Wilkes County Farmers May See Changes
Farmers in Wilkes County could soon see some much needed relief for their wallet, if several North Carolina lawmakers have their way. Energy costs for small farmers skyrocketed over the last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to the tune of $5.2 billion. Such high costs are forcing several small farmers, such as those in Wilkes, to abandon the business. North Carolina House Representatives Bob Etheridge & Brad Miller are working to solve that problem, by developing proposals to lower the cost of fuel and create better trade agreements. Currently there are 2955 farmers within Wilkes County and if the farm reform proposal goes for a vote, each one could be seeing over one thousand dollars cut off their bills. Overall in 2005, Wilkes County ranked 5th in the state with $232,733 generated from farming.

Dropout Rate In Wilkes On The Rise
Some mixed results for Wilkes County schools, as the latest dropout report has been released by North Carolina. Overall the dropout rate for high schools here in the county rose during the 2004-2005 school year, with 4.74% of students quitting. This marks the third straight year Wilkes County’s dropout rate has increased, up from 4.73% in 2003 and 4.24% in 2002.

Flag Day Celebration Starts At Noon
A ceremony will be held later today at West Park to honor America’s soldiers. The 2nd annual Flag Day celebration in Wilkes County will get started at 12 noon with the presentation of colors by the VFW Post 1142. Dr. Brad Shinaman will speak at the event and then Heather Murphy, Director of the Health Foundation will read a list of local citizens who have been remembered through a donation to the Spirit of American Giving campaign. Music will be provided by the Wilkes Seniors on Stage and the event is free to the public. Once again all of this will be held at West Park and for more information you can contact the Health Foundation at 838-1949.

Our House To Hold Parenting Classes
There’s some help on the way for any new parents out there, as Our House will be holding parenting classes starting later this week. “The Power Of Parenting” will run from 9:30 til 11:30am on Friday, June 15th, the first of about eight weeks worth of sessions. The cost is $10 to sign up for the classes, which will be held at Our House, located at 203 East Main Street in Wilkesboro. If you want more information, the number to call is 667-5555.

Local Woman Arrested As Stolen Goods Found
A McGrady woman was arrested earlier this week after deputies found stolen property in her vehicle. Deputies had received a call Sunday night that someone had stolen gravel from the lot near Rock Springs Church on Hwy 18 North. A witness gave deputies a description of a minivan that had been in the area, which they located about a half mile away parked in a driveway. When deputies looked inside, they found the stolen gravel, along with a shovel and wheelbarrow. The vehicle’s owner told deputies she had no idea how the gravel got inside and stated that even if she did, she wouldn’t rat them out. 30-yr-old Rebecca Mae Taylor was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

Focus On Schools
With school out for the summer, most groups associated with kids have shut down as well. Communities in Schools however is still up and running, as they have several programs that last throughout the year. Amy Whitley from Communities in Schools will be Brian’s guest during Focus on the Foothills this week, as they’ll be talking about some of the upcoming events. Also they’ll be discussing the need for volunteers and what kinds of help are most needed. That’s coming up Thursday afternoon at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

3WC Techwatch: All Purpose Cell Phone
How would you like a cell phone that can help with your laundry? You may not have to wait long for one, as we explain in today’s 3WC Techwatch. IBM has developed a new type of cell phone, which is currently being tested by using Wake Forest students. The phones use a voice-activated linkup with the internet to help solve problems, such as if a student’s trying to catch a bus. All they have to do is ask “What time is the next bus?” A GPS system will then locate all of the nearby buses and tell the student how long it will be before they’re at his or her stop. In addition, it can be hard to fight for a washer and dryer if you’re living in a dorm. Thanks to the new phones, students will be able to find out if there are any available washers and where they are, saving time. Once the test is complete, IBM says they plan to offer the service to EMS teams, doctors and salesmen as a specialized product. But don’t kid yourself, if you want to save time, you’ll have to spend money, as it won’t be cheap.

Recall Ordered Of Jeep Grand Cherokee
There’s some bad news for Jeep owners, as a recall is going on. Included in the callback are all 2003 and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee models, which due to a problem in the vehicle’s seat warmer, could catch on fire. The problem occurs when people don’t turn off the seat warmer when they get out of the vehicle. Over time, it can break down the adhesive properties in the seat, causing a fire to start. Already 32 cars have gone up in flames thanks to the defect. Owners can either take the vehicle back to the dealership where they got it from or wait to receive information in the mail.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
We’ve talked a lot here on the news about the need for blood in Wilkes County. But thanks to last year’s hurricanes and the cost of relocating survivors, the local Red Cross needs help of a different kind as well. The local chapter continues to sell cookbooks, to help raise the money it needs to cover costs of daily operations. The cost of a cookbook is $10 and it contains recipes from chapter members along with their family and friends. For more information or to purchase one, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

State News

Southern Baptists Call For Evangelism
Southern Baptist leaders are calling for the church to get more involved with evangelism. That was the message put out this week during the Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, where leaders said they were concerned about the rate of growth or lack of it in congregations. In Southern Baptist churches, an average of just two people are baptized each year, meaning that for the most part, the church membership stays the same. Current Southern Baptist president Bobby Welch is calling for the Body of Christ to stop talking about evangelism and go out and do it. Tuesday kicked off the convention’s annual meeting, as delegates prepare to elect a new president.

Lottery Numbers Don’t Add Up
The state budget may have to be changed, thanks to North Carolina’s lottery commission. The commission announced this week that they don’t expect to meet the current goal of $425 million to be designated for education. Due to start up costs, salaries and other expenses, they said the funds available will be an estimated 6% less or roughly $401 million. But even that number could change, as the commission is basing it solely on projected figures and not on raw data. With the news state lawmakers may have to adjust the budget or find another way of coming up with the $21 million that will be lost.

Former Duke Star Arrested On Tuesday
A former basketball star at Duke University was arrested Tuesday morning in Durham. 21-yr-old J.J. Redick was charged with driving while impaired, after registering a blood alcohol level of .11. North Carolina’s legal blood alcohol limit is .08. Redick had attempted to dodge a police checkpoint and made an illegal U-turn to do so, getting the attention of officers. He also had his drivers’ license taken away and faces an additional charge of unlawful use of highways. Redick was released on $1000 bond with a court date set for July 17th.

Johnston County Students To Have Longer Days
Students in Johnston County may have some long days ahead of them this fall. County leaders are considering a plan that would extend a normal high school day by 25 minutes. Middle school and elementary students would also be affected, as they would have an additional 15 minutes tacked on to their school day. Officials say that the extra time would help students improve their grades and also assist those who are working with special projects. A final decision is expected before the end of July.

Special Forces Soldiers Could See Benefits Increase
Special Forces troops, both here in North Carolina and across the country, could see their retirement pay increase if a new bill goes through. North Carolina Representative Robin Hayes introduced the bill this week, dubbed the Special Operations Forces Retention Improvement Act. Under the plan, all special forces troops who have been in their unit at least five years would see their benefits raised by an unspecified amount. The bill could be voted on by the end of June in the House.

Sports Headlines

Johnson Leaving North Wilkes
The rebuilding men’s basketball program at North High took a hit this week, with the resignation of head coach Tommy Johnson. He’ll leave North to become the new head coach at Canton Pisgah High School, a 2A powerhouse that currently holds a 51-game regular season winning streak. In one season as coach of the Vikings, Johnson helped the team improve to 4-20 however they ended the regular season with a six game losing streak. The assistant coaches at North High, Richard Canter, Buford Fox and Mark Shumate will be in charge when basketball camp rolls around next week while Athletic Director Randy Joines searches for a replacement.

American Legion Baseball Tonight
In other local action, the Wilkes American Legion baseball team takes the field again tonight. The team will play host to West Forsyth, with the Post 31 Patriots struggling to climb out of last place in their division. Gametime is set for 7pm and the McDonald’s pregame show will be on the air around 6:45pm here on 3WC.

State Lands Football Recruit
On the college scene, good news for the NC State Wolfpack as their football team landed another recruit. Sam Jones, a rising senior at Fuquay-Varina High School has committed to the team. The 6’5 ft. 264 lb. Jones plays both offensive and defensive tackle and runs a 40-yd-dash in 5.1 seconds. State coaches said that they plan to use Jones mainly on the defensive side of the ball. He turned down offers from East Carolina and UNC to join the Wolfpack, saying that he felt at home on campus and felt after praying that was where he needed to be.

Wake Adds To Football Staff
A former member of the Wake Forest football team has joined its’ coaching staff. Team officials announced this week that Mark Moroz, a former offensive tackle with the Deacons, is now on the staff as a recruiting assistant. He’ll work with potential recruits, answering questions and talking with them about the program. As a student, Moroz played four years on the team from 2000-2003 and started 24 games during that span.

Bobcats Considering Trade Options
With the NBA draft two weeks from tonight, teams are trying to move up and land the player they want. The Charlotte Bobcats are trying to put together a deal that would see them walk away with the number one pick in the draft. The Toronto Raptors currently own the pick but desperately need a point guard, of which there aren’t that many available. One possible scenario has Charlotte sending the number three pick they own along with Brevin Knight to Toronto for the number one pick, which they would use to select Adam Morrison. Then if they do agree to the deal, the Bobcats would turn around and fill Knight’s spot on the roster in with their second round pick, widely expected to be Wake Forest guard Justin Gray.

Smith Held Out Of Practice
Some potentially bad news for the Carolina Panthers, who will be missing wide receiver Steve Smith for the next few days. Smith has been held out of practice this week after developing some tightness in his hamstring. While the injury isn’t believed to be serious, the coaching staff plans to take precautions and may hold Smith out of the last week of summer camp. Coach Fox told the media on Monday night that Smith could be kept on the shelf until training camp in July, depending on how his leg feels later this week.

Arena Racing Coming To NC
A new style of racing is on its’ way to North Carolina and several NASCAR teams want in on the action. Arena Racing will begin its’ season in November and then run through late March, with all of the races being held on Saturday nights. Drivers race on an aluminum track one tenth of a mile long with 18 degree turns, with cars that run on 390cc Honda engines with 61-inch wheelbases and weigh around 725 pounds. The series, which was created in Norfolk Virginia, will spread to Charlotte on November 11th, where the season will begin in Cricket Arena. 56 spots are still open for the league and it costs $12,000 to purchase a team, which comes complete with an already assembled car. Also you don’t have to be out of school to step behind the wheel. Drivers can be as young as 14 in the series. Already it’s attracted attention from some NASCAR teams, as Joe Gibbs will run a car and Tony Stewart is considering getting involved as well.