News & Sports For March 28th

Former North Wilkes Coach Dies
Wilkes County lost a coaching legend this week as Joe Linney past away. The 81-yr-old Linney died at his home on Woodland Blvd this past Sunday, after a life that saw him etched forever into the history of Wilkes. After graduating from Wilkesboro High School back in 1943, Linney would go on to join the Marines and serve during World War II as a gunner. He and his unit were awarded the Presidential Citation and the Captain’s Letter of Commendation for their actions during the Marshall Island campaign. After his tour of duty was over, Linney began coaching, first at Mountain View High and then later at North Wilkes, where he still holds the record for most wins. He would go on to coach at Wilkes Community College, pulling triple duty by working with the basketball, golf and tennis teams. Funeral services for Coach Linney will be held this Thursday at 2pm at Wilkesboro Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home Wednesday night from 6-8pm.

Cingular Strike Avoided
Customers of Cingular Wireless here in Wilkes County and across the state can breathe a sigh of relief today, as a labor deal has been finalized. The Communications Workers of America Local 3204 had planned to organize a strike beginning at midnight Monday morning, effectively cutting off all customer service for Cingular throughout a nine state area including North Carolina. However a tentative deal was reached just before the deadline. Union workers in the area serving Wilkes and the entire North Carolina region will be receiving a ballot in the mail this week, to officially vote on the labor contract.

Thieves Go Shopping For Electronics At Hays Home
Be careful who has keys to your house. A Hays woman learned why that’s a good idea this week. She had just gotten out of jail and returned home to find several items had gone missing. There was no sign of a break-in and also no damage done to the property, however there was a suspect in the case, as her boyfriend had been given a key. When deputies questioned him, the boyfriend admitted taking the two tvs, dvd player and over $2000 in jewelry from the home. 29-yr-old Steven Brookshire was arrested and charged with breaking & entering in addition to larceny.

Car Tag Stolen From Wilkesboro Apartment
A Wilkesboro woman came out of church Sunday morning to find that thieves had ripped off her car’s tag. She believes the incident happened sometime during the night before, but didn’t recall hearing or seeing anyone around the property. Information about the stolen tag was given to Wilkesboro police and the investigation continues.

Blood Drive Going On Later Today
1500 pints of blood are used each day across North Carolina and here in Wilkes, small turnouts at the recent drives have caused the local supply to drop dangerously low. To help solve the problem and prepare for bad weather in the forecast, the Wilkes Red Cross is holding a drive today at Union Baptist Church. The drive will last from 2:30 til 7pm and is open to the public. Before coming out however, the organization asks that you eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids. If you want to make an appointment beforehand, the number to call is 838-4563.

Thieves Steal Parts From Elkin Home
An Elkin man called sheriff’s deputies after finding that thieves had ripped off parts of his go-cart. Just after 1am Monday morning, the man saw a flashlight outside his house and went to investigate. He found two white men running away, with one of them holding the engine to his go-cart. A description of both men was given to deputies and that investigation continues.

3WC Techwatch: Out With The Old
Your computer could soon be replacing your phone as a way of keeping in touch, as we explain in today’s 3WC Techwatch. With personal communication becoming big business, companies are working on new ways of carrying on a conversation. Lycos is preparing to release a new program for the Windows system, that allows a user to make free calls to outside phone lines, by using the computer’s microphone. The only catch is that in order to receive free minutes, you have to sign up for a promotional offer with one of their partner companies. Otherwise people will be charged one cent a minute with the program. In addition, the new Lycos Phone will have movie previews and video calling, so two people can talk face to face over the computer.

Small Business Seminar Today At WCC
It can be hard starting up your own business, especially if you have to compete with larger companies. What business model should you follow? Can your idea even succeed in the current economic climate? Coming up this Thursday, the Small Business Center at Wilkes Community College will wrap up their Small Business Start Up Series. In this fifth seminar, the topic will be “Obtaining A Small Business Loan”. You can pre-register by calling WCC at 336-838-6210 or 336-838-6113. The seminar is open to everyone and there is no cost to attend.

State News

Black Facing Call To Resign
As the allegations mount against State House Speaker Jim Black, he’s also facing a growing call to resign. A recent investigation by the State Board of Elections found that Black’s campaign took over $23,000 in illegal contributions from special interest groups such as the video poker industry. Criminal charges could soon be following as the Wake County district attorney’s office is examining the evidence against him. In the wake of all this, both the Charlotte Observer and Raleigh’s News & Observer have called for Black’s resignation, along with over a dozen other newspapers throughout North Carolina. Black has come out and said that his actions were legal at the time and that any laws broken would be only misdemeanors. His office also announced that Black has appointed a committee to determine if North Carolina’s ethics laws need to be updated.

Woman Facing Over 20 Counts Of Arson
A Davie County woman is in jail today, facing over 20 counts of arson. 41-yr-old Pamela Beckerman was arrested over the weekend and charged with setting fires on both her own property and that of her neighbors in Mocksville. Firefighters were called to put out the flames, which spread over 8 acres in some cases. No reason was given as to why the fires had been set.

Jobs Coming To Durham
Good news for people in the Durham area, as more jobs are on the way. United Therapeutics, a research and development company, announced plans on Monday to build a new facility in Durham. The move will generate 160 new jobs with an estimated $54 million to be invested in the area. A $175,000 grant from Gov. Easley’s One North Carolina Fund helped to put the wheels in motion.

Man Who Shot Deputy Has Charges Dismissed
A man who shot a sheriff’s deputy in Stokes County saw his charges dismissed this week. Back in December, deputies went to the home of Jerry Wilson to serve an open warrant. Wilson managed to get a gun however and shoot deputy Thurmond Hall before escaping. Hall was hit in the leg and survived the injury, while his fellow deputies spent over nine hours tracking down his assailant. Wilson had faced charges of first degree attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, but now he’s been declared unfit to stand trial. Instead of a jail cell, Wilson will now face life in John Umstead Psychiatric Hospital after being committed.

Cary Police Searching For Drug Counterfeiter
Officials in Cary are hunting a suspect today after falling victim to a counterfeit scheme. During an undercover drug bust, police officers took a package from 18-yr-old Stephen Curtis Hoyle, one they believed to have cocaine inside. Hoyle was paid $1500 as part of the deal before police had a chance to examine the drugs. Instead of cocaine, they found 2.4 ounces of Ivory soap. Hoyle now faces charges of selling a counterfeit controlled substance and possession of a counterfeit controlled substance.

Sports Headlines

High School Baseball Tonight
High school baseball is back on the radio tonight as we’ll be back over at Millers Creek. West Wilkes finds itself sitting atop the Northwest 1-A conference as Elkin comes to town tonight. A win tonight by the Blackhawks keeps them in first while a loss drops them back into a tie. The first pitch is set for 7pm and we’ll go on the air at 6:45 with the McDonald’s pregame show, all on your home for local sports, 1240 3WC.

UNC Charlotte Lands Another Recruit
While this season didn’t exactly go as planned for UNC Charlotte’s basketball team, next year could be a different story. The school has landed another commitment for the fall as high school senior David Booker agreed to play. The 6’7 ft. 200 lb. Booker was ranked as the top high school player in Mississippi this past year, putting up an average of 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks a game. Booker chose Charlotte over Connecticut and Northwestern.

Hatchell Named Coach Of The Year
Taking a look at college basketball, the news isn’t all bad for the UNC Tarheels. UNC Lady Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell was named Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coach’s Association on Thursday. Hatchell’s Lady Heels took both the regular season and ACC conference tournament titles on their way to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Tarheel Switching Positions
Meanwhile on the football field, a change is in store for one Tarheel player. James Cooter Arnold, who was a tailback for UNC last season, will be going from offense to defense. The move gives Arnold a chance to earn a starting job, something that was likely not going to happen with the loaded Tarheel backfield. Coming in at 5’10 and 190 lbs., defense isn’t a foreign concept to Arnold, who suited up as a cornerback in high school. Over the last two years playing at Davie County High, he had 19 interceptions.

NASCAR Standings
And taking a look at the NASCAR standings after this weekend’s Food City 500, it’s Matt Kenseth in first place, just 8 points ahead of Kasey Kahne. Jimmie Johnson is in third place, 19 points behind Kenseth. And rounding out the top five it’s Mark Martin in fourth, 32 behind and Kyle Busch in fifth, 105 points behind the leader. Next up drivers head to Martinsville Speedway for the Direct TV 500 this Sunday.

NHL: Carolina vs. Tampa Bay
On the ice last night, the Carolina Hurricanes saw their losing streak come to an end with a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay. Mark Recchi scored his first goal since coming over in a trade with Pittsburgh, as the Hurricanes officially locked up a playoff spot with the win. The team stands at 47-18, heading into tomorrow game against Washington.

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