News & Sports For Monday April 10th 2006
Possible Changes Coming For Middle Schools
Middle school students in Wilkes will possibly have some extra help next year, thanks to Governor Easley’s new budget. Easley outlined some of the plans he has for education in a conference last week, this time targeting middle schools. The 2006-2007 plan would include money to hire literacy coaches for 100 middle schools in the state, as part of a test program. These coaches would work with classes and individual students, to help improve both their reading and writing skills. The test program will cost $5 million and if the results are positive, all middle schools could see literacy coaches hired by the 2007-2008 school year. Schools will be chosen for the test program based on their current test scores, with the lowest being selected first.
Man Arrested After Shooting In Hays
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a residence on Hays Thursday night, after reports of shots fired came in. The incident happened on the Dehart Community Center Road. The victim wasn’t hurt thankfully and told deputies that his nephew had come over to the house drunk and started firing a shotgun in his direction. Deputies arrested Arthur Mack Brown, who yelled to the victim as he was being arrested that he was going to blow his brains out. The 34-yr-old Brown was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and communicating threats. His shotgun was also taken until the court date.
3WC Eye On Politics Part I: County Commissioners
With the primaries on May 2nd just a few weeks away, we’re going to be taking a look at all the candidates here on 3WC News, starting with the county commissioners. Each day we’ll be talking with a different candidate about his or her views regarding issues in Wilkes County and what they plan to do if elected. On today’s newscasts we’ll be talking with current county commissioner Zach Henderson.
6am-What accomplishments he’s proud of
7am-How he views the current tax situation in the county
8am-Ways the county commissioners are looking into helping local businesses
12noon-What his plans are for a second term, if re-elected
Air Conditioners Stolen From Local Homes
Two Wilkes County residents fell victim to air conditioner thieves last week. Apparently the thieves were preparing for summer, as they ran off with air conditioners from a North Wilkesboro home and one on Arbor Grove Church Road. In both cases, someone just walked up to the house and ripped the AC unit out of the window where it had been kept. Information on both cases was turned over to sheriff’s deputies and that investigation continues.
Blood Drive Later Today
With the countdown on to summer, it’s important to keep the local blood supply out of critical levels. A drive is going on today at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, running from 3-7pm. Please remember before giving however, you must at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 lbs. To set up an appointment, the number to call is 838-4563.
Three Cars Totaled On Hwy 421
Early Friday morning, three cars were involved in an accident on Hwy 421. A North Wilkesboro woman was attempting to turn left onto 421 Business from Hwy 421 and thought her light was green. However the green light was actually on the other side of the road, as two vehicles had already started through the intersection. Those three vehicles collided, with the driver of that first car being taken to Wilkes Regional. An estimated $9500 worth of damage was done in the crash.
Recall Ordered Of Battery Charger
A recall has been ordered of several thousand battery chargers across the nation. Pelican Power is calling back an estimated 231,000 of its’ Brick Battery Charger. The problem comes due to a malfunction in the charger’s circuit board, which can lead to overheating and possibly a fire hazard after extended use. Customers are asked to call Electro Source LLC to receive a replacement at 1-800-263-1156 or through the website www.powerbrickrecall.net.
Car Abandoned In Moravian Falls
An abandoned car brought sheriff’s deputies out to Moravian Falls last week. Early Friday morning, deputies got a call about a vehicle parked in the middle of Cub Creek Church Road with no one inside. There was no sign of foul play, no damage done to the vehicle itself and it was towed away. As of this weekend, deputies hadn’t been able to get in touch with the vehicle’s owner.
State News
Hodge In Hospital After Shooting
A former NC State star is in the hospital today after a shooting this weekend. Julius Hodge, who was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft this year by the Denver Nuggets, was returning home from a nightclub when he was shot by an unknown assailant. Hodge had been at the club visiting a friend who was performing and then traveling home on I-76 in Denver, was shot three times in the leg. Officials say they don’t have any suspects and are clueless regarding any possible motive in the case. Hodge has been updated to good condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
One Man’s Junk Is Another Man’s Treasure
An Asheville woman got a surprise last week when she went to sell an old painting for $100. She took it to a local auction house, where the owner asked permission to check into the painting’s history before selling it. He found out the painting dated back to the Baroque period and was the work of Dutch artist Jan Havicksz Steen, done during the 1660s. Instead of $100, she ended up selling the painting this weekend for $397,000 at auction.
Children Injured During Rowan County Wreck
Several middle school kids were injured on Friday after their bus overturned. The incident happened in Rowan County, as the driver was attempting to avoid a wide load truck.. The driver swerved and got the bus back on the road, but lost control soon after and the vehicle flipped. About 20 students were on the bus when it flipped, with several reporting back pain. All of them were taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center and checked out, with officials calling the injuries minor.
Bomb Scare Causes Durham Evacuation
Durham police had to evacuate their headquarters on Friday after a bomb scare came in. A man came walking into the police station and told officers that he was concerned there was a bomb in his car, because he didn’t recognize one of the packages inside. The police station and portions of two local streets were shut down while the bomb squad investigated and later detonated the package. The package itself was determined not to be explosive and the man was taken to the local hospital to check his mental status.
Cabarrus County Candidate Claims Abuse
A candidate for sheriff in Cabarrus County is accusing his opponent of dirty tricks. Candidate John Brafford says that the current sheriff, Brad Riley, is using people in his department to attempt to scare him out of the race. Brafford claims to have been detained illegally for almost two hours recently by sheriff’s deputies. The deputies said in their incident report that they were keeping Brafford because he was both mentally and physically impaired, possibly due to medication. Sheriff Riley also swears that he had nothing to do with the incident.
Sports Headlines
Appalachian Invited To San Juan
Taking a look at college basketball, there’s a trip to the islands in the future of the Appalachian State team. The Mountaineers have been invited to take part in the San Juan Shootout , which will run December 17-22nd. Appalachian joins a loaded field including Utah, Virginia, Central Florida, Tennessee Tech, Vanderbuilt and the native Puerto Rice-Mayaguez team. Games and times will be announced later on this summer.
Barnes Shoots Down State
NC State’s hunt for a basketball coach is continuing today, after their first choice shot them down. Texas Coach Rick Barnes officially declined the offer after speaking with State Athletic Director Lee Fowler earlier this week. The announcement leaves State without two of their top three choices, as Villanova Coach Jay Wright just signed an extension with the Wildcats.
Minor League Scoreboard
Around the minor leagues this weekend, it was Hickory beating Lake County on Sunday 9-4. Crawdads starter Todd Redmond went 5 innings, giving up one run and striking out 7. Hickory also got some help from shortstop Brent Lillibridge, who had two homeruns on the night. The win was Hickory’s first on the season, bringing them to 1-3. Meanwhile over in Greensboro it was the Grasshoppers on Sunday night shutting out Hagerstown 3-0. The win keeps Greensboro at a perfect 4-0 to start the season, with starter Sean West going 6 innings and only allowing two hits while striking out four.
NBA: Bobcats vs. Raptors
In the NBA last night, the Charlotte Bobcats beat Toronto 94-88. The Bobcats were led by Brevin Knight, who had 19 points, 10 assists and 3 rebounds in the winning effort. With the victory Charlotte improves to a franchise best 22-55, with their next game coming on Wednesday against Memphis.
NHL: Carolina vs. Atlanta
On the ice this weekend, Carolina took a step back as they lost 5-2 to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Hurricanes, having already locked up both a spot in the playoffs and first place in their division, are preparing for the postseason by letting their young guys have a chance to play. The loss drops Carolina to 51-21 on the year, with a game coming tomorrow night against New Jersey.
NASCAR Results
Wrecks and tempers ignited during Sunday’s Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Kasey Kahne took the checkered flag, with Matt Kenseth second, Tony Stewart third, Denny Hamlin in fourth and Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five. Greg Biffle was in the hunt for the checkered flag, but got bumped by former teammate Kurt Busch and spun out, slamming into the wall and ending his day.