal.
Marines Return Home From Middle East
Over the weekend, 2200 Marines from the 26th Expeditionary Unit returned home to North Carolina, being welcomed by family and friends. The unit’s commander said that he was just proud and thankful that everyone made it back in one piece. During their months overseas, the 26th served both in Africa and also the Middle East.
North Carolina Gets Mixed Report Card
North Carolina has some work to do, according to a new report just issued. Back in 1994 Gov. Hunt created a 24 member board whose job it was to observe the state and compare how we rank in regards to other parts of the nation. The board issues a new report once at least every four years. According to the latest release on Monday, the state still has problems. North Carolina ranks 40th in Household Income, dropping eight spots due in part to lost jobs and illegal immigrants. The state is also 37th in High School Graduation, with a dropout rate of 11%. The good news is that we rank 3rd in workplace safety, with only 4 injuries per 100 workers while also coming in 5th in business climate and 7th in agricultural vitality.
Raleigh Elementary School Under Fire
A school in Raleigh is under fire today from Christian parents, for promoting what some are calling New Age beliefs. Students at Partnership elementary were involved in a class run by the Rites of Passage Youth Empowerment Foundation, that included breathing exercises, chanting and tips on how to use their life force. The idea behind the class according to local officials was to give students help in studying. The students then went home and told their parents, who complained to school and county officials.
Legal Loophole Costs NC Taxpayers
A legal loophole in North Carolina has cost taxpayers $85 million over the past year. State law doesn’t provide any guidelines as to who qualifies for the services of public defenders and newly released documents show there are some problems with the system. One Raleigh man claimed he was too poor to afford a lawyer, but after the trial investigators discovered he had $8000 in checking and two cars. He was granted a lawyer because he had just been fired from his job and had no income. Now lawmakers are working on a proposal that would require bank accounts and other items checked before giving free legal services.
New Regulations Possible For Child Care
It may become harder in North Carolina to find a licensed child care facility at night. The state’s Child Care Commission is looking at a proposal that would only allow day care centers to be open a maximum of 17 hours. Officials said they were considering the change due to neglect and abuse complaints in several 24 hour day cares across the state. Currently there are 200 family child care homes operating in North Carolina.
Sports Headlines
UNC Charlotte Lands Hoops Recruit
UNC Charlotte landed another basketball recruit this week, as 6-4 Ian Anderson committed to the school. Anderson, who’s a senior at Wilson High in Oregon, turned down offers from San Jose State and Loyola to join the 49ers. Last season he put up 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists a game as a junior.
Asheville Player Signs With Detroit
It took three months, but Cameron Maybin is officially a member of the Detroit Tigers. Maybin, the 10th pick in this year’s MLB draft, was selected by the Detroit Tigers and expected to move up quickly through the organization. Those plans hit a snag over the last three months, when his agent and the team couldn’t come to terms on a contract. Eventually he signed a 5 year deal with a bonus of $2.65 million. Maybin, the cousin of former Tarheel Rashad McCants, took the field Monday for the Tigers’ instructional league team. Officials say that how he performs this fall will determine where he’s placed in 2006.
In the wake of their loss against Miami, the Carolina Panthers made some changes to the roster. Gone is defensive lineman Atiyyah Ellison and in his place comes cornerback Garnell Wilds, signed from the practice squad. The reason for the change is due to an injury to cornerback Ken Lucas, who didn’t play Sunday and is expected to possibly miss this week’s game against Green Bay as well.
Taking a look at the Chase for the Cup after Sunday’s Race, it’s Jimmie Johnson taking over first place, with Rusty Wallace only seven points back in second. Ryan Newman is in third, just 12 back of the leader, while Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle have just two points separating them in fourth, fifth and sixth place. Seventh is Jeremy Mayfield, with Carl Edwards eighth, Matt Kenseth ninth and Kurt Busch in tenth.
Change To Chrysler Field
The field keeps shrinking at the Chrysler Classic, as another player backed out of the tournament. Jason Gore, who’s currently 88th on the money list and one of the new faces of the PGA, withdrew from competition. He said that fatigue was a factor in his decision not to make the trip to Greensboro. As for the rest of the field, they’ll tee off this Thursday at Forest Oaks Country Club.