TOP STORY:
Wilkesboro Police Chief Arrested
Gary Parsons, police chief for the town of Wilkesboro was indicted Monday on 12 seperate charges including embezzlement. Parsons, who has served on the Wilkesboro police force since 1980, was indicted by a grand jury, bringing to an end an investigation that began last September. He stands accused of five felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, using officers to do personal work for him while on city time, misuse of a public vehicle and embezzlement. In addition, Parsons also is facing charges of allowing his son, who is a minor, to be on scene at official calls and be armed with a handgun, while also giving him a Wilkesboro Police Officer's uniform to wear. The SBI has been investigating Parsons since last fall, when officers within his own department reported his actions. Parsons is suspended without pay while the town determines what course of action to take. His supension will either last for 30 days or until a decision is reached. Captains Steve Dowell and Robert Bowlin have taken over Parsons' duties in the department and the commissioners will meet and make a decision February 13th.

Tip Leads To Drug Bust On Elkin Highway
The Special Enforcement Team of the sheriff’s department received a tip over the weekend that a woman was dealing drugs from her home on the Elkin Hwy. Deputies went to the house and were allowed inside by the homeowner. They found several types of pain medication, none of which she had a prescription for. Over 200 pills of methadone, oxycodone and oxycontin were confiscated from the house, along with a .22 caliber pistol and $595 in cash. 52-yr-old Addie Victoria McGrady was arrested and charged with trafficking prescription drugs and maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs.

Elkin Man Falls Prey To Credit Card Fraud
An Elkin man accessed his bank account over the weekend to find money taken out for purchases he had never made. It turns out that earlier in the week, someone had stolen his ATM card and he had just never replaced it. $608 was taken from the account before the problem was discovered. There is a suspect in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Recall Issued Of Portable Propane Heaters
This next bit of news is very important for anyone who has a propane heater. A recall has been ordered of several thousand DESA Portable Propane Heaters. The units involved are all heaters from 40-80,000 BTUs, an estimated 54500 all total. They are the Reddy Heater with model number RCP80VC, All-Pro Heater with SPC-80CC, the Master Heater with TC80VC, the Universal Heater with 80-CC and the Dayton Heater with a number of 6BY73 on it. The reason for the recall is due to a defect in the burner tube. Instead of generating fire out of the end, it ignites inside the burner tube itself. That means any combustible material under or around the heater could go up in flames. 40 separate reports have been received about homes being damaged due to the defect. Anyone who bought one of these heaters can bring them back for a free replacement or a refund. A hotline has also been set up if you have any questions at 1-866-279-3225.

Tools Stolen From Wilkesboro Home
Thieves somehow gained access to a Wilkesboro man’s home over the weekend. Despite not leaving behind any signs of a break-in, the thieves walked out with a gold necklace and a Black & Decker tool case. In addition, it appears they had tried to break into the homeowner’s gun safe but failed. There is a suspect in the case and the investigation is ongoing.

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.

Thieves Run Off With Iron Wheels
Who would break in just to steal some wheels? That’s what a Darby woman is wondering today. Thieves gained access to a building on her property and ran off with several iron wheels off some old farm equipment. The incident happened on the Elk Creek Darby Road and despite the theft, there was no sign of a break-in and nothing else missing. An estimated $800 worth of items were stolen from inside. Deputies have a suspect and that investigation continues.

Blood Drive Later Today
Poor turnouts have plagued the recent blood drives here in Wilkes County, to the point that more are needed just to keep the supply out of critical levels. A drive is going on today at the VFW Post 1142 and will last from 2-6:30pm. No appointments are needed, but remember you must be at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 lbs to donate.

Mailbox Vandals Hit Another Wilkes Home
A Millers Creek woman fell victim to mailbox vandals over the weekend. She walked outside Sunday morning to find that the mailbox had been smashed during the night. Despite the damage, no one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual. That investigation continues.

State News

James Brothers Linked To NC
North Carolina may have ties to a pair of famous outlaws, according to some new information. Documents and other bits of information from the 1870s link Frank & Jesse James to a series of crimes in Alamance and Caswell County. The information was brought to light by Alamance County historian Jay Shouse, who along with some amateur historians also found that Frank James hid out in North Carolina while on the run in the 1880s, bringing along his wife and 4 year old son. All this was part of a documentary on Jesse James released on UNC-TV Monday night.

Blue Light Bandit Arrested
The Blue Light Bandit was finally caught over the weekend after a run-in with police. In Concord, the bandit pulled behind a woman and turned on his lights, ordering her to pull over. She not only refused, but called 911 and told them where she was. Police responded and soon caught the suspect just off of Highway 73. Inside his vehicle were the blue lights and a switch he used to turn them on. 19-yr-old Nandan Patel gave no reason as to why he used the blue lights. He was released from prison on a $5500 bond.

Police Searching For NC Fugitive
A North Carolina man is the subject of a manhunt in Wyoming today. 26-yr-old William Holbert was pulled over as part of a traffic stop Sunday night, as the Jeep he was driving had been stolen. Then officers ran his name and learned that he’s wanted for fraud in Wilmington. Holbert managed to break free from police and go off road in his Jeep, losing the police. He later crashed the Jeep and fled on foot with a female passenger. The manhunt continues as officials believe Holbert is attempting to make his way across the state line into Montana.

Things Are Improving In Iraq
Things are getting better. That was the message sent by Major General Stephen Johnson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. Major General Johnson recently returned from Iraq and said that things are slowly being turned over to Iraqi troops. He also said that Iraq’s economy should soon improve, bringing more jobs and less support for the insurgents. Johnson preached patience, saying that the job isn’t over yet and may take some time.

Two People Arrested As Body Parts Are Found
Johnston County officials continue to put the pieces together regarding a gruesome discovery Sunday night. Dismembered human remains were found in a farmhouse near Selma, North Carolina. It’s believed the bodies of several people are inside the farmhouse on Lizzie Mill Road. Police have charged 34-yr-old Robert Bruce Pollard with first degree murder and his wife, 34-yr-old Cecillia Louise Pollard has been named an accessory after the fact. Police continued to sift through the chaos Monday night, bringing out more remains to be identified.

Sports Headlines

Baseball Registrations Being Taken
With spring around the corner, it’ll soon be time to for kids to suit up and play baseball. The Wilkes County Recreation Department is now registering kids for the 2006 season in tee-ball, baseball and softball. You can pick up a registration form at Cook’s, the Recreation Department office and also online at http://www.wilkescounty.net/ The deadline to register is February 17th and for more information you can call 651-7355.

High School Basketball Tonight
All four county high schools are in action tonight, with East Wilkes playing at home against East Surry. Also North Wilkes is on the road against Starmount, West Wilkes plays host to Elkin and Wilkes Central will close out the regular season at home against Surry Central. We’ll go on the air at 7pm with the McDonald’s pregame show and then turn things over to Ken Byrd and Keith Briand at 7:15 for the play by play.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look around the college basketball scene last night, it was Coastal Carolina over High Point 78-60. Also Elon cruised over Charleston 76-69, Georgia Southern knocked off Western Carolina 72-67 and it took overtime but UNC Asheville beat Liberty 83-81.

NBA: Sonics vs. Bobcats
In the NBA, it was two in a row for the Charlotte Bobcats as they beat Seattle 119-106. Raymond Felton led Charlotte with 24 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds as the team improves to 13-36 on the season. Next up they’ll face Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Former UNC Player Makes NFL History
A former UNC Tarheel got his name into the record books Sunday. During the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh tailback Willie Parker broke free for a 75 yard run and a touchdown. That was good enough to get Parker into the record books for the longest run in Super Bowl history, barely beating Marcus Allen’s 74-yd-run in Super Bowl 18. Parker, an undrafted free agent out of Carolina, was signed by Pittsburgh and took over as the starting runningback after injuries decimated the team.