Child Advocacy Study Raises Questions
On Wednesday, 3WC told you about a study that's been released by the NC Child Advocacy Institute. The study highlighted current facts about life here in Wilkes and how it's affecting the children of the area. Today we're taking a look at the education data the study put out. The study found that in 1990, 62.6% of local kids finished high school in four years. Now more than ten years down the road, unfortunately that number has dropped to 59.1% or roughly 541 students. Some good news however as local schools at both the 3rd and 8th grade level have seen comprehension increase for the end of grade testing in math and reading. Back in 1998 during the last study, only 65% of 3rd graders and 74% of 8th graders could understand and pass the test. Now that number has climbed to 79% for both classes. Also the dropout rate has decreased here in Wilkes. Ten years ago, 10.4% of high school students were quitting. Now that number is down to 7.9% or 251 students. That's still slightly higher than the state average of 5.2%. Coming up on tomorrow's newscast we'll take a look at what the Institute found from their study and what recommendations are being used. Also to check up on the facts yourself, you can log on to www.ncchild.org

Bank Of America Paying Customers To Stop Receiving Statements
Bank of America customers in Wilkes and across the U.S. are being asked to stop receiving their account statements. The company announced yesterday that for every person who agrees to stop getting a printed statement of their account, $1 will be donated to the Nature Conservancy. The plan is to convince people to start checking their statements over the internet and save paper, along with saving money.

Gas Thieves Hit Local Church
Gas thieves attempted to hit a church in North Wilkesboro earlier this week. Early Wednesday morning, deputies were called out to Peace Haven Church in response to someone trying to steal gas from the church van. When deputies arrived, they saw a man underneath the vehicle who immediately stood up and took off running. After a brief chase deputies caught the man and put him in custody. He had punched a hole in the tank before they arrived, managing to drain out about 5 gallons of gas. 29-yr-old Donald Scott Lewis was arrested and charged with tampering with a vehicle, attempted larceny and resisting arrest.

Focus On Ministry
When people can’t afford to buy food, who do they turn to? Here in Wilkes, Samaritan’s Christian Ministries lends a hand. The organization, which has been in operation for over six years, is reaching more people every day and director Judith Holman-Anderson will be Brian’s guest this week on Focus on the Foothills. They’ll be talking about the ministry and some ways you can get involved. That’s coming up today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Vandals Cause Damage At Local Home
An argument led to several thousand dollars worth of damage at a house on the Baptist Home Road this week. Two residents of the area got into an argument on Monday and even after they had gone their separate ways, the issue apparently wasn’t settled. One of the men came to the other’s house in the early morning hours on Tuesday, shooting at the residence with a BB gun. Windows and portions of the vinyl siding were damaged, along with the homeowner’s Chevy Silverado. Estimated damages were placed at $1350. The vandal’s name and address were given to deputies and when questioned, he admitted committing the crime. 17-yr-old Christopher Lee Foster was arrested and charged with property damage.

Blood Drive Later Today
With rain and wind in the forecast this weekend, that means there’s a good chance of an accident occurring. To prepare and make sure we have enough blood on hand, the local Red Cross is holding a drive today at Wilkes Central High School. The drive will last from 8:30am til 2pm and is open to everyone. No appointment is needed but if you want to avoid the traffic as students go to and from class, you can call and set one up at 838-4563. The Red Cross asks that would be donors eat and drink plenty of fluids before coming in.

Boomer Woman’s Car Hit By Vandals
A Boomer woman got a surprise as she was heading to Wilkesboro Tuesday afternoon. While on Hwy 16 South, someone tossed a rock at the vehicle, causing an estimated $200 in damage. However no one in the area could recall seeing anyone near the road and there are no suspects. That investigation continues.

Small Business Series Tonight 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 tonight, 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

Students Walk Out In Protest
Over thirty high school students in Smithfield North Carolina decided to leave class a little early on Wednesday. The walkout was staged as a protest against current immigration bills being debated in Congress. Later in the afternoon, the students were joined by family members and other supporters, as the protest grew to an estimated 50 people. At the heart of the controversy is House Bill 4437, currently before the Senate. This bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives last December, would make it a felony to enter the U.S. illegally and also would establish a two layer fence stretching across 700 miles of the Mexican border. The students now face possible suspension for their actions.

Lottery To Start Today Despite Appeal
Tickets will go on sale today for the new North Carolina lottery, despite an appeal currently in the court system. The NC Institute of Constitutional Law announced this week that it’s already filed an appeal, attempting to get its’ case back into court. The Institute had their lawsuit tossed out last week by a Wake County judge, who said they gave no evidence to prove the new lottery was a tax as the lawsuit indicated. An estimated 5000 stores across the state will begin selling lottery tickets today, with the expected profits to reach in the millions.

Easley To Ask For More Money
Gov. Mike Easley announced this week that he plans to improve public water systems across North Carolina. To do that, Easley plans to ask lawmakers for $2.4 million, which would go to hire more employees for the Public Water Supply Section and help fund construction inspection programs. Inspections are needed for private wells, as currently only 35 counties in North Carolina have programs in place to make sure that state rules are followed during drilling. Also there is a problem throughout the state due to a lack of certified operators for water systems, leaving counties in some cases to hire people with little experience for the job.

Shootout In Thomasville Leaves One Injured
A High Point man is in the hospital today after a shootout with police. Just after 1am Wednesday morning, Thomasville police pulled over a man for drunk driving. As the driver was being arrested, his passenger suddenly jumped up, grabbed a bag and took off running. The man then went behind a nearby house and started shooting at police. The officers returned fire and chased the man, 24-yr-old Darell Garris on foot. Minutes later the chase ended as shots were fired and Garris was injured. He’s currently being treated at the local hospital and the SBI is investigating the case, as is normal procedure after a shooting. Both officers have been placed on administrative leave until the investigation is over.

Sports Headlines

UNC Charlotte Loses Coach
Some bad news today for the Charlotte 49ers, as the school will have to replace one of the top assistants for its’ men’s basketball program. Dalonte Hill announced on Tuesday that he was leaving the team to become an assistant for new coach Bob Huggins at Kansas State. During his three years on the bench, the 27-yr-old Hill worked mainly as a recruiter, helping the school to land several key players including the top junior college point guard in the nation.

Former Wolfpack Player Gets NBA Shot
A former member of the NC State Wolfpack will see his NBA dreams come true this week. Guard Anthony Grundy signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks, coming up from the Developmental League’s Roanoke Dazzle. Since leaving the Wolfpack in 2002, Grundy has played all over the world in the CBA, the WBA, Israel and his latest stop was the Developmental League, where he averaged 23 points 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. The Hawks needed another player with Tyrone Lue struggling to return from injury.

Howard Returns To Carolina
A familiar face will be returning to the Carolina Panthers this year. Cornerback Reggie Howard agreed to a one year deal with the team this week. Howard played for the Panthers for the first three years of his career, before signing with Miami back in 2003. He’ll be returning to compete for a spot as the nickel back on defense, along with being involved with special teams.

Fields Likely Done With Football
Bad news for a former member of the Panthers, as it appears his football career is over. Linebacker Mark Fields has been battling Hodgkin’s disease for the past three years and attempted a comeback in 2004. But that was short lived, as he experienced a relapse last year. While doctors are saying that Fields is doing great physically, the stress of playing football would not be in his best interest. Fields has not yet made an official announcement about retirement.

NHL: Carolina vs. Washington
On the ice last night, it was the Washington Capitals over Carolina 5-1. The Hurricanes lost a chance to claim the Southeastern Conference title, as their magic number stands at just two points. With the loss Carolina drops to 47-19 with a game coming tomorrow against Florida.

Gordon Fined For Shoving Incident
Driver Jeff Gordon’s wallet is a little lighter today, after his actions on Sunday. Gordon was fined $10,000 for shoving Matt Kenseth after the Food City 500 in Bristol. Kenseth bumped Gordon on the final lap, causing him to spin out and finish 21st. Gordon has since apologized to NASCAR, saying that he wasn’t thinking clearly when the altercation happened.