Help For Heating Bills In Wilkes
People in Wilkes could be suffering from a bit of sticker shock today, after opening up their power bill. With rising prices for natural gas and oil, it can be hard at times to pay for electricity and also have enough money to put food on the table. Gov. Mike Easley has allocated an additional $4 million to be split among the counties and here in Wilkes, people can get help from Social Services. Now you can go and request assistance in paying for your heating bill anytime during the agency’s operating hours from 8:30am til 5pm, but there are some things to know beforehand. First, you can only bring in a heating bill if it’s five days or less away from being disconnected. The reason for this being that the money is given out on a need based approach and so those facing disconnection take first priority. Once again be sure to bring the bill with you when you apply. In addition, Social Services can also help those who use propane heating as long as it doesn’t involve a camper as per state regulations. You can call Social Services and schedule an appointment at 651-7400 or simply stop by their office at 304 College Street in Wilkesboro.

One Car Totaled In River Street Collision
One car was totaled after a wreck on River Street Wednesday afternoon. The incident happened just after 2:30pm, when a light turned green at the intersection with School Street. A North Wilkesboro man was sitting at the light, waiting for it to turn. When it did however, he was a little slow in pulling out. The vehicle behind him, belonging to a Wilkesboro man, only noticed the light changing and didn’t pay attention that the car in front hadn’t moved. The driver of the second vehicle put his foot on the gas, creating a domino effect. Thankfully no one was hurt, however estimated damages to that second car were placed at $3000.

All For Some Free TV
What would you do for some free tv? For thieves in the Lakeview Drive area, the answer was anything it takes. A woman returned home Tuesday night to find that her satellite dish had been stolen, the second time this has happened in the last six months. Nothing else was missing or even touched at the home. There is a suspect in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Recall Of Medical Devices
For the third time this week, 3WC has a recall to tell you about. This time the information affects all diabetes patients out there. Roche Diagnostics has recalled several thousand of its’ ACCU-CHEK Aviva Meters due to an electronic malfunction. The recall involves all of the meters with serial numbers that begin with the number 5250 through 5251, but not including those with a number of 52511 or higher. The malfunction could cause the meter to give a false result when a diabetes patient uses it. As of this week, 8 such malfunctions have been reported. For a replacement or just for more information you can call 1-800-858-8072.

Be Careful Where You Leave Your Phone
It’s never a good idea to leave your phone behind. A North Wilkesboro woman found out why on Tuesday. She had finished eating at a local restaurant and got up to leave. However before she got out of the parking lot, the woman remembered her phone was still inside. When she went back in, no one could recall seeing the phone. Information was turned over to Wilkesboro police and the investigation continues.

Blood Drive Later Today
42 days. That’s how much time blood can be used after it’s donated. Once that time period passes, it has to be thrown out. With the local supply still at critical levels, poor turnouts at the recent drives hasn’t helped the situation. The Wilkes Red Cross is holding another emergency drive today over at the Lutheran Church of the Atonement. That will go on from 2-6:30pm this afternoon and is open to everyone. To set up a time to give, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

Painkillers Stolen From Wilkesboro Home
A Wilkesboro woman let some family members use her car but later that night, found they took more than just the keys. This happened on Monday and after the car was returned, the woman discovered some painkiller pills of hers were missing. An estimated 100 pills of Percocet were taken in the theft. There is a suspect however and that investigation continues.

Scholarship Available For Wilkes High School Seniors
Some good news today for any parent concerned on how they’ll afford tuition costs. USA Today and the Got Milk campaign are partnering together to offer the SAMMY Awards. 25 student athletes across the nation will each be given a $7500 scholarship to the college of their choice, while winning other prizes as well. The winning students will be inducted into the SAMMY Hall of Fame and be featured in a Got Milk ad in USA Today. SAMMY stands for Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year. To be considered, students have to write a short essay, describing how milk is part of both their lifestyle and training program. The deadline to apply is March 3rd and you can download an entry form by logging on to www.whymilk.com.

Trailer Causes Accident On Winkler Street
One vehicle was totaled and another damaged after a wreck Tuesday afternoon on Winkler Street. A Concord man was pulling onto the highway, dragging along a trailer behind him. A Millers Creek man was coming from the other direction and couldn’t stop in time to avoid a collision, as the trailer was taking up both lanes of the road. That second man’s car was totaled, with estimated damages placed at $3000. Thankfully no one was hurt in the crash.
State News

Charlotte Native Named To NC Supreme Court
Gov. Mike Easley has appointed the next chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. 63-yr-old Charlotte native Sarah Parker will take over when current chief justice Beverly Lake Jr. steps down January 31st. Lake’s term is over due to the fact he turns 72 on January 30th and must retire in accordance with state law. Parker, an associate justice on the court, is the only Democrat and will become only the third female chief justice in North Carolina history.

Jobs Leaving Greensboro
Bad news for people living in the Greensboro area, as the local economy took another hit this week. Officials from Konica Minolta announced plans to close down their facility in Whitsett, which currently employs 258 people. The company said there wasn’t enough of a need for film cameras to keep the facility going. The plant will be shut down permanently in March of 2007.

Major League Baseball A Possibility In Charlotte
The Queen City may have another sports team to call its’ own in the near future. Officials from the Florida Marlins are going to be paying a visit to Charlotte in March, to consider relocating. The Marlins’ lease in Miami is up in 2007 and the franchise plans to leave south Florida due to the fact a deal couldn’t be reached on a baseball only stadium. Currently they play in Pro Player Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

NC Native Named As U.S. Representative
A North Carolina man was named this week as the US representative to the European Union. C. Boyden Gray, a Winston Salem native, was put into the post as a recess appointment by President Bush, this coming after two years of stalled votes by the House and Senate. Gray’s appointment will last until January 2008, where it will expire unless he’s confirmed by the Senate.

Kannapolis Holds Centennial Celebration Tomorrow
The town of Kannapolis is inviting people to come on Saturday and help them celebrate their 100th birthday. The Centennial Winter Fest will start at 12:30 Saturday afternoon with an opening ceremony, as items are put into a time capsule to be buried later on in the day. Also there will be ice skating, a chili supper, winter crafts, snowboarding video games, movies, storytelling and other events throughout the day. All of that will take place at the Kannapolis train station on South Main Street.

Sports Headlines

Boys Basketball Tryouts Taking Place
For any teenage boys wanting to play basketball, there’s a league being put together over in Jonesville. The Yadkin Valley 13U team will be holding tryouts tomorrow for any 13-yr-old looking to suit up and get on the court. Tryouts will be held at the Jonesville Elementary School starting at 1pm. If you want more information the number to call is 838-5339 after 5pm today.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at some college basketball from last night, it was Winthrop over Liberty 67-47, UNC Wilmington knocked off Towson 78-46, Campbell fell to North Florida 95-84, Coastal Carolina took care of Charleston Southern 63-62. Gardner-Webb beat Jacksonville 72-67, thanks in part to a 26-point performance from Brian Bender. The Running Bulldogs improve to 7-9 with the win. Finally in the ACC, it was Virginia beating the UNC Tarheels 72-68. The Heels only shot 36% from the field and only three players scored in double figures. Tyler Hansborough led UNC with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the team falls to 10-4.

Change Of Plans For UNC Charlotte Senior
UNC Charlotte’s basketball team learned this week that it’ll be one man short for the rest of the season. Senior forward E.J. Drayton will miss the rest of the year due to tendonitis in his knee. Drayton has applied for a medical hardship and doctors expect him to be back with the team in the fall.

Duke & State land Football Commitments
In the college football field, some good news this week for two ACC teams. Both NC State and Duke landed commitments that will help the offensive line. Senior Ryan Wischenfski from Melbourne Florida agreed to play for the Wolfpack. Ryan is 6’3, weighs 315 lbs and can play both the center and guard position. The Duke Blue Devils received a commitment from Marcus Lind, a 6’3 260 lb. lineman from Fort Lauderdale Florida. The high school senior helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas High School to a state 5A championship this past year.

NHL: NY Islanders vs. Carolina
On the ice last night, the Carolina Hurricanes made it nine in a row with a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders. Four different players scored for the Hurricanes, who improved to 32-10 with the win.

Jake Raising The Bar For QBs
With time ticking down til Sunday’s NFC Championship, Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is among some truly great company. Delhomme currently has the highest playoff quarterback rating in NFL history, being ranked at 108.4 right now. That’s enough to pass 49er great Joe Montana, who was ranked at 95.6 and Bart Starr at 108.4. A victory Sunday against Seattle would also give Delhomme the most road playoff wins in NFL history. He’s currently tied with Len Dawson and Roger Staubach. Each has four.