Plane Crashes & Pilot Dies In Moravian Falls
One man is dead today after a plane crash Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened on the Cane Ridge Road in Moravian Falls, near a chicken farm in the area. At about 4pm, the single engine plane dipped down and crashed on the property, instantly killing the pilot. Officials were called out minutes later after a truck driver passing by called 911. No one else was injured in the crash and officials are still trying to determine what caused the accident. According to the FAA, the plane left Kissimmee, FLA and was headed to the Wilkes County airport. Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are expected at the site today to continue the investigation.

County Commissioners Approve The Budget
County commissioners approved the 2006-2007 budget during their meeting last night. By a unanimous vote, the amount of $68,344,540 passed and will take effect on July 1st. Under the plan, a 5% supplement was granted for employees of the public schools in addition to a 1.5% supplement handed out to community college workers.

New Members Appointed To Planning Board
Two new candidates to serve on the Wilkes Planning Board were selected last night. The terms of Paul Billings and Randall Woodruff were set to expire at the end of this month and both told the Planning Board they were not interested in being re-appointed. To serve in their place, the Board released a list of names for county commissioners to consider. One of those recommended, Carl Miller, was accepted by commissioners and approved as a nominee. Miller had served on the board previously, as his last term ended two years ago. Commissioners then went in a different direction, declining the board’s second recommendation of James Adams. Instead Johnny Alexander was chosen as the second nominee. If both Miller and Alexander accept, they’ll join the Wilkes Planning Board at the end of this month.

Drug Operation Disrupted By Deputies
Acting on a tip, deputies were called out to a home on Jones-Dancy Street Monday night. What they found inside was a drug manufacturing operation. Several large bong pipes were uncovered, along with a set of scales, a plastic tub and other paraphernalia used to manufacture drugs. Several boys in the house also had marijuana and the prescription painkiller Oxycotin in their possession. 18-yr-old Kevin Everett Puckett was arrested and charged with manufacturing drugs, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

ID Thieves Target Local Man
A State Road man fell prey to thieves this week, except their target was his Social Security numbers. The man had signed up to volunteer with a local group and as a precaution, they performed a background check. What the check uncovered was that someone had been using his social security ID to go on a spending spree. There is a suspect and deputies are continuing the investigation.

Lawn Mower Stolen From Ronda Residence
Thieves drove off with a Ronda woman’s lawn mower earlier this week. She had just returned from a trip out of town on Monday to discover that over a thousand dollars had been taken from the residence. Both a trailer that she had kept on the property and her lawn mower were missing. It appears that the thieves simply unhooked the trailer and took off down the road. Deputies do have a suspect and the investigation is ongoing.

Millers Creek Home Falls Victim To Thieves
Deputies were called out to a Millers Creek home on Monday, after thieves paid a visit. Taken from the residence on Bumgarner Lane was a Rolex watch, a necklace and several rings with an estimated value of $1600 all total. Despite the theft there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the property. However deputies do have a suspect and that investigation continues.

Thieves Break In To Borrow Tools
A Traphill woman got a surprise when she arrived home on Monday. Over one thousand dollars worth of tools had disappeared from a storage shed on her property, despite the building being locked up and no sign of a break-in. Taken in the theft were several saws, eight hammers, two drills and a few other items. There is however a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Recall Ordered Of Medicine Patch
If you put anything near the mouth of a child, chances are he or she will eat it. Now that bit of information has caused a recall of a certain children’s brand of medicine. The drug company Novartis has issued a recall of its’ Triaminic Vapor Patches, after several children tried to eat them. The patches are supposed to be placed on either the child’s chest or throat, however some have been peeled off by the kids and chewed on. That’s led to headaches and in one case a seizure, as the patches contain eucalyptus oil and camphor. Company officials are asking parents to toss the products in the trash as they work to come up with an alternative form of medicine.

Wilkesboro Woman Falls Victim To Hit & Run
A hit & run driver was responsible for an accident on Hwy 421 Monday night. Just before 5pm on Monday, a Wilkesboro woman was traveling down 421 when a nearby vehicle suddenly swerved over and hit her car. The force of the impact caused the woman’s vehicle to cross over 421 and slam into the guardrail, before bouncing back to rest in the median. There were no injuries but the woman’s car was totaled with estimated damage placed at $5000. That second vehicle drove off from the scene and police are investigating.

State News

Change In Law Will Cost NC Millions
A change in state law will cost North Carolina taxpayers over $5 million dollars. Last year, the General Assembly approved a change that will grant in state status to certain students from other states and countries. As in state students, part of their scholarship cost will come from state tax dollars and it’s not going to be cheap. In a report released this week, the UNC College System estimates that it will cost the state an additional $5.2 million to help pay for these students, most of whom are in athletic programs. Out of the 456 out of state students receiving the benefit, over 2/3 of them will be playing a sport for their chosen university. By 2010, experts say the cost to taxpayers could grow to $20 million a year, as more out of state students take advantage of the law.

Convicted Murderer Gets A Third Trial
The third time could be the charm for a Wake County woman. Back in 2000, Karen Elaine Everett was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison after shooting her husband in their Fuquay-Varina home. In 2004, the convicted was overturned, due to what lawyers called improper instructions to the jury. She was granted a second trial and again found guilty later that same year. Now the NC Court of Appeals on Tuesday has granted Everett a third trial, saying that prosecutors should have allowed testimony to be heard about the husband’s violent tendencies. Everett claims that she killed her husband in self defense after he repeatedly attacked her.

Search Continues For Lincoln County Man
The search is continuing today in Lincoln County, as officials try to determine what happened to a 70-yr-old man who vanished on Monday. The man disappeared from his home just off NC Hwy 73 shortly after 1pm on Monday afternoon and no one has seen or heard from him since. Sheriff’s deputies, police and family members covered the man’s farm and also most of the nearby property searching on into the night without success. Charlotte Mecklenburg police even volunteered the use of their helicopter, which went over the site for over four hours. Officials said the entire situation was strange because the missing man had no history of medical or other problems and there was no sign of foul play.

Jobs Coming To Hickory
Good news for people living in the Hickory area, as more jobs are on the way. Baker Furniture announced plans this week to build a distribution center and move its’ operating headquarters to the area. 70 jobs will be coming to the area over the next three years, with $12 million being invested in the site. The move comes thanks in part to a $76,000 grant from North Carolina.

Graveyard Vandals Being Hunted
A group of vandals in Chatham County has caused over $20,000 in damage in the past few days as they targeted area churches. 78 headstones were broken at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, some dating back to the early 1800s. Meanwhile just down the road 149 gravestones were damaged at Lystra Baptist Church. There are no suspects in either case and deputies are asking for the public’s help in tracking down the vandals.

Sports Headlines

Patriots Lose To Kannapolis
Over on the local scene last night, it was a rough outing for the Post 31 Patriots as they lost to Kannapolis 20-6. Pitching was again a problem for the Patriots, as they coughed up 9 runs in the first two innings and had to rally from behind several times just to keep the game going. With the loss Post 31 heads into their final set of games still hunting for that elusive first win.

Wilkes Central In Top 10
Taking a look at the high school scene, the final standings have been released for this year’s Wachovia Cup. The competition is held each year between programs in Divisions 1,2, 3 & 4A to award the best athletics program in each level. Rank is determined based on how many sports a school fields a team in and also how many of those teams finished in the top eight in their respective state tournaments. One Wilkes County team made the Top Ten, as Wilkes Central came in 6th out of all Class 2-A. Central was one of just two Mountain Valley Conference teams to make the Top Ten, as Forbush came in 9th. Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons won the 2-A Wachovia Award. In the 1-A rankings, only one local team came close and that was Elkin, which finished 11th.

UNC Asheville Freshman To Transfer
In college basketball, some bad news for UNC Asheville as one of their leading scorers is taking off. Michael Ellis announced this week that he’s transferring to Mercer, after a season that saw him average 9 points a game and receive the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year award. As per NCAA rules, Ellis has to sit out next season and will join Mercer’s team in time for the 2007-2008 year. No reason was given for the decision.

Former Tarheel Possibly Out For The Season
Switching gears to the NBA, the news isn’t good for a former UNC Tarheel. Rashad McCants had to undergo surgery on his right knee over the weekend, a move which could possibly see him miss most if not all of next year’s NBA season. McCants had microfracture surgery performed on his right knee Friday afternoon after experiencing soreness in it for the past month. Officials with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who selected McCants last year with the 14th pick, didn’t specify how the injury occurred but said that at the earliest doctors don’t expect him back on the court for another four months. As a rookie last season, the 6’4 ft. McCants averaged 7 points a game but started to ignite in the final month of the season, scoring 28 points in a win over Atlanta.

Panthers Loosing Their Scouting Director
In the NFL, some bad news behind the scenes for the Carolina Panthers, as they’ve lost a member of the front office. Director of college scouting Tony Softli is expected to join the St. Louis Rams later this week. Softli has been a member of the Panthers since their first season, working first as a regional scout before moving up to help oversee the team’s college draft. He’s leaving to join old friend Scott Linehan, who was hired back in January as the Ram’s new head coach. Linehan and Softli have a history dating back to 1994, when they both served on the coaching staff for the University of Washington.

NASCAR To Go Unleaded
On the NASCAR scene, drivers could soon have their choice of regular or unleaded to fill up. NASCAR officials announced on Monday that they’ll be testing unleaded fuel over the rest of this year, with hopes of going to it full time by 2007. The decision was made as officials look to steer away from gas that contains lead based additives. July 29th will be the first date unleaded fuel is used on the Busch Series, as all cars will fill up with it for a four week trial. Then based on the results of the trial, unleaded fuel could be used for the rest of the season on the Busch circuit. NASCAR also said they hope to introduce unleaded fuel to the Nextel Cup by the time Daytona rolls around next February.