Fly-In To Be Held This Saturday
As Wilkes County gets set to celebrate the 4th of July, a tribute of a different kind will be held tomorrow. The 15th annual Fly-In will go on at the Wilkes County Airport, with all types of aircraft up for display. The event, which begins at 9am and lasts til 3pm in the afternoon, will feature planes from World War II, a Blackhawk helicopter will be on display and also Army paratroopers will perform jumps at 11am and 1pm. There’s also going to be games for the kids with an air walk, several ball games, a money in the hay search and other activities. The Mountain View Ruitan Club also plans to have live music performing during the event.

Stuff The Bus Begins Tomorrow
The annual Stuff The Bus program will get underway tomorrow, helping to provide needy kids with supplies for school. There are several locations around the Wilkes County area for you to drop off supplies this year. There will be buses at Wal-Mart, CVS, Eckerd, Staples and also between the First Baptist and First United Methodist Churches in North Wilkesboro. You can also drop off supplies at Dollar General, Super 10 and the Communities in Schools office. All different types of school supplies are needed, everything from paper to pens to calculators. For more information you can call Communities in Schools at 651-7830.

Local Woman Falls Victim To Credit Card Fraud
A Roaring River woman got in touch with deputies on Wednesday, after discovering that someone had been impersonating her. Sometime during the last week the woman’s credit card had disappeared. Now it turns out the thief had been pretending to be her and using it at local businesses, to the tune of $3695. Information is still being collected as the investigation goes forward.

Thieves Break In Just To Hear The News
A Lenoir man came to check on a camper he owned off of Livingston Road earlier this week, only to find that thieves had beaten him there. One of the windows had been damaged, along with parts of the camper’s siding. Taken from inside were two portable radios, along with a Troybuilt generator. There is however a possible suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Toymaker Orders Recall
This next bit of news is for all parents and grandparents out there, as a recall has been ordered of a specific toy. About 3500 models of the Primary Sounds Toy Vehicles, sold from Kohl’s Department Store, are involved in the recall. That includes the yellow taxi, police cars and fire engine models. All are about 6 inches long and 5 inches wide. The problem stems from the hubcaps on the toy’s plastic wheels, which can come off and present a choking hazard. Customers are being asked to get in touch with the manufacturer, Kids Preferred LLC, for a full refund. The number to call is 1-866-763-8869.

Wreck On Main Street Totals Two
Two cars were totaled after an accident Wednesday afternoon in Wilkesboro. The incident happened on East Main Street, as a Wilkesboro woman was preparing to turn off onto a side street. The driver behind her, a North Wilkesboro man, didn’t see her slow down in time to avoid a collision. No serious injuries were reported from the crash, but both cars were totaled with estimated damages placed at $5000.

3WC Healthwatch: The Road To A Clear Mind
The way you eat could be a strong defense against Alzheimer’s disease, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. Doctors at the Columbia University Medical Center have released information about a study they performed, involving older patients and their diet. They discovered that people who eat from a Mediterranean style diet are 40% less likely to develop Alzheimers. 2258 elderly people were part of the study, done over a four year period in New York. That type of diet includes eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, cereal and fish, while limiting how much meat and dairy products that you eat. In addition, people on this type of diet try to stay away from foods rich in saturated fats, as much as possible. The information was recently published in the online version of the Annals of Neurology.

Thieves Go On Spending Spree With ATM Card
A North Wilkesboro woman got a surprise when she checked her bank account earlier this week. Not only was it empty, but someone continued to charge things on the account, running up overdraft fees. All total, the combined money stolen and fees from the bank totaled $1041. It’s still unclear exactly how or when the woman’s ATM card was stolen, as she hadn’t even noticed it was missing. There is a possible suspect and the investigation continues.

Two Hospitalized After Wreck On Hwy 421
Two people were sent to the hospital after an accident Tuesday night on Hwy 421. A Wilkesboro man was heading east on the highway when suddenly another driver cut in front of him, causing a collision. Debris from the accident also hit a third car, which was in a nearby lane. The first two drivers were both taken by EMS to Wilkes Regional, while estimated damages were placed at $19,350. The driver who cut in front, 71-yr-old Thomas Prevett, was charged with unsafe movement by Wilkesboro police.

State News

Bush To Visit NC Troops
President Bush will be back in North Carolina on July 4th, celebrating with the troops at Fort Bragg. The White House announced the visit yesterday, saying that he plans to speak at their holiday event. This will mark the third time since 2001 that the president has been to Bragg. Back in March of 2002 he spoke about fighting the Taliban and then in June of 2005, he explained why the war in Iraq was necessary.

Beachgoers Ignore Rip Current Warnings
So far this summer season, 153 people have been rescued from rip currents at North Carolina beaches. The problem, say rescue officials, is that beachgoers are ignoring the warnings, both those posted up and also from lifeguards. At Wilmington’s Wrightsville Beach alone, 108 people have been saved from the deadly current, which pulls people out into the ocean as it returns from the shore. Right now the beach is on track to break last year’s total, which stood at 122 people.

Guilford County May Have Link To Missing Person
One Guilford County resident could have found a link to help investigators solve a missing persons case. On Wednesday, a man came out to some property he owned in Summerfield to find a skull sitting in the driveway. After deputies were called to the scene, they did a search and found the rest of the remains nearby. Now the body has been taken to the medical examiner’s office, to get a positive ID. Officials said that they were still trying to determine the cause of death and the case hasn’t been labeled as a homicide.

NC Community College Strained By Workers
The recent influx of workers going back to college has brought one community college in the state to a breaking point. Officials from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College announced this week that their resources are almost tapped out, due to a massive increase in students, most of which are unemployed textile workers. The college has since received a warning from its’ main accrediting agency, which was concerned because full evaluations of both the teachers and programs weren’t done this year, due to a lack of funding. Cabarrus has been given one year to turn in the evaluations or the school could be placed on probation.

Former Cafeteria Manager Gets Almost Four Years
A sentence was handed out yesterday in the case of a Wake County cafeteria manager who stole money from her school. Frances Parker pleaded guilty earlier this month to taking over $200,000 from Garner Senior High School’s nutrition program and going on a spending spree with the money. Thursday morning, a Wake County judge sentenced her to at least 44 months in prison. Parker also agreed to refund the school for what she took.

Sports Headlines

South Caldwell Pitcher Commits To Tarheels
A high school pitcher from within the region will soon be suiting up for the Tarheels. South Caldwell pitcher Madison Bumgarner announced his decision this week. The junior helped lead his team to the State 4A championship and along with way he picked up a 12-2 record with a 0.99 ERA. The 6’5 ft. Bumgarner, who’s lefthanded, has impressed scouts with a fastball that reaches speeds of 97 mph at times. He’s also not bad at the plate, batting .392 this past season with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs.

Boateng To Leave Duke
In college basketball, the Duke Blue Devils will be one man short when the season starts next fall. Center Eric Boateng has announced that he plans to transfer from the school. The 6’10 ft. Boateng saw limited time with the team this season, averaging .7 points and .6 rebounds in 20 games.

State Player Has Hearing Postponed
The fate of one NC State basketball player is still up in the air today. The immigration hearing for Wolfpack forward Gavin Grant has been delayed until July 11th, due to scheduling conflicts. Grant stands accused of entering the U.S. illegally as a child and if found guilty, he could be forced to leave the country. Grant’s legal team meanwhile says that the player did in fact enter through legal means and has the paperwork to prove it.

ACC Players May Get Opportunities
In the wake of last night’s NBA draft, several players from North Carolina schools were on the outside looking in. Wake Forest guard Justin Gray went undrafted, as did his teammate forward Eric Williams. In addition, UNC Charlotte forward Curtis Withers was left off the list. For two out of the three, there’s still hope their future could be in Carolina. Before the draft, the Bobcats told Withers that if he wanted it, there would be a spot for him on their summer league team. Charlotte has also expressed interest in Gray, possibly to bring him in as the team’s third point guard, who could one day serve as the backup to starter Raymond Felton.

Two More Hurricanes To Try Free Agency
The changes keep coming for the Carolina Hurricanes. Two more members of the team have announced they plan to test the free agent waters this summer. The contracts for Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward are set to expire this Saturday, when the new business year officially starts in the NHL. Both said they’re interested in returning and the team wants them back, however some other things could be in play. The 29-yr-old Cullen is also considering a potential deal with the Minnesota Wild, who play in his home state, after a season where he scored a career high 25 goals. Meanwhile the 33-yr-old Ward has been linked to the Detroit Red Wings, who he played for earlier in his career.

NASCAR News
Around the NASCAR circuit, one team has been locked up for a few years. Jimmy Elledge agreed to a contract extension with Chip Ganassi Racing, extending his tour of duty on the No. 41 Dodge, driven by Reed Sorenson. Ganassi said that Elledge has been a key part in developing the organization’s young drivers and believed that assistance should be rewarded.