Federal Judge Rules For NC Voter ID

Governor Pat McCrory issued a statement following the ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder upholding all parts of the state's voter ID law:  "This ruling further affirms that requiring a photo ID in order to vote is not only common-sense, it's constitutional," said Governor McCrory. "Common practices like boarding an airplane and purchasing Sudafed require photo ID and thankfully a federal court has ensured our citizens will have the same protection for their basic right to vote."

NC HB2 Controversy Exaggerated

The controversy over NC HB2, better known as the bathroom bill, continues this week.  There was a protest against the bill and a rally for the bill on Monday with several from Wilkes in attendance at the support rally. According to Governor McCrory's Office:  The anonymously-funded, national smear campaign led by the Human Rights Campaign is grossly misrepresenting information about the petitions delivered to State Capitol Tuesday. Contrary to the media reports, the activists only delivered enough petitions to fill two boxes and the overwhelming majority of signatures were from out-of-state.  In comparison, a photo posted online by a reporter at the HRC press conference showed that there were 26 boxes delivered in protest to the bill.

Merlefest This Weekend

MerleFest 2016 begins tomorrow, Thursday, April 28, at 2:30 p.m., and runs through Sunday, May 1.  Approximately 75,000 participants will gather at this annual homecoming of musicians and music lovers at Wilkes Community College for the nation’s largest celebration of American roots music with over 100 artists on 13 stages.  The complete lineup and stage schedules are posted at merlefest.org/lineup and available on the MerleFest mobile app; festival updates are delivered via Twitter (@MerleFest) and Facebook. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of "traditional plus" music.

ID Theft in Wilkes

According to some Identity Theft is "exploding" across the country and others call ID Theft an epidemic.  Identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number or other personal information to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund. Wilkes County is not immune to Identity thieves.  This week the Wilkes Sheriff's Office received two reports of ID Theft from a local resident.  The first victim, who lives in Boomer, said they noticed that someone had been using their Social Security Number to apply for a mortgage and several retail store credit cards.  The second victim, who lives in North Wilkesboro,  stated that they discovered the fraud when applying for a loan to buy a house.  A copy of their credit report revealed the ID Theft.  The suspect used the victim's maiden name and Social Security Number to get power from 2006 to 2010.  No names of suspects were listed with the reports; the investigations are ongoing.  While identity theft can happen to anyone, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk. If you think someone is using your personal information to open accounts, file taxes, or make purchases, visit IdentityTheft.gov to report and recover from identity theft.

Lowes Grant for Central Wilkes Middle School

The Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Found.ation has awarded a $19,367 grant to the Central Wilkes Middle School for Building Tomorrow’s Engineers project. This grant will be used to build a STEM lab with 20 stations each with a Lego EV3 Robot and computer.  This lab will be used to teach programming, coding, and robotics, primarily to Central Middle's Team S.O.A.R. (Science Olympiad and Robotics).  "The Lowe's hometown grant program is dedicated to helping meet critical needs in our local communities," said James Frison, director of community relations.  The Central Wilkes Middle School grant was recommended by Lowe’s hometown grant advisory committee comprised of representatives from education, recreation and business in Wilkesboro-area communities. The committee reviews applications quarterly and recommends grants to the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation board of directors. The foundation has earmarked $250,000 in annual contributions for Wilkesboro-area community improvement and public school projects. To apply for a Lowe’s hometown grant, visit Apply for a Grant. 

Boone Plane Crash

A small plane crashed Monday afternoon on the Boone Golf Course.  Boone Police have identified those on the Piper PA-32 plane:  John Field Worsley II, age 68, of Lenoir; Steven Cox Berry, age 43, of Banner Elk and Benjamin (Ben) Franklin Chappell, age 69, of Boone. As of Monday night, both Worsley and Berry were listed in critical condition at Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem.  Chappell, a retired NC State Highway Patrolman, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Witnesses on the golf course noted the plane appeared to be in distress. The Federal Aviation Administration has been on the scene since Monday afternoon. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to began their investigation yesterday. 

Lowes Grant to Wilkesboro Elementary

The Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $15,934 grant to the Wilkesboro Elementary School for replacing the media center’s bookshelves. The center’s current shelves are dried out, splintered, and too high for students to reach. The grant will fund 25 new bookshelves to replace the existing ones. The Wilkesboro Elementary School grant was recommended by Lowe’s hometown grant advisory committee comprised of representatives from education, recreation and business in Wilkesboro-area communities. The committee reviews applications quarterly and recommends grants to the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation board of directors. The foundation has earmarked $250,000 in annual contributions for Wilkesboro-area community improvement and public school projects.

Eastern NC Fire Update

The Whipping Creek Road Fire in Eastern NC is now 15,449 acres in size and is over 50% contained. On Sunday, 2 CL-415 Super Scoopers made 126 rounds dropping over 200,000 gallons of water to strengthen control lines. Flights have continued this week using infrared camera technology to provide increased accuracy of the fire size and to locate areas requiring attention due to residual heat. Firefighters continue to construct and improve containment lines to support and monitor the fire perimeter for flare-ups. Fire crews continue to monitor weather and fuel conditions for their daily planning of suppression tactics. The incident now has 153 firefighters and fire managers assigned to the fire, primarily from the North Carolina Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

NC Company Expansion

Governor Pat McCrory, North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) announced that an expansion by Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. will bring 275 new R&D and pharma-manufacturing jobs to Durham. The New Jersey-based maker of generic pharmaceuticals plans to invest over $31.7 million in a new state-of-the-art national headquarters for specialty pharmaceutical R&D.  “Our state is eager topartner with this global company as it embarks on its business objectives and grows its presence in North Carolina’s life sciences community,” said Governor McCrory.  Aurobindo Pharma USA will establish a new R&D and manufacturing center in Durham. The company currently employs 14 scientists/workers in Raleigh. Among the new employees will be researchers, analytical chemists, production operators, quality control specialists and others. Aurobindo’s expanded operations in North Carolina will create a $17.1 million annual payroll impact for Durham and surrounding counties.

Merlefest This Weekend

It begins this week. MerleFest 2016 begins Thursday, April 28, at 2:30 p.m., and runs through Sunday, May 1.  Approximately 75,000 participants will gather at this annual homecoming of musicians and music lovers at Wilkes Community College for the nation’s largest celebration of American roots music.  With over 100 artists on 13 stages throughout the college, participants at MerleFest know to expect the unexpected. Late night jam sessions, band competitions, special guests onstage, and one-time-only musical collaborations are all a part of the musical event. In addition to music, MerleFest offers special activities and shopping. The Shoppes at MerleFest is a centrally-located shopping village that features demonstrating artisans, vendors, convenience foods, official MerleFest memorabilia and services, and Internet access. The complete lineup and stage schedules are posted at merlefest.org/lineup and available on the MerleFest mobile app; festival updates are delivered via Twitter (@MerleFest) and Facebook. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of "traditional plus" music.