Preliminary Autopsy Back on Wilkes Fatal Fire Victim

The preliminary autopsy came in yesterday regarding the Wilkes man who died in a house fire on Saturday.  3WC News spoke with Fire Marshal Kevin Bounds last night. Bounds said the preliminary autopsy showed that William Chipman age 62 died of smoke inhalation.  Bounds said Knotville and Mtn View fire departments were called out about 3:30 Saturday afternoon to a fire at 470 Gilliam Road.  They found a single wide mobile home fully engulfed in flames with the roof already falling in.  After firefighters were able to pull away the roof, they found Chipman deceased in a back bedroom.  There was no water or electricity to the house, and Chipman was heating with portable heaters.  It is believed the fire accidentally started from the heaters that were too close to some combustible material in the bedroom.  

Thousands of Dollars in Batteries Stolen

7000 dollars in batteries has been reported stolen from our local Walmart in what may be part of a series of similar thefts.  Wilkesboro Police were called on Monday concerning the theft of some batteries.  Store surveillance video showed a Budget Rental box truck pull up to the southeast corner of the building.  After about 20 minutes, the truck left the area traveling west through the Walmart parking lot.  Walmart employees found that a chain had been cut to a storage area and 60 to 70 batteries valued at 7000 dollars were stolen.  Local store management told Wilkesboro Police that several Walmart locations in Forsyth County had been the victim of similar crimes.  One of the Winston -Salem stores had a video of two suspects in a U-Haul truck.  Yesterday, Wilkesboro Police received information from Boone Police about a similar incident there.  Area law enforcement agencies are combining resources in order to track down these thieves and the investigations are ongoing.

Stolen School Bus Batteries

Then, some bus drivers in Wilkes had problems Monday with their buses.  No, the problems had nothing to do with the weather or road conditions.  The Wilkes Sheriff's Office was called by the Wilkes County Board of Education regarding a battery theft.  Three batteries were stolen from buses at CB Eller Elementary School.  The stolen batteries were valued at 450 dollars.  Damages from thieves entering the buses and from cutting the battery cables were listed at 750 dollars.  There is no word on suspects.

Local Leaders Want to Change NC Zones

It was one year ago that the NC General Assembly proposed establishing eight Prosperity Zones within the state "to facilitate collaborative and coordinated planning and use of resources..."  Wilkes County was placed in the Northwest Region along with Alleghany, Ashe, Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Davie, Iredell, Mitchell, Rowan, Surry, Watauga, and Yadkin counties.  The North Wilkesboro Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioner Room located at 210 9^th Street, to consider adopting a Resolution requesting a change in our zone. The Board of Commissioners of the Town of North Wilkesboro have discussed and reviewed this proposed legislation and feels that because of geographic, economic, infrastructure and governmental commonness considerations, the Town of North Wilkesboro and Wilkes County would be better served, in the Piedmont-Triad Region.  Therefore, they are taking action on a resolution to ask the NC General Assembly to place Wilkes County and thus North Wilkesboro in the Piedmont-Triad (Central) Region Prosperity Zone with Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, and Stokes counties.  Again, the North Wilkesboro Town Commissioners are meeting tomorrow afternoon to consider adopting the Resolution for switching zones.

Black History Month Celebration in Wilkes on Saturday

The Cultural Arts council of Wilkes will present their annual Black History Concert this Saturday, February 22.  Wilkesboro Baptist Church at 300 West Main Street in Wilkesboro is hosting the concert which will be in the sanctuary beginning at 6:30pm.  The concert will focus on the history, songs of faith, and relevance to African Americans throughout the centuries.  The concert will include a diverse presentation of spirituals, hymns, gospel and contemporary formats.  Participants include a combined choir from Pleasant Hill and Piney Grove Baptist churches, Shama (a female trio), Four Him (a male quartet), and the Grace Kingdom Life Ministries' Praise Team.  A reception will follow the concert in the Wilkesboro Baptist Fellowship Hall.  The event is free to the public and certain to be an uplifting and wonderful time for everyone.  A love offering will be taken to help support this event and others of the Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes, whose mission is to foster and promote increased art awareness of the literary, performing, and visual arts in Wilkes and surrounding areas.

Bluegrass at MerleFest

One of the reasons that MerleFest – presented by Lowe’s and slated for April 24-27, 2014 – has become one of the most celebrated and well-known annual music festivals in the world is because of its blend of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, which includes old-time music, Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to as “traditional plus.”  But for many who attend the four-day festival, held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, it is all about the bluegrass.  The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) notes that, “Bluegrass music is now performed and enjoyed around the world. In addition to the classic style born in 1945 that is still performed widely, bluegrass bands today reflect influences from a variety of sources including ...Southern gospel music...” As MerleFest 2014 approaches – as well as the March 10 “early bird” ticket discount deadline – bluegrass fans should note that, among the exceptional collection of 130 artists performing on 13 stages this year, there will be some special moments for bluegrass lovers on the Watson Stage.  To take advantage of the MerleFest 2014 “early bird” ticket discount before the March 10 deadline, visit www.MerleFest.org or call 1-800-343-7857.

Duke Power on Outdoor Lighting

With personal, home, and business security in mind, Duke Energy has some advice on lighting for safety and security.  Insufficient light can compromise safety. Exterior lighting is important for security as well as enhancing the appearance of your home or business. While lighting patterns for parking lots and other outdoor spaces may seem simple, creating a design that makes the best use of that lighting can be complicated. The ultimate goal is to optimize light levels and distribution while minimizing energy use. Proper lighting design can be a valuable tool for increasing the overall security of your facility.  For more information, visit the Duke Energy website.

IRS Has Updated IRS2Go App

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the release of IRS2Go 4.0, an update to its smartphone application featuring new added features available in both English and Spanish. The redesigned IRS2Go provides new features for taxpayers to access the latest information to help them in the preparation of their tax returns. In this version, IRS2Go highlights the addition of an innovative new refund status tracker, providing taxpayers an easy-to-use feature to follow their tax return throughout the process. There have been about 3.5 million downloads of IRS2Go since its inception in 2011. The newest version of the free mobile app offers a number of safe and secure ways for taxpayers to access other popular tools and the most up-to-date tax information. For more information on IRS2Go, products and services through social mediachannels and other media products, visit  www.IRS.gov.

$700 in Drills Stolen

Wilkesboro Police are still looking for the three tool thieves.  Lowes Hardware called Wilkesboro Police over the weekend regarding a theft at the store on Hwy 421.  Store management had in-store surveillance of 3 men who entered the store and stole 3 Dewalt drills.  Two of the stolen drills were described as a 20-volt right angle drill and the other one is a 20-volt impact drill.  Stolen property is valued at nearly 700 dollars.  Witnesses got a description of their car and a license tag number.  All three men left in a black Honda with a loud muffler.  Wilkesboro Police are working on identifying the three men and charges are pending.

Drugs, Alcohol, and Driving Do Not Mix

A combination of prescription drugs and alcohol led to dangerous driving and a collision with a fuel pump.  Wilkesboro Police responded to a call from another motorist concerning a possible impaired driver.  Police got behind the driver and observed him go through a couple of stop signs without stopping, cross the centerline of travel, stop in the middle of the intersection, and then run into a diesel fuel pump at the Citgo off Hwy 268.  When the Police car then pulled behind the impaired driver, he tried to back up and nearly hit the patrol car.  The driver had open containers in the car and admitted to being on narcotic prescription medication.  His DWI test revealed that his blood alcohol level was .12 and he showed other signs of impairment.  The man was cited for DWI and numerous traffic violations.  He was released to the custody of a family member.