Beaten, Robbed, and Left in Burning House

A man was beaten, robbed, and left in a burning house last night.  According to preliminary reports a man, John Wayne Martin, living on the Grange Road opened his door around 9pm Monday to people he thought were "Trick or Treaters" and was attacked.  He was beaten, robbed, and left inside the house that the robbers set on fire before leaving.  Martin was able to climb out of the burning house and get to a neighbor’s house to call for help.  Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and put out the fire in the single wide mobile home.  Martin was transported to Baptist Hospital due to the severity of his injuries.  The Wilkes Sheriff's Department is still investigating the attack and are still searching for the attackers.  

Caught Trying to Pass Forged Prescription

Last week, Wilkesboro Police arrested a Moravian Falls woman for passing a forged prescription at a local pharmacy.  Wilkes Family Pharmacy called police when they received the forged prescription from a woman at the drive-through window.  The Pharmacy contacted the office of the prescribing physician.  The office, Mountain View Medical, explained that the doctor in question had his license suspended and was no longer at their officer.  Police arrived at Wilkes Pharmacy and asked the woman to pull to an empty parking place where she was asked about the forged prescription.  The prescription was for two narcotic pain-medications.  The woman, Contessa Marley, said her husband got her the fake prescription but said she didn’t know how.  Marley was arrested and charged with 2 felony counts of obtaining controlled substances by forgery and placed under a 1500 dollar bond.  Her court date is set for January 18^th.   From 2003 to 2005 Wilkes County was first in the nation for overdoses from prescription medication.  In 2007 officials locally began to really cracked down on prescription mis-use and abuse.  Doctors, pharmacies, the hospital, the health department, and many others now work together and have greatly reduced the amount of deaths and ER admittances from prescription drug abuse.  

Thieves Serve as Welcoming Committee for Alaska Man

He was in the process of moving here from Alaska when someone broke into the garage of the house he recently purchased.  According to the report filed with the Sheriff’s Department, the break-in and theft happened back in August, but the homeowner wasn’t able to get here from Alaska until last week.  The victim had been in the process of purchasing the home on Deliverance Baptist Church Road since December 2010.  He had brought a Chevy Corvette and a Chevrolet Truck to the resident to store them.  The truck was left sitting outside; however, the Corvette was inside the garage.  Back in August, the realtor found the garage had been broken into and contacted the owner.  The owner returned to Wilkes last week.  Thieves did not steal the vehicles but did steal both Alaska license plates, tires and wheels from both the truck and Corvette, the Corvette hood, a car cover, and battery.  Stolen property is valued over 5400 dollars.  Damages to the garage are estimated at 200 dollars.  The investigation is continuing.

Break-In at House Under Construction

A thief or thieves also broke into a home under construction on Stag Horn Road.  The Ohio Development Company contacted the Sheriff’s Department over the weekend with the theft and damages.  An employee arrived to the home construction site and found a window in the front broken out and the basement door open.  The only thing reported stolen was a blue 50-foot airhose with airgun attachment valued at 25 dollars.  Damages were listed at 150 dollars.  There was a generator on site that had been moved but not stolen.  Again, there are no suspects.  

Who Hit Car in Empty Parking Lot?

How and why did someone hit his vehicle in an empty parking lot?  Those questions are being investigated by the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department after a report they received over the weekend.  Friday evening a North Wilkesboro resident parked his Jeep in the parking lot at Mtn. View Elementary School while visiting a friend.  He parked the car about 5:30 pm Friday and returned about 10 pm.  There were no other vehicles around when he left the Jeep parked at the school and no other vehicles around when he returned.  However, it was apparent someone had been there in the hours he was away and had struck his Jeep in the right rear bumper, causing damages to the bumper and fender.  Damages are estimated at 300 dollars; there are no suspects.

Stolen Wallet from Car

A North Wilkesboro couple called Sheriff’s Officials to report the break-in and theft from their car.  On Saturday, the couple had gone to the store, had returned home, and had left a wallet inside the car.  When they went out about an hour later to retrieve the wallet from their car parked in their driveway, the wallet was missing.  The couple had left the door to the vehicle unlocked.  There were no witnesses and are no suspects in the break-in.  There were no damages reported to the car and nothing else was reported stolen.

DESTINY Science in Wilkes Today

The DESTINY science bus is visiting Wilkes County today and Yadkin County tomorrow.  DESTINY (Delivering Edge-cutting Science Technology and Internet across North Carolina for Years to come) has two custom-built, 40-foot buses equipped as mobile science laboratories, bring advanced science and technology equipment to students who otherwise might not see high-tech experiments or what a career in science can offer. DESTINY is coming to Marian Marley’s chemistry class at Wilkes Central High today where students will assume the role of forensic scientists.  The DESTINY bus will then roll on down the road to Starmount High in Yadkin County on Wednesday.  To be eligible to request a visit from a DESTINY mobile science lab,  participating teachers attend workshops to learn how to incorporate module activities and experiments into the classroom.  DESTINY offers 17 different science modules, each aligned with the N.C. Standard Course of Study.

Wilkes More Dependent on Social Security Than Most

Wilkes County is more dependent on Social Security payments than is the rest of the country.  If Wilkes County residents didn’t receive their monthly payments from the Social Security Administration, 9.7 percent of total personal income in the county would be lost, a total of $204,806,633 in 2009.  Nationally, 5.5 percent of total personal income in 2009 came from Social Security payments.  In North Carolina, 6.6 percent of all income comes from these payments.  In Wilkes County, 17,235 people receive some form of Social Security payment, either an old age pension, a survivor benefit or a disability check, according to the Social Security Administration and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Social Security beneficiaries represent 25.9 percent of the total county population.  In rural counties such as Wilkes with smaller cities, Social Security payments constitute a much larger chunk of the local economy than in urban areas. Total Social Security payments in Wilkes County amounted to $3,077 per person in 2009. The national average was $2,199 per person and in North Carolina it was $2,336.  Social Security payments in Wilkes County have been changing as a proportion of total income. These payments amounted to 3.9 percent of total income in 1970, 5.8 percent in 1980, 5.7 percent in 1990, 6.5 percent in 2000 and 9.7 percent in 2009.  Social Security payments go to those over the age of 62 who have filed for benefits, to survivors of insured workers and to those with disabilities. The program is mainly funded by payroll taxes. In Wilkes County, 65.2 percent of recipients were retirees in 2009, 11.3 percent were survivors and 23.5 percent were disabled.

Gov Perdue Says We're Getting Done at WCC

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue came to Wilkesboro Friday afternoon to tour Wilkes Community College.  Specifically the Governor toured the Applied Technology Center at WCC.  The Governor has often said that jobs are her number one priority and she wants to get “made in NC” products sold all over the world.  Gov. Perdue said she intends for NC to out-do any state and any country and that we’re helping get it done in Wilkes with the programs and classes offered at Wilkes Community College.  

One Stop Voting in Wilkes Through Nov. 5

Again this year, Wilkes is having One-Stop Voting at the County Board of Elections Room 315at the Wilkes County Office Building.  One Stop Voting is weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. through November 4.  The only Saturday for One Stop Voting is November 5 from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.  Unregistered voters may register and One-Stop Vote at the same time.  Registering to vote will NOT be offered on Election Day.  On Election Day November 8, 2011, polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. at the North Wilkesboro Fire Department, Wilkesboro Civic Center and Ronda Town Hall.  On the ballot for the upcoming election in North Wilkesboro, current Commissioners Leonard A. Baugham Sr., Jeffrey Elmore, Bert Hall, and former mayor and commissioner Steven Foster are running for 3 seats in the Commissioners’ Race.  Jimmy Hayes, Sam Stroud, Michael Testerman, and Claude Andrew (Andy) Soots are vying for two seats with the Wilkesboro Council.  Mike Inscore is running unopposed for a second term as Wilkesboro Mayor.   In Ronda Mayor Victor Varela is running for re-election against Manuel Wood. Also in Ronda Rex Ashley, Kevin Reece, and Bradley Combs are facing off for two seats on the Town Board.  Again One-Stop Voting is going on now weekdays 8:30 to 5 through November 4 at the County Office Building, and the General Election is November 8^th.