News & Sports For February 20th

Check Road Conditions Before Leaving
With Old Man Winter expected to pay a visit tomorrow night, 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.

Guns Stolen From Elkin Residence
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to an Elkin residence last week, after thieves ran off with over $500 in guns. The theft happened on Edwards Cedar Lane, as the homeowner left his door unlocked when going out. He returned Thursday morning to find several weapons were missing, including a Marlin .22 Magnum, a 12 gauge shotgun and a .380 pistol. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Vandals Hit Maple Springs Automotive
Last week, vandals hit another business here in Wilkes County, this time targeting Maple Springs Automotive on Hwy 421. The owner came in to find that several of the cars had been damaged, with windows & signal lights shattered. All total estimated damages were placed at $3500 and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Two Cars Totaled On Oakwoods Road
Two cars were totaled after an accident last Thursday on Oakwoods Road. The incident happened just before 7pm Thursday night, as a North Wilkesboro woman was merging onto Oakwoods from the Hwy 421 ramp. She was hit on the side by a Wilkesboro woman who ran the red light. Thankfully no one was injured in the wreck but estimated damages were placed at $3500.

Cheaper Way To File Taxes
Filing taxes this year could be a lot cheaper for people here in North Carolina, thanks to a new plan. The State Department of Revenue announced this week that two companies have agreed to offer free state tax returns through their website. The plan applies to anyone who makes $50,000 a year or less and can be accessed by going to www.dor.state.nc.us . That will let you link up with either TaxEngine or TaxSimple, the two companies providing the free services.

Car Stolen From North Wilkesboro Home
A North Wilkesboro woman got a surprise Thursday night. She came home, parked her car and went inside, only to find it missing minutes later. She looked outside the window to see her car being driven down the road. Information has been turned over to sheriff’s deputies and there is a suspect in the case. That investigation continues.

Recall Of Chrysler Vehicles
Bad news today for some Chrysler owners, as several thousand 2006 models are being recalled. The recall affects all 2006 models of the Jeep Commander, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Durango, Dodge Dakota and Mitsuibishi Raider. Last week here on 3WC, we told you about the recall affecting the Dakota, Durango and Raider models for a problem in the anti-lock brake system. Now additional problems have been discovered. In the Jeep Commander, the bracket mounting for third row seat belts may come lose and cause the belt to give way in a crash. Also on the Liberty, certain models are having issues with the left oxygen sensor wiring harness. It’s coming into contact with the exhaust pipe and has caused the vehicle to go up in flames. Finally for those 2006 Durango, Dakota and Raider models, a problem in the wiring can lead to turn signals, headlights and windshield wipers to malfunction, something most definitely not needed during wintertime. All of these problems can be corrected, by taking it back to the dealership where you bought the car. Also a hotline remains up for anyone who wants more information first at 1-800-853-1403.

One Car Wrecked After Accident On Main Street
A wreck Thursday afternoon on Main Street in Wilkesboro totaled one car and put another one in the shop for repairs. A Wilkesboro man had pulled out into traffic, without looking to see what was coming. He hit another vehicle, then fled the scene, leaving behind his brother in the vehicle. Estimated damage in the accident was placed at $3300 and 37-yr-old John Allen Laws was charged with obstruction & delay, in addition to driving with a revoked license.

State News

Police Pick Up License Plates
Over 5000 license plates have been confiscated by police across North Carolina over the past two months, as they enforce a new law on the books. Under a new law that went into effect last year, uninsured drivers have to hand over their license plate, preventing them from getting on the highway and possibly causing a wreck. State officials estimate that each year, uninsured drivers cost insurance companies $80 million.

Rhino Times Publishes Cartoons
A newspaper in Greensboro is adding fuel to the international fire over the cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. The Rhinoceros Times republished the cartoons, who portrays Muhammad with a bomb shaped turban and an ignited fuse. When the cartoons were first published in a Danish newspaper, they caused violent protests across the Middle East. Muslim groups around the Greensboro area are calling for a ban of the newspaper and city leaders labeled the paper’s decision as distasteful and irresponsible.

Newspaper Carrier Steals Mail
A 30-yr-old newspaper carrier in Alamance County is facing 10 counts of larceny today after stealing from people along her route. While delivering newspapers, Lorraine Dixon would open up the mailbox of her customers and take things from inside. Checks, cash and other items were stolen from the mailboxes, all found by police when they raided her home in Burlington. It’s believed that Dixon stole from 40 different people along her route.

Piedmont Triad International Evacuated
Security officials evacuated Piedmont Triad Airport this weekend after a package was found inside. Over 400 people were moved out of the airport while officials investigated a strange package that was found among passenger bags that were checked in. Some flights were also delayed, but things soon got back to normal after the package was found to be harmless.

Thieves Steal From Special Olympics
Who would steal from the Special Olympics? That’s what officials in Randolph County are wondering today. Several thousand dollars worth of sports equipment was taken over the weekend as thieves broke in. Also for whatever reason, the thieves damaged several hundred ribbons that were to be given out. Randolph officials are asking for help in restoring both the ribbons and sports equipment in time for state competitions, which begin this week.

Sports Headlines

High School Wrestling
Over the weekend, the High School 2A/1A regional tournament was held and several Wilkes County wrestlers came out ahead. Overall West Wilkes finished fourth and East Wilkes came in 25th. In the individual matches, it was Steven Branch of West Wilkes taking the 145 lb. title, beating Nathan Smith of Avery. Eric Hughes of West came in second in the 215 lb. division, losing to Butch Bridges of Pisgah. And in the consolation game of the 189 lb. weight class, Bobby Sprinkle from West Wilkes beat Larry Crawford from North Henderson.

High School Scores
Around the high school basketball scene, the Mountain Valley Conference crowned new champions over the weekend. On the girls side of the court, it was the #2 seed North Surry knocking off Surry Central 56-36. Meanwhile on the boys side, it was the #1 seed Starmount beating #2 seeded North Surry 73-58.

High School Standings
Seedings were announced over the weekend for the state playoffs and two Wilkes County teams made the list. The Wilkes Centrals girls come in as a #1 seed, getting an automatic first round bye. The Lady Eagles will take on the winner of Pisgah & Mountain Heritage on Wednesday, with the game tipping off in Moravian Falls at 7pm.
On the boys side of the court, the Wilkes Central Eagles made it into the state playoffs, taking their 12-13 record up the road to Ashe County tomorrow night. They be facing the Ashe County Huskies. The game will start Tuesday night at 7pm up in Ashe County, in a matchup of the #3 and #4 seeds from the Mountain Valley Conference.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look around the college scene, it was East Carolina over Marshall 63-59, UNC Asheville knocked off Eastern Kentucky 83-77, in an upset it was UNC Greensboro losing to St. Peters’ 80-76 in overtime. Western Carolina beat Elon 85-78, it was Gardner-Webb over Lipscomb 71-66 and UNC Charlotte beat Fordham 81-75. Charlotte got 29 points from returning starter Marcus Bennett, who hit 7 three pointers on the night. Charlotte improves to 16-9, as the 49ers take second place in the Atlantic 10 conference. In the ACC, it was NC State over Virginia Tech 70-64 as Cameron Bennerman had 26 points. State improves to 21-5 with the win. Also it was North Carolina squeaking by Wake Forest 83-72. Reyshawn Terry had 24 points to lead the Tarheels, while Justin Gray put in 20 for the Deacons. With the loss Wake Forest drops to 13-13 while UNC moves up to 17-6. Finally it was Duke blowing out Miami 92-71 in a historic night for the Blue Devil faithful. J.J. Redick scored 30 points, breaking Johnnie Dawkins’ school record for most points in a career with 2557. Shelton Williams also added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who improve to 25-1.

Daytona 500 Results
The 2006 NASCAR season started off with a bang Sunday night at the Daytona 500. Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag, after a race that saw several crashes and penalties handed out for aggressive driving. Casey Mears was second, Ryan Newman third, Elliot Sadler fourth and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.