Wilkes Church Vandalized

A church in Wilkes was the target of vandals recently.  Over the weekend, Wilkes County Sheriff’s Officials received a call from a third party concerning graffiti on Suncrest Church.  When a deputy arrived, he met with the church pastor.  Graffiti was spray painted on an exterior wall of the church.  Neighbors near Suncrest church were questioned, but no one had any information on possible suspects in the vandalism.  The pastor said the graffiti would be painted over as soon as possible.  The type of graffiti or an estimate of damages to the church were not given with the report.  The Sheriff’s Department is continuing to follow up in the area with their investigation.

One Robbed and One Only Damaged

In a couple of local break-ins, one reported a theft and another just reported damages.  A homeowner on the Pilgrim Baptist Church Road is in the process of moving, but he got some unsolicited help moving from thieves.  The man told Sheriff’s Deputies that he returned home and found that the back door had been pried open and a window was broken out of the home.  There were tire tracks where someone had backed up to the front door.   Property stolen from inside the house included an entertainment center and a set of binoculars.  Also the go cart chained to a tree in the back yard was taken.  Stolen property totaled over 1600 dollars.  Then a Moravian Falls resident called to report a break-in without a theft this week.  The homeowner returned home to find the front door had been broken open and the door frame damaged.  The homeowner searched the house but could not find that anything had been stolen.  The Sheriff’s Department is investigating.  

5th District Congresswoman Foxx Calls for End to Congressional Pension

The federal budget deficit will hit $1.3 trillion in 2011, topping one trillion dollars for the third year in a row.  Foxx says that is why she has voted under both Republican and Democrat administrations to reduce federal spending and get the federal deficit under control.  As important as it is to cut federal spending, Congress also needs to lead by example and closely examine its own budget.  This year the House of Representatives cut its own budget by $55 million for 2011 and voting for an additional $39.1 million cut for 2012.  That amounts to nearly $100 million in cuts to the House budget.  Foxx contends the best place to continue the cutting is the congressional pension program.  Very few North Carolina private sector workers have such generous retirement benefits.  Foxx says there is an easy fix to this problem: stop the congressional pension.  So, Foxx cosponsored legislation with Congressman Mike Coffman from Colorado to wind down the pension program.  This legislation (H.R. 2913) would end the pension program and save taxpayers millions each year.  Foxx explains that while this will not balance the budget and end the federal deficit, it is a start; and it sends a message to America that Congress is serious about cutting spending—including its own budget and benefits.

US Senators from NC Team Up on Bipartisan Bill

United States Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr from North Carolina are calling for Democrats and Republicans to put politics aside and vote in favor of legislation that will crack down on China’s currency manipulation.  Unfair currency manipulation costs American jobs.  North Carolina alone has lost over 100,000 jobs to unfair trade with China.  “I’m drawing a line in the sand for North Carolina. China’s currency manipulation costs America jobs,” said Hagan.   On September 22, Hagan joined Senator Richard Burr and a bipartisan group of senators in unveiling The Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Act of 2011. The bill makes changes to U.S. trade law to counter the economic harm to U.S. manufacturers caused by currency manipulation. It would ensure tools that could be used to counter the economic harm to U.S. manufacturers caused by currency manipulation.

Vandalism at Wilkes County School...Again

Last weekend, there was vandalism at East Wilkes High School.  This week, vandals did a painting at North Wilkes Middle.  In a report filed with the Wilkes Sheriff’s Department, the vandalism at North Middle was discovered and reported Sunday afternoon.  Apparently, someone spray painted the parking lot, the side of one column in front of the building, and on the side of an outbuilding.  Only symbols were painted on the property.  Any information of the identity of the vandal or vandals is unknown.  Damages were minimal.  

Vehicle from Boone Stolen in Wilkes

A vehicle belonging to a car dealership in Boone was stolen in Wilkes this past weekend.  In a report filed with the Sheriff’s Department, the victim, who is employed by Kohn Auto and Salvage, had a ’94 blue Chevy van parked in his driveway.  He was gone from home for a short time, and when he returned, the van was gone.  The Chevy conversion van valued at 1500 dollars has a bungee cord on it to hold the driver’s side fender light together.  Sheriff Officials had the Comm Center to issue a BOLO for the van.  The keys had been left in the vehicle.  No one suspicious was seen in the area, and there are no suspects.

Damage to Vehicles

A couple of reports of damages to vehicles came in to Sheriff’s Officials this weekend.  The first came in from a self-employed man on North Holiness Road in Wilkesboro.  A pickup belonging to a North Wilkesboro resident was left at his business to be worked on.  Sometime overnight, someone threw a rock and broke out the back glass of the ’88 Ford truck.  Damages are estimated at 250 dollars.  Then a North Wilkesboro woman called to report damages to her vehicle.  The victim stated that she was driving down Byrd Ridge Road when something hard hit her windshield.  Reportedly, someone was seen standing off the road before the object hit the woman’s windshield.  No description was obtained of the suspect.  Damages to the ’98 Honda CRV are listed at 100 dollars.

Weekend Break-Ins

Gun, knives, TV, and jewelry are just some of the things taken in local break-ins recently.  A resident on Edgewood Road reported that while they were gone from home, someone broke out a back door window to unlock the door and get inside the house.  The thief stole a Smith and Wesson .357 revolver, a knife collection, and a Sony 32-inch flatscreen TV.  Stolen property is valued at 1400 dollars.  Then a victim on the Wilkes Yadkin Road called to report a break-in.  While they were at work, someone entered the house by breaking the lock on the back door.  Family members saw the kitchen door open and called 911.  Several drawers were gone through and  over 3500 dollars in jewelry was stolen along with a Wachovia bank book.  TV’s and computers were left untouched.  A Windy Gap Road resident reported coming home to find that someone had broken out the glass in their back door, too, but this time—nothing was reported stolen.  No suspects were listed with either report.

Damage at Duke Energy Substation

Duke Energy has reported damage on the property of a substation locally.  Over the weekend, officials with Duke Energy in Charlotte reported to the Sheriff’s Department that someone had cut a hole in the chain link fence surrounding the power grid on Antioch Church Road in Wilkesboro.  Damages are listed at 200 dollars.  No other damages were reported and there is no word on suspects.

The Journey and The Shoe Box

Did you know you can be a part of one of the greatest journeys without even leaving town?  Just go to “The Journey” event at Baptist Home Church this week.  You’ll gain ideas, inspiration, encouragement, and resources to support you and your group in collecting shoe boxes.  Dan Jarvis with Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan's Purse says the shoe boxes are sent to over 100 countries around the world to children in need.   Jaris says sharing the Gospel of Jesus is the main mission of the shoe boxes and that they work with the local church in these countries.  National collection week for the shoe boxes begins November 14^th.  For more information go to www.samaritanspurse.org or go to Baptist Home Church, Sparta Road, North Wilkesboro this Thursday from 6:30 til 8pm.