Home break-in on Elledge Mill Road

In a home break-in on Elledge Mill Road, only money was stolen.  The homeowner reported to the Wilkes Sheriff's Office that his home was forcibly entered. through the basement door.  All items on the kitchen counter were raked off and into the floor.  Things were raked off the dresser and into the floor in the bedroom.  The victim said it appears only some cash in a dresser drawer was stolen.  There were several other items of value that could have been easily taken were not.  There are no suspects.

Governor McCrory Responded to the Obama Mandate

On Friday, Governor McCrory Responded to the Obama Mandate on Public Schools allowing students to use the bathroom of the gender that they identify.  Governor Pat McCrory released the following statement regarding the Obama administration's mandate on public schools:  "President Obama's administration has instituted federally mandated edicts that affect employees as well as every parent and child within a public school system. This national bathroom, locker room and shower policy for almost every business, university and now K-12 school in our country changes generations of gender etiquette and privacy norms which parents, children and employees have expected in the most personal and private settings of their everyday lives."  The Governor also said, "Most Americans, including this governor, believe that government is searching for a solution to a problem that has yet to be defined. Now, both the federal courts and the U.S. Congress must intercede to stop this massive executive branch overreach, which clearly oversteps constitutional authority."  Governor McCrory also said that the executive branch of the federal government does not have the authority to be the final arbiter. 

The “Work Session” held by the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners on the proposed 2016-2017 Budget

The “Work Session” held by the Wilkes County Board of Commissioners on the proposed 2016-2017 Budget for Wilkes County on May 10, 2016 was recessed until Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at 5:00 P.M. The purpose of this work session is for discussion of the proposed budget that was presented to Commissioners at their meeting back on May 3. The work session on the budget scheduled for tomorrow will be held in the Commissioners Room at the Wilkes County Office Building, 110 North Street, Wilkesboro at 5pm. Then a Public Hearing on the 2016-2017 Proposed Budget for the County has been set for Tuesday, tomorrow, at 6:30 in which the public can respond before the Commissioners meeting at 7.  Again, the public is invited to respond or comment on the proposed county budget starting at 6:30 tomorrow.

Wilkesboro Council Works on Budget

During a work session of a draft of the upcoming budget, the Wilkesboro Town Council did some cutting.  The Wilkesboro Town Council met this week and decided to cut $265,500 from the General Fund spending.  As for raising the Property Tax, the Council is considering a possible 4 cent rather than 5 cent increase.  The tax rate hasn't been raised since the 2006-07 Budget.  Cuts in the budget draft included a 2.5 rather than a 5 percent salary increase for employees of the town, not adding a second fire marshal to the fire dept, not purchasing 2 police dept vehicles, removing construction at Cub Creek Park, reducing town's allocation to the Wilkes EDC, and making cuts to the utility fund.  A Public Hearing and vote on the proposed Wilkesboro Town Budget is set for June 6.  

Congratulations Wilkes Central Golf Team

Yet another Wilkes County sports team has won a State Championship.  Congratulations to The Wilkes Central Boys’ golf team who won the 2016 North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A Golf Championship Tuesday at the Foxfire Resort near Pinehurst.  Last year, the Wilkes Central Boys' Golf Team achieved runner-up finish.  Led by Chandler Metz, Mountain Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the Eagles posted a team score of 310 on both Monday and Tuesday to finish 21 shots in front of second-place Clinton.  This State Championship in Golf is a first for Wilkes Central...again...congratulations Eagles!!

Torch Run Today

The Wilkes County leg of the NC Torch Run for Special Olympics is today.  It starts at the  WCC caboose this morning. The public is invited to participate in the run while wearing a Torch Run shirt. The Torch Run is one way to provide funding for the Wilkes County games that were held last Friday at Wilkes Central HS. To make a donation or purchase shirts and/or hats, contact Off. Bradley Dancy with the Wilkesboro Police Dept at 336-667-7277.

WCC Graduations Today

Wilkes Community College’s 50^th Annual Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 13, in the John A. Walker Community Center on the Wilkes Campus. Two ceremonies will be held. The Health Sciences Division and Industrial and Workforce Development Division graduates will participate in the 4 p.m. ceremony. The Arts and Sciences Division and the Business and Public Service Technologies Division graduates will participate in the 7 p.m. ceremony. Tickets will be required for admission. Graduates have received their allotments of admission tickets. Members of the public may view the graduation ceremonies through a live stream. Access the live stream fromwww.wilkescc.edu/Graduation.

Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

The 24th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger^® Food Drive is this Saturday, May 14. The 24th annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger^® Food Drive is the nation’s largest one-day event, providing letter carriers, other postal employees and thousands of volunteers across the nation the opportunity to meld their forces together to conduct the drive in their local communities.  Food donations help several Wilkes based organizations such as BROC, Samaritan's Kitchen, Hope Ministries, and Antioch Food Pantry. So drop of non-perishable food donations at area Post Offices or in your mailbox on Saturday.  

Primary Coming Up June 7--Register by Today

The Wilkes Board of Elections reminds everyone that we have yet another primary in June here in Wilkes and all of NC.  Absentee voting began last month in 16 congressional primaries across the state after a federal court in February ordered legislators to redraw district lines.  Election day is June 7 and will include a statewide primary for N.C. Supreme Court. Voter registration closes today, Friday, May 13, 2016 for the June 7^th Primary Election. Residents who wish to register in Wilkes County for the first time, or voters who wish to change their name, address or party affiliation must do so before 5:00 p.m. today (May 13, 2016).

Foxx Joins Others in Congress for Letter to Dept of Education

This week Congresswoman Virginia Foxx from the 5th District joined Republican colleagues in the North Carolina delegation in expressing the belief that any move to withhold federal funding from North Carolina is without legal merit and an unprecedented overreach by the federal government. North Carolina’s Republican members of the U.S. House have given the Department of Education until today/Friday to say whether officials will punish the state for its controversial HB2 law by withholding federal funds from public schools and universities. All 10 GOP representatives from the Tar Heel state signed a letter Monday to U.S. Secretary of Education, which stated that they are “troubled by the threat . . . (to) withhold federal funding from North Carolina in response to the enforcement of House Bill 2.” North Carolina gets about $4.5 billion from the federal government annually in education funding. Their letter also said that North Carolina’s new law – which prohibits transgender people from using bathrooms that don’t correspond to their birth sex – does not violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or Title IX regulations, which aim to ensure equality in public schools.