Easley Directs Highway Patrol Hiring Practices Review

The N.C. Highway Patrol will review its hiring and supervisory procedures after allegations of sexual misconduct by state troopers. Governor Easley's demand for a review of hiring practices came yesterday, after three troopers were dismissed recently, including one fired for having sex in his patrol car and in a patrol office. A state administrative-law judge has ordered that the trooper keep his job, but Easley has said that he won’t reinstate the trooper.
Applicants for state trooper positions already must undergo a criminal-record check, background investigation, drug screening, and written and physical tests. They must also pass a polygraph exam, a psychological test and appear before an applicant-review panel.
After six months in basic patrol schools, applicants participate in a 12-week evaluation program at the station where they are assigned. Then, their immediate supervisor evaluates them for 11 months. New troopers also get training in ethics and the law.
Another trooper was fired after being accused of abducting two women and making sexual advances to them. The third lost his job after being accused of targeting young, female drivers. In a recent court case, a state administrative-law judge said that former Trooper Monty Stevens Poarch’s behavior was egregious enough to warrant being fired. But she also ruled that Poarch, fired in 2003 for having extramarital sex in his patrol cruiser and a patrol office, should get both his job back and back pay.
Judge Melissa Owens Lassiter ruled last week that Poarch’s attorney should have the opportunity to present other cases in which troopers had sex while on duty. Another trooper was not fired although he also had sex while on duty and made more than 20 threatening calls to his former wife.

Gang-Related Vandalism Reported at Westwood Ballpark

Wilkesboro police aren't saying what the connection is, but there is some gang component to a recent vandalism incident at the Westwood Ball Park. An unknown vandal went into the men's room, broke the urinal, toilet and toilet paper dispenser. Total value of the damage is about 550-dollars. THe gang connection comes from the rest of the mess made -- gang graffiti and the word "Bloods" spray-painted all through the stall. At this time, police say they have no suspects.

Car Stolen, Family Member Blamed

A rural North Wilkesboro man accuses a family member of stealing his car. William Walker called sheriff deputies to his home yesterday morning, after he woke up and found the car missing from the front yard, and the keys missing form his pants pocket in the bedroom. He tells deputies the family member left his house about 1:30-am , walking, and he believes he came back in during the night and took the keys. The car is a 1996 Buck, valued at about 15-hundred dollars. It has not been seen since, and deputies have entered the ID number in the national crime database in case it turns up. The case remains under investigation.

Fire Cause Ruled Intentional

Fire investigators have determined the fire in a mobile home in Miller's Creek earlier this month was intentionally set. The fire September 8th damaged a vacant home owned by Walter Ashely of North Wilkesboro. Neighbors say the home had been empty for some time, and that vagrants were known to use it from time to time. There was no one in the house at the time of the fire, and neighbors say they did not see anyone around it before the fire was reported. It damaged one end of the home and a bedroom, causing an estimated 3-thousand dollar loss. The case remains open, though investigators have no suspects currently.

Pregnancy Care Center Schedules "40 Days for Life"

A local group that supports parents seeking God's guidance through pregnancy is holding an event soon that will gather church families together to fast and pray concerning criss pregnancies and abortion. It's called "40 Day for Life," and Sandra Adams of the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center, stopped by to discuss it with 3WC's Angela Henley on last week's Focus on the Foothills:

For information, or to sign up your church, call the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center at 838-9272.

Man Wouldn't Give Up Gun, Is Arrested

A rural Wilkesboro man faces several charges, after deputies say he was belligerent to them and to dispatchers. Barney Brown was arrested at his home Saturday afternoon. Deputies say he appeared intoxicated, but did no tests to prove their suspicions, because Brown would not cooperate. They were originally called by another person in the house, who said there was a disturbance going on at the time they called 9-1-1. Dispatchers said Brown took the phone from that person and started to get abusive with them during the call. When deputies arrived, they found Brown sitting down, with a rifle next to him. A deputy picked up the rifle to check it for any ammunition, and after making sure it was unloaded, gave it to another deputy.

One of the deputies apparently had knowledge that Brown had been convicted of a felony at an earlier date, and went about confirming that to be the case. During the conversation, Brown told the deputies they were not taking his gun away. Finally, they had enough, and arrested him for delaying an officer doing his job. Brown started fighting with the deputies, and after a short struggle, was handcuffed and carted off to jail. He's charged with the original disturbance, with possessing a gun after a felony conviction, and with obstructing the deputies form doing their job.

Conspiracy Charged in Attempted Arson

Two Wilkes residents are behind bars, after deputies were called to a Hays home late yesterday because one of them was pouring gasoline into a widow air conditioner trying to start a fire. Deputies weren't' sure what to make of the case initially, as when they pulled up, they found 44-year old Mark Sine holding his face and bleeding. He was wearing trash bags on his feet, and there was a red gas can, a latex glove, and a black stocking laying on the ground nearby. The victim, Tim Potts, told deputies he had caught Sine in the act of puring the gas into his window air conditioner. Sine told the deputy several times he had done it, and that it was being done as a favor for Dawn Roten. She was arrested on an outstanding warrant at Sine's house.

Roten was jailed on a 75-thousand dollar bond, charged with attempted arson, conspiracy, and felony criminal solicitation. Sine was charged with the attempted arson and conspiracy counts, and jailed on a 50-thousand dollar bond.

Burglar Caught After Being Chased by Victim

Wilkes county sheriff's deputies have released the full report of a theft in Roaring River we first told you about this morning. Jamie Prevette came home Thursday night and found someone sitting in his driveway in a Red Mustang, his gun safe in the front seat of the car. The man sped off, Mr. Prevette in hot pursuit, on his cell phone calling 9-1-1 as they sped toward Surry county. Prevette told dispatchers he could see the car was full of other property, which apparently was not his. When the driver couldn't shake Prevette, he threw the safe out the window to get his to back off. With the help of Surry county authorities, deputies located the home where the car's registered owner, Tommy Akbus, lives.

It turns out the burglary was committed by his brother Joshua, a fact admitted to by Joshua when deputies confronted him. A search of the roadside, the car, and the ground outside the house turned up much of the stolen property, including an item or two Prevette didn't realize had been taken. The major item still unaccounted for is a firearm, which Prevette said had been sanded and had no bluing. Joshua Akbus was taken to jail, and faces charges of breaking and entering, theft, and the theft of a firearm.

Johnny Faw Killed in Saturday Wreck

Highway Patrol officials confirm a well-known Moravian Falls man was killed in a wreck Saturday morning on Highway 18 North. 83-year old Johnny Faw was turning left off Byrd Ridge Road, according to the crash report, and apparently failed to see a southbound car driven by Ella Foster Pardue of North Wilkesboro. The impact was in the driver's door of Faw's car, and caused injuries that claimed his life Saturday afternoon. Troopers report all four people in the cars were taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem reports Georgia Faw is in fair condition, Ella Pardue has already gone home, and Althea McNeal is in good condition.

Repeat Burglars Grab Chainsaws

It appears a Wilkes man is the unlucky victim of a second theft. James Chapman, who reported a break-in and theft early last week, called deputies back on Wednesday night saying he'd been hit again. After the first burglary, Chapman had gone through and listed his property, so he knew exactly what was missing. On Wednesday, three chainsaws that had been on his earlier list had disappeared. Be believes the same people, whoever they are, returned to steal them. The stolen chainsaws are described as a 14" Stihl, worth 100-dollars, a 16-inch Still worth 150-dollars, and an 18-inch Husqvarna worth 150-dollars, giving a total loss this time around of 400-dollars. Deputies still have no suspects.