The Taxman Cometh Part II: Which Form To Use
With tax time here again, it can be confusing at times to sort through all the paperwork. What’s the difference between a 1040A and a 1040EZ and which should you use? In the second part of our tax prep series, we’re taking a look at which forms to use. First of all, the IRS recommends that you use the simplest form possible, to avoid any chance of an error or mistake. For single people or those who are married and filing jointly, the simplest form is the 1040EZ. Other qualifications for the 1040EZ are that your income must be below $100,000 and you must be 64 years or younger. In addition, those filing with the 1040EZ cannot claim any dependents. By comparison, anyone can use a 1040A regardless of how you file. The only catch is that your income must be below $100,000 and you must be eligible for tax credits or deductions. If you don’t qualify for either of those, the only one available to use is a 1040. That applies to anyone whose income is $100,000 or more and reports income from a sale of property or self-employment. And once again if you have questions or concerns, the IRS hotline is available by calling 1-800-829-3676 or visiting their website at IRS.gov. Coming up tomorrow in part three of our series, we examine if it’s a good idea to itemize deductions.

Never Leave Your Credit Cards Behind
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a Wilkesboro residence over the weekend, investigating a case of fraud. A local man had discovered several purchases made on his gas card, in places he had never been. It turns out that sometime in the past month the card had been stolen from his vehicle, with the thief using it occasionally to fill up his own car. There is a suspect in the case and the investigation continues.

Thieves Break Into House On Hwy 421 West
Be careful where you keep your money. That was the lesson a Wilkesboro man learned over the weekend. He returned home Friday night to discover that thieves had broke into his home, stealing over $7000 in cash and coins. They had gained access to the house through a window in the basement, which had been shattered. After that, the thieves went through the house discovering money stored in several locations. There are suspects in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Thieves Raid Camper In Purlear
A Salisbury man returned over the weekend to a camper he had left behind on the Walsh Road before Thanksgiving. What he found however was that thieves had arrived first. Over $100 worth of CDs had been stolen from the camper, along with some shotgun shells and a few tools. All total an estimated $540 worth of items was taken. That investigation is ongoing.

Blood Drive Later Today
1500 pints of blood are used each day across North Carolina in emergency rooms and other trauma centers. But while the blood supply here in Wilkes has improved, it’s still right at critical levels. The Red Cross has set up a drive today at the Alleghany Memorial Hospital, which will last from 11am til 3pm. Even though the drive itself is in Alleghany, that county shares its’ blood supply with Wilkes so you’ll be contributing to the needs of the local community. If you’re in the area and want to give, no appointments are needed. However if you do want to set up a time and avoid waiting, the number to call is 838-4563.

Guns Stolen From Roaring River Home
A Roaring River man came home over the weekend to find that someone had paid him a visit. Thieves forced open the door to his house, then ran off with over $3000 worth of weapons. Taken in the theft was a 9mm Barell pistol, a .44 caliber double action revolver, a .38 cailber Smith & Wesson along with several other guns. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation is ongoing.

Open House This Thursday At Central Wilkes
As students get set to wrap up the first month of the new semester, Central Wilkes Middle School is inviting parents and others in the community to come in and have a look around. Central Wilkes will have a Second Semester Open House next Thursday, February 2nd. That event will go on from 1-6pm and everyone is invited to come in and tour the school.

Musical Thieves Hit State Road
Sheriff’s deputies were called out over the weekend to a home in State Road, after thieves paid a visit. The incident happened on Parks Farm Road, where a man had left an amp and sub-woofer in his truck. The vehicle was unlocked and thieves apparently walked right up and took the items. All total an estimated $600 worth of material was taken. That investigation continues.

Recall Ordered Of Recent Model Cadillacs
Some bad news today for Cadillac owners out there. General Motors has issued a recall of all 2005 and 2006 Cadillac CTS and STS series cars. The recall occurred due to a problem with the fuel system, where after a certain point gas will no longer be pumped into the engine. In addition, the low fuel indicator won’t come on. GM advises that you keep at least ¼ of a tank of gas in your car to prevent this situation from occurring. As for fixing the problem, you can take back the car for a free repair beginning March 1st. For more information a hotline has been set up at 1-866-982-2339.

Mailbox Vandals Strike In North Wilkesboro
Mailbox vandals hit another home in North Wilkesboro over the weekend. A woman on Windy Ridge Road walked out of her house to find that someone had tossed a rock at the mailbox and damaged it. No one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual but that investigation continues.

State News

The Lights Go Out In Raleigh
Works crews finally were able to turn the power back on in Raleigh Monday afternoon. The main campus of NC State University was in the dark for most of Sunday night and on into Monday morning, for reasons that are still unknown. The power was restored and classes went on as scheduled Monday, but officials are still investigating what caused the problem.

Onslow Sheriff Want People Out Of Jail
The Onslow County sheriff’s department has some people up in arms after several prisoners were released from jail. The department’s new policy states that jail is reserved only for those criminals deemed a serious threat. Everyone else is to be released from custody on unsecured bond after being charged. Sheriff Ed Brown said lack of space was the reason for his decision as the jail was holding almost twice its’ official capacity. The Onslow jail was built to hold 118 people but as of last week had 226.

NC Central Professor Missing
Officials in the Durham area are asking for help in finding a missing college professor. 36-yr-old Seong Hee Oak disappeared from her job at NC Central University on January 21st and hasn’t been seen since. Oak stand 5 ft., weighs 110 lbs and drives a 2005 Toyota Camry with the NC license plate SZH3296. Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Crimestoppers at 1-919-683-1200.

Stokes County Plant NC’s Dirtiest
The federal government has released information about North Carolina’s power plants and it seems that Stokes County has a problem. 6800 tons of toxic air pollutants were released from the Belwes Creek Steam Station in 2004, making it the dirtiest in the state. Duke Power has promised to cut down on toxins by installing new equipment, but that won’t be up and running for another two years.

NC Goes To Court
The state of North Carolina is filing a lawsuit to protect against pollution. State Attorney General Roy Cooper filed the suit on Monday, claiming that the Tennessee Valley Authority is damaging North Carolina’s health thanks to its’ coal-burning plants. Cooper cited the plants in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama as all having a negative effect on both North Carolina’s economy and its’ collective health.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball Tonight
Time is ticking down til the end of the regular season and all four county schools are in action tonight. West Wilkes plays host to South Stokes, while East Wilkes heads up the road to face Bishop McGuiness. And in our 3WC Game of the Week, it’s Wilkes Central going into the House of Blue to face the North Wilkes Vikings. In the girls varsity game, the Lady Eagles are looking to solidify their place atop the Mountain Valley Conference. A win tonight and a loss by North Surry would go a long way towards locking up the regular season title for Central. And in the boys game, Coach Tommy Johnson welcomes his former team to North Wilkes in a rematch of their January 3rd meeting. The pregame show gets started at 7pm and we’ll join Ken Byrd and Keith Briand at 7:15 for the play by play.

NCAA Scoreboard
It was Georgia Southern over Elon 63-45, in double overtime it was Wofford over UNC Greensboro 84-78, Western Carolina knocked off Furman 85-76 and Gardner-Webb beat North Florida 69-68. Brian Bender led the Running Bulldogs with 22 points and 8 rebounds, as the team improves to 11-9 on the season. Finally it was Charleston over Appalachian State 64-53. The Mountaineers got 14 points from DJ Thompson, one of only two players to score in double figures. With the loss Appalachian falls to 9-11.

NBA: Cleveland vs. Charlotte
In the senior circuit of the NBA last night, it was Cleveland over Charlotte 103-91. The banged up Bobcats were led by Alan Anderson’s 14 points as the team drops to 11-35.

Panthers Lose Member Of The Team
The Carolina Panthers will be one man short when they take the field next year. Special teams assistant coach Paul Ferraro announced this week that he was leaving to join the Minnesota Vikings. Ferraro will be the special teams coach with the Vikings, serving under first year coach Brad Childress. Last season was Ferraro’s first in the NFL, after 23 years working in the college ranks

Mark Martin’s Son Joining The Family Profession
Another racing family is getting set to turn thing over to the second generation. Matt Martin, the son of Mark Martin will be racing a limited schedule this year in the American Speed Association’s Southern series, while also driving in the FASCAR pro truck series. The 14-yr-old Martin has already won a race in the FASCAR series this year, picking up the win January 8th at New Smyrna.