News & Sports For Wednesday January 4th 2006

News From County Commissioners' Meeting

Wilkes County Commissioners met last night and discussed several items on the agenda. A request was made by COunty Manager Gary Page, on behalf of the Wilkes Senior Center. The Center has applied for a General Purpose Grant of $5454, but the grant requires a partial match of support from the local area as well. County commissioners agreed to match the funds, which would mean a contribution of $1818 from Wilkes. Final approval was also given for Phase Four of the Hidden Falls subdivision, which totals 8.93 acres broken up into four seperate plots of land. In addition, the county budget was amended, after a reimbursement from insurance for repairs to a EMS ambulance. $7950 was added back into the EMS budget. Also money no longer needed to help pay the Lowes Investment agreement was transferred, to be used in renovating the building below the county offices. When renovations are finished, that is to be the new home of the Veteran's Services office. $30,000 was approved by the commissioners to use in the request. Beth Lovette, Wilkes County's Health Director also had some items to put before commissioners. She presented Dr. Max Colwell for a three year term on the Board of Health, serving as the veterinarian on the board. Dr. Colwell was approved and will begin serving immediately. He takes over from Dr. Bill Hewat, who had to resign as he is moving out of the state. Also it was asked that Zach Henderson be re-appointed as the county commissioner on the Board of Health, a motion that was approved as well. Finally, commissioners approveda resolution passed by the Board of Health. The resolution asks for assistance from the State Health Director in dealing with influenza. Specifically asking for enough federal funding to support a strong vaccine program and guaranteed prices for the vaccine, to be used as a incentive for companies to make more of it.

Wilkes County Flu Clinic This Saturday
Good news for anyone suffering from the flu here in Wilkes. The county's health department will be hosting a flu shot clinic on Saturday January 7th. The clinic, held in connection with Wilkes Regional Medical Center, will be from 8am til 3pm and appointments must be made in advance. So far people in North Carolina have managed to avoid a major flu outbreak, with just two reported cases across the entire state. Still, with several months still left in this year's flu season, it helps to be prepared. Another thing to consider, with the peak of flu season still on the way, it's important to get the vaccine now, as it takes 2 weeks to build up immunity to the virus. To make an appointment for Saturday's clinic, all you have to do is call the Health Department at 651-7450.

Vandals Open Up The New Year At Freedom Homes
A group of vandals opened up the New Year by causing $800 in damage to some property. Wilkesboro police were called out on Monday to Freedom Homes, after employees found several of the units had been broke into and damaged. In two of the homes, the door and lock had been busted, while in the third the vandals shattered glass in the door and climbed in. Nothing was taken from the inside and no other signs of damage could be found. That investigation continues.

New Law Puts Parents At Fault For Tardy Kids
Parents in Wilkes County might face jail time if their kids are late to school. Thanks to a new state law, which took effect in December, the responsibility will be placed on the parent or guardian to make sure their child is in class. After six unexcused absences, parents will be notified by the school and a counselor will be sent out, to determine what the problem is and how to fix it. If the student continues to stay out and reaches 10 unexcused absences, then another phone call will be made both to the parents and also the local district attorney. Under the old laws, parents would then face 30 days in jail but now, that term will increase to a full six months.

Wreck On 421 Totals Two
It's always a good idea to look before you leap. A man from Erwin North Carolina learned over New Year's that applies to the highway as well. He was involved in a two car wreck over the holiday on Hwy 421 that totaled both vehicles. The man was driving on the outside lane and attempted to switch, but didn't notice another car beside him. He hit the other vehicle and spun out, crashing into the median. Meanwhile the second car crashed into a nearby guardrail. Wilkes EMS was called out by the driver of the first vehicle refused treatment. An estimated $28,000 worth of damage was done in the wreck.

Natural Gas Bills To Drop This Month
If you use natural gas to heat your home, it will be a little cheaper to do so starting next month. The North Carolina Utilities Commission agreed to cut rates for PSNC Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas by 12%. The move, which was passed Tuesday morning, adds up to an average of $20 saved each month. The rate decrease will be placed retroactive to January 1st, but customers shouldn't expect the savings to appear on their bills until February. The reason being that next month's bill will reflect the January gas usage.

Beware Of Medicare Scams
By now most people who are on Medicare have recieved a letter in the mail, explaining what we first told you in a news series back in December. That starting this past Sunday, everyone on Medicare will now have access to prescription drug coverage. Unfortunately, with that option a lot of scams have already popped up. People are getting phone calls from con artists pretending to be representing a private health insurance company. Please be warned, no legit health insurance representative would ask for your personal information over the phone. Under the new law, insurance providers are not allowed to market their plans by going door to door or through your email. The only information they can obtain over the phone is your mailing address, to which a copy of their plan can be sent. And you can check to see if the provider that called you is legit by using the toll-free Medicare hotline 1-800-633-4227. It's available to be used 24 hours a day.Stay tuned this Thursday as Brian Carlton will be talking with Dr. Merrill Matthews from the Council for Affordable Health Insurance on Focus on the Foothills. The conversation is a follow-up to their earlier segment last month on the news as Dr. Matthews and Brian will be taking a look at changes in coverage. Also they'll be discussing the positives and negatives, along with places you can go to get information about the different plans being offered. That's tomorrow on Focus, right after the midday stock report at 1:05pm.

3WC Healthwatch: Vitamin D Is The Key
So are you loading up on fiber to try and prevent cancer? You can lay off the bread as there's another way to possibly prevent the disease, as we explain in today's 3WC Healthwatch. Officials at the University of California at San Diego have released a study showing that Vitamin D plays a larger part than previously thought in the battle against cancer, reducing the risk by as much as 50%. The study will appear in next month's American Journal of Public Health. Vitamin D helps balance calcium and phosphorous in your blood, but what many people don't know is that it also helps regulate cell growth and determine what a cell becomes. A lack of the vitamin weakens the body's defense, as there's nothing left to regulate the cell and it is more suseptible to cancer. So how can you get enough Vitamin D? People age 19-50 should get about 200 IUs a day of the vitamin, which balances out to at least two glasses of milk. People 50-70 should get 400 IUs and those 70 and older should get 700. In addition to milk, you can get enough vitamin D by taking walks and getting exposed to Vitamin D put off by the sun. Also it can be found in yogurt, cheese, orange juice and fatty fish. For example, one serving of salmon has 360 IUs, while a tablespoon of cod liver oil holds 2400.

New Year's Crash Leads To Drug Arrest
A Wilkesboro man was arrested for drug possession after wrecking his car. The incident happened on New Year's Eve, as police were called out to the scene of a collision on Edgewood Road. Once at the scene, they found a crack pipe with residue lying in the driver's seat. 47-yr-old Jae Roscoe Somers admitted to smoking crack cocaine and was arrested. He was charged with drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The residue from the pipe was sent off to the state lab for analysis and the charges are pending until the results come in.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
The Red Cross finds itself in need of help as we head into a new year. The local chapter continues to sell cookbooks, to help raise the money it needs to cover costs of daily operations, in addition to the funds used to help victims of the recent hurricanes. The cost of a cookbook is $10 and it contains recipes from chapter members along with their family and friends. For more information or to purchase one, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

State News

Section Of NC To Test Census
A section of North Carolina will be one of the test sites for the US Census Bureau. In preparation for the 2010 census, Fayetteville and the surrounding area will be a guinea pig for the new procedures and technology. All new questionaires, computers and software are being used, so a trial run of sorts will be performed in 2008, taking place in California and North Carolina. Right now offices are being built and later on hundreds of workers will be hired for the event, which will cover Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond and Scotland counties. Officials said that they chose the region because of its' unique mix of urban, rural and suburban areas including several military bases.

Bank Robbery Tuesday In Cornelius
Officials are investigating after a bank robbery Tuesday morning. The incident happened at the Mooresville Savings Bank in Cornelius. Witnesses reported that just before 10am, a white man came in carrying a gun and demanded money. After getting the cash, he took a teller hostage and made his escape. The teller was later released at a nearby Bi-Lo store. The FBI has been called in to help in the investigation. Witness reports place the suspect about 6 feet tall, with brown hair and a brown tweed jacket to go along with a creme-colored turtleneck.

Secretary Of State Honored
North Carolina's Secretary of State was honored recently by the Recording Industry of America. Elaine Marshall was given a framed gold record in honor of her work to fight music piracy. Also Marshal was given a plaque by Underwriters Laboratories and an award by the INternational Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. The awards were handed out just as a new anti-counterfeit task force was sworned in to stop the sale of fake merchandise here in North Carolina. The task force consists of officers from several county and state law enforcement agencies.

Officials Hunting Kidnapped Woman In Lee County
Officials in Lee County North Carolina are asking for help in searching for a kidnapped woman today. Early Monday morning, a masked gunman burst into a home in the area and grabbed a woman before taking off. The woman, Julie Michelle Bullard had been visiting a friend's house when the incident occured. The others in the house were tied up and unharmed. Nothing was stolen from the home and it's unknown why Bullard was taken, as no one in the group recognized the suspect. Julie Bullard is described as being 5'2 ft. and weighing 125 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials are asking anyone with information to call their local sheriff's department.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball
Around the high school scene last night, West Wilkes beat Alleghany 77-31 in a Northwest 1-A conference battle. Also in Coach Tommy Johnson's return to the Eagle's Nest, the North Wilkes Vikings gave it all they had but just couldn't seal the deal as Wilkes Central won 83-74.
On the girls side of the court, it was the Lady Eagles over North Wilkes 66-34. Also Alleghany beat the Lady Blackhawks of West Wilkes 44-23.

NCAA Hoops Scoreboard
Taking a look at scores from around the college basketball scene, it was Coastal Carolina over St. Andrews Presbyterian 84-70. Also Old Dominion beat UNC Wilmington 64-59. In the ACC the NC State Wolfpack had no problem taking care of UNC Greensboro 83-52. Tony Bethel had 20 points to lead the Wolfpack, who improve to 12-1 with the win. Kyle Hines had 18 for the Spartans, who drop to 7-7. Also the UNC Tarheels beat Davidson 82-58. Tyler Hansborough was the problem solver for the Tarheels, finishing with 23 points on the night. With the win, Carolina improves to 8-2 on the season.

NC State Star Going Pro
NC State is going to be one man short when their football team takes the field next season. Defensive end Mario Williams announced on Tuesday that he plans to enter the NFL draft. This year, Williams set school records for sacks at 15 and tackles for a loss at 27.5. He made the first team All-ACC this season and has already been ranked as a top ten pick by most NFL scouts.

Smith Finishes Regular Season With Record
As the Carolina Panthers prepare to face New York this Sunday, wide receiver Steve Smith continues to pull in the records. He's set franchise records with 103 catches and 1563 receiving yards this season. Both of those marks were also good enough to lead the NFL. Smith and the Panthers will take on the New York Giants this Sunday at 1pm.

NASCAR Drivers Going Sledding
Several NASCAR drivers are heading to the ice this week, to raise money for the Olympics. Ken Schrader, Boris Said, Kevin Lepage and eight other drivers are all suiting up to race bobsleds. On Thursday, they will all take part in the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, designed to help raise money for the U.S. men and women's Olympic bobsled teams. Money from the event has helped to outfit the teams with the latest NASCAR technology in designing and manufacturing their sleds.