Details of Friday Robbery

Sheriff deputies have released more information about a robbery we first told you about Friday afternoon. According to Country Square Fresh Produce owner Elena Limon, a white van pulled through the parking lot and back up close to the store. A man came in and asked to use the phone. When he was told there was a phone outside he could use, Limon says the man started to walk outside, then appeared to decide to buy a pack of gum. But as she rang up the purchase, the man threw the pack of gum at her, grabbed what he could get hold of in the register, and ran from the store. Limon says he turned north on Highway 18 toward Wilkesboro. He hasn't been seen since. The robber never showed a weapon, and other than throwing the pack of gum at her, never made a direct threat on Limon.

Break-in Traced to Ex-Wife

Deputies have arrested a Wilkes woman who is accused of stealing a pickup load of wood flooring and other items from her ex-husband. 38-year old Rebecca Hamilton was arrested last week after admitting to a deputy she had borrowed a pickup and stolen the flooring, worth 35-hundred dollars, an air conditioner worth about 235-dollars, and a twin bed. Deputies had been called to William Hamilton's home on Arbor Grove Church Road Tuesday morning concerning the theft. He said he'd seen his ex-wife's car in the area about a day before a staged break-in. Authorities say the break-in was staged, because someone broke out a window but it did not appear anyone had actually crawled through the broken-out area. Rebecca Hamilton was charged with theft, along with breaking and entering.

Car Broken Into, Purse Stolen

A Millers Creek woman says a day at work turned into a nightmare for her, after someone broke into her car that was parked in front of the business. Melissa Sampson works at the Children's Center of Wilkes. She was alerted to the break-in by other employees, who say they heard a crash outside, which turned out to be from a window being broken in the car, and they looked out almost immediately. They didn't see anyone around the car. The thief had broken out the front passenger window of the Escort, and taken Sampson's purse along with several other items valued together at a bit over 300-dollars. The items included her drivers license, social security card, and a debit card. While a deputy was investigating the break-in, Sampson's husband called and said the bank had told him the card had just been used at an ATM not far from the scene. Deputies are going through the process necessary to retrieve and copy the security video from the ATM, and the case remains under investigation.

Bad Check Case Involves Authorities in 2 Counties

Authorities are awaiting the results of a handwriting analysis by the State Bureau of Investigation before proceeding in a check forgery case. Wilkes and Allegheny county deputies are cooperating in the investigation, which targets a 32-year old Sparta man. According to Wilkes deputies, the man wrote a check worth more than 140-dollars early this month to Thurmond Grocery. When the store ran the check though, it came back as being on a closed account. Local investigators don't say much about what Allegheny county has found regarding the case, which apparently involves several checks. The man face possible forgery charges, along with a charge of possessing stolen property.

WCC Reports Technology Device Stolen

Officials at Wilkes Community College say a computer display device was stolen from a classroom there last week. Ralph Johnson, who works security at the school, called Wilkesboro Police after an instructor came in for their 6pm class Thursday and found the device missing. It's a Smart Technology Sympodium, worth about 25-hundred dollars. According to the police report, the cable connecting the computer to the monitor had simply been unscrewed, while the thief had cut another cable that connects the Sympodium to the classroom computer. According to the teacher of an 11-am class, the device was in its place during that class. The room apparently remains empty after than class until 6pm. Police say they have no suspects, but continue their investigation.

Tools Stolen from Moravian Falls Driveway

Deputies are investigating the theft of a man's power tools from his van, while he was inside having lunch. Jame Earp says he took a break for lunch around 11 yesterday morning, and put the tools, which he'd been using on a project in his driveway, into the van. When he came back out to finish the job about 1 p-m, he found the van door open and the tools missing. The thief took a cordless drill, two skil saws, a nail gun, and a saws-all, together worth about 650-dollars. He believes he knows who did it, and told deputies the name and home address of that person. When the deputy went to the address, he found the home empty, utilities shut off, and windows broken out. There were signs that someone still lived there, though. The case is under investigation.

Expensive BBQ Grill Stolen

If you happen to see a high-dollar gas grill for the first time at a friend's next cook-out, you may want to ask a few questions. Daniel Tikalosky, who lives on Brushy Mountain Road, says his Jenn-Air Stainless Steel gas grill, worth 11-hundred dollars, was taken from his patio. This grill is a bit different from a standard model, as Tikalosky had built a wooden pull-out shelf into the unit. He tells deputies he had also purchased a full cover for the grill. Deputies are still investigating the theft, which was reported last weekend.

ID Theft Case Reported

A Wilkes woman may have a long road ahead of her, after someone stole her wallet and used her ID information to try and get credit. The teenager who lives on Speedway Road is just at the age where she's starting to use credit, too. She waited almost a week after the wallet was stolen to report the crime, which is being investigated as an identity theft case because there was no money in the wallet. During that week, she received a call from Elkin Chevrolet saying someone had used her information to apply for a car loan online. There's no telling where else the thief may have applied for credit, until the inquiries show up on her credit report. She told deputies she believes her ex-boyfriend might be the one who is doing this -- she believes that because her home phone number was used in the credit application at Elkin Chevrolet. So far, there have been no arrests.

N.C. State Fair Entry Deadlines Approaching

With opening day for the N.C. State Fair a little more than a month away, the deadline for submitting entries for the competitive competitions is rapidly approaching. The Fair offers 41 competition departments featuring thousands of categories that allow participants a chance to showcase nearly every imaginable talent from crafting and hobbies to food preservation and floral arranging. More than $605,000 in premium money, a colorful array of ribbons and bragging rights are at stake.

Competitions are open to the public, and a completed entry form must be submitted to the N.C. State Fair Entry Department. Entry deadlines vary by category. The entry deadline for livestock competitions is Sept. 15.

Sept. 17 is the deadline for a number of categories: Agronomy, Forage, Flower& Garden, Horticulture, Arts & Photography, Bees & Honey, Poultry, Rabbits, 4-H, Culinary, Clothing, Home Furnishings, Handicrafts & Hobbies and Amateur and Commercial Wine. Certain categories are restricted to North Carolina 4-H and FFA members.

Participants can find rules, entry forms and guidelines for each competitive department and cooking contests in the 2007 North Carolina State Fair Premium Book. Entry fees vary by category. An online copy of the premium book is available at www.ncstatefair.org/2007a/Competitions/prebooks.htm

The N.C. State Fair will run Oct. 12 - 21 in Raleigh.

Efforts Start to Help Sabrina Ayers' Family

Friends of Sabrina Ayers, the Wilkes teen seriously injured when she was thrown from a pickup bed last weekend, are organizing fundraisers to help her family pay the mounting medical expenses. According to posts on the GoWilkes.com web site, Sabrina's father Michael, who is a hair stylist at Korner Cuts, will be working the next couple of days, and they are urging those wanting to help with food or medical expenses to stop there to make a donation. No other organized effort has been made so far, but the family reportedly faces bills of over 250-thousand dollars so far. They have no medical insurance, and there was no auto insurance on the pickup she was thrown from, according to multiple posters. Sabrina is reported to still be in critical condition, and fighting pneumonia.