Speedway One Step Closer To Re-Opening
The dream of hearing engines revving at the North Wilkesboro Speedway came one step closer to reality over the weekend. Save the Speedway, the organization who has been working to buy the track from its’ current owners, announced that they have got a commitment from one investor. One million dollars has been committed toward the purchase, with hopefully more on the way. The organization said in a press release that they hope to find investors willing to commit a total of six million dollars. The hope is that money, combined with what they already have, would be enough to end negotiations and finalize the deal.

3WC Healthwatch: Signs Of Parkinsons
There are some warning signs for Parkinsons that older Americans need to be aware of, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. A new study was released this month by Dutch scientists, who discovered a link between certain behavior and Parkinsons. The scientists discovered that adults who begin to have a hard time maintaining their balance, falling or suffering tremors are 71% more likely to get the disease. This comes after a five year study of over 6000 people. 56 of those studied contracted the disease and almost all reported at least one of the behaviors beforehand. Discovering the biological links will not only help a patient get diagnosed earlier, but it could also lead scientists to a cure.

Salvation Army Offering Help
Many families can find themselves in a time of need as it can be hard to pay the bills and also put food on the table. The local Salvation Army is taking applications for their financial assistance program. The program is open to anyone who can demonstrate a need for help paying utility or rent bills. However before going out, please remember that you can only be seen with an appointment, during either Tuesday or Thursday from 1-5pm. Also there is a limited amount of money available to help, given out on a need based approach. The Salvation Army is located in the Wilkes United Way office building, at 910 C Street in Wilkesboro. For more information or to set up an appointment you can call 651-7800.

Newest Protection Against Fraud
January is a busy time for shoppers, working to hit those winter sales and clearance specials. But thieves are also keeping occupied this year, both the usual kind and those who travel on the internet. Credit cards, social security numbers and other personal information are severely at risk. But now, people here in North Carolina can take steps to protect themselves against ID Theft. The Identity Theft Protection Act, a new law that went into effect December 1st will allow you to block access to your credit records, preventing any would be thieves from gaining access and ruining your finances. You will be able to do that thanks to a security freeze. The only problem is that while thieves won't be able to use your credit to purchase things, neither can you. Once the freeze is placed on, no company or business can check up on your credit history until its' lifted. If you do want to fill out an application for a credit freeze or just want more information, you can log on to the state Department of Justice website at www.ncdoj.com/idtheft.

Cold Medicine Now Behind The Counter
Some bad news for anyone suffering from a cold or runny nose. You have to see a pharmacist to solve the problem. Gone are the days of over the counter cold medicine, that you could run in and buy. As of this past Sunday, all medicine containing pseudophedrine or ephedrine can only be found behind the counter at the pharmacy. In order to buy the medication, you must be at least 18 years old and can only purchase limited quantities. In fact, pharmacies have to record who is buying the drugs, just like they would for any prescription medication. The reason for the change is due to the fact that pseudophedrine is used to make meth. Before the year 2000, only 9 cases of meth making were reported in North Carolina. In 2005 alone, there were 328.

DirecTV Offering Refunds
Good news for any DirecTV customers in Wilkes County. You may be eligible for a refund. North Carolina's attorney general has reached a settlement with the satellite company, requiring DirecTV to pay back customers who feel they were lied to. The small print in DirecTV's ads proved to, on occasion, contradict the offer on the same page. Now to avoid a legal battle, DirecTV customers can appy for a refund. You're eligible for a refund if you believe to have been overcharged for anything by the company since 2001. That includes contract terms, installation problems, programming issues or cancellation charges. To apply for a refund, you need to mail a complaint to DirecTV Complaint Program P.O. Box 29079 Glendale California 91209-9079.

Wilkes Cares Needs Help
As we head into the new year, many families face a struggle to put food on the table. Wilkes Cares has been there to help, providing food and also clothes to needy families here in the county. But now Wilkes Cares is facing a problem of their own, as their shelves are almost empty of food and they don't have enough clothes to give out. One of the major needs is for childrens' coats, especially with winter weather constantly in the forecast. If you have any children's clothes or extra food to donate, you can drop it by to Wilkes Cares. They're located on the Elkin Hwy in North Wilkesboro. You can also call at 838-4900.

State News

Serial Arsonist A Concern In Stokes
Officials in Stokes County are concerned they possibly could have a serial arsonist on their hands. Over the past four months, a series of suspicious fires have ignited in the county, all targeting abandoned buildings close to the road. Officials are still investigating and believe that the cases could be linked to several more fires in Forsyth County.

Charter Schools Want Lottery Dollars
North Carolina needs to fund charter schools just like they do public ones. That was the claim on Monday as representatives from 20 different charter schools launched their campaign. The schools are requesting for Governor Easley to include them in as a piece of the pie when lottery money is handed out next fall for education. Charter school officials said they believe their students deserve the money just as much as those who attend public school, as both are funded by the state. The only differences are that charter schools are privately operated and don’t have to follow all the rules which govern other so called secondary schools. An estimated $350 million is expected to divided up among the state’s public schools

Help On The Way To The Classroom
Some good news for North Carolina public schools. Some more teachers could soon be on the way. The State Board of Community Colleges has assembled a new program it hopes will recruit more people to teach. All 56 colleges will be allowed to offer lateral entry programs. That would allow qualified people to begin teaching, while also working on getting their license. The board will meet this Friday to consider the program and possibly vote on it.

Universities Struggling To Meet Healthcare Need
More and more, a new field is rising to the top of the list of needed workers in North Carolina. Universities across the state are asking for more money and teachers to help in training nurses. As the baby boomer generation gets older, nurses are needed both in hospitals and home healthcare situations. Unfortunately at the same time, a lot of nurses in the field are getting ready to retire. Currently there are about 650 nurses in programs, while at least 1300 are needed to keep up.

Water Cut Off In Madison
People in Rockingham County had some problems on Monday, after a water main broke. It’s unknown what caused the main to break, however 50 homes were without water throughout the day as crews worked to repair the damage.

FBI Investigating Greensboro Police
Greensboro’s police department is under investigation by the FBI, according to Bureau officials. Agents are checking into claims of civil rights violations, including rumors of a covert operations unit in the department that racially profiled their own officers. This comes less than a week after police chief David Wray resigned from the force, under rumors of corruption.

Sports Headlines

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at the college scoreboard last night, it was NC A&T over Bethune Cookman 69-67. Coastal Carolina knocked off UNC Asheville 84-72, Western Carolina took care of UNC Greensboro 87-76. Winthrop beat Charleston Southern 79-61 and Wofford beat the Citadel 67-52. Finally it was Chattanooga all over Appalachian State 73-57. The Mountaineers got 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals from DJ Thompson but they just couldn’t seal the deal. With the loss, Appalachian drops to 7-10.

Duke Lands Recruits For 2008
The Duke basketball team continues to reload, this time stocking up for 2008. Two of the county’s best high school juniors agreed to play for the school this week. Nolan Smith from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia and Taylor King from Mater Dei High School in California both committed. Smith is a 6-3 guard regarded as the 16th best in the junior class, known for his great defense and his 62% shooting percentage. Able to play either point guard or shooting, he’s the son of former NBA player Derek Smith. Meanwhile the 6-7 King averages 26 points a game and is being compared to former Duke star Shane Battier.

New Orleans vs. Charlotte
In the NBA, injuries continue to plague the Charlotte Bobcats. Playing most of the game without any center or power forward, Charlotte lost to New Orleans 107-92. Gerald Wallace led Charlotte with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks as the team drops to 11-27.

Foster Out For Season
It’s a case of bad news, good news for the Carolina Panthers, as they get set for Sunday’s game in Seattle. The good news is they’re in the NFC championship game for the second time in three years. The bad news is they’ll have to play without starting tailback Deshaun Foster, whose season is over. Foster broke his ankle during the third quarter of the game against Chicago. Taking his place on Sunday will be Nick Goings, who has been rotating out with Foster over the last two weeks. Behind Goings will be Rod Smart and Jamal Robertson for Sunday’s game, which starts at 6:30pm.

NASCAR Reconsiders Car Of The Future
The car of the future may not be arriving for a while. NASCAR had plans to unveil its’ new designs this fall at the Talladega race, but those ideas have hit a snag. The car has yet to roll off the assembly line, according to auto makers, because NASCAR isn’t providing the needed information regarding the vehicle’s body configuration. Several prototypes are going through testing, but it looks like 2007 will be here before the new cars will hit the track in force.