State Health Director Wants Wilkes Smoke Free
If North Carolina’s health director has her way, all Wilkes County businesses could be smoke free by next year. Dr. Leah Devlin is calling for all businesses across the state to ban smoking inside their respective buildings. Devlin’s call comes after a new report from the U.S. Surgeon General was released on Tuesday. It found that nonsmokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of heart disease by up to 30% and their risk of developing lung cancer also goes up to 30%. That could cause problems here in North Carolina, where an estimated 23% of all adults smoke and 43% of the entire population is exposed to secondhand smoke. Already across the state, 39 hospitals are completely smoke free, including Wilkes Regional. Dr. Devlin also wants people to know that North Carolina has a program to help people quit, which you can learn about at www.quitnownc.org or by calling 1-800-784-8669.

Local Woman Falls Prey To Forgers
A Boomer woman got a call from her bank earlier this week, as several suspicious checks had come in that supposedly she had signed for. When she went to take a look at her account, the woman noticed that several of her checks had gone missing. The two people who were attempting to cash the checks had apparently done some home repairs for the woman in recent days and that’s when it’s believed they took the checks. The account was closed and information was turned over to sheriff’s deputies. That investigation continues.

Wilkes County Bridges In Need Of Repair
Wilkes County bridges could use a facelift. That’s according to AAA of the Carolinas, who released their annual list of the most dangerous bridges in the state. Wilkes County had four rank in the Top 650. The bridge over Reddies River on US 421 Business came in at #231, while the one over Mulberry Creek on Hwy 268 fell right behind at #305. The bridge over Cub Creek on State Road 1001 was also labeled as hazardous, being ranked #381 worst in the state. And finally coming in at #644 was the bridge over Bugaboo Creek on Hwy 268. In general, bridges across the state are in worse shape now than in January of 2005. Last year, 30.5% of all bridges in NC were labeled as substandard or dangerous. In 2006, that number has increased to 31.2%. Money for bridge repair comes out of the state’s highway trust fund, which has been raided in recent years by lawmakers. Money that was supposed to go for replacing roads and bridges has instead been used on pet projects, to the tune of $250 million being taken out each year.

Focus On The Family
As we near the midpoint of election season, who’s looking out for issues affecting the family? Here in North Carolina, the Family Policy Council is dedicated to doing just that. Coming up on today's Focus on the Foothills, Brian will be interviewing John Rustin, the Director of Government Relations for the FPC. They'll be discussing where North Carolina stands in regards to certain issues such as gay marriage, the lottery and where funds are being directed in the state budget. They’ll also be talking about how people can get involved and help make a difference in each of these issues. That’s coming up today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

All This Just To Watch TV
Thieves broke into a Traphill woman’s home earlier this week, running off with a DVD Player and a television. The incident happened sometime early Monday morning on the Traphill Ridge Road. However despite the theft, there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the property itself. Neighbors were able to give deputies a potential suspect, as it’s believed the thief had a key and walked right in. That investigation is ongoing.

Mentor Training Today
Currently just over 60 kids are on a waiting list at Communities in Schools, as the need for a mentor is greater than the supply. If you have a few extra hours in the week and want to make a difference in a child’s life, a volunteer training session is being held today. The session will last just one hour, from 12 noon til 1pm at the Communities in Schools office. If you’re interested in signing up or just want more information, you can give them a call at 651-7830 extension #21. The Communities in Schools office is now located at 613 Cherry Street in what used to be the old Lowes complex.

Golf Tournament To Benefit Respite Care
For all you golfers out there, how would you like to play the game you love and help a good cause at the same time? Coming up later today, a golf tournament will be held at Stone Mountain Golf Club, with the first prize winner walking away with 4 tickets to the Bank of America 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway. It costs $50 per person to enter and all the proceeds from today’s event will go to benefit Respite Care of Wilkes. The starting time is set for 1pm this afternoon with a free lunch provided beginning at 11:30am. All you have to do to sign up is pull in at the Stone Mountain Golf Club’s Pro Shop and they’ll be able to get things squared away.

Baby Teethers Recalled
Before you give that teether to your baby, there’s some news you need to hear. A recall has been ordered of five different styles of teethers, put out by The First Years Inc. 500,000 of the teethers have been called back due to a possible contamination of bacteria inside. The company has learned that in several liquid filled teethers, the bacterias aeruginosa and putida can be found. If somehow the teether gets punctured and a baby ingests the liquid, that can cause serious illness. The recall involves all Disney Days of Hunny Soft Cool Ring Teethers, all Disney Soft Cool Ring Teethers, the Sesame Beginnings Chill and Chew Teether, the First Years Cool Animal Teether and the First Years Floating Friends Teether. A hotline has been set up to get more information at 1-866-725-4407. You can also get information from the company’s website at www.thefirstyears.com.

Dog Stolen From Purlear Home
A Purlear woman came home on Monday to find that her dog had been stolen. The incident happened on the Dockery Road, as witnesses told deputies that the thief walked right into the back yard, unchained the dog and carried it off. The name of the suspect along with a location where he lives was given over to sheriff’s deputies and the investigation continues.

State News

State Lawmaker To Resign
One North Carolina lawmaker plans to give up his seat in the midst of controversy. Durham Representative Paul Miller gave House Speaker Jim Black his official letter of resignation last Friday, but offered no explanation as to why he was quitting. Miller stands accused of mail fraud, after being arrested earlier this month by federal authorities. He’s believed to have sent the U.S. Department of Education fake checks which he tried to pass off as proof that he had repaid over $20,000 in student loans. Larry Hall, the Democratic nominee for Miller’s seat in the upcoming elections, is expected to be the party’s recommended choice to take over for the remainder of the term.

Evidence In Massive Drug Bust Burns
Sheriff’s deputies in Wake County recently found an abandoned 18-wheel truck just off US 64. The keys were still in the ignition and the engine was running, but no driver could be found. Once they looked inside, deputies found over one ton of marijuana along with 25 pounds of cocaine. The sheriff’s department has since incinerated most of the drugs involved and are continuing the investigation to find the missing driver.

NC State To Pay For Toxic Dump
NC State is going to have to spend millions of dollars over the next few years to clean up one of their mistakes. Between 1969 and 1980, the university’s agriculture and science labs dumped acids, dead animals which contain radioactive waste and chemicals into a 1.5 acre site near the school. Over time that site has become one of the most polluted areas in the United States, with contaminated water seeping into the nearby Richland Creek. Cleanup was supposed to begin 10 years ago, but State requested time to prove to the EPA that the chemicals would dissolve on their own. That plan failed and so now university officials have to fork out money for 17 extraction wells on the site, which will be used to pump out the tainted water and clean up the toxins. All total the cleanup is expected to cost $3.8 million and could take up to 30 years to finish.

Jacksonville Residents No Longer At Risk
The rainfall earlier this week proved to be both a blessing and a curse for residents in Jacksonville North Carolina. While the local crops needed the water, heavy rains damaged a privately owned dam in the area and led to some residents being evacuated. The road near the dam’s spillway was washed out by the water and officials Tuesday morning started warning people to consider evacuating just in case the dam should collapse. Now after two days of sun, the danger has passed and people are being welcomed back in. Jacksonville officials said their main focus now is to work on repairing the damage left behind, estimated to be in the millions.

Jobs Coming To Guilford County
More jobs will be coming to Guilford County over the next three years, as a sports equipment company plans to move in. Legacy Paddlesports, makers of kayaks and canoes, will bring with it 244 jobs when the company’s new plant is built. The move comes thanks in part to a $100,000 grant from North Carolina and company officials said that the state’s well trained workforce was another major factor in the decision. Construction is expected to begin on the plant within the next two months.

Sports Headlines

NC State Lands Another Recruit
Another day and another recruit in the fold for the NC State football team. Henry Lawson, a 6’3 ft. 290 lb. junior from Charlotte Catholic High School has committed to the team. The offensive lineman was a key part of a Charlotte Catholic squad that has a 32 game winning streak heading into next season and State coaches believe he could possibly compete for a starting job as a freshman. Lawson turned down offers from Wake Forest and Boston College to join the Wolfpack, who have locked up seven recruits for their 2007 class from North Carolina. Last year they had just six.

Winthrop Coach Changes Schools
In college basketball, Winthrop’s streak of making it to the NCAA postseason tournament might be ending. Head coach Gregg Marshall announced this week that he’ll be leaving, to take the coaching job at College of Charleston. Over his eight year career at Winthrop, Marshall built the Eagles into a contender, putting together 165 wins and six appearances in the NCAA tournament. Now Marshall will return to the school where he began his coaching career, looking to improve on the Cougars’ 18-10 record last season.

Bobcats Select
With the third pick in last night’s NBA draft, the Charlotte Bobcats chose Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison. The 6’8 ft. junior averaged 28 points a game last season and earned the nickname “Ammo” for his ability to hit shots from anywhere. In the second round, Charlotte went for a defensive presence by choosing UCLA center Ryan Hollins. The 7 ft. Hollins is a shot blocker and rebounder who was a big part of the Bruins’ run to the title game last season.

ACC Players Picked Up In The Draft
There were also several ACC players picked up in yesterday’s draft. Duke’s Shelton Williams went with the 5th pick to the Atlanta Hawks while his teammate J.J. Redick was chosen with the 11th pick by Orlando. NC State’s Cedric Simmons found a home with the New Orleans Hornets, who drafted him 15th. And in the second round, UNC Tarheel forward David Noel went to Milwaukee with the 39th pick.

Hurricanes Continue To Make Changes
Some changes will be coming for the Carolina Hurricanes next season. The team will be losing backup goalie Martin Gerber, who told the Canes that he plans to test the free agent market, in pursuit of a starting job and also a raise. As a starter this season with Carolina, the 31-yr-old Gerber went 38-14, but was replaced by Cam Ward after a poor performance in the playoffs. Ward would go on to win the Conn Smythe trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup finals.