Wilkes County Bridges In Need Of Repair
Wilkes County bridges could use a facelift. That’s according to AAA of the Carolinas, who released their annual list of the most dangerous bridges in the state. Wilkes County had four rank in the Top 650. The bridge over Reddies River on US 421 Business came in at #231, while the one over Mulberry Creek on Hwy 268 fell right behind at #305. The bridge over Cub Creek on State Road 1001 was also labeled as hazardous, being ranked #381 worst in the state. And finally coming in at #644 was the bridge over Bugaboo Creek on Hwy 268. In general, bridges across the state are in worse shape now than in January of 2005. Last year, 30.5% of all bridges in NC were labeled as substandard or dangerous. In 2006, that number has increased to 31.2%. Money for bridge repair comes out of the state’s highway trust fund, which has been raided in recent years by lawmakers. Money that was supposed to go for replacing roads and bridges has instead been used on pet projects, to the tune of $250 million being taken out each year.

More Candidates File For Office
Several more candidates have tossed their names into the hat during this election season. Representative Tracy Walker filed for re-election. Walker is the Representative for the 94th District of the North Carolina House, which includes Wilkes County. Currently he’s running unopposed. Also Republican John Yates joined a growing crowd of candidates for the job of Wilkes County Clerk of Court. He’ll be running against three other Republicans in Joe Byrd, Janet Handy and Geoff Farmer. Candidates can file anytime up to noon on February 28th.

Driver Flees The Scene Of Accident
Wilkesboro police were called out to the scene of an accident on Hwy 268 Tuesday night. Only one car was involved, however the driver was nowhere to be found. Witnesses told police that the driver lost control and went over the curb, before hitting a light pole. He then climbed out of the car and took off running. Estimated damage was placed at $7000 to the vehicle and there is a suspect in the case. That investigation continues.

Thieves Break In To Steal Chainsaw
Who would break in just to steal a chainsaw? That’s what a Traphill man is wondering today. He went into his garage on Tuesday, only to find the chainsaw was missing. There was no sign of a break-in and nothing else missing from the property. That investigation is ongoing.

Focus On The 45th District
Challengers and incumbents alike rushed to file this week, putting their name in the hat for the November elections. One of the races this year is for the 45th District, placing challenger David Blust in competition with incumbent Senator John Garwood. And David Blust will be Brian’s guest this week for Focus on the Foothills, as they’ll be going over the issues affecting the 45th District and some possible solutions. That’s coming up today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Local Churches Working To Help Hurricane Victims
Two local ministries are asking for help in reaching out to a family in need. Calvary Baptist Church has been working to rebuild a home for a family in Gulfport Mississippi. Now in connection with Rescue America Baptist Missions they want to finish the job. The outside of the house is fine and a new roof has been put on, but the inside still needs work. The two ministries have been told that it will cost about $20,000 to finish the project. They are asking for any type of help possible, from volunteers to pick up a hammer to anyone looking to donate supplies or money. They need doors, sheetrock, lumber and anything else available to give. The house belongs to a couple and their two kids and if you or your church can help by volunteering or through financial means, the person to call is Jean Hodges at 262-0385.

WCC Offers Help For Small Businesses
Many people want to go into business for themselves, but face a lot of questions. How can I get started? What kind of businesses can survive in the current economy? The Small Business Center at Wilkes Community College wants to help answer those questions in a seminar tonight. The event will run from 6-9pm at the Wilkes campus and help you to develop a new business idea that will stand the test of time. The event is free and to pre-register you can call 838-6113.

Vehicle Damaged During The Night
Earlier this week, a North Wilkesboro man got a surprise when he walked outside. Someone had damaged his car during the night. An estimated $1000 in damage had been done, with scratches on the doors and tires. It also appears like the vandals tried to rip off the hubcaps but failed. The homeowner remembered hearing noises during the night but never went to check them out. That investigation continues.

Check Road Conditions Before Leaving
With winter weather in the forecast later this week, it’s important to know what road conditions are like before you leave the house. For people here in Wilkes that can be accessed now on the internet by visiting the state DOT webpage at www.ncdot.org/traffictravel. Once there you can click on the real time travel information option and it will let you know what roads are like and how long a delay you can expect on your drive into work.

State News

Officials On The Hunt For NC Bank Robber
Officials are asking for help in tracking down a bank robber. The woman has hit five separate banks over the past month leaving a trail from the North Carolina coast to Virginia. In each of the banks, she waits in line and gives no indication that she’s anything other than an ordinary customer. Then when she gets to the teller, a note is handed over saying that unless she gets a certain amount of money in 30 seconds, people will be hurt. No weapons are ever displayed and witnesses haven’t been able to provide an accurate description of the robber, only to say she drove a silver Ford sedan as a getaway car. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-919-894-2091.

Coastal Development Causing Some Fishy Problems
Bad news today for people living along the coast as increased development has damaged the shellfish population. What used to be a crop of 1.8 million bushels back in the 20th century has dropped now to 50,000 bushels a year. As fishermen scramble to survive, state officials are taking a look at the problem. It’s believed that development and the increased pollution it brings are to blame, as creeks & streams now contain fertilizer, oil, gas and other things that have been dumped. As of 2005, 56000 acres of shellfishing water here in North Carolina have been closed due to the effects of pollution. The problem doesn’t just hurt the fishing industry however, as one single oyster filters over 30 gallons of water daily, making it cleaner for us to use.

Copper Thieves Causing Problems
Over 3500 pounds of copper has been stolen from four North Carolina counties since October and officials are still trying to figure out why. The copper was taken from seven different electric substations in Burke, Catawba, Cleveland and Lincoln counties, all part of the Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation. In each case, the thieves got through the substation’s fence and then peeled off over 10 feet of copper from inside. With copper going for over $2 a pound now, officials believe they could be looking for someone who desperately needs the money.

Charlotte In Running For GOP
The city of Charlotte could be on the national stage in 2008 as it’s in the running to host the Republican National Convention that year. Charlotte is one of 31 cities who were asked to submit proposals for the event, a list of which was released on Wednesday. Other cities included are New Orleans, Miami and Nashville among others. A list of finalists is expected by this summer and the final decision will be announced by February 1st of 2007

Florida Killer Found In NC
A man wanted for murder in Florida was found by the North Carolina Highway Patrol this week. Troopers were about to issue 28-yr-old Nunding Bartell a traffic citation when they saw blood all over his arms and hands. Dried blood was also found on the side of the vehicle he’d been driving. Bartell attempted to give troopers a fake name but couldn’t show any ID and was arrested. Later on his real identity was confirmed. He’s currently being held in the Johnston County jail, awaiting extradition to Florida.

Sports Headlines

High School Scoreboard
Taking a look at high school basketball last night, two semi-final games in the Mountain Valley Conference took place. On the girls side of the court, it was Surry Central over Wilkes Central 58-57, as Wilkes saw a 5 point lead vanish within the last few seconds of the game. With the loss, the Lady Eagles drop to 23-2 and get set for next week’s state playoffs. On the boys side, it was another great game that went down to the wire, as Starmount beat Wilkes Central 46-45. Wilkes Central drops to 12-12 on the season.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the college basketball scene, it was High Point over VMI 73-72, Winthrop beat UNC Asheville 78-65 and UNC Wilmington knocked off Hofstra 77-68. Charlotte beat Richmond 64-47 and in the ACC, NC State blew out Florida State 86-64. State got 19 points and 8 assists from Engin Astur as the Wolfpack improve to 20-5. But the game of the night was in the Dean Dome, as UNC rallied to beat Georgia Tech 82-75. Tarheel freshman Tyler Hansborough put UNC on his back and carried the team, scoring 40 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Heels improve to 16-6.

Additions Coming For Duke Football
The Duke football team will have some familiar faces on the sideline next season as Charles London and Scottie Montgomery will join Ted Roof’s coaching staff. Montgomery, a former wide receiver at Duke who was named the team’s MVP in 1998 and 1999, will take over as coach of his former position. London meanwhile will take over as running backs coach, replacing Fred Chatham, who left to join Steve Spurrier at South Carolina.

NBA: New Jersey vs. Charlotte
In the senior circuit of the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats gave it all they had but fell just short, losing 95-94 to the New Jersey Nets. Charlotte was playing with only 9 players due to injury, the latest being an ankle sprain for starting center Primoz Breznec. Point guard Brevin Knight had 28 points to lead the Bobcats, who fall to 14-40 with the All-Star break on the way.

NASCAR To Limit Bump Drafting
Things could get a little bumpy for drivers during the rest of Speedweek, as NASCAR officials announced they would be enforcing “no zones”. The plan is designed to cut down on the amount of bump drafting that goes on during a race, where a driver intentionally rams another car to slide forward in the draft. NASCAR is planning to bring in more officials for the rest of this week’s races and a spokesman said they wouldn’t hesitate to enforce the zone, even if it affects the result of the race.