News & Sports For January 13th

Wilkes Soldier Now Charged With Premeditation
A Wilkes County soldier was officially charged with premeditated murder as his preliminary hearing began this week. 19-yr-old Brandon Bare faces two counts of indecent acts and one count of premeditated murder in the death of his wife, 18-yr-old Nabila Bare last July. Mrs. Bare was stabbed over 70 different times at the couple’s home in Tacoma, mostly being targeted in the head and neck. The charge of indecent acts comes due to Bare’s mutilation afterward of his wife’s remains. Bare served with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in Iraq and was home on leave when the murder happened, recovering from injuries sustained in battle. Bare’s case manager at Madigan Army Medical Center testified this week. Michael Collins said that Brandon had problems controlling his anger and didn’t approve of his wife going out and partying. Collins had helped Bare get enrolled into a therapy program, to help in dealing with his anger and also the stress of combat. Bare’s attorney denied the premeditation charge, saying that the murder was an act of rage with no evidence to prove his client had in fact planned it in advance.

Tip Leads To Drug Bust On Martin Road
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a tip on Martin Road this week and ended up busting another drug dealer. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies went inside and discovered 387 grams of marijuana and 151 grams of cocaine, hidden in bedroom dressers, under the sink and in several other bags throughout the home. Also inside a locked closet deputies uncovered a marijuana growing operation. $12,088 in cash was seized, along with a 1999 Dodge Durango, two handguns and several computers. 32-yr-old Shalijamon Japhet Gilchrist and 28-yr-old Warren Anthony Brown were both charged with maintaining a dwelling for the sale of drugs, manufacturing & trafficking cocaine, manufacturing marijuana, possession of drugs with intent to sell and distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Wreck On Main Street In Wilkesboro Totals Two
The wet road played a part in an accident Wednesday afternoon. The incident happened around 1:30pm on East Main Street, as a North Wilkesboro man was traveling down the highway. The vehicle in front of him was getting ready to make a right turn and had slowed down, but due to the wet pavement he couldn’t stop in time to avoid the wreck. No one was injured, but both vehicles were totaled as an estimated $6500 worth of damage was done.

Children In Wilkes Part III: School Situations
Some children here in Wilkes are struggling in school, according to a study by North Carolina's Child Advocacy Institute. The report finds that among other things, a language barrier seems to be part of the problem. 631 students here in Wilkes have a hard time speaking English. Some developmental and physical problems are also to blame, with 1175 students having at least one or more disabilities. However there are encouraging signs as well. Out of the students who speak foreign languages at home, 837 of them are able to converse in and understand English. Also out of the entire student population, only 878 have dropped out. The report finds that by supplying additional support, such as tutors to help overcome the disability and language barriers, will help the county to improve.

Graveyard Vandals Hit Millers Creek Church
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to the Wesley Outreach Center in Millers Creek on Wednesday, after church officials discovered someone had been visiting the graveyard. Five gravestones had been colored with spray paint, but no messages had been left and that was the extent of the damage. Estimated damages were placed at $200 and that investigation continues.

They Took Everything But The Kitchen Sink
A Wilkesboro woman called sheriff’s deputies after returning to her property on the Ottie Allen Road this week. The woman had let some people into the house recently as a relative had lived there and they wanted to recover a few items. Instead she came by to find over a thousand dollars worth of items stolen. Pictures had been taken, towels, bowls, tools and several other things. Names and addresses of the suspects were given to sheriff’s deputies and the investigation is ongoing.

Old Wilkes Takes People Back In Time
Coming up tomorrow, the Wilkes Heritage Museum invites people to go back in time for a “Civil War Afternoon”. The event runs from 1-4pm and will feature re-enactments, an exhibit on Confederate currency, music and a book signing by “The Secret of War” author Terrell Garren. Garren’s book deals with actual events that occurred during and just after the Civil War here in Western North Carolina. There is however a fee to attend, as people must pay regular admission price in order to get in. In addition to the Civil War events, that fee will also include tours of the Old Wilkes Jail and Robert Cleveland Log Home. For more information you can call Old Wilkes at 667-3171.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
We’ve talked a lot here on the news about the need for blood in Wilkes County. But thanks to the recent hurricanes and the cost of relocating some survivors, the local Red Cross needs help of a different kind as well. The local chapter continues to sell cookbooks, to help raise the money it needs to cover costs of daily operations, in addition to the funds used to help victims of the recent hurricanes. The cost of a cookbook is $10 and it contains recipes from chapter members along with their family and friends. For more information or to purchase one, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

State News

Money Offered For Information
A reward is being offered today by Winston Salem property owners for information leading to the arrest of a graffiti artist. $510 has been put up by Diversified Realty, after the word “kudzu” kept appearing on their buildings in the downtown area. The money will be handed out to anyone who can give the person’s name and address. To give out information the number is 336-391-2129.

Company Knew Beforehand About Pet Food
Over the last month we’ve kept you informed about a pet food recall going on with Diamond Foods. It appears now that the company knew about the contaminated dog food back in September, three months before it went public with the information. Diamond revealed that information during a conference this week, saying that each week in September one or two truckloads of corn was coming in infected with aflatoxin. Most of the loads were rejected but some got through the screening at Diamond’s South Carolina plant and were turned into dog food. Aflatoxin is a natural chemical found in fungus that can get into corn and then in pets once it’s converted to food. In animals the chemical causes liver damage and eventually death. The Agricultural Departments of North & South Carolina, along with the FDA are investigating the facility.

Table For Two In The Non Furry Section
People going out to the North Carolina zoo will have one less place to eat at. Junction Restaurant has been temporarily shut down while officials remove some patrons that don’t want to leave. A family of raccoons have taken up residence in the ceiling of the building, and while it’s not believed they got into the food prep area, the zoo wanted to take precautions.

Jobs Coming To Research Triangle Park
Good news for people living in the Durham area. More jobs are on the way for Research Triangle Park. Stiefel Research Institute is planning to bring in 200 new jobs over the next five years. The company, which helps to develop and manufacture skin care products, will pay an average salary of $71,750. The move comes thanks to tax breaks from North Carolina’s Job Development Incentive Grant worth $3 million. Those incentives only kick in however if the jobs are created and kept for at least 9 years.

North Carolina Firm At Work On Grizzly
A North Carolina security firm is at work designing a new type of vehicle to protect troops in combat situations. This 14-person vehicle, called the Grizzly, will be able to survive both bullets and bombs through the use of unique angles and blast shielding. Once finished, the Grizzly would help to take away one advantage of insurgents, making the roadside bombs virtually useless. Blackwater USA said that they hope to have the vehicle ready for combat by April.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball
Coming up later tonight, three of the county teams are in action. West Wilkes goes on the road against Bishop McGuiness, while North Wilkes heads into Husky Country to take on Ashe County. 3WC will be over at East Wilkes, to broadcast the Cardinals’ game against Mt. Airy. The McDonald’s pregame show starts at 7pm and we’ll turn things over to Ken and Keith for the play by play at 7:15.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at last night’s college basketball scoreboard, two NC teams in action. It was High Point over Virginia Military 100-90. The win brings High Point to 10-4 on the season, good enough for second in the Big South conference. Also it was UNC Wilmington beating Drexel 66-60. The win takes Wilmington to 12-5.

Rush Out For A Month
In the NBA, the news isn’t good for Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Kareem Rush. Rush injured the index finger on his left hand back in December and now it appears he’ll be out at least another month. Doctors now say that Rush may have torn a tendon the first time he injured it and further damaged the finger by trying to keep playing.

Panthers News & Notes
Panthers safety Marlon McCree’s wallet is a little lighter today, after he was fined by the NFL. A $5000 fine was handed down due to what the league called excessive celebrating after one of his interceptions last Sunday. In other news, four members of the team will be limping into Sunday’s game against Chicago. Fullback Brad Hoover re-injured his ankle last week, offensive guard Tutan Reyes sprained his toe and linebacker Brandon Short continues to have problems with his knee. The news means expanded roles for rookie linebacker Thomas Davis and halfback Nick Goings.

Former Panther Going Into Hall Of Fame
In other NFL news, a former member of the Carolina Panthers made the list of 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame. Voters put Reggie White into this year’s class. The Minister of Defense joins a group that includes Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman and receiver Michael Irvin, along with Redskins great Art Monk. The inductees will be announced the day before the Super Bowl, on February 4th.

NASCAR News & Notes
In NASCAR this week, the first round of testing wrapped up on Wednesday, as drivers prepare for the Daytona 500. Jeff Gordon had the fastest car out on the track, finishing with a speed of 189. 298. Jimmie Johnson was second, just a few ticks off at 189,195 and Matt Kenseth concluded the top three with a speed of 189.024. In other NASCAR news, some changes are in the works for Las Vegas Speedway. The banking will be increased from 12 to 21 degrees in all of the turns. NASCAR drivers won’t have to worry about the changes for the first part of the season, as construction won’t start until after the March 12th race. Everything is expected to be finished in time for the Truck Series to run on the new track September 23rd.

News & Sports For January 12th

Children In Wilkes Part II: Choices
Just over 7% of Wilkes County’s children are living in poverty, according to a study done by North Carolina’s Child Advocacy Institute. In part two of our series examining the study’s impact on local kids, we take a look at the family situation here in Wilkes. A new type of family structure is popping up, not just here in Wilkes but around the U.S. Grandparents are raising their grandkids. Here in Wilkes alone, 1084 children are living with their grandparents full time. This is due in some cases to their parents being in jail or in others they’ve simply abandoned the children and left. Also a lot of children here in the county are living in single parent homes, 6733 of them according to the study. How has this affected the kids? We’ll take a look at the numbers tomorrow in the final part of our series.

Local Woman Falls Victim To ID Theft
A local woman went to Duke Power, to get power hooked up to her house. What she found however, was that someone was already using her name to get power. In addition, the woman checked her bank account and found there was an additional purchase on it, to the tune of $170. Apparently back in December, she had left her wallet and the debit card at Food Lion in Millers Creek and the card was missing when she got back the wallet. Information was turned over to sheriff’s deputies and that investigation is ongoing.

Dog Food Recall Still A Concern
Pet owners here in Wilkes and across the state are being asked to pay close attention to a recall going on. It’s been almost a month since Diamond Pet Food issued a recall of certain brands, but already 76 dogs have been killed after eating the food. Included in the recall are all brands that were produced at the company's Gaston South Carolina facility, due to a toxic chemical that was discovered. The chemical aflatoxin, which is found in corn that's been infected with a certain type of fungus, was located in several cans of the food. It can make a pet sluggish and even in some cases cause sudden death. North Carolina's Agricultural Commissioner Steve Troxler is asking pet owners to get in touch with their local vet immediately if their pet has been weak, sluggish or just generally out of sorts. The brands involved are:
All types of Diamond Dog and Puppy Food
All types of Country Value Dog and Puppy Food
All types of Professional Dog, Puppy and Cat Food
You can determine if your brand is one of those under recall by checking to see if it has a Gaston facility production code. The South Carolina facility's codes have a capital G as either the 11th or 12th letter. Also those brands all have a sell by date of anywhere from March 1-June 1st 2007.

Video Game Thief Hits North Wilkesboro Home
A North Wilkesboro man got a surprise when he returned home on Tuesday. The door to his house was unlocked and some visitors had stopped by. Taken from inside was an N64 game system, several games and a CD radio. It’s unclear how the thieves got inside, as there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the door itself. That investigation continues.

Focus On Foxx
It’s a time of controversy in our nation’s capital. Questions have been raised about the president’s wiretapping plans, which some have called unconstitutional. While Democratic and Republican leaders have come out saying that they knew nothing about the program, that’s not exactly true, according to 5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx explains. The congresswoman will be Brian’s guest later today during Focus on the Foothills, as they’ll be talking about the wiretap controversy, going over what exactly Congress was told about the subject. Also gas prices and illegal immigration will be part of the conversation, coming up today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Hungry Thieves Raid Local Man’s Popcorn
Always keep your house locked. A North Wilkesboro woman learned why that’s a good idea this week. She returned home to find that thieves had been inside. No money or any other valuables were taken, in fact the only thing missing was a Christmas popcorn tin. There are suspects in the case, as some people were seen leaving the house. That investigation is ongoing.

Blood Drive Later Today
The blood supply continues to stay at extremely critical levels, as turnouts have been less than expected. Type O negative, Type A negative and Type B negative are all under a two day supply and all blood types are desperately needed. The American Red Cross has put together an emergency drive today over at Wileks Central High School, that will last from 8:30am til 2pm. No appointments are needed, but if you want to avoid the crowd as kids change classes, you can call 838-4563. And as always you must be at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 lbs to give.

All The Music That’s Fit To Steal
A North Wilkesboro woman called sheriff’s deputies after discovering her missing mandolin at a local pawn shop. Apparently the thief had come in and pawned the instrument for food. The suspect’s name and information were turned over to sheriff’s deputies, but he agreed to pay for the mandolin and return it, so no charges were filed. It’s still unclear exactly how the thief got inside the home on Little Mountain Church Road to steal the instrument in the first place.

Regional News

Highway 52 In Mt Airy Shut Down
Cleanup crews worked throughout the night and on into this morning in Mt. Airy, as they took care of a propane leak. An estimated 30,000 gallons of propane leaked out yesterday afternoon from Carolane Propane and caused Highway 52 to be completely shut down. It's unclear how the propane leaked, but there were no injures to people at Carolane and no evacuations were ordered.

State News

NC Universities Violate The Constitution
North Carolina’s public universities are under attack today, for violating the constitution. The Pope Center For Higher Education, a conservative think tank, issued the accusations in a report released on Tuesday. The report said that campus speech codes are the problem, as they restrict what people can say. 13 of the state’s 16 public universities have policies that restrict free speech, including Appalachian State. ASU was cited for not allowing abusive language, insults or taunts. In addition, Fayetteville State was reprimanded for not allowing vulgar language, UNC Chapel Hill for not allowing sexually explicit jokes. The Pope Center said that such rules open up the universities for a lawsuit, one they would lose.

Troops To Be Welcomed Home Today
Some troops from Iraq will be welcomed home today. This afternoon, B Company of the 1-126th Aviation Regiment will be greeted by friends and family during a ceremony in Salisbury. The event starts at 3pm at Catawba College. The soldiers have served a year and three months in Iraq, logging 4400 flight hours in combat.

Tobacco Farmers Criticize Buyout
Now that the first payments have been sent out, some tobacco farmers in North Carolina are having second thoughts about the federal buyout plan. Some growers feel that they’ve been shortchanged as much as $60,000 and are talking to lawyers about suing the government. An estimated 181,000 producers and 380,000 tobacco quota holders are taking part in the plan, which forks out $951 million each year for the next ten years. As a result, companies can buy tobacco at cheaper prices.

Officials Raid NC State Building
SBI officials raided a building on the NC State campus yesterday. The search was prompted by an anonymous tip over the internet to the National Center for Missing Children. The SBI wouldn’t release any details, but did say that no one at the university is involved in the investigation.

NC Shell Fishing Taking A Hit
Pollution is slowly strangling North Carolina’s shell fishing business. That announcement came on Wednesday, as parts of the state’s economy continues to struggle. An estimated 2800 acres of shell fishing land has been closed down on the Newport River, thanks to contamination from pollution. State officials are blaming people who live on the waterfront, who they believe are dumping materials into the water for use as their own personal dump.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball
Taking a look at high school basketball from last night, it was Mount Airy over North Wilkes 84-52. Despite playing at home, things didn’t exactly go too well for the North Wilkes Vikings, who gave up 45 points in the second half alone. Aaron Church led North Wilkes, the only Viking to score in double figures. With the loss, the team drops to 3-11. Meanwhile up the road in Millers Creek, it was Ashe County over West Wilkes 72-49. Micah Dancy had 14 points to lead the Blackhawks and Kurtis Lankford added 11, but it wasn’t enough as the Huskies used a 42 point second half to seal the deal. West drops to 5-10 with the loss. On the girls side of the court, it was Ashe County over West 59-50. The Lady Blackhawks got a great performance from Lauren Overton, who had 22 points, but she was about it as Meredith Wingler was the only other West Wilkes player to score in double figures, finishing with 11. West falls to 3-12 with the loss.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the college basketball scoreboard last night, it was Winthrop over UNC Asheville 74-49, UNC Greensboro took care of Montreat 96-68, UNC Charlotte had no problems against LaSalle as the 49ers won 64-52. East Carolina lost to Memphis 77-67, Wake Forest was upset by Clemson 74-73. The Deacons got 27 from Justin Gray but it wasn’t enough as they fall to 11-4. And Duke survived another test as they took care of Maryland 76-52. J.J. Redick had 27 points to lead the Blue Devils, while Sheldon Williams added 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. Duke stays undefeated at 15-0 with the win.

NC State Lands More Football Recruits
Some good news for NC State’s football team. Even as the Wolfpack keep losing players to the draft, there are some incoming freshmen looking to fill their shoes. High school senior Jevon Walker is the latest to sign on with the Wolfpack. As a senior at South Dade High in Florida, Walker was a safety, defensive end and also a linebacker. He racked up 104 tackles, seven sacks and 3 interceptions. In addition, the 5-11 180 lb. Walker runs a 40-yd-dash time of 4.4 seconds and turned down offers from Colorado State, Mississippi and Eastern Michigan to come to NC State.

Moore Named Coach Of The Year
If winning a national title wasn’t enough, Appalachian State football coach Jerry Moore was honored again this week. The American Football Coaches Association named Moore the Division I-AA Coach Of The Year. With 14 victories under his belt, Moore has the most wins in Southern Conference history. He’s also been invited to serve as an assistant coach in the 2006 Hula Bowl, a college version of the NFL’s Pro Bowl all star game.

NBA: Charlotte vs. Toronto
It was Toronto over a wounded Charlotte Bobcats team 95-86. Charlotte was missing five players, including rookie Sean May and last season’s rookie of the year Emeka Okafor, both out with injuries. Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, but it just wasn’t enough. The team drops to 11-24, with Milwaukee coming to town on Friday.

NASCAR Rookie Walking Wounded
One NASCAR driver hopes to be healed in time for the Daytona 500. Rookie David Stremme strained ligaments in his leg while blowing away leaves in the yard. Because of the injury, Stremme will have to wear a brace on his foot and might not be able to climb into his #39 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing. No replacement has been named if Stremme can’t suit up.

News & Sports For January 11th

Wilkes Spotlight: Over Four Thousand Kids Living In Poverty
Over four thousand children are living in poverty here in Wilkes, this according to information released from the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute. As of last year, North Carolina considered a family making less than $19350 to be living in poverty. That balances out to a cost of $13 each a day for an average family of four. There are 34,833 children here in the county, out of which 4469 live in what the state considers poverty conditions. In addition out of that number, 1859 live in extreme poverty where the family makes 9700 or less. Tomorrow in part two of our series on Wilkes County kids, we take a look at the family situations each live in and how that compares to the rest of the state.

Wilkes County Takes People Back In Time
This Saturday, the Wilkes Heritage Museum will take people back in time for a “Civil War Afternoon”. The event runs from 1-4pm and will feature re-enactments, an exhibit on Confederate currency, music and a book signing by “The Secret of War” author Terrell Garren. Garren’s book deals with actual events that occurred during and just after the Civil War here in Western North Carolina. There is however a fee to attend, as people must pay regular admission price in order to get in. In addition to the Civil War events, that fee will also include tours of the Old Wilkes Jail and Robert Cleveland Log Home. For more information you can call Old Wilkes at 667-3171.

Missing Piggy Bank Proves Valuable
A Wilkes County man came home earlier this week to find someone had beaten him there. It seems that thieves found the spare key he had stored away and got inside the house. Once in, they stole over $800 in change. Coins dating back 70 to 80 years were taken. Deputies do however have suspects and that case is ongoing.

Focus On Foxx
It’s a time of controversy in our nation’s capital. Questions have been raised about the president’s wiretapping plans, which some have called unconstitutional. While Democratic and Republican leaders have come out saying that they knew nothing about the program, that’s not exactly true, according to 5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx. The congresswoman will be Brian’s guest for this week’s edition of Focus on the Foothills, as they’ll be talking about the wiretap controversy, going over what exactly Congress was told about the subject. Also gas prices and illegal immigration will be part of the conversation, coming up tomorrow at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Property Stolen While Owner In Hospital
Thieves waited until a Millers Creek man was in the hospital before paying a visit to his property. When the man returned home on Monday, he discovered over a thousand dollars worth of items had gone missing. It’s unclear how the thieves managed to get inside, as there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the property. Taken in the theft was a chainsaw, a weedeater and other tools. That investigation continues.

Recall Of Mixed Nuts
Before you pick up that bag of nuts to eat, you might want to check the date on them. A recall has been ordered of all Fisher Brand Deluxe Mixed Nuts in the 32 oz. plastic containers. The company issued a recall because some containers had peanuts inside but weren’t clearly labeled, meaning that anyone with an allergy could have serious problems. All the packages have a sell by date of November 5th 2006 and you can take them back to the store for a full refund. For more information a number has been set up for customers at 1-847-593-2300.

Car Damaged At Wilkesboro Home
A Wilkesboro woman called police after finding that someone had damaged her car. The incident happened while she was at a friend’s apartment. Walking outside, the woman found nails in two of her tires and shattered glass all around. An estimated $250 worth of damage was done to the vehicle, however there are suspects in the case as witnesses saw two people hanging around the car. That investigation continues.

State News

Jobs Lost At Charlotte Tire Plant
Over 500 people will be out of work in Charlotte this spring thanks to Continental Tire. The company announced plans on Monday to lay off 513 people at their Charlotte plant, due to manufacturing costs. Continental said they tried a compromise to keep all the workers employed but couldn’t reach an agreement. They had asked the employees to take a pay cut from $40 an hour to $26. That was shot down by the union. The first round of layoffs will begin in March.

People Arrested For Church Break-Ins
Two couples in Carroll County have been arrested and charged with breaking into area churches. Over the past month, six separate churches have been broke into with items being stolen from inside. Jerry and Donna Church and Harlen and Rosalie Workman were all charged in connection with the thefts. Apparently all four worked together as a group to gain access to the buildings. It’s unclear why churches were targeted in the crime spree.

Baseball In Charlotte Moves Forward
The dream of bringing baseball to Charlotte took a step forward this week, as city council members approved more study of the idea. The Charlotte Knights, a minor league team that actually plays in nearby Fort Mill SC, would pay for building the stadium, covering all but $5 of the $34 million total costs. That $5 million would come from the city’s tourism fund, allowing the stadium to be built in Charlotte’s Center City.

Dangerous Slime Covering Raleigh Creek
State officials are trying to determine what exactly is covering a creek in North Raleigh. Some type of slimy white goo began appearing in the creek last week. When residents tried to touch it, the slime burned their skin. It’s believed that the local water treatment plant could be at fault, as it releases water into the creek. Concerns have been raised because the creek flows into a nearby lake, where Raleigh gets part of its’ drinking water. Officials have done tests and collected samples, which they sent off for examination. Results are expected next week.

Lawyers Present NC With Legal Bill
North Carolina owes over $10 million in legal fees, according to lawyers. A 47-page document was filed in December requesting the money, which was earned through the lawyers work on the Leandro case. In that 1997 case, a judge ruled that North Carolina has a constitutional duty to give each student a good, basic education that meets minimum standards. State Board of Education officials said they weren’t exactly sure where the money would come from.

Civil Rights Icons Honored In Chapel Hill
Three civil rights icons are being honored in Chapel Hill. Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith will all have memorial plaques placed on the front seat of the town’s transit buses. Colvin and Smith, while not as well known as Parks, did just as much for civil rights. They were the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case which ended bus segregation.

Sports Headlines

High School Scoreboard
Around the high school scene last night, it was Starmount over North Wilkes 75-37. Also it went down to the wire, but East Wilkes pulled out a victory 59-55 over West Wilkes. East improves to 5-7 with the win, while West drops to 5-9. On the girls side of the ball, it was Starmount over North Wilkes 51-36 and the Lady Cardinals of East lost by the same score 51-36 to West. The lady Blackhawks get their 3rd win of the season, improving to 3-10 while East Wilkes falls to 1-10.

Elkin Football Player Commits To Liberty
Liberty University’s football program is getting a shot in the arm, thanks to one local player. Elkin High’s Terry Adams announced this week that he was committing to the school. The high school senior, a 6’1 235 lb. defensive end, recorded 69 tackles and 7 sacks this past season while helping Elkin to a state title. Adams can sign the national letter of intent on February 1st.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at the college scoreboard, it was Davidson over the Citadel 85-49. Also the UNC Tarheels survived another major test, as the young team took out Virginia Tech 64-61. Freshman forward Tyler Hansbrough had 20 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Heels, who improve to 10-2 on the year. NC State meanwhile had no problems taking care of Boston College 78-60. Cedric Simmons had 15 points to lead the Wolfpack, who improve to 12-2.

Wolfpack Exodus Continues
The bad news continues for the NC State Wolfpack. Two more members of the football team announced on Monday that they were planning to leave early for the NFL. Offensive tackle Derek Morris and defensive tackle John McCargo will both leave school for the draft. It could be a mistake however as McCargo is only predicted to go as a third round pick and Morris is completely off the board.

NBA: Houston at Charlotte
It took double overtime but the Charlotte Bobcats held on to win 111-106 over the Houston Rockets. Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals. Also Emeka Okafor came back from injury, in limited action he put up 21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. The win brings Charlotte to 11-23 on the season, as they get set to play Toronto tonight.

NHL: Detroit at Carolina
The Carolina Hurricanes notched their 28th win of the season, after a 3-2 win over Detroit on Tuesday night. Eric Cole led Carolina with a goal and an assist.

News & Sports For January 10th

North Carolina Safer In The Workplace
According to a recent study, Wilkes County and North Carolina as a whole are improving safety measures. The State Department of Labor released the figures, which showed that 80 people in North Carolina were killed last year in work related accidents. That’s a drop from the previous total of 83 back in 2004. Construction was listed as the most dangerous profession, totaling 34% of the deaths. Manufacturing came in second and the agricultural industry ranked third. Out of the 80 deaths, 77 were men and three were women. In Wilkes and the surrounding area, one person was crushed by falling equipment in the past year, while seven received injuries just simply listed as “other”.

High Speed Chase Lands Local Man Behind Bars
A routine stop for a revoked license soon turned into a high speed chase for Wilkesboro police. On Saturday, Officers pulled over a man for driving with a revoked license. As they approached the vehicle, he suddenly spun tires and took off down the road. The officers followed, traveling at a high rate of speed from 421 to NC 16 South, at times exceeding 90 mph. Police lost the suspect at the Alexander County line, however warrants are now being taken out for the driver, 33-yr-old Jody Lane Clonch. In addition to eluding arrest, it seems the vehicle wasn’t his, but instead belonged to his employers at Empire Chevy. Warrants have been taken out on Clonch for resisting arrest, speeding, reckless driving and larceny of a motor vehicle.

Trailer Stolen From Local Home
How does a trailer get stolen without anyone noticing? That’s what a Yadkinville man is wondering today. He called sheriff’s deputies after arriving at the house he’d been working on to find the trailer had vanished. The incident happened on the Mathis Farm Road and no one could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual in the area. That investigation is ongoing.

3WC Techwatch: Keeping An Eye On Credit
Keeping track of your credit report is a good way to avoid being a victim of ID theft. But as we explain in today’s 3WC Techwatch, you need to be careful. Now more than ever it’s important to keep up with your credit cards and make sure no one’s using your name. However free credit report scams are popping up, as hackers change with the technology. Everyone is eligible to order one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting companies as of September of last year. But hackers have set up several dummy websites that for all intents and purposes appear to be the real thing. The only difference is that once your information is entered, you get locked out while the information is used to ruin your credit. The Federal Trade Commission has located 130 imposter sites over the last year alone. To solve the problem, you can get a free credit report by going through the Federal Trade Commission’s website at www.ftc.gov. You can follow the directions on the site to one of the three credit reporting companies and guarantee that your information is secure. Or if you’re not comfortable using the internet, then request the information over the phone by calling 1-877-322-8228. After all, it’s better to deal with this now instead of finding out later.

Frostbitten Thieves Run Off With Generator
Thieves broke into a Boomer home over the weekend, just searching for some help in keeping warm. They left with a Briggs and Straton Generator, taken from a section of the house that was being remodeled. Nothing else was taken or even touched in the theft. That investigation continues.

Vandals Leave Behind Expensive Repair Bill
A Roaring River woman called Wilkesboro police after leaving work this weekend. She discovered over $200 in damage had been done to her car. The bumper had been damaged and key marks stretched across both sides. No one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual but that investigation continues.

Blood Supply Still Shrinking With Drive Today
With the blood supply at critical levels, it’s more important than ever to come out and give. However over the past few weeks, blood drives in Wilkes have seen a very small turnout, meaning that on average more blood is being used than what is coming back in. The Red Cross is holding a series of emergency drives this week to try and replenish the blood. The next one is going on today at Wilkes Senior Village, by appointment only. To call and set up a time to give, the Red Cross number is 838-4563. That drive today lasts from 1:30-4:30pm.

One Car Totaled On Hwy 268
One car was totaled after an accident on Hwy 268 West this weekend. A Wilkesboro man was driving down the highway when he says that a white vehicle suddenly swerved into his lane of traffic, forcing him to get out of the way. In doing so he slammed into a nearby guardrail. No one was hurt and the other vehicle quickly left the scene. Estimated damages to the rail and car were placed at $3000.

Thieves Ride Off With Local Woman’s Bike
Always keep things locked up when you leave. A North Wilkesboro woman learned why that’s a good idea this week, as her son’s bike was stolen. The bike, which had been left outside, was discovered missing when the family returned home from a recent trip. There are suspects in the case and that investigation continues.

Regional News

Search Over For Caldwell Woman
The search has ended for a Caldwell County woman who disappeared December 29th. The body of 48-yr-old Emily Anderson was found over the weekend in South Carolina. She was found dead, locked up in the tool box in the back of her truck. Authorities were able to track down the woman’s vehicle just west of Spartanburg on I-85. The FBI have been called in to assist in the case.

State News

Greensboro Police Chief Resigns
A few days after being locked out of his own office by the city manager, Greensboro police chief David Wray announced he was resigning. Wray sent letters to the press on Monday, declaring the end to his 2 ½ year term. The chief said that recent controversies in his department, including some race related, have hurt his ability to lead. Wray also said in the letter that he was ultimately responsible for everything that goes on and calls the decision “in the best interests of the department”.

NC Highways Ranked 4th In Nation
North Carolina is considered a good state to go driving in, according to a political watchdog group. The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety release a study each year, called the Roadmap to State Highway Laws. In this year’s roadmap, North Carolina was ranked 4th, just behind Georgia and Washington. Nevada was ranked number one. The study ranks states based on child safety, teen driving and impaired driving, among other things.

Hepatitis Outbreak In Alamance
Officials in Alamance County are working to contain a possible outbreak of Hepatitis in the area. Already five cases of Hepatitis A have been confirmed and seven more people could be infected. So far, the health department has no clue as to what could have spread the infection. Local leaders say they believe the situation has been dealt with and don’t expect anymore cases to pop up.

Myrick Attacks NC Gas Increase
Another lawmaker has come out criticizing North Carolina’s gas tax increase, this time on the federal level. Representative Sue Myrick, along with the 13 other members of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation, received letters from State Senate leader Marc Basnight and House Speaker Jim Black. The letters requested federal help with the problem. Myrick responded by suggesting that state lawmakers fix the situation by putting a halt to the one billion worth of funds that have been transferred from the Highway Trust Fund in the last five years. Funds from the gas tax are placed in the Trust Fund, for use in repairing roads. Instead, money has been taken out for pet projects of state leaders. Both Black and Basnight refused for the state to take responsibility for the problem.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball
Around the high school scene, some scores from last night. It was East Wilkes knocking off the heavily favored Bishop McGuiness squad 71-55. The Lady Cardinals didn’t fare as well however, as they lost to Bishop McGuiness 57-19. And all four county teams are in action tonight. North Wilkes plays host to Starmount, while Wilkes Central is on the road playing Surry Central. Then in our 3WC Game of the Week, it’s going to be East Wilkes marching up to Millers Creek as they’ll take on the Blackhawks of West Wilkes. We’ll go on the air at 7pm with the pregame show and then join Ken Byrd and Keith Briand at 7:15 for the play by play.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at some college basketball from last night, it was East Tennessee State over Gardner-Webb 89-66. The Bulldogs fell despite 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks from Simon Conn, as they drop to 6-7, good enough for 6th in the Atlantic Sun conference. It was High Point over Coastal Carolina 82-62, the streaking Elon Phoenix over Chattanooga 92-74, Delaware State knocked off NC A&T 56-52 and it was Appalachian State over Western Carolina 68-53. DJ Thompson had 18 points and 5 assists to lead the Mountaineers, who improve to 6-9 on the year.

NC State Lands Basketball Recruit
In other college basketball news, NC State has already started planning for 2008 as 6'2 ft guard Chris Wright committed to the team. Wright, who plays for St. John's High In Washington DC is ranked as the 6th best high school junior in the country. He picked the Wolfpack over Duke, Villanova and Wake Forest. Scouts believe he could be a star in the NBA, with some calling him a taller version of Philadelphia guard Allen Iversion.

NC State Loses Football Coach
The news wasn't so good however for the NC State football team. Coach Chuck Amato will have to replace part of his staff before next season. Special teams coach Manny Diaz announced that he was leaving to take the defensive coordinator job at Middle Tennessee. Diaz had been with the Wolfpack for six seasons.

Smith Named Comeback Player Of The Year
With one round in the books, the Carolina Panthers were celebrating a win of another kind as wide receiver Steve Smith was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, an award he shares with Teddy Bruschi of the New England Patriots. Votes for the two were split 50-50 down the middle, as writers didn't know which achievement to award. Smith returned from a broken leg to lead the league in catches and receiving yards, while Bruschi bounced back from a mild stroke he suffered last year.

News & Sports For January 9th

Postage Rates Increase
Bad news for anyone heading out to mail a stamp today. You’ll have to pay more to do it. The US Postal Service raised the cost of a stamp 2 cents on Sunday, to 39 cents. Also Priority Mail will cost $4.05 for one pound, that’s an increase of 20 cents. And postcards were raised one cent to 24 cents. This marks the first increase in almost four years and was necessary due to a federal law. Back in 2003, lawmakers ordered that the Postal Service have $3.1 billion on hand to put into an escrow account. That has to be done by October 1st of this year and without the increases, there wouldn’t have been enough money.

Money Goes Missing From Taco Bell
Wilkesboro police are investigating a theft at Taco Bell. Late last week, managers opened the safe and discovered that just under $500 was missing. The safe wasn’t locked at the time and it’s unclear exactly when the money was stolen. Information was turned over to police and the investigation continues.

Guns Stolen From Local Home
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a home on Wildwood Drive late last week, after thieves paid a visit. The homeowner had left several items inside his unlocked truck. His cellular phone and several guns were stolen, including a Marlin .22 rifle and Remington 870 Express. There are no suspects in the case but that investigation continues.

Wheels Stolen From 421 Motors
Thieves ripped off a local business late last week. Employees at 421 Motors arrived to find one of their vehicles up on stands, with the tires missing. Over a thousand dollars worth of equipment and tires was taken in the theft. That investigation continues.

Blood Drive Going On Today
Every two seconds, someone needs blood in North Carolina. But here in Wilkes County, the supply is at the lowest its' been in six months. Type O negative, Type A negative and Type B negative are all under a two days supply, short enough that one major wreck could potentially wipe it out. There have also been low turnouts at the blood drives so far, meaning that very little is coming back in for that which is used. Two drives are going on today in Wilkes County, one at the Traphill Volunteer Fire Department and the other at Glade Creek Volunteer Fire Department. Both will run from 3-7:30pm. Just remember before giving you must be at least 17 years old and 11o lbs. To call for an appointment, the Red Cross number is 838-4563.

Vandals Target Local Vehicles
Drivers on Hwy 16 South got an unwelcome surprise last week. Several cars were hit by paintballs, causing dents and damage. In each case, the suspects drove by in a white Toyota and opened fire. Information about the suspects ws turned over to sheriff’s deputies and the investigation continues.

Samaritan's Kitchen Needs Help
When people can’t afford to buy food, who do they turn to? Here in Wilkes, the Samaritan’s Kitchen lends a hand. The Kitchen, which has been in operation for over six years, is involved with several different programs throughout the week. Now however the Kitchen finds itself of major support, both with food donations and volunteer help. If you can set aside thirty minutes or three hours, whatever you can spare, please contact Elizabeth Ferguson with Samaritan’s Kitchen. The number is 838-5331.

Medication Taken From North Wilkesboro Home
A North Wilkesboro man called sheriff’s deputies late last week after finding his medication had been stolen. There was no sign of a break-in or anything else taken from the property. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

State News

Jobs Gone From Burlington
Bad news today for people in the Burlington area. Gold Toe Brands announced that it will be eliminating 20 jobs from its’ Annedeen plant. The company is looking to cut costs and will be transferring the jobs to a plant it runs in Mexico. Gold Toe said they hope to assist the terminated workers in finding new jobs.

Cars Vandalized In Clemmons
30 different car owners, including a Forsyth County Deputy Sheriff, are cleaning up today after their vehicles were damaged. The incident happened in Clemmons at a mobile home park. Vandals slashed tires, shattered windows and spray painted the cars. There are two suspects but no arrests have been made.

Deer Head In Mailbox
Several people in Hoke County got a surprise when they opened up their mailbox on Saturday. Deer parts were inside. One lady found a deer head, while others found hooves and legs. The Hoke County Sheriff’s Department investigated and discovered that a local teen had committed the crime, thinking it would be a great prank. None of the families pressed charges however as the teen agreed to replace all the boxes and apologize.

Greensboro Police Chief Locked Out
Greensboro’s police chief finds himself locked out of his office today. City Manager Mitchell Johnson announced over the weekend that he changed the locks to the office, in an effort to secure certain documents. David Wray is still the police chief, but questions have been raised about the way he runs the department. The city manager is the only one who will have access to the office until the investigation is finished.

Fort Bragg Soldier Dies
A Fort Bragg soldier was killed over the weekend during physical training. 38-yr-old Sergeant First Class Steven Cutno collapsed during training and was latter pronounced dead at the base hospital. Cutno, a 15-yr veteran, was serving with the Headquarters Company of the 82nd Airborne Division. It’s still unknown what caused him to collapse.

Sports Headlines

Boys High School Scoreboard
Around the high school scene this weekend, it was Elkin over West Wilkes 87-53. The Blackhawks never led throughout the game and couldn’t overcome Elkin’s Tyler Sanborn, who had 28 points, 25 rebounds and 8 blocks. West was ked by Kurtis Lankford, who put in 14 points, Todd Kilby was the only other Blackhawk to finish in double figures, adding 11 points. Meanwhile, it was East Surry over East Wilkes 59-48. East Wilkes was led by Cody Cook, who had 15 points in the loss, while Brent Poplin added 13. North Wilkes lost to Surry Central 74-71 despite leading for most of the first half and it was Wilkes Central over Forbush 68-61. Nathan Duncan and Caleb Hawkins each had 21 to lead the Eagles.

Girls High School Scoreboard
On the girls side of the court, it was a defensive battle as the Lady Eagles of Wilkes Central knocked off Forbush 35-28. Laura Rollins was the only Central player in double figures, as she had 18. The Lady Eagles keep marching toward the playoffs, improving to 13-1. The Lady Blackhawks of West got their second win of the season, beating Elkin 53-33. Erin Hollars finished with 15 points to lead the Lady Blackhawks, while Lauren Overton had 14. The East Wilkes Lady Cardinals fell to East Surry 71-45 and it was the Lady Vikings of North Wilkes over Surry Central 54-34. Sarah Smith had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Vikings, who recorded their first conference win of the season.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the college basketball scene, it was Winthrop losing to Memphis 73-63, Chattanooga knocking off UNC Greensboro 78-69, Davidson beating Wofford 80-62, High Point over Charleston Southern 78-67 and East Carolina over St. Paul’s College 80-74. In other action, it was UNC Wilmington over William and Mary 63-56, UNC Asheville lost to Birmingham Southern 80-66 and UNC Charlotte over Dayton 73-65. Appalachian State was beaten by Elon 65-59. DJ Thompson led the Mountaineers with 15 points and 8 rebounds, as the team falls to 5-9. The UNC Tarheels ripped apart NC State 82-69. Freshman Tyler Hansborough had 20 points to lead the Tarheels, while Illian Evtimov had 20 points for the Wolfpack. Finally the Duke Blue Devils beat Wake Forest 82-64. J.J. redick had 32 to lead Duke, while Justin Gray had 17 for the Deacons.

Bobcats Lose To Orlando
Walking wounded into Orlando on Saturday, the Charlotte Bobcats lost to the Magic 108-92. Charlotte was playing without Emeka Okafor, Sean May, Kareem Rush or Jake Voskul, all out with injuries. The Bobcats were led by Gerald Wallace, who had 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. The Bobcats may be even more shorthanded as point guard Brevin Knight left the game with back spasms. The loss drops Charlotte to 10-23 with Houston coming to town on Tuesday.

Panthers Knock Giants Out Of Playoffs
For one week, the Carolina Panthers played like a Super Bowl team, dismantling the New York Giants on the way to a 23-0 win. Deshaun Foster ran for 151 yards while the Carolina defense picked off Eli Manning for three interceptions. The Panthers will now go on the road next week to face the Chicago Bears.

Hurricanes Shut Out Islanders
In the NHL, it was the Carolina Hurricanes shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday. Goalie Martin Gerber had 30 saves for Carolina, as the team improves to 27-10 on the season.

News & Sports For January 6th

Explosives Found During Murder Investigation
As sheriff’s deputies continue the investigation into Mark Carroll’s death, they also uncovered some explosives tied in with the case. Once they located the murder suspect, 22-yr-old Ernest Ray Prevette, a search was performed on his car. Inside the trunk they found over a dozen blasting caps and other explosive devices. Those devices were turned over to the Hazardous Devices Unit, which will conduct an investigation as to how they got inside and what they were going to be used for. There are suspects in that case and the murder investigation continues as well.

Wilkes County Flu Clinic This Saturday
With the weather jumping from hot to cold and back again, conditions are perfect for the flu. If you want to plan ahead and try some preventive medicine, the Wilkes Health Department will be hosting a free flu shot clinic this Saturday. The clinic, held in connection with Wilkes Regional Medical Center, will be from 8am til 3pm and appointments must be made in advance. One thing to consider with the peak of flu season still on the way, it's important to get the vaccine now, as it takes 2 weeks to build up immunity to the virus. To make an appointment for Saturday's clinic, all you have to do is call the Health Department at 651-7450.

Tip Leads To Drug Bust In Boomer
A tip led sheriff’s deputies to a home in Boomer on Tuesday. Deputies asked if they could come inside and once in the door, were greeted by the smell of marijuana smoke. After searching the home, deputies found 2.2 grams of marijuana, along with some electric scales, rolling papers, baggies, $245 in cash and other drug paraphernalia. Deputies arrested 37-yr-old Dennis Ray Pearson and charged him with drug possession, and maintaining a home for the sale of drugs.

Wreck On 421 Totals Two
Two cars were wrecked and a third was damaged after a pileup on Hwy 421 West Tuesday evening. A Millers Creek man was driving down the road but didn’t notice the cars in front of him had come to a stop at the light. The man couldn’t slow down in time to avoid a collision and instead caused a three car domino effect. He hit the car in front of him, which in turn slammed into the third vehicle. Thankfully no one was hurt however an estimated $11,500 worth of damage was done.

Thieves Break In To Have A Look Around
Thieves broke into a home on the Germantown Road earlier this week, but apparently just wanted to take a look at the place. Nothing was missing from inside and the only damage done was to the locks on the home’s door. According to the property’s owner, this is a recurring problem, but no one has seen or heard anything unusual go on in the area. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Blood Drives This Weekend
It’s more important than ever to give blood. As we explained on yesterday’s newscast, the blood supply here in Wilkes is well past critical levels, to the point one major wreck could wipe it out. To help solve the problem, the Wilkes Red Cross is putting on several drives over the next few weeks. The first takes place tomorrow at Bethel Baptist Church. It goes from 9:30am til 2:30pm. Also there will be one going on Monday at the Traphill VFD. That will last from 3-7:30pm. To set up a time to give, the number to call is 838-4563.

Santa Claus Is Leaving Town
Some thieves tried to apparently get a head start on decorating for next Christmas, after stealing some ornaments from a home on the Roaring Gap Church Road. A Snowman globe, blow up tree, blow up Santa and blow up Snowman figure were all taken in the theft. The thieves had to untie each of the ornaments before stealing them, as all had been staked to the ground. No one in the area could recall seeing or hearing anything unusual in the area. That investigation continues.

3WC Healthwatch: Weight Watchers
There’s a new reason for people to watch their weight, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. A study was released this week from the University of California at San Francisco, which found that there’s a major link between obesity and kidney failure. The study found that even moderately overweight people have a higher risk of kidney failure, but for those seriously overweight, the risk was 700% higher. The study, which was done over a period of 26 years, used over 300,000 people of different sizes. Out of that number, 1471 suffered kidney failure. The only tested and proven way researchers found to try and ward off kidney failure for anyone in the same situation is to work at losing the weight.

Moped Driven off From North Wilkesboro Home
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro home on Wednesday, after thieves drove off with a man’s moped. It’s unknown how the thieves gained access to the bike or how it was stolen, as there was no sign of damage at the house itself and nothing else taken. That investigation continues.

Chickens To Be Checked Here In Wilkes
Wilkes County is North Carolina's top producer of broiler chickens. Under new guidelines established by National Chicken Council, no flock will be allowed to go to slaughter here in the county without a clear test for avian influenza. According the most recent figures available from the N.C. Department of Agriculture, Wilkes County produced 91 million broilers in 2004. Tyson, has signed up for the National Chicken Council's new program and other companies are expected to follow. Most Tyson growers fell like there will not be alot of change due to the fact that the company constantly monitors its flocks for the presence of disease, including bird flu.

Regional News

Arrests have been made in connection with a December bank robbery in Jonesville. 19 year old Curtis Ryan McGuire, of Stanley turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday. Also arrested was 21 year old Aaron James Moore of Clemmons, who turned himself in on Christmas Day. There is still one suspect at large who officials believe demanded money at Mountain National Bank on December 19th. Anyone with information is asked to call the Jonesville Police Department at 835-2855.

Caldwell County Searches For Missing Woman
People in Caldwell County are asking for help in the search for a missing woman today. Emily Anderson was last seen December 29th paying some bills in Lenoir. She was supposed to drive up to Sam’s Club in Hickory, but was not heard from again. Anderson was last seen driving a 2000 model white Chevy Silverado with a got milk tag on the front and University of Kentucky sticker on the back. She is 5’6 ft and weighs approximately 170 lbs with dark hair and glasses. If anyone has information regarding the case, they’re asked to call the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department at 1-828-758-2324.

State News

Federal Investigation Begins At Raleigh Power Plant
Questions of poor security are being investigated at a nuclear power plant near Raleigh. Complaints had been filed in December with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, sighting problems with security at the Shearon Harris plant. Two separate watchdog groups made the complaints, which document doors that don’t lock and faulty equipment that doesn’t warn of intruders.

State Lawmakers Meet To Discuss Energy
A committee of state lawmakers has been formed to come up with a solution to the high energy costs across North Carolina. They met for the first time on Thursday and heard testimony from oil industry experts, along with businessmen and others affected by the increase. The committee itself doesn’t have any actual power, it can only present recommendations.

Greensboro Lands Football Team
A professional sports team is coming to Greensboro. City officials announced on Thursday that the National Indoor Football League will be bringing an expansion team to Greensboro. The NIFL acts as a minor league of sorts for Arena Football and a league spokeswoman said they believe Greensboro could be a great market for a team. The team’s name however hasn’t been released yet.

48 Clerks Arrested For Violating Law
48 store clerks were arrested over the holidays for selling tobacco to children. That was part of the information sent out by officials from the state’s Alcohol Law Enforcement office. The move came as part of a crackdown on illegal tobacco sales, for which ALE officials said there is no excuse.

Sports Headlines

NC State Adds Two Players
With the college football season just over seven months away, NC State continues to load up on recruits. The Wolfpack landed two more players this week as Darrell Davis and Carlos Everett committed to the school. Davis is a 6’4ft 200 lb. senior from Dade City Florida, where he was a two way star, playing linebacker and wide receiver. He runs a 4.52 in the 40 and had 48 tackles along with 6 interceptions last season. In addition, Davis might see time on the basketball court, as he currently averages 29 points a game as a senior. He turned down basketball scholarships from Gardner-Webb, Central Florida and Bethune-Cookman. Carlos Everett meanwhile comes in at 6’1ft and 175 lbs. The senior wide reciever from Webster Florida was ranked as the 50th best player in the state this season. He finished his high school career with 126 catches for 2334 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Panthers Make Roster Moves
With time ticking down til Sunday’s game against New York, the Carolina Panthers made some roster moves this week. Cornerback Garnell Wilds was signed off the practice squad. Wilds will take the place of safety Jermaine Hardy, a special teams player who was put on injured reserve after getting hurt during last week’s game against the Falcons. The team also signed linebacker Robert Rodriguez to the practice squad.

Hurricanes Lose One To Injury
The injury bug has also hit the Carolina Hurricanes, who saw defenseman Glen Wesley go down this week with an injury that could last up to six weeks. Wesley sprained his right knee’s MCL Saturday during the game against Montreal. Nicolas Wallin, who’s just returned from the injured list and rookie Andrew Hutchinson will combine to take Wesley’s playing time.

One Going Out, Two Coming In
More injury news to report for the Charlotte Bobcats. Already missing Sean May and Emeka Okafor, the team learned on Thursday that shooting guard Kareem Rush will be missing some time. Rush injured the index finger on his shooting hand during Wednesday’s loss to Boston, hurting so bad he only played 7 minutes. It’s unknown how long he’ll be out. The good news however is that both May and Okafor could be close to rejoining the team. Both are rehabbing, May with his knee and Okafor with his ankle and could be back by sometime next week.

Elliot Announces Plans
In NASCAR, Bill Elliot has found a ride for next season. He’ll be driving for MB2 Motorsports, racing a limited schedule beginning with the Daytona 500. Elliot will be taking over for regular driver Boris Said in the Number 36 Chevy. After that the two will rotate, with Elliot’s next race coming in the Budweiser Shootout.

News & Sports For January 5th

Murder in Millers Creek
One man is dead and another is in custody after a murder yesterday in Millers Creek. Just before 5 yesterday morning Mark Carroll was found shot and still in his front yard on NC 16 in Millers Creek. Carroll died 45 minutes later at Wilkes Regional Medical Center. Authorities have arrested 22 year old Ernest Ray Prevette. He has been charged with murder, armed robbery, sale and delivery of a schedule II drug, and trafficking in a schedule II drug. Prevette is in the Wilkes County jail with no bond allowed. Authorities believe the murder was drug related.

Blood Supply Past Critical
Wilkes County is facing a serious problem with it's blood supply. Poor turnouts at the recent blood drives, combined with several accidents over the holiday has depleted the county's supply of blood. Right now, we stand at less than two day's supply, good enough for maybe a little over a day. To put that in prespective, right now all it would take is one major wreck to completely drain the blood in Wilkes County, according to officials from the Red Cross. They're asking anyone who is able to please come out and give blood at one of their upcoming drives, to make sure there is enough on hand. The three major needs are for Type O negative, Type A negative and Type B negative, all of which have less than 1.5 days supply left. Type O blood is used to treat trauma patients and also be used in a transfusion for premature babies since it's hard to determine their blood type. Several drives will be going on over the next few days, the first this Saturday at Bethel Baptist Church in Mountain View. It begins at 9:30 in the morning and will run until 2:30 in the afternoon. To call and set up an appointment, the number to the Red Cross is 838-4563.

Disturbance Call Leads To Drug Bust
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro home on Tuesday, in regards to a disturbance in the area. While in the home, deputies were given permission to search the 19-yr-old son's room. Inside they found marijuana seeds, stems, baggies containing the drug and several blunts which had been smoked. Warrants have been taken out on 19-yr-old Dustin Lee Boone for drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Gas Thieves Hit Another Wilkes Business
Gas thieves targeted a business in Moravian Falls on Monday, hitting the Run-In store on Hwy 18 South. A white man drove up in his truck, pumped $71 dollars worth of gas and then took off down the road. Employees were able to get a description of both the man and his vehicle, which were turned over to sheriff's deputies. That investigation is ongoing.

Thieves Clean Up At North Wilkesboro Residence
Thieves were apparently looking to clean up when they broke into a North Wilkesboro man's house this week. He returned home to find that his bath towels and wash cloths had been stolen, along with several painkillers from the medicine cabinet. There was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the house itself. Deputies have a suspect in the case and the investigation continues.

Focus On Medicare
It can be hard at times to sort through the legal language of your healthcare plan. What makes that plan right for you? Will it even cover the drugs you need? With the new year comes some new options for people on Medicare and some new problems. Coming up later today on Focus on the Foothills, Brian and Dr. Matthews will be following up on their earlier conversation, taking a look at the options available to people and explaining the best way to use the information that's been given. That's today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Card Collectors Go Rabid At Local Home
On Monday, sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on the Dehart Church Road. Over the New Year's weekend, someone had broke into a local woman's home, but didn't go after the TV or anything like that. Instead 2800 Nascar collector cards were taken in the theft, along with a .22 Magnum Pistol. Estimated value of the cards was placed at $400. It appears the thieves got inside by prying open the door. There is a suspect in the case and the investigation continues.

Wreck On School Street Totals One
One car was totaled and another damaged after a wreck Tuesday afternoon on School Street. A North Wilkesboro woman was attempting to cross two lanes of traffic and pull in at Pizza Hut, however she didn't notice another car between her and the building. The driver of the second vehicle, a North Wilkesboro man, tried to slow down but couldn't stop in time to avoid a collision. Thankfully no one was hurt in the wreck but estimated damages were placed at $3000.

Vandals Get The Urge To Jump
A North Wilkesboro man called sheriff's deputies after his car was damaged. But this wasn't a case of hit and run. Instead, someone had climbed up on top of the vehicle and repeatedly jumped on it, with enough force to cave in the roof. Despite the damage, no one in the area could recall hearing or seeing anything unusual. An estimated $750 worth of damage was done to the car.

Go Carts Stolen From Local Man
Sheriff's deputies were called out on Tuesday to a home on the Fish Dam Creek Road, after thieves left the property with several go-carts. The vehicles had been stored in an outbuilding, which had been shut and secured the day before. It's not exactly clear how the thieves managed to get inside, as there was no sign of a break-in. There are however two suspects in the case and the investigation continues.

Regional News

Portions Of I-40 Closed In Winston
There could be some delays for anyone driving on I-40 in Winston Salem today. The DOT has shut down the outside lane of I-40 West at the Hanes Mall Boulevard, Exit 188. That portion of highway will be closed until 3pm this afternoon and then later tonight, another section of road will be shut down. Beginning at 11pm, the portion of I-40 West stretching from Exit 188 to Exit 184 will be closed til 5am Friday. There will be a detour that trucks and other vehicles can take if necessary. The roads are being closed as work continues to widen the current bridge on Hanes Mall Boulevard and build an additional one.

State News

Search Continuing For Missing Girl
Officials in Garner North Carolina are looking for a missing girl. 14-yr-old Karla Martinez vanished on December 27th and now police have information that she might have left willingly with an older man. 25-yr-old David Rosas is believed to have picked up Martinez and the two are making their way to Mexico. Martinez is described as being 5'4 ft. weighing 115 lbs. and having hazel eyes and shoulder length hair. Anyone with information is asked to call the Garner Police Department at (919) 772-8810.

More Troops Coming Home
There was some good news announced this week for some military families. Over 600 paratroopers from Fort Bragg are coming home. Members of the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment are returning, after a four month deployment in Iraq. The group, which is called "The Blue Devils", have been deployed three times in the last two years, most recently working to provide security for the elections.

State Treasurer Wants Minimum Wage Up
Some workers here in North Carolina could be getting a bigger paycheck. State Treasurer Richard Moore announced this week that he's in favor of raising the minimum wage to $6.15, a move he said was long overdue. In a speech given to an economic forum on Tuesday, Moore said that when you take inflation into account, the minimum wage is worth less now than it was in 1997. Most business leaders however have come out against the idea, saying that their profits would suffer.

Effort Begins To Lower Gas Tax
State Senator Phil Berger has started the process to lower North Carolina's gas tax. Berger has drafted a bill this week that would cap North Carolina's gas tax at 24.6 percent or as a compromise, simply repeal the new three cent increase. He also tore apart Governor Easley's claim that the money was needed for highway repairs, sighting the fact that over one billion dollars has been borrowed from the highway fund in recent years for different projects. One such project is the Teapot Musuem being built in Sparta.

Preschooler Going To Meet The President
A preschooler is concerned about the president, so she's going to Washington to check on him. Four-yr-old Kennedy Southern heard on a recent news report that threats had been made on President Bush's life. She got her mother to help write a letter to the White House, making sure that everything was ok. Senator Burr's office heard about the girl's letter and also her request to go check up on the president in person, so they arranged to make it happen. Kennedy will get a tour of the White House and possibly a meeting with the president, if his schedule will allow.

Sports Headlines

Hibriten Wins A Game
In high school basketball, looking around the region, the girls team at Hibriten recently ended a two year drought by beating Bessemer City 45-41. Until that game, which was part of the BB&T Tournament, it had been over two years and 36 games since the Lady Panthers had won. This season they stand at 1-10, with West Caldwell coming up next Tuesday.

NC High School Player To Declare His College Choice On TV
Most high school football players announce their choice of college to local newspapers or on the radio. One North Carolina player however will declare his choice to the entire country this Saturday. Crest High linebacker Brandon Spikes will pick between his top three choices during the Army All-America Bowl, which will be broadcast this Saturday on NBC. Spikes, a 6'4 ft 235 lb. Parade All-American, is ranked as the 37th best player in the nation and will be choosing between Alabama, Florida and Virginia Tech.

NCAA Scoreboard
Taking a look at some college basketball action from last night, it was Elon over Wofford 64-61, UNC Asheville knocked off Radford 87-80, Campbell held on to beat Lipscomb 95-91. Appalachian State fell victim to Marshall 64-60. DJ Thompson had 14 points and 3 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers, who drop to 5-8 with the loss. Gardner-Webb beat Belmont 69-67, thanks in part to 16 points from Brian Bender. And UNC Charlotte held on to beat Rhode Island 88-80. Curtis Withers was big for the 49ers, as he had 25 points and 5 rebounds on the day.

NBA: Charlotte vs. Boston
Still short handed thanks to injuries, the Charlotte Bobcats gave it all they had but fell just short in a 109-106 loss to Boston. The Bobcats were led by Gerald Wallace, who had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 steals on the day. The team drops to 10-22 with the loss, as they get set to take on Orlando this coming Saturday.

NHL: Atlanta vs. Carolina
In the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes kept their winning streak alive with a 4-3 victory over Atlanta. Cory Stillman led Carolina with two goals and two assists, as the team improves to 25-10 on the season.

News & Sports For Wednesday January 4th 2006

News From County Commissioners' Meeting

Wilkes County Commissioners met last night and discussed several items on the agenda. A request was made by COunty Manager Gary Page, on behalf of the Wilkes Senior Center. The Center has applied for a General Purpose Grant of $5454, but the grant requires a partial match of support from the local area as well. County commissioners agreed to match the funds, which would mean a contribution of $1818 from Wilkes. Final approval was also given for Phase Four of the Hidden Falls subdivision, which totals 8.93 acres broken up into four seperate plots of land. In addition, the county budget was amended, after a reimbursement from insurance for repairs to a EMS ambulance. $7950 was added back into the EMS budget. Also money no longer needed to help pay the Lowes Investment agreement was transferred, to be used in renovating the building below the county offices. When renovations are finished, that is to be the new home of the Veteran's Services office. $30,000 was approved by the commissioners to use in the request. Beth Lovette, Wilkes County's Health Director also had some items to put before commissioners. She presented Dr. Max Colwell for a three year term on the Board of Health, serving as the veterinarian on the board. Dr. Colwell was approved and will begin serving immediately. He takes over from Dr. Bill Hewat, who had to resign as he is moving out of the state. Also it was asked that Zach Henderson be re-appointed as the county commissioner on the Board of Health, a motion that was approved as well. Finally, commissioners approveda resolution passed by the Board of Health. The resolution asks for assistance from the State Health Director in dealing with influenza. Specifically asking for enough federal funding to support a strong vaccine program and guaranteed prices for the vaccine, to be used as a incentive for companies to make more of it.

Wilkes County Flu Clinic This Saturday
Good news for anyone suffering from the flu here in Wilkes. The county's health department will be hosting a flu shot clinic on Saturday January 7th. The clinic, held in connection with Wilkes Regional Medical Center, will be from 8am til 3pm and appointments must be made in advance. So far people in North Carolina have managed to avoid a major flu outbreak, with just two reported cases across the entire state. Still, with several months still left in this year's flu season, it helps to be prepared. Another thing to consider, with the peak of flu season still on the way, it's important to get the vaccine now, as it takes 2 weeks to build up immunity to the virus. To make an appointment for Saturday's clinic, all you have to do is call the Health Department at 651-7450.

Vandals Open Up The New Year At Freedom Homes
A group of vandals opened up the New Year by causing $800 in damage to some property. Wilkesboro police were called out on Monday to Freedom Homes, after employees found several of the units had been broke into and damaged. In two of the homes, the door and lock had been busted, while in the third the vandals shattered glass in the door and climbed in. Nothing was taken from the inside and no other signs of damage could be found. That investigation continues.

New Law Puts Parents At Fault For Tardy Kids
Parents in Wilkes County might face jail time if their kids are late to school. Thanks to a new state law, which took effect in December, the responsibility will be placed on the parent or guardian to make sure their child is in class. After six unexcused absences, parents will be notified by the school and a counselor will be sent out, to determine what the problem is and how to fix it. If the student continues to stay out and reaches 10 unexcused absences, then another phone call will be made both to the parents and also the local district attorney. Under the old laws, parents would then face 30 days in jail but now, that term will increase to a full six months.

Wreck On 421 Totals Two
It's always a good idea to look before you leap. A man from Erwin North Carolina learned over New Year's that applies to the highway as well. He was involved in a two car wreck over the holiday on Hwy 421 that totaled both vehicles. The man was driving on the outside lane and attempted to switch, but didn't notice another car beside him. He hit the other vehicle and spun out, crashing into the median. Meanwhile the second car crashed into a nearby guardrail. Wilkes EMS was called out by the driver of the first vehicle refused treatment. An estimated $28,000 worth of damage was done in the wreck.

Natural Gas Bills To Drop This Month
If you use natural gas to heat your home, it will be a little cheaper to do so starting next month. The North Carolina Utilities Commission agreed to cut rates for PSNC Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas by 12%. The move, which was passed Tuesday morning, adds up to an average of $20 saved each month. The rate decrease will be placed retroactive to January 1st, but customers shouldn't expect the savings to appear on their bills until February. The reason being that next month's bill will reflect the January gas usage.

Beware Of Medicare Scams
By now most people who are on Medicare have recieved a letter in the mail, explaining what we first told you in a news series back in December. That starting this past Sunday, everyone on Medicare will now have access to prescription drug coverage. Unfortunately, with that option a lot of scams have already popped up. People are getting phone calls from con artists pretending to be representing a private health insurance company. Please be warned, no legit health insurance representative would ask for your personal information over the phone. Under the new law, insurance providers are not allowed to market their plans by going door to door or through your email. The only information they can obtain over the phone is your mailing address, to which a copy of their plan can be sent. And you can check to see if the provider that called you is legit by using the toll-free Medicare hotline 1-800-633-4227. It's available to be used 24 hours a day.Stay tuned this Thursday as Brian Carlton will be talking with Dr. Merrill Matthews from the Council for Affordable Health Insurance on Focus on the Foothills. The conversation is a follow-up to their earlier segment last month on the news as Dr. Matthews and Brian will be taking a look at changes in coverage. Also they'll be discussing the positives and negatives, along with places you can go to get information about the different plans being offered. That's tomorrow on Focus, right after the midday stock report at 1:05pm.

3WC Healthwatch: Vitamin D Is The Key
So are you loading up on fiber to try and prevent cancer? You can lay off the bread as there's another way to possibly prevent the disease, as we explain in today's 3WC Healthwatch. Officials at the University of California at San Diego have released a study showing that Vitamin D plays a larger part than previously thought in the battle against cancer, reducing the risk by as much as 50%. The study will appear in next month's American Journal of Public Health. Vitamin D helps balance calcium and phosphorous in your blood, but what many people don't know is that it also helps regulate cell growth and determine what a cell becomes. A lack of the vitamin weakens the body's defense, as there's nothing left to regulate the cell and it is more suseptible to cancer. So how can you get enough Vitamin D? People age 19-50 should get about 200 IUs a day of the vitamin, which balances out to at least two glasses of milk. People 50-70 should get 400 IUs and those 70 and older should get 700. In addition to milk, you can get enough vitamin D by taking walks and getting exposed to Vitamin D put off by the sun. Also it can be found in yogurt, cheese, orange juice and fatty fish. For example, one serving of salmon has 360 IUs, while a tablespoon of cod liver oil holds 2400.

New Year's Crash Leads To Drug Arrest
A Wilkesboro man was arrested for drug possession after wrecking his car. The incident happened on New Year's Eve, as police were called out to the scene of a collision on Edgewood Road. Once at the scene, they found a crack pipe with residue lying in the driver's seat. 47-yr-old Jae Roscoe Somers admitted to smoking crack cocaine and was arrested. He was charged with drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The residue from the pipe was sent off to the state lab for analysis and the charges are pending until the results come in.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
The Red Cross finds itself in need of help as we head into a new year. The local chapter continues to sell cookbooks, to help raise the money it needs to cover costs of daily operations, in addition to the funds used to help victims of the recent hurricanes. The cost of a cookbook is $10 and it contains recipes from chapter members along with their family and friends. For more information or to purchase one, you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

State News

Section Of NC To Test Census
A section of North Carolina will be one of the test sites for the US Census Bureau. In preparation for the 2010 census, Fayetteville and the surrounding area will be a guinea pig for the new procedures and technology. All new questionaires, computers and software are being used, so a trial run of sorts will be performed in 2008, taking place in California and North Carolina. Right now offices are being built and later on hundreds of workers will be hired for the event, which will cover Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond and Scotland counties. Officials said that they chose the region because of its' unique mix of urban, rural and suburban areas including several military bases.

Bank Robbery Tuesday In Cornelius
Officials are investigating after a bank robbery Tuesday morning. The incident happened at the Mooresville Savings Bank in Cornelius. Witnesses reported that just before 10am, a white man came in carrying a gun and demanded money. After getting the cash, he took a teller hostage and made his escape. The teller was later released at a nearby Bi-Lo store. The FBI has been called in to help in the investigation. Witness reports place the suspect about 6 feet tall, with brown hair and a brown tweed jacket to go along with a creme-colored turtleneck.

Secretary Of State Honored
North Carolina's Secretary of State was honored recently by the Recording Industry of America. Elaine Marshall was given a framed gold record in honor of her work to fight music piracy. Also Marshal was given a plaque by Underwriters Laboratories and an award by the INternational Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. The awards were handed out just as a new anti-counterfeit task force was sworned in to stop the sale of fake merchandise here in North Carolina. The task force consists of officers from several county and state law enforcement agencies.

Officials Hunting Kidnapped Woman In Lee County
Officials in Lee County North Carolina are asking for help in searching for a kidnapped woman today. Early Monday morning, a masked gunman burst into a home in the area and grabbed a woman before taking off. The woman, Julie Michelle Bullard had been visiting a friend's house when the incident occured. The others in the house were tied up and unharmed. Nothing was stolen from the home and it's unknown why Bullard was taken, as no one in the group recognized the suspect. Julie Bullard is described as being 5'2 ft. and weighing 125 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials are asking anyone with information to call their local sheriff's department.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball
Around the high school scene last night, West Wilkes beat Alleghany 77-31 in a Northwest 1-A conference battle. Also in Coach Tommy Johnson's return to the Eagle's Nest, the North Wilkes Vikings gave it all they had but just couldn't seal the deal as Wilkes Central won 83-74.
On the girls side of the court, it was the Lady Eagles over North Wilkes 66-34. Also Alleghany beat the Lady Blackhawks of West Wilkes 44-23.

NCAA Hoops Scoreboard
Taking a look at scores from around the college basketball scene, it was Coastal Carolina over St. Andrews Presbyterian 84-70. Also Old Dominion beat UNC Wilmington 64-59. In the ACC the NC State Wolfpack had no problem taking care of UNC Greensboro 83-52. Tony Bethel had 20 points to lead the Wolfpack, who improve to 12-1 with the win. Kyle Hines had 18 for the Spartans, who drop to 7-7. Also the UNC Tarheels beat Davidson 82-58. Tyler Hansborough was the problem solver for the Tarheels, finishing with 23 points on the night. With the win, Carolina improves to 8-2 on the season.

NC State Star Going Pro
NC State is going to be one man short when their football team takes the field next season. Defensive end Mario Williams announced on Tuesday that he plans to enter the NFL draft. This year, Williams set school records for sacks at 15 and tackles for a loss at 27.5. He made the first team All-ACC this season and has already been ranked as a top ten pick by most NFL scouts.

Smith Finishes Regular Season With Record
As the Carolina Panthers prepare to face New York this Sunday, wide receiver Steve Smith continues to pull in the records. He's set franchise records with 103 catches and 1563 receiving yards this season. Both of those marks were also good enough to lead the NFL. Smith and the Panthers will take on the New York Giants this Sunday at 1pm.

NASCAR Drivers Going Sledding
Several NASCAR drivers are heading to the ice this week, to raise money for the Olympics. Ken Schrader, Boris Said, Kevin Lepage and eight other drivers are all suiting up to race bobsleds. On Thursday, they will all take part in the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, designed to help raise money for the U.S. men and women's Olympic bobsled teams. Money from the event has helped to outfit the teams with the latest NASCAR technology in designing and manufacturing their sleds.

News & Sports For January 3rd

Sheriff's Deputy Facing Charges
A Wilkes County sheriff's deputy is facing charges today. 30-yr-old Brian Wayne McGuire has been charged with causing injury to a prisoner. after a series of incidents over the past two weeks. McGuire was checking the cellblock area sometime between December 18th and December 20th, using a Krypton bulb flashlight. After getting into a conversation with inmates about how hot the light was, McGuire then offered a cigarette to anyone who would hold the light against their skin for five minutes. 36-yr-old Tony Oliver agreed to the deal and later had an infected blister caused by the light. He filed a grievance after being treated by the jail physician. Later on it was discovered that a second inmate, 27-yr-old Boyd Cleary, also agreed to the deal and had to undergo treatment for the same injury. McGuire has since been let go by the sheriff's department and has been charged with causing injury to a prisoner. Additional charges are pending as the investigation continues.

Unemployment Drops In Wilkes
The economic numbers look better for Wilkes County as we begin a new year. Unemployment fell to 5.5% by the end of November, but that also takes into account a lot of seasonal jobs that didn't last beyond the holidays. The labor force in Wilkes also continunes to shrink, following a trend started back last summer. By the end of June 2005, 32,568 people were reported as part of the local workforce, according to the Employment Security Commission. By the end of November, that number had dropped to 32,078, a loss of 490 people over the last six months. Wilkes stays above the state unemployment average, which is 5.2%

Wilkes County In Top 100 Places To Farm
If you're looking for a place to grow crops, you don't need to go any further than out your front door. Wilkes County has been named one of the Top 100 Places To Farm, thanks to a recent article. The piece, which appeared in Farm Futures magazine, ranked Wilkes 88th out of the Top 100. Sampson County here in North Carolina was ranked 1st, with nearby Duplin County second and Monterey County in California wrapping up the top three. Wilkes meanwhile beat out places like Cook County Georgia (91st) and Edgar County in Illinois (96th). The rankings were based on information from the Agriculture Census from 1987-2002. The main things examined were net profits per farm, sales growth, profit growth and profit margin. You can read the article by logging on to www.farmfutures.com and type in Hotbeds of Profitability on the website's search engine.

Power Bills To Possibly Decline
Good news for any Duke Power customers in the area today. Your power bill could be declining later on this month. As a way to win approval for its' upcoming merger with Cinergy Corporation, Duke Power announced this week that it'll be cuting rates by an average of 3.3%. The only catch is this rate drop won't take effect until the merger is finalized, which probably won't be until the middle of this month. The merger with Cinergy will save Duke Power an estimated $655 million over the next five years alone. As a stipulation of the agreement, Duke Power can't raise rates during that time as a way of passing on their costs to North Carolina customers.

Blood Drive Going On Today
1500 pints of blood are needed on an average day here in North Carolina. With rain in the forecast, the need increases with the possibilty of wrecks or other injuries. The Red Cross is trying to plan ahead and solve the problem, with a blood drive later today at Wilkesboro Civic Center. It will last from 2-6:30pm and is open to anyone who wants to give, with some exceptions. You must be at least 18 years old and weigh no less than 110 lbs before donating. To call ahead for an appointment the Red Cross number is 838-4563.

Check Road Conditions Before Leaving
With rain and wind in the forecast, it's important to know what road conditions are like across the county. For people in Wilkes, that can be accessed now on the internet by visiting the state DOT webpage at www.ncdot.org. You can also check out information on proposed road projects and how the weather might affect both their schedule and your traffic conditions at www.ncdot.org/projects/wilkescounty/. There you will find information on public meetings, schedules, and area maps.

Wilkes Cares Needs Help
As we head into the new year, many families face a struggle to put food on the table. Wilkes Cares has been there to help, providing food and also clothes to needy families here in the county. But now Wilkes Cares is facing a problem of their own, as their shelves are almost empty of food and they don't have enough clothes to give out. One of the major needs is for childrens' coats, especially with winter weather constantly in the forecast. If you have any children's clothes or extra food to donate, you can drop it by to Wilkes Cares. They're located on the Elkin Hwy in North Wilkesboro. You can also call at 838-4900.

State News

Lawmakers Working On Gas Compromise
Some relief from gas prices could be coming for people here in North Carolina. A committee of state lawmakers have gathered together, to work on a solution. They're considering holding a special session of the state House and Senate, to roll back the increased gas tax or to possibly lower the home heating fuel tax also in effect. The moves come without the support of Governor Mike Easley, who doesn't want to lose millions of dollars for road construction in the state. If approved, the reduced taxes would help drivers save an average of 50 cents for each tank of gas.

Fake Police Officer Arrested In Fayetteville
A man who impersonated a police officer for money is in jail today. Fayetteville police arrested Mitchell Morehead on Monday after reports came in that he was pretending to be a cop. Morehead apparently would go up to people, asking for contributions to charity on behalf of the local police department. The Louisiana native is now in the Cumberland jail awaiting his court date.

Carboro Fire Chief Arrested Again
For the second time in less than two weeks, Carrboro's fire chief has found himself behind bars. Chief Rodney Murray was arrested and charged over the weekend with misdemeanor stalking.This comes after Murray is already facing charges thanks to an incident on Christmas Eve. He was found in Durham with his car in a ditch, after telling officers that he had been on the way to a girlfriend's house. Murray was charged with DWI and making harassing phone calls. 2005 marked 11 years Murray had worked with the Carrboro Fire Department.

Independence Air Going Under
North Carolina travelers have one less option when they want to fly. Independence Air announced on Monday that it will be closing down all operations effective this week. Everything will close down at 7pm this Thursday, less than two years after the company first got started. Financial problems were to blame, as Independence hadn't been able to find a major investor to get them out of bankruptcy. The company is working to contact all passengers who were to fly back home after Thursday, to try and arrange earlier trips.

Fayetteville Police Officer Shot
Officials in Fayetteville are searching for a suspect today after a local police officer was gunned down Sunday night. The officer had stopped a blue truck, because its' driver was a suspect in two earlier shootings. After finally stopping the vehicle near Methodist College, the officer, whose name has not been released, attempted to walk up to the driver's side, where he was shot. The truck then drove away, but witnesses were able to get help in time to get the officer to the hospital. No other information has been released at this time.

Sports Headlines

High School Basketball In Action Tonight
School is back in session and tonight the high school basketball season resumes as well. East Wilkes will be on the road gainst North Stokes, while West Wilkes is at home against Alleghany. Then in our 3WC Game of the Week, Coach Tommy Johnson makes his return to Wilkes Central. We'll go on the air at 7pm with the pregame show, then join Ken Byrd and Keith Briand for the girls' varsity game.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the college basketball scene last night, it was Belmont over Campbell 102-91, also Lipscomb over Gardner-Webb 70-58. The Bulldogs had four scorers in double figures, but lost the rebounding battle, as Lipscomb had 32 to their 23. Also Simon Conn went cold, putting up only 11 points on the game. The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 5-5 on the season. Finally, it was all Duke all the time as the Blue Devils cruised to a 84-50 win over Bucknell. Sheldon Williams had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks to lead the Blue Devils, who also got 22 from J.J. Redick. Duke is now 13-0 on the season with their next game coming this Sunday against Wake Forest.

North Carolina Recruit Sticking Around
The Tarheels got some good news for their basketball team this weekend. Recruit Wayne Ellington plans on sticking around for a while. The 6-4 Ellington, who's ranked as one of the nation's top five high school players, says that his goal is to bring another championship to Chapel Hill. He also said that he plans to stick around for more than one season and develop his game, which he doesn't believe is ready for the NBA level.

Quarterback Leaves Duke
Duke's football program will be one man short next season. Quarterback Mike Schneider announced this week that he's planning to transfer. The junior was the Blue Devil's starting quarterback over the past two seasons, before being replaced by freshman Zach Assack. The problem has been interceptions with Schneider, as he's tossed for 19 of them over his three year career at Duke, while only putting up 12 touchdowns. Schneider said that he plans to transfer to a Division I-AA school, so he'll be eligible to play next fall.

NBA: Charlotte vs. New Orleans
Injuries finally caught up with the Charlotte Bobcats last night. Even though the team fought hard, they couldn't make up for the loss of Emeka Okafor, Sean May and Jake Voskul, all out with injuries. Point guard Brevin Knight led Charlotte with 19 points and 4 assists, as the Bobcats fall to 10-21 on the year.

News & Sports For January 2nd

New Year Brings New Laws
With the calender turning over, there are several changes in store for both Wilkes County and North Carolina as a whole. 37 different laws went into effect on Sunday, many of which will affect life here in Wilkes. Anyone who is covered by both Medicaid and Medicare will now be transfered over to Medicare only for prescription drug coverage. The move isn't expected to change anything about the coverage itself, but it will save North Carolina $75 million a year. Taxes on cable TV are also on the rise, moving from the current 5% to 7% with your next bill. Satellite radio will start being taxed at an annual rate of 7% as well. Flying U.S. or North Carolina flags as large as four feet wide and 6 feet long will no longer be restricted by any homeowner association, unless the rule is clearly spelled out in the documents owners receive when coming into the area.

Consumers Still Need To Pay Attention To Dog Food Recall
The recall continues of a specific brand of pet food here in Wilkes and across North Carolina. Several animals in North and South Carolina have already died after being exposed to certain types of Diamond Pet Food. Included in the recall are all brands that were produced at the company's Gaston South Carolina facility, due to a toxic chemical that was discovered. The chemical aflatoxin, which is found in corn that's been infected with a certain type of fungus, was located in several cans of the food. It can make a pet sluggish and even in some cases cause sudden death. North Carolina's Agricultural Commissioner Steve Troxler is asking pet owners to get in touch with their local vet immediately if their pet has been weak, sluggish or just generally out of sorts. The brands involved are:
All types of Diamond Dog and Puppy Food
All types of Country Value Dog and Puppy Food
All types of Professional Dog, Puppy and Cat Food
You can determine if your brand is one of those under recall by checking to see if it has a Gaston facility production code. The South Carolina facility's codes have a capital G as either the 11th or 12th letter. Also those brands all have a sell by date of anywhere from March 1-June 1st 2007. Also now all Diamond brand dog foods with a sell by date of January 29th 2007 have been included.

Always Keep The Doors Locked
It's a good idea to always lock up before you leave. A Traphill man learned why last week, when he went to go check on a mobile home he owns in North Wilkesboro. He had been renting the place out, but the person moved out. As the owner came in to clean up, he found several hundred dollars worth of material was missing. The microwave oven, several lamps, some of the furniture and a set of matresses had all been stolen. The thieves walked right in and took what they wanted, as the doors hadn't been locked. That investigation continues.

Wilkes County Receives Heritage Grants
Wilkes County got a shot in the arm, moving into the new year. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area announced late last week that they've handed out just over $23,000 to Wilkes, to help promote the local heritage. A grant of $14,400 was given to the Cultural Arts Council, to help in developing their "fresco trail", a tourist attraction of different sites where painter Ben Long has created frescos. Also $8800 was handed over to Wilkes Community College, to support their upcoming "Merlefest at 20" project. Each of the grants require matching support from the local area.

All That For A Dartboard
Who would break in just to steal a dartboard? That's what a North Wilkesboro man is wondering today. He called sheriff's deputies out to his property late last week after thieves broke in and stole his $40 dartboard. The front door was unlocked when the homeowner returned, although it's unclear what happened as there was no evidence of a break-in. There is however a suspect in the case and the investigation continues.

Wilkes Farmers Will See Tax Breaks In New Year
The new year brings some good news for Wilkes County farmers. There will be a tax break coming for all farmers here in North Carolina on supplies and farm equipment. Certain items are now exempt from all sales and use tax, including grain, feed or soybean storage equipment. Also exempt are all farm machinery parts, attachments, lubricants and repair parts. In addition, farmers won't have to pay sales tax on any containers bought to use in planting, cultivating, harvesting, packaging or transporting farm products. Under the previous law, those products all had a tax assessed of 1%. In order to have proof on hand that they qualify, farmers need to fill out Form E-595E, known as the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement Certificate of Exemption. The forms are available online at www.dor.state.nc.us/downloads/sales.html or you can also call and get it mailed to you at (877) 252-3052.

Lions Stolen From North Wilkesboro Property
A couple of lions were stolen from a North Wilkesboro man's home over the New Year's holiday. Plastic lions that is. The man returned home to find his yard ornaments had gone missing. Nothing else was taken or touched at the home. There is a suspect in the case and deputies are continuing the investigaton.

Congresswoman Foxx Given Award
5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx was honored over the weekend, as she was given the True Blue Award by the Family Research Council. Representative Foxx is one of 69 members of Congress to receive the award, handed out to those who have a 100% voting record on issues important to families. According to the council, Congresswoman Foxx earned the award thanks to a voting record which includes support to permanently repeal the death tax, opposition to human stem cell research and her support of the public display of the Ten Commandments among other things.

Thieves Run Off With License Plate
A Ferguson man was visiting a friend's house in Boomer over the New Year's holiday when thieves targeted his car. The man came outside to find his license plate had been ripped off. Nothing else was touched on the vehicle and no one in the area could recall seeing or hearing anything going on. That investigation is ongoing.

Regional News
A popular Surry County Restaurant was destroyed by fire over the weekend. Officials say the Saturday fire at Aunt Bea's restaurant on Andy Griffith Parkway started in one of ovens and has been ruled accidential. Damages are estimated at $450,000.

State News

Jobs Coming To Nash County
Good news for people in Nash County today. Eagle Press announced over the weekend that the company will be expanding its’ operation over the next three years. The move will bring in 39 new jobs, thanks in part to a grant of $25,000 from North Carolina. The company makes cards, envelopes and letterhead for businesses.

Military Families Get Present For New Year
Several military families in North Carolina received a present for New Years. 260 soldiers returned home this weekend from Iraq. The troops were part of the 3rd Attack Battalion, 3rd Aviation Brigade and arrived Saturday at Fort Bragg. Due to the recent restructuring of the military, most of the battalion will have to be on the move again. This time they’ll be heading to Fort Stewart in Georgia as a permanent post.

Bomb Threat Shuts Down Hillsborough Wal-Mart
The Wal-Mart in Hillsborough was shut down this weekend, after a bomb threat. The message “Bomb in Store” was discovered on a bathroom wall, leading to an evacuation and closing of the building. Local officials searched the area with a bomb sniffing dog, but couldn’t locate any explosives. Four hours later the store was reopened without any problems.

Jobs On The Way To Thomasville
More jobs are on the way for people living in the Thomasville area. Wilderness NC Inc., a company that makes wood products, announced that it will be bringing a plant to the area. The company plans to use an abandoned complex next to U.S. 64 and will start hiring 15 people to begin with. By the end of 2006, the plan is to have 30 people on staff, with an additional 40 to come after that.

Sports Headlines

NCAA Basketball Scoreboard
Taking a look at the college basketball scene this weekend, it was East Carolina beating UNC Wilmington 82-69. Wilmington drops to 9-4, while East Carolina improves to 5-6. Appalachian State knocked off Duquesne 71-68. DJ Thompson led the Mountaineers with 23 points as the team improves to 5-7, dead last in the Southern Conference’s North division. UNC Charlotte got back into the win column with a 92-59 beatdown of UNC Asheville.Curtis Withers led Charlotte with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. With the win, Charlotte is 7-5 on the season. Finally it was Duke beating UNC Greensboro thanks to 35 points from J.J. Reddick

NC State Wins Meineke Car Care Bowl
The NC State Wolfpack finished 2005 on a winning note, as they beat South Florida 14-0 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Marcus Stone tossed for 127 yards and a touchdown, as State finishes the season at 7-5.

North Carolina Has New Offensive Coordinator
The search is over for a new offensive coordinator at Chapel Hill. The Tarheels will introduce their newest assistant, Frank Cignetti later this week. Cignetti left his job as offensive coordinator at Fresno State to join the Tarheels. He’ll be replacing Gary Tranquill at the position, as Tranquill has announced his plans to retire.

Panthers Make The Playoffs
The Carolina Panthers did something on Sunday they hadn’t accomplished since 1997. The beat the Falcons in Atlanta, winning by a blowout score of 44-11. Jake Delhomme and most of the starters took a seat in the 4th quarter, after sacking Michael Vick twice and beating up on the Falcons defense. Delhomme tossed for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Deshaun Foster rushed for 165 yards. With the win, Carolina secured a wildcard spot in the playoffs and finished the regular season at 11-5.

NBA: Phoenix At Charlotte
In the NBA, they came close but just couldn’t seal the deal as the Charlotte Bobcats lost to Phoenix 110-100 this weekend. Charlotte was led by Gerald Wallace, who had 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. The loss drops the Bobcats to 10-20 as they enter the new year.

Hurricanes Knock Off Montreal
The Carolina Hurricanes wrapped up 2005 with a win, beating Montreal 5-3 on Saturday. Rod Brind’Amour had two goals to lead Carolina, who improves to 24-10 and stays atop the Southeastern Conference.