News & Sports For November 14th

Fire At Rendezvous Mountain Spread From Exercise
A fire late last week at Rendezvous Mountain turns out to be the result of a training exercise that got out of hand. 38 acres of the forest burned before firefighters were able to get it under control on Thursday, with crews from both Millers Creek and Wilbar responding. Strong winds that blew through the area are apparently at fault, as they fanned the flames that had been created as part of a controlled burn. The mini-fire had been started for training exercises in the area, but soon grew out of control thanks to the wind.

Last Week For Energy Applications
With the economy still struggling here in the area, it can be hard at times for people to afford to pay their heating bill. But there is help, if you qualify. Social Service here in Wilkes has been taking applications for their Low Income Energy Assistance Program. This is the final week for people to come in and apply, which you can do at the Social Service office, located on College Street in Wilkesboro. Applications will be taken from today until this coming Friday anytime from 8:30am til 5pm. Also this Wednesday you can apply at the Clingman Family Resource Center. This will be a one time credit to help in paying for your heating costs this winter.You can call Social Services for more information at 651-7400.

Thieves Break Into Home On Dowridge Lane
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on DowRidge Lane last week, after thieves paid a visit to the residence. It appears the thieves climbed through a window to get inside, shattering the double pained glass and ripping out the screen. All total an estimated $175 worth of damage was done to the property. Once inside, they took $200 in loose change, a watch and three packs of Marlboro cigarettes. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Blood Drive Today At Pilgrim Baptist
Throughout the last week, several blood drives have been going on here in Wilkes County and we've been telling you about the need as supplies hang around critical levels. What you may not know is the fact that blood taken from drives here in the county isn't used just for Wilkes, but also Alleghany and the surrounding area. As those parts of the state are also struggling to keep a day's supply, blood has to be sent out to lend a hand. To do that and also provide more supplies for Wilkes, a drive is going on today at Pilgrim Baptist Church from 2:30-7pm. You can either make an appointment by calling the Red Cross at 838-4563 or simply show up and they'll take you as soon as possible.

Thieves Run Off With Wilkesboro Man's License Plate
Who would steal a license plate? That's what a Wilkesboro man is wondering today, after stepping outside this weekend to find his had been taken. The man had parked his car at home and was going inside when he noticed the license plate was missing. There wasn't any damage done to the vehicle and nothing taken from inside, virtually no indications that a thief had been around. Sheriff's deputies were called out and the investigation is ongoing.

Muzz's Gym To Help Support St. Jude's Hospital
Coming up this Saturday, working out at Muzz’s Gym can also help a good cause. The gym is holding a weightlifting competition on Saturday, November 19th to benefit St. Jude Children’s hospital. A bench press contest will be going on, with divisions for women, teen men, adult men and men over 40. Money raised from the contest will go to help St. Jude’s work to treat children dealing with cancer and other life threatening diseases. To sign up for the contest or to make a donation you an call 838-4345.

Wilkes Art Gallery Opens Christmas Show This Friday
Coming up this Friday, the Wilkes Art Gallery will begin its’ Annual Christmas Show and Sale. The event runs from Friday Nvember 18th til Christmas Eve. As a kickoff to the event, a reception will be held from 6-8pm at the Gallery this Friday, to coincide with the annual Light-Up Downtown celebration going on throughout the night. Over 50 different artists from here in the region will have their work on display during the show.

3WC Healthwatch: Sleep Or Fail
The amount of sleep a student gets could determine if they pass or fail, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. A study was finished at Brown Medical School last week that took 74 kids, ages ranging from 6 to 12 years old and deprived them of sleep, letting them stay up as late as they wanted over a three week period. What they found wasn’t so much that the kids were tired, but rather their memory didn’t perform as well and also those who were deprived of sleep weren’t as creative as those who had gotten their rest. So how much sleep do kids need? According to specialists, 10 hours a night is suggested for elementary school students, while teenagers need at least 8.

State News

Raises Could Mean Problems For College Students
Some bad news today for students at colleges in the UNC system. The extra money put forth by the state isn’t going to help buy books or rebuild facilities. Instead, raises of anywhere from 8-16% have been approved for all of the university chancellors. This is in addition to a 2% raise given out to the chancellors already this year, along with all other state workers. Money for the move came from a special fund set aside by state lawmakers for that purpose.

Rewards Being Offered In Greensboro Investigation
Police in Greensboro are looking for help in solving a case of arson that went on over the weekend. A home on Park Avenue was torched with massive damage done. There were holes left in the roof and most of the rooms were gutted. Rewards are being offered for any information that can be given to Greensboro police. The number to call is 1-800-334-3000.

Skeleton Found In Harnett County
Boys investigating an abandoned house in Harnett County got a surprise this weekend. After climbing up into the collapsed ceiling of the home, they found a skeleton. The home caught fire more than a year ago, in December of 2003 and according to police had been abandoned for some time. But now it appears someone could have been caught in that fire or possibly left there later on. An investigation into the discovery is ongoing.

Parts Of History Up For Sale
In Albermarle, pieces of history are going up for sale this week. A news report from 1800, the original Gettysburg Address as printed in the New York Tribune and the first published photos of the Wright Brothers’ successful flight are all up for auction among other things, as a local collector tries to help a needy charity. Richard and Phyllis Davis have collected all these things over their lifetime, but are giving all proceeds away to Hopeline, a womens’ shelter in the area that needs a new home. It’s the only shelter for victims of domestic abuse in a six county area around Albermarle.

Water Restrictions Continue In Raleigh
While the mountain counties have experienced a slight bit of rain over the last few days, certain portions of the state still remain near drought status. To help keep the water running, Raleigh’s City Council has approved new restrictions that would hit offenders hard in the wallet. From now one, first time violators will have to pay $1000 for each offense, that’s up from the original target of $50. Lawns in the area can only be watered twice a week and if officials catch repeat offenders, those people will run the risk of having their water shut off. The reason for the increased restrictions is that the local water supply in Raleigh is down 8 feet from its’ regular levels.

Sports Headlines

High School Scoreboard
The playoffs kicked off in high school football this weekend and two Wilkes County teams were in the running. For West Wilkes, the season came to an end on a heartbreaking note, as they lost to Mount Airy 14-10. West had the Bears pinned down deep in their own territory, but Josh Johnson tossed a 65 yard touchdown bomb to give Mt. Airy the win. Meanwhile East Wilkes played at home against North Stokes and completely dominated, winning 27-12. The number seven ranked Cardinals will head up the road to Cherokee this Friday for a second round game.

ACC Scoreboard
In ACC football action, it was NC State falling to Boston College 30-10. State will have to win both of their remaining games to have a shot at the postseason. The UNC Tarheels find themselves in a similar position, after a 33-30 loss at home against Maryland. At 4-5, the Heels will have to beat both Duke and Virginia Tech to be eligible for a bowl bid. The news wasn’t any better for Wake Forest, who was blown out by Miami 47-17.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the rest of the NCAA, it was Tulsa beating East Carolina 45-13, Elon losing to the Citadel 21-0, Gardner-Webb beating Savannah State 31-21 and Appalachian State won the Battle for the Mountain Jug as they beat Western Carolina 35-7. Quarterback Richie Williams tossed for two touchdowns as the Mountaineers improve to 7-3 on the year.

Panthers Run Over Jets At Home
The Carolina Panthers made it six straight wins on Sunday, as they ran over the New York Jets by a score of 30-3. Stephen Davis ran for 81 yards and set a new team record with his 12th rushing touchdown of the season, as the Panthers improve to 7-2 on the year. Next week Carolina will head on the road to take on the Chicago Bears.

Hurricanes See Streak End
In the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes saw their winning streak come to an end, as they fell to the Atlanta Thrashers 9-0. The loss drops Carolina to 12-3 but they still stay in first place in the Southeast Conference.

Bobcats Lose In Miami
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats gave it their best shot but came up just short against Miami. The Bobcats lost 108-99, dropping to 2-5 on the year despite Sean May’s best game of the season. The rookie from UNC had a team high 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a block. Next up is Orlando tomorrow night.

NASCAR Results
Around the Nextel Cup circuit, Kyle Busch took the checkered flag Sunday at Phoenix International Speedway. Greg Biffle came in second, Jeff Gordon third, Tony Stewart was fourth and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top five. But while the younger Busch brother was in victory lane, the older one saw his chance at a championship vanish as Kurt Busch was suspended for the rest of the season. Roush Racing pulled the plug on Busch after a run-in with police on Friday. When Busch was pulled over, officers said that he smelled like alcohol and was harassing them. Heading into Sunday’s race, Busch was eighth in the Chase for the Cup.

News & Sports For November 10th

Focus On The Darkness
A new campaign is starting across the nation, helping to raise support for all Pregnancy Care Centers in the Country. Called Lighting The Darkness, it's an idea that was put together by a group including the project's national director, Rick Gathman. Rick will be Brian's guest this week for Focus on the Foothills, as they'll be discussing the campaign and how people can get involved if they want to do that. It's coming up today at 1:05pm, right after the midday stock report.

Trailer Stolen From Local Business
Wilkesboro police were called out to the Hartzog Implement Company on Tuesday, after several landscaping trailers went missing. An employee was doing inventory Tuesday afternoon and discovered the missing trailers, estimated at $775. That investigation is ongoing.

Big Plans Coming For Wilkes Habitat
In the coming weeks, the Wilkes Habitat for Humanity offices will be a little easier to find. They're going to be moving into the old Woodward Middle School, which is owned now by the Brushy Mountain Baptist Convention. A date for the moving hasn't been set yet, although when it does come, volunteers will be needed to help with the cleanup. In addition to their office, Habitat will also be opening a retail store in the Woodward building in the coming months. Salvaged and donated building supplies will be for sale, with all the proceeds going to help fund upcoming Habitat worksites.

Be Careful Where You Put Your Wallet
Be careful where you lay your wallet. That's the lesson a Wilkesboro man learned this week. He was leaving a local restaurant when he put the wallet on the top of his car, then drove off down the road. When he realized where he had left it, the wallet was gone and there was no sign of it on the road. Included inside were several credit cards, his driver's license, social securiy card and other items, totaling just under one thousand dollars in value. There are no suspects in the case but that investigation continues.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
The Red Cross finds itself in need of help as we enter the month of November. 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.

Just Came In To Have A Look Around
A Wilkesboro business was damaged by some would be thieves earlier this week. Thieves pried open the front door at the Tax Professionals office, also knocking some windows off track before unlocking and leaving through the back door. However despite the damage, nothing was taken or touched inside the business. A witness at the scene described two men who were hanging around near the back door and gave their information over to Wilkesboro police. That investigation continues.

Training Session For Pregnancy Center Coming Up
As we start the month of November, the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center finds itself in need of help. The Center is looking for volunteers, however before someone can begin helping, they need to go through a training session. Starting today, there will be a three day training session that will last through this Saturday November 12th. The sessions last for 2 ½ hours tonight and Friday, then wrap up with a three hour session on Saturday. For more information about what training involves or if you want to sign up, you can call the Center at 838-9272.

Elizabeth Dole Dealing With Wilkes Issues
A representative from Senator Elizabeth Dole will be in Wilkes today, answering questions and listening to the concerns of local people. That will go on from 10-11am this morning at the Commissioners' Room in the Wilkes County office building. You don't have to make an appointment of any kind, just simply show up to ask questions or talk about anything from issues before Congress to concerns with federal agencies. Once again that's from 10-11am today at the Commissioners' Room in the Wilkes County office building.

Wilkes Open Forum Tonight
There can be a lot of questions when dealing with how we want to be treated at the end of our lives. As we saw in the Terry Shivo case, it's important to know your rights and have them documented. But how can you do that and what's involved? Coming up tonight, the Wilkes Open Forum will hold a panel discussion put on by Hospice and Home Health of Wilkes. The discussion will be free to the public and questions will be answered, dealing with Living Wills and what exactly a Healthcare Power of Attorney is, among other things. That's tonight at 6pm, in the Wilkes County Library.

State News

Three Charged In Appalachian State Murder
On Tuesday morning, officials in Watauga County found a grusome sight when they discovered the body of an Appalachian State student lying in the trunk of his car. 19-yr-old Stephen Harrington had been a sophomore at the college and was found after authorities noticed smoke coming from the trunk. Harrington had been burned to death. The boy's car was found in Foscoe, a small community just outside of Boone. Now less than two days later, three suspects are in custody. 20-yr-old Matthew Dalrymple, 21-yr-old Kyle Triplett and 24-yr-old Neil Sargeant are all facing criminal charges. All three have been charged with first degree murder and while local officials believe they now know why Harrington was killed, the sheriff's department said they didn't want to publically discuss it.

Dole Breaks Ground On Future
Wednesday morning, the Dole Company broke ground on their new production plant in Gaston County. Located in Bessemer City, the salad production plant will employ 525 people over the next three years, before expanding to 900 over the next decade. The workers will be taking fresh vegetables and sorting them out into bags to ship across the southeastern part of the country. Hiring is expected to begin possibly mid to late 2006.

Monroe Police Chief Quits
The town of Monroe got a surprise along with their election results Wednesday morning. The chief of police, David Slusser announced he was resigning, effective immediately. It's unknown why Slusser stepped down, as he had just been hired for the job in June of this year. An interim chief will be named next week but until then, assistant chief Lane Richardson is taking over the post.

$100 Million Cocaine Ring Busted
A 14-month investigation has come to a head in Alamance County, after over a cocaine ring was broken up. The ring, which operated in Alamance, Durham and Guilford counties, was responsible for bringing in over $100 million worth of cocaine into North Carolina over the last two years. The suspects, all of which lived in Alamance County, ranged in age from 21 to 49. Justice Department officials said that a significant organization had been disrupted by the bust.

Only One Student On Corolla School Bus
Officials and parents are colliding today over the use of a school bus in the Outer Banks town of Corolla. Students from Corolla make the trip each day across the Outer Banks to a school in Currituck County, but now some people are questioning if the bus rides should stop. It costs $21,000 each school year to make the trip, which currently has only one rider. School officials have assured the rider's parents and others in the community that as long as one student needs the assistance, they'll have a bus ready to pick him up. All this will change hopefully by next fall, as a dock is still being built for a ferry to take the Corolla kids across the water. That would be a 45 minute ride, as opposed to the 2 1/2 hour bus trip.

Textile Jobs Returning With Imports Slowed
Some good news today for the North Carolina textile industry. A new trade agreement with China has re-established quota limits on how many imported items can be shipped in. Local plants have already seen improvements, according to officials. They said that once quotas were reached, customers started coming back to buy American products and that's led to several laid off workers being offered their old jobs back. The only problem is this is a temporary solution, as the deal runs out in 2008.

Sports Headlines

East Carolina Player Kicked Out Thanks To The NFL
Around the college scene, a member of East Carolina's football team will have to watch the rest of the season from the bench, but not because of the coaching staff. Kicker Robert Grant had been on the roster of an NFL Europe team some six years ago in 1999. He returned to college and asked to be re-instated for football. The NCAA refused this week, saying that while he never actually played a professional game, he did sign a contract and in doing so, lost his eligibility.

Two Blue Devils Named All Americans
Two members of the Duke basketball team were named as All Americans this week by the Associated Press. It's only the fifth time in the preseason list's history that a pair of teammates have made it on the squad, as J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams both were named to the team. For Redick this is his second time on the list, while it marks Williams' only trip to the first team list. The only other two Duke players to make the list as teammates were Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill.

Panthers' Steve Smith Gets Another Award
In the NFL, Steve Smith already has started to pick up awards this year. Now he can add another to the trophy case. Smith recieved the Ed Block Courage Award this week, during a ceremony at Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday. A winner is selected from each team in the NFL, one that shows courage by overcoming challenges on and off the field. The award is voted on by the players, who pick one of their teammates each year. This has certainly been a decent return for Smith, who leads the league with 55 catches for 903 yards and nine touchdowns. All this after sitting out the 2004 season with a broken leg. Smith said the experience helped him to develop a closer relationship with his family and made him love the sport he plays even more.

Bobcats Fall To Spurs
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats gave it their best shot but fell just short against the San Antonio Spurs, losing 94-86. Gerald Wallace, who was playing despite suffering a concussion in Monday's game against Utah, led the team with 15 points, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Charlotte will play host to Dallas tomorrow night.

Carolina Hurricanes Continue Winning Ways
Taking a look around the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes kept their winning streak alive, beating Buffalo 5-3. The Hurricanes, who improve to 11-2 with the win, haven't lost a game since October 8th.

Rudd Calling It Quits
The checkered flag is being waved by Ricky Rudd, who announced this week that he's retiring after the season. Rudd, who's been in NASCAR for 31 seasons, said that it was the perfect time to step away, since his contract with the Wood Brothers ends after 2005. The 49-yr-old Rudd will end a streak of 786 consecutive starts when he leaves the sport, a mark that no one else is even close to. Taking his place in the Wood Brothers garage is expected to be Kenny Schrader, but there hasn't been an official comment.

News & Sports For November 9th

Election Results
Wilkes County underwent some changes last night as election results came in. The town of North Wilkesboro has a new mayor, as 53% of voters turned out to support Democrat George Church. Incumbent Steve Foster finished with 47% of the ballots, ending his term. On the North Wilkesboro commissioners' race, the top two vote getters were Debbie Ferguson with 45% of the vote and Robert L. Johnson, who came out with 32% of the vote. Laura Welborn finished just short, with 23% of the ballots going her way. In Wilkesboro, James Hartley and Mike Inscore ran unoposed, but that didn't stop people from writing in their own preference for candidates. 2% of the vote in the Wilkesboro town commissioners' race went to write-in candidates. Finally in Ronda, Manuel Wood, Holly Duplisea and Wanda Blackburn were all elected. Wood finished with 22% of the vote, while Blackburn came in second with 18% and Dupliseas finished third with 15%. Less than two percent seperated most of the eight candidates.

Teen Pregnancy Rates Raise Questions In Wilkes
Good news for Wilkes, as a recent study shows that teen pregnancy has declined here in the county. The rate of teen pregnancy here in Wilkes fell by 8.9% over the last year, however there is some disturbing information to go along with the good news. According to the study, 82 abortions were performed here in Wilkes over the last year, with 20 of them done by girls between the ages of 15 and 19. And despite the overall decrease, 96 babies were born to teenage mothers age 15-19 here in 2004. Overall out of the 828 babies born in Wilkes over the past year, 228 of them were to unwed mothers and over half of them were under the age of 24. The study was done by North Carolina's Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition

Wreck On Winkler Mill Road Totals One
One car was totaled and another seriously damaged after a wreck Monday afternoon on the Winkler Mill road. a Millers Creek man was turning onto the road from the Wal-Mart parking lot, but didn't notice the oncoming traffic. He slammed into a North Wilkesboro man that had been trying to turn into the parking lot himself. Estimated damage in the wreck was placed at just under $3000. Thankfully however there were no injuries in the crash.

Pills Stolen From North Wilkesboro Home
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro residence earlier this week after thieves broke in and took several bottles of medicine. It's unclear exactly how the thieves got inside however, as the homeowner returned to find that the doors were still locked and nothing had been damaged or disturbed on the property. There is a suspect in the case and that investigation continues.

Veterans' Celebration This Friday
America is still standing today thanks to the sacrifices of the brave soldiers in our armed forces. They gave up families and lives here at home to go wherever needed and fight for their country. Coming up this Friday, the people of Wilkes will have a way to say thank you as a Veterans' Day Memorial Service will be held in North Wilkesboro. The event will go on at the corner of 9th Street and D Street in North Wilkesboro, with special guest speaker Fred Norman, a local World War II vet who served under General Patton. There will be performances by the Wilkes Central Madrigal Singers and also the band from North High, while Dr. Nelson Granade, pastor of First Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro will be giving the invocation and benediction. The event will begin at 11am this Friday, November 11th.

Wreck On Hwy 268 Totals Two
It's always a good idea to keep your eyes on the road. A North Wilkesboro man found that out the hard way this week, after being involved in a wreck on Hwy 268 West. The incident happened late Monday night, as he turned away from the road to look at something. The man's car swerved to the right and hit another vehicle, causing an estimated $3500 in damage. No one was injured in the wreck.

Focus On The Darkness
A new campaign is starting across the nation, helping to raise support for all Pregnancy Care Centers in the Country. The campaign's national director, Rick Gathman will be Brian's guest this week for Focus on the Foothills, as they'll be discussing the campaign and how people can get involved if they want to do that. It's coming up tomorrow at 1:05pm, right after the midday stock report.

Thieves Take Speakers From Ferguson Man's Car
A Ferguson man got off work at Wal-Mart Monday night and got in his car to head home. However he noticed something was different about his ride. Someone had ripped out the car's stereo speakers, along with the amp. All total, over a thousand dollars worth of material was taken from the vehicle, Wilkesboro police are trying to get video camera footage of the area, to possibly identify some suspects. That investigation continues.

3WC Techwatch: New Way To Protect Against ID Theft
ID theft is one of the most frustrating side effects of logging on to the internet. If you're not careful, someone can take your personal information and go on a shopping spree. But as we explain in today's 3WC Techwatch, a new way of doing business could help to make ID theft a thing of the past. Businesses around the country are trying out a new form of biotechnology, where instead of swiping a debit card, all you need is your thumb. Using the same fingerprint technology as law enforcement, banks and businesses can verify someone's ID and allow them to purchase items with the swipe of a finger. Since every fingerprint is different, no one is able to steal your identity and even if they grab your credit card, they won't be able to use it. Called Quicktouch, it's already been adopted by several Lowe's Foods stores across the nation, with more to follow by the end of this year. There is one Lowes Foods in the area that's a part of this program and that's the store in Hickory

Broke In For A Laptop
Never leave your doors unlocked when you leave home. A Millers Creek man learned why that's a good idea recently after thieves let themselves in. After the man left for the store, thieves came in and took his laptop computer. Nothing else was missing or disturbed when he arrived home. There is however a suspect in the case and the investigation is ongoing.

State News

Black Flag Hung On Power Plant Leads To Concerns
Officials in Wake County are investigating today after someone placed a large black flag on a portion of the local nuclear power plant. At the Shearon Harris plant, a flag was stuck on top of one of the communications towers, although officials don't know why or who's responsible. The flag was originally discovered over the weekend and while no threats have been made against the plant, FBI agents were called in to help with the investigation.

PETA Goes After Elizabeth City Farmer
A farmer in Chowan County finds himself under attack by PETA today. He's been told to feed his cows more or face possible charges of animal cruelty, after PETA released photos taken of animals on the man's farm. 30 nearly emaciated cows were photographed by PETA members, who snuck onto the property. However no charges are set to be filed against the PETA members, who feel that enough isn't being done to solve the problem. They've requested that each animal be examined by a vet and have their weight loss or gain monitored. An investigation by local officials is ongoing.

Plans Going Forward To Transform Catawba River
The Catawba River will be undergoing a change over the next few months, as plans move forward to transform it into something different. Concrete trenches are being poured and other work is being done to turn it into an artificial recirculating river, which will be included as part of the new National Whitewater Center. Conveyor belts will take would be rafters to the top, after which they'll be released into the water, with 560000 gallons pouring in every minute. An idea for the design came from a similar course, which was built to use in the Austrailian Olympics back in 2000. Officials hope to have everything up and running by mid 2006.

Family Drives Off With Bulldozer
Raleigh officials have arrested a man and his stepson for driving off with a bulldozer. The two had stolen the dozer from a work site near I-540 on Monday. As they drove by, an off duty sheriff's deputy noticed the truck pulling a bulldozer stacked up on a trailer. It's unknown why 35-yr-old Wayne Maroon and 27-yr-old Christopher Rochelle stole the vehicle, but both are now in the Wake County jail awaiting their hearing.

Five NC Counties Declared Disaster Areas
Portions of the North Carolina coast were delcared disaster areas this week, allowing federal aid to be sent in to help with rebuilding. Five counties were included in the declaration: Carterer, Craven, Jones, Onslow and Pamlico. The U.S. Small Business Association is offering homeowners in the affected areas a chance to apply for loans, to repair what was damaged and replace what can't be fixed.

Western Carolina Professor Explains What Needs To Be Done
A professor from here in Western North Carolina is spoke before members of Congress yesterday, discussing what should be done to protect against another hurricane such as Rita or Katrina. Rob Young teaches as part of the geoscience division at Western Carolina University and talked about the need to expand our coastal barriers and the supports they require to withstand the weather.

13th Annual Gingerbread House Competition Held
On Monday night, bakers from across the country gathered together in Asheville for the 13th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition. The event, which is held each year in the Grove Park Inn, had over 200 entries, with everything from a pirate ship, to a giant acorn w/ gingerbreaad squirrels and a gold gingerbread castle with a dragon serving as a watchdog. The grand prize winner, Bobbie Jinright of Troy Alabama and several other winners will show off their talents on ABC's "Good Morning America" program Dec. 23rd.

Sports Headlines

High School Football Playoffs This Friday
While the regular season has come to a close, there's still some football left to be played in Wilkes County. Two of the local high schools have teams in the playoffs, which kick off this Friday. East Wilkes stays at home for a game against North Stokes on Friday, while the Blackhawks of West Wilkes head up the road to Mt. Airy for their first round game. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm in both games and we'll be over at East Wilkes with the McDonald's pregame show starting at 7:15.

Appalachian Setting Attendence Records
Appalachian State is on its' way to setting new attendence records as the football season winds down. With one home game left, the Mountaineers have been averaging 22,364 people. That's good enough for 5th in North Carolina, just behind East Carolina, NC State, the UNC Tarheels and Wake Forest. The previous record for attendence was set back in 1992, with an average of 18638.

Duke Ranked Number One
The preseason poll is out for college basketball and that's good news for Duke fans. The Blue Devils are the hands down favorite this year, coming in at number one in the AP poll. Last year's champion, the UNC Tarheels however, took a huge fall as they dropped completely out of the Top 25. Also surprising was the fact that Kansas and NC State were left out of the Top 25 as well. The only other North Carolina team in the poll was Wake Forest, who is in at number 18.

Good News For Tarheel & Blue Devil Fans
The news wasn't all bad for UNC basketball fans, as college scouts ranked their recruiting class as the best in the nation. Next year's Tarheel squad will have three of the top eight high school seniors in the nation coming in. 6-9 forward Brandon Wright is ranked 4th in the nation, while 6-5 shooting guard Wayne Ellington comes in 6th place and point guard Tywon Lawson is 8th in the nation. Meanwhile the Duke Blue Devils are right behind with the number 12 ranked recruiting class. Brian Zoubek, a 7-1 center is ranked 21st in the nation and Jon Scheyer could be a replacement for J.J. Reddick when the senior graduates this spring.

Changes Coming Up In NASCAR
Once the NASCAR season wraps up, there will be a lot of changes going on in some of the major teams. Jamie McMurray was released from his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing this week, allowing him to take over Kurt Busch's car at Rousch Racing. Meanwhile Busch will move over to the Penske team, to take the place of retiring Rusty Wallace. Ganassi won't be naming a new driver to replace McMurray because he's dropping the number of cars in his team from four to three for 2006.

News & Sports For November 8th

Election Day Arrives In Wilkes
November 8th is here and once again it's time to head out to the voting booth and cast your ballot. There are four races here in the county this year, beginning with the race for Mayor of North Wilkesboro. Incumbent Steve Foster will be going up against Democratic challenger George Church. Also in the North Wilkesboro Town Commissioners' race, two out of the three candidates will be picked for office. Debbie Ferguson, Robert L. Johnson and Laura Welborn are all running for the two positions. Over in Wilkesboro, James S. Hartlet and Mike Inscore are running unopposed for the two town commissioners' spots and finally in Ronda, eight candidates are running for the three seats on the town board. Wanda Blackburn, Brison Combs, Ricky Cothren, Holly Wood Duplisea, Patricia Houck Hawkins, Helen T. Porter and Manuel Wood are all in the running. Throughout the area, polling places open this morning at 6:30am and will stay that way til 7:30pm tonight. Keep in mind when going to vote, if your polling place is a school, class is in session today so it might be a good idea to avoid the drop off and pick up times, when so much traffic is in the area.

Hit & Run In Wal-Mart Parking Lot
Wilkesboro police are searching for a hit & run driver today, after a wreck in the Wal-Mart parking lot this weekend. A Wilkesboro woman returned to her vehicle, only to find it had been severely damaged while she was inside the store. Witnesses at the scene gave police a description of the hit & run suspect's vehicle, described as a white SUV. Estimated damages were placed at $2000 in the crash and that investigation continues.

Applications Being Taken For Energy Assistance Program
With the economy still struggling here in the area, it can be hard at times for people to afford to pay their heating bill. Social Services here in Wilkes County is taking applications now for their low income Energy Assistance Program. People can come in and apply from now until Friday November 18th at the Wilkes Social Services office, located on College Street in Wilkesboro from 8:30am til 5pm. Also applications will be taken on two days at the Clingman Family Resource Center, on Wednesday November 9th and Wednesday November 16th. This will be a one time credit to help in paying for your heating costs this winter.You can call Social Services for more information at 651-7400.

Gas Thieves Hit Another Wilkes Business
On Sunday of this week, sheriff's deputies were called out after another case of gas theft here in Wilkes. This time thieves hit Uncle Kenny's on the Yellow Banks Road in Hays. A man drove up in a white 1980s model truck, pumped his gas and then took off down the road without paying. Employees inside the store were able to get a description of the man and his vehicle, which were turned over to deputies. That investigation is ongoing.

Blood Drive Later Today
1500 pints of blood. That's how much is used each day by doctors across the state, dealing with traffic accidents and surgeries. With the blood supply still low here in the county, a drive is going on this afternoon at the Wilkesboro Civic Center, from 2-6:30pm. To schedule an appointment you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563. Or if you want to just walk in, they'll take you on a first come, first serve basis.

Thieves Steal Prescriptions From North Wilkesboro Home
Prescription drugs were the target for thieves at a North Wilkesboro home earlier this week. Sunday afternoon a man returned to his house on Miller Lane and found that the back door had been pried open. Stolen from inside were several hundred dollars worth of prescription drug medication. Nothing else was damaged or missing from the home and that investigation continues.

Training Session For Pregnancy Center Coming Up
As we start the month of November, the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center finds itself in need of help. The Center is looking for volunteers, however before someone can begin helping, they need to go through a training session. Coming up later this week, there will be a three day session beginning Thursday November 10th and finishing Saturday November 12th. The sessions last for 2 ½ hours on Thursday and Friday, then wrap up with a three hour session on Saturday. For more information about what training involves or if you want to sign up, you can call the Center at 838-9272.

Thieves Leave Damage Behind For Wilkesboro Woman
A Wilkesboro woman got a surprise when she returned to her car over the weekend. She had left it to go into a local store and came back to find the CD player had been ripped out and damage had been done to several of the seats. An estimated $700 in damage was done to the seats and other parts of the car. That investigation is ongoing.

Rescue Squad Celebrating 50th Anniversary This Saturday
This Saturday Wilkes will take time out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the County's Rescue Squad. There will be free food on hand over at Smoot Park, along with prizes, tours of the rescue truck and ambulance and blood pressure checks. Also during the event you can take time out to meet the current members of the Wilkes Rescue Squad. It will go on from 11am til 3pm this Saturday November 12th.

State News

Charlotte Police Hunting Robbery Suspects
Officials in Charlotte are searching for some robbery suspects in the University City area today. Five men and one woman are all wanted for questioning, after a break-in at the Wexford Meadows apartments this weekend. Somehow the robbers broke in, evading security and robbed several homeowners in the area. Police are asking for help as they don't have any information except that five men and a woman were involved and all were armed. This incident happened just off NC 49, north of I-485 near University City.

Holiday Jobs Coming Early
Some good news for job hunters out there, as holiday and part time work is being offered a little early this year. According to careerbuilder.com and several other online sites, employers here in North Carolina are already starting to put out help wanted ads for seasonal work. Overall this holiday season people here in the U.S. are projected to spend over $453 million dollars and that has some stores scrambling to find workers. Postings from Wilkes and the surrounding counties are on careerbuilder and monster.com. You can also visit the local employment security commission's website to check out who's hiring in the area.

High Point To Pay Parking Tickets
As a show of thanks for coming out to their furniture show, officials in High Point are paying customers' parking tickets. Several hundred dollars worth of them. All the customers who parked illegally to get inside last month's Home Furnishings Market will have their ticket paid by the city of High Point. Officials decided to pay the tickets as a way of keeping customers coming to their trade show, now that some competition has sprung up in Las Vegas.

People Come Out To Celebrate Ham Day
In the Caldwell County town of Sawmills, people came out over the weekend to celebrate Ham Day. Over 2000 pounds of ham was eaten at the 16th annual event, put on by the local fire department. The all day event acts both as a community get together and also a fundraiser for the local fire department, who uses the proceeds to buy equipment, make renovations and help finish other needed projects in the area. This year a portion of the funds has been given to the annual Sawmalls Christmas party for special needs kids in the area, in addition to buying treat bags and smoke alarms for senior citizens in the community. $100 in free gas was also given out as part of a raffle that was held later on.

Florida Company Helps Revive Lenoir
Some of those unemployed in Lenoir after last week's plant closings by Broyhill might find work in a familar place. Broyhill's Harper plant has already been sold to a Florida company, who plans to come in and take over production. Woodsmiths, a company that makes furnishings for the hospitality industry, will instantly be hiring 30 workers, with possibly to follow. Operations are expected to be up and running before Thanksgiving.

Database Launched To Help Lawmakers
A new database was launched on Monday to help state lawmakers determine the needs of families across North Carolina. The North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute complied facts on family size, income and child care needs based on information from all of the state's 170 districts. The goal is to show lawmakers that there are problems with families in each county and district, issues that need to be dealt with, instead of pushed to the back burner, according to institute officials.

Sports Headlines

Brown Named Offensive Player Of The Week
It's been a good week for NC State football. First the team knocks off Florida State and now freshman runningback Andre Brown has been named the Division I-A Offensive Player of the Week. Brown ran for 179 yards in Saturday's 20-15 win and is already being compared to Dallas Cowboys tailback Herschel Walker.

Appalachian Players Make Awards Lists
Two players from Appalachian State have made it on the list for this year's Division I-AA football awards. This will mark the 19th year that the Walter Payton Award has been given out, as it is each season to the best player in DIvision I-AA. Quarterback Richie Williams from Appalachian is one of the 16 semi-finalists for the award. So far this year Williams has thrown for 1845 yards, 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions, while running the ball for 117 yards and four touchdowns. Also defensive end Marques Murrell from Apalachian is in the running for this year's Buchanan Battle Award, handed out for the past 11 years to the best defensive player in Division 1-AA. The winners will be announced on Thursday December 15th at the I-AA College Football Awards in Chattanooga Tennessee.

Bobcats Fall In OT To Jazz
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats lost a heartbreaker to the Utah Jazz last night, falling in overtime 95-91. Charlotte drops to 2-2 with the loss, however Raymond Felton and Sean May had their best game since joining the team. Felton had 7 points and 10 assists, while May put up 13 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block. Next up the San Antonio Spurs come to town on Wednesday.

One More To The Panther Wounded List
Unfortunately, while the Panthers won going away on Sunday, there was one casualty. Tight end Kris Mangum had to leave in the first quarter after injuring his knee. After doctors examined the injury it was determined that Mangum has a sprained knee. It's unclear exactly how much time he could miss, but Mike Siedman and Michael Gaines will take over in his absence. Carolina will come home this Sunday to take on the Jets.

Nextel Cup Chase Heats Up
As drivers get set to march into Phoenix for this Sunday's race, the Chase for the Cup has gotten a little closer. Tony Stewart is still hanging on to his lead, but is just 38 points in front of second place Jimmie Johnson. Carl Edwards is third, just 77 points back and seperated by just one point are Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. Martin is fourth, 122 points back while Kenseth rounds out the top five, 123 back of the leader.

News For November 7th 2005

Thieves Try To Steal 4-Wheeler
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro residence late last week after reports came in of a break-in in progress. The homeowner had heard some noises out at a storage building on her property and walked out to see two men trying to steal her 4-wheeler. After she turned on the light, the two men took off running, but not before she was able to get a look at both of their faces. Descriptions of both were turned over to sheriff’s deputies. There are suspects in the case and the investigation continues.

Blood Drive Coming Up Today
With the holidays just around the corner, a lot of people will be on the road in the next few weeks. And unfortunately with those drivers will be several accidents. The blood supply here in Wilkes is still at critical levels, as most of the recent donations have been sent down to the Gulf Coast. To help build back up the local supply, a drive is going on today at the North Wilkesboro First United Methodist Church from 2-6:30pm. Just remember before donating, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh no less than 110 lbs and be in good health. To set up an appointment or for more information you can call the Red Cross at 838-4563.

Just Came In To Have A Look Around
An Elkin homeowner got a surprise when she arrived home late last week. The back door had been kicked in and her front door had been seriously damaged. However despite all that it appears the would be thieves were scared off by the home’s alarm system, as nothing was missing from inside. Estimated damage was placed at $200 and the investigation is ongoing.

Grant Handed Out For North Wilkesboro Sculpture
People walking down Main Street in North Wilkesboro will soon see a little something different. The Wilkes Art Gallery, Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro and the county’s Cultural Arts Council have all partnered together and received a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. The money will be used for a sculpture, to be put up at the gateway of the historic downtown section of Main Street. Artist Wayne Trapp from Vilas North Carolina is working on the sculpture, which is expected to be finished before Thanksgiving.

Thieves Hit Moravian Falls Home
A Moravian Falls man returned home from work last week to find that thieves had paid him a visit. Gone from inside were several hundred dollars worth of tools. There was no sign of a break-in at the home and no damage done to the property itself. That investigation continues.

3WC Healthwatch: New Treatment For Cancer
There’s a new treatment being examined for cancer patients, as we explain in today’s 3WC Healthwatch. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed last week that they’ve been working with nanotechnology in mice. The microscopic robots were injected inside the mice, containing a cancer drug inside their cells. After 100 days the nanobots helped to not only contain but also cure prostate cancer. In the mice used in the experiment, the European scientists announced that the cancer was successfully cured, but unfortunately it’s not quite ready to be used on humans as all of the test subjects died in the procedure. The scientists involved say they hope to continue experiments and possibly have something ready to test on humans in the next five years.

Mysterious Caller Continues To Harass Wilkesboro Woman
Sheriff’s deputies are trying to determine who’s been harassing a Wilkesboro woman over the past few weeks. The caller, who’s male, never identifies himself and after a few minutes hangs up each time. Phone records are being pulled from Wilkesboro telephone and that investigation continues.

Toolbox Stolen From Ronda Home
A Ronda man returned home last week to find that his toolbox was missing. However there was no sign of a break-in and no damage done to the property. It’s unclear exactly how thieves managed to get inside and steal the tools, which were estimated at just over $1500 in value. That investigation is ongoing.

Always A Good Idea To Lock Your Doors
Keep your car doors locked when you leave. A North Wilkesboro man found that out the hard way last week, after thieves went shopping inside his truck. He left the vehicle unlocked while going into a local store. Witnesses then reported seeing a man open up the truck doors and take off with several hundred dollars worth of tools, including a grinder and drain sock. The store’s security cameras were turned over to Wilkesboro police and that investigation is ongoing.

State News

More Jobs Coming To Lincolnton
Some good news today for people in Lincolnton, as more jobs are headed into the area. The Bosch Tool Company announced plans this week to expand their operation in the area, a move that will provide 45 new jobs. New manufacturing lines for different types of saw blades are going to be created as part of the expansion.

Taxpayers To Foot The Bill For Out Of State Students
Your tax dollars will be going to pay for a different kind of college scholarship next semester. Instead of giving out assistance to in state students, a provision in the new state budget takes taxpayer money and hands it out to those who are coming in from other areas. Out of state students who have been given scholarships are now classified as North Carolina residents. That way they won’t count as part of the 18% limit on out of state students issued by the UNC system. The bad news is that it will cost taxpayers several million dollars. For example over the next five years, 625 out of state students are projected to qualify at Chapel Hill and NC State alone. That is expected to cost an added $8.2 million dollars. The NC School Board Association is planning to call for a repeal of the law.

Group Home Falls Victim To Arson
Officials in Greensboro have ruled that a fire over the weekend at a local group home was in fact arson. The Vision Youth Group Home was partially damaged before firefighters got the blaze under control, a fire they believe was started in an upstairs bedroom. No one was injured in the blaze and according to the fire department, it shouldn’t be long before the kids can move back in. The arson investigation however is continuing.

200 Year Old Cemetery Gets Facelift
A 200 year old cemetery in Oak Ridge got a facelift over the weekend, as over 45 people came out to clean up. The cemetery, which holds some of the earliest settlers in North Carolina, including Revolutionary War soldiers, was found by members of the local Preservation Committee this past February. They chopped down trees and cleared away timber so that people could see part of history.

Shelby Police Search For Bank Robber
Officials in Shelby are on the hunt today for a bank robber. Just as the Alliance Bank & Trust was closing its’ doors on Friday, a woman walked in armed with a gun. It’s unknown exactly how much money she got away with, but officials believe this robbery was linked to several others that have happened in the area recently. All three were committed by a white woman fitting the same description. That investigation continues.

Search Continues For Missing Man
A Charlotte man is still missing today and police are asking for help in the search. Local musician Wyatt Rivens vanished over the weekend and so far no one has had any details as to where he could be. Rivens was starting to hit the mainstream with his second CD and it’s unknown if his rising status is linked somehow to the disappearance. Officials are asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at 1-704-334-1600.

Sports Headlines

Friday Night Scoreboard
Some major games this weekend around the high school scene in football. North Wilkes fell against Starmount in a close game that went down to the final quarter, as the lost 42-35. East Wilkes also lost, wrapping up their regular season at 5-6 with a 49-14 defeat against Mt. Airy. The Cardinals will play host to North Stokes this Friday in first round playoff action. West Wilkes however steamrolled into the postseason with a 31-14 win over North Stokes. The win locks up fourth place in the Northwest 1A for the Blackhawks, who will go on the road against Mt. Airy this Friday in the first round of the playoffs. And finally Wilkes Central fell just short in their quest for the playoffs, losing on Senior night to Forbush 20-14. Central will wrap up the season at 2-9, having been eliminated from postseason play.

High School Track Competition
In the state girls track championships, it was Anna Hayes from East Wilkes finishing fourth with a time of 21:08 . Overall the East Wilkes team came in fourth for the team championship, ranking up 114 points on the day.

ACC Scoreboard
Around the ACC, it was mostly a bad weekend to be a team from North Carolina. The Duke Blue Devils lost to Clemson 49-20, dropping their record to 1-9 on the season. However one bright spot for the Blue Devils as freshman quarterback Zack Assack tossed for 328 yards in the loss. Also Wake Forest saw their chances for a bowl game die as they lost to Georgia Tech 30-17. Chris Barclay was held to just 24 yards rushing on the day as Wake was eliminated from playoff contention. In a major upset, NC State knocked off the Florida State Seminoles 20-15. State improves to 4-4 and stays alive in the playoff hunt. And the UNC Tarheels kept their own playoff hopes alive with an upset win over 19th ranked Boston College 16-14. The Tarheels improved to 4-4 and still have to win two out of their last three games in order to qualify for the playoffs.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the rest of the NCAA, it was Western Carolina beating Wofford 24-0. Charleston Southern blew out the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs 38-7 and Coastal Carolina knocked off Savannah State 42-16. Also Appalachian gave it their best shot but were shut out against LSU 24-0. Mountaineer quarterback Richie Williams tossed for 70 yards while rushing for 80 more.

Panthers Run Over Bucs
In the NFL, it was a blowout win for the Carolina Panthers as they beat Tampa Bay 34-14. Jake Delhomme passed for 216 yards and a touchdown,, while Steve Smith caught 5 passes for 106 yards. The win puts Carolina in a tie with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South, as each team stands at 6-2.

Bobcats Beat Celtics
In the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats have a winning record for the first time in their history. Stepping into their new coliseum for the first time this year, the Bobcats beat the Boston Celtics 107-105 to improve to 2-1. Gerald Wallace once again led the way for Charlotte with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals.

Hurricanes Continue To Roll
The Carolina Hurricanes kept steamrolling over the competition this weekend, as they beat the Florida Panthers 2-0. Eric Staal kept his scoring streak alive at eight games as the team improved to 10-2-1 on the year.

Points Race Shaken Up After Texas
For the second straight week, Carl Edwards took the checkered flag and improved his shot at the title. Edwards won the Dickies 500 Sunday at Texas Speedway, beating out Mark Martin, who finished second. Matt Kenseth was third, Casey Mears was fourth and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.

News & Sports For November 4th

Drive Through Flu Clinic Coming Up
With the cold weather moving into Wilkes, flu season's not far behind. To plan ahead this year, the Wilkes Health Department is holding a drive through flu clinic tomorrow November 5th. People can just drive up in their car, receive the shot and then take off down the road. For adults or children on Medicaid, there is no charge, however for everyone else, there is a cost. It will cost $20 for an flu shot and $33 for an pneumonia shot, that's for both adults and children. There is no sign up sheet or reservations, you just drive up to West Park Medical Center on Nov. 5th anytime from 8am til 3pm. The reason for the clinic is to help local officials test their mass vaccination plan. That way, in case of an outbreak, they'll be prepared to distribute vaccines as quick as possible. Credit or debit cards can't be used to pay for the shot, only personal checks, cash, Medicaid or Medicare. For more information you can call the Health Department at 651-7450.

Another Fugitive Caught In Wilkes
Sheriff's deputies responded to a call on the Bethany Ford Road this week and ended up arresting a fugitive. When arriving at the home, deputies walked into the middle of an argument between a woman and her husband. The woman told deputies that her husband was wanted on charges in Maryland. After running the man's name through the database, deputies found that 42-yr-old Roger Wayne Buckley did in fact have warrants for his arrest from Prince George County in Maryland. Buckley was arrested and taken to the Wilkes Jail, where he's currently awaiting extradition to Maryland.

Last Day For Christmas In Wilkes Applications
Today is the cutoff date for parents to turn in the names of their kids for the Christmas in Wilkes program. Every year, the names of needy kids are placed on Angel Trees throughout Wilkes County, so that people can provide the children with toys and clothes their parents otherwise couldn't afford. You can drop off applications at the North Wilkesboro Rotary Club Building, located behind Cooks in West Park. Today you can come by from from 11am til 5pm. When coming to apply, parents or guardians must bring a picture ID, proof of their current income and social security cards for both the parents and children. For more information you can call Judi Mitchell with Christmas in Wilkes. Her number is 667-7174.

Always Keep Your Doors Locked
It's always a good idea to lock your car doors when you leave. A Wilkesboro woman found that out the hard way this week, after leaving her pocketbook inside the car when she returned home. Coming outside Wednesday morning, she discovered that the pocketbook was missing. Inside she had kept her credit cards, checkbook, and several prescription medicines. Information was turned over to sheriff's deputies and that investigation continues.

Thieves Run Off With Halloween Decorations
Some thieves in North Wilkesboro apparently had their seasons confused this week, after running off with a local man's decorations. The North Wilkesboro resident hadn't taken down the decorations yet and walked out on Tuesday morning to find they were missing. Taken was a pumpkin with three ghosts sitting on top and also some yellow stakes. Deputies are continuing the investigation.

Home Heating Series Pt.4
It's always a good idea to check your house before winter comes, as we explain in the fourth part of our home heating series. With cold temperatures on the way, it's time to turn on that heater or throw a few more logs on the fire. While this will keep out the cold, it could also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if you're not careful. Carbon monoxide is produced when items with carbon in it aren't completely burned. Here are some tips on how to prevent poisoning in your home. First have your home furnance checked to make sure the burners and vent systems are both working, with no cracks or other damage. Also make sure the water heater and furnance flue don't have any leaks or cracks especially near the joints, that can help the gas to escape. Even when it's cold outside, don't leave your car running in the basement or garage. The carbon monoxide put off by the exhaust can flow up into the rest of your house. Also if you have exhaust fans in the house, don't use them at the same time as the clothes dryer. The reason being this creates negative pressure in your house, pulling the carbon monoxide back in.

Purlear Break-In Leads To Arrest
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on Shingle Gap Road in Purlear this week, after reports came in of a break-in in progress. They arrived to find 30-yr-old Kelvin Chad Faw inside the home, having in his possession two handheld drills that had been recently reported stolen by the home's owner. It's unclear what exactly Mr. Faw was doing inside the house, but this wasn't the first time he had been at the property and had been warned before not to return. Kelvin Chad Faw was arrested and charged with breaking & entering, 1st degree trespassing and possession of stolen property.

Eat Fast Food For A Good Cause
Thoughout the day today, you can help raise money for a good cause with every burger you eat. Communities in Schools is partnering up with the local Hardees' for Community Day. A percentage of all the day's sales at Hardees will be donated to Communities in Schools, to help fund things such as their Lunch Buddy program. There's no paperwork involved, you don't have to request for your money to go to the organization. All you have to do is simply go in and eat sometime during the day. For more information or to make a donation on your own, you can give Communities in Schools a call. Their number is 651-7830.

Regional News

Major Job Loss In Lenoir
The town of Lenoir took a major hit Wednesday night, as Broyhill Furniture announced plans to close two of its' plants in the area. All total, 421 people will be affected by the move, which is scheduled to happen in stages between January and March of 2006. After being shut down, the furniture maker will then put up the plants for sale. Company officials said their continued restructuring was necessary to stay competitive in the global economy.

State News

Witness Gets Involved With Robbery
In Charlotte, a witness got involved with a robbery and now is being questioned by police. While at a bus stop, a man grabbed a woman's purse and took off running down the road. Another person standing in line pulled out a gun and started shooting at the robber, hitting him in the leg. Police were able to track the bleeding suspect to a nearby storm culvert and arrest him. However now officials also want to speak to the man who opened fire.

Black Substance Still Under Investigation
The State Department of the Environment has stepped in after an investigation into a black substance that flowed into the Pigeon River earlier this week. As a result of the contamination, the town of Canton had to temporarily shut down their water supply and bring water in from nearby Waynesville. Now it turns out that a Waynesville rubber company could be at fault. The Department of the Environment is preparing to charge AirBoss Rubber with violations of state regulations for nine of their 55-gallon barrels that were found near the Canton water filter plant. An estimated 15 gallons of the black substance leaked from the barrels into the nearby river and local police are continuing the investigation as to how they arrived at the plant. Health officials said however that the substance is harmless and the water is now safe to drink.

Easley Calls For Water Conservation
With the lack of rain across the state, Governor Mike Easley has called for water conservation in 29 different counties. Most of the targeted areas are in the central and eastern part of the state, including Alamance, Davidson, Guilford, Iredell and Meckenburg counties among others. The governor asked for people in the affected areas to use water wisely and ordered state officials to do everything possible to help people deal with the problem. As a result, Raleigh and several other cities have installed mandatory restrictions on water use.

Missing Woman Found In Lee County
Authorities in Lee County have found a woman that was missing for over a month. 22-yr-old Paula Ann Donathan disappeared while walking in Moore County late at night on October 5th. There were no charges on her credit cards or bank statements, no sign that she was alive. Then suddenly this week she turned up in Lee County, covered with a few scratches but otherwise in perfect health. Officials still have no clue where Donathan was for the past month.

Sports Headlines

High School Football Tonight
Around the high school scene, it's the final week of the regular season in football and all four local teams are in action. North Wilkes heads up the road to take on Starmount, while East Wilkes will be up at Mt. Airy. West Wilkes will be looking for their seventh win of the season and tuning up for the playoffs as they go on the road against North Stokes. And in our 3WC Game of the Week, Coach Jeremy Funderburk will close the door on his first season as head coach of the Wilkes Central Eagles as they play host to Forbush tonight in Moravian Falls. Kickoff of all four games is set for 7:30 and we'll go on the air tonight with the McDonald's pregame show at 7:15.

Appalachian State Moves Up In The Rankings
In college football, there was some good news for Appalachian State fans this week as the Mountaineers jumped up to number seven in Division I-AA. That's a climb of five spots from their previous position at number twelve. The 6-2 Mountaineers are currently in first place in the Southern Conference and will go on the road this Saturday to face the LSU Tigers. Gametime is set for 8pm.

NC State Lands Another Recruit
NC State recieved another commitment for their 2006 team as one of the top recruits in North Carolina agreed to play for the school. Nathaniel Irving, a linebacker at Wallace-Rose High School, became the seventh recruit to join the Wolfpack. The 6-3 Irving turned down an offer from East Carolina to sign with State.

Wake Forest Adds Players To Basketball Team
In college basketball, some new faces have been added to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Three walk-ons officially joined the team this week, all freshmen. 6-7 forward Bobby Hoekstra from Forsyth County Day and 6-2 guard Matt Smith from Advance joined the team, along with 6-1 guard Mike Lepore from New Jersey.

Carolina Gets 9th Win Of The Season
Last night in the NHL, it was the Carolina Hurricanes recording their ninth win of the season, beating Toronto 4-3. Eric Staal, reigning NHL player of the month, maintained his lead in points with two goals and an assist, as the Hurricanes improve to 9-2 on the season, keeping sole possession of first place in the Southeastern Conference.

Big Changes On the Way For The PGA
Some big changes are on the way for golf fans starting in 2007. PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem announced this week that as of 2007, the year will be built around the FedEx Cup, in a playoff format similar to NASCAR. From January to August golfers earn points in the different events, then at the end of the season four big tournaments would close things out, finishing in September at the Tour Championship.

News & Sports For November 3rd

Wilkes Unemployment Paints A Confusing Picture
The new unemployment figures for Wilkes County paint a classic case of good news/bad news. Unemployment dropped by the end of September, coming in at 5.4%. That's down from 5.8% at the end of August. However with the lowered unemployment comes a sign that more people are leaving the county. In August, the workforce here in Wilkes was listed at 32,504 people. By September, that number had dropped to 32110, meaning that 394 people had left the workforce and the county in search of a job somewhere else. Also out of that reduced workforce, fewer people are employed. In August, 30631 people had a job here in the county. Now that number has fallen to 30381, a difference of 250 people. By comparison, over in Caldwell County there are currently 38,117 people working and more coming in, with the workforce growing to 41669 as of the end of September.

Wilkes County Off The Hook For Teacher Raises
In October, 3WC News told you about the teacher pay raise which Gov. Easley approved. However at the time, there were questions being raised as to how local governments would be able to pay for the raises, without any increase in funds. Also at the time, state officials said that it would be up to the counties to provide that extra money. Now several weeks later, the Department of Public Instruction has released information saying that North Carolina will cover portions of the cost for this year's raises, giving each county $7 million to spend. When the full raise of 5% kicks in next fall, the state budget will have $150 million set aside for the project. Governor Easley's office said that a communications mixup was to blame for the confusion.

Red Cross Looking For Fundraising Help
The Red Cross finds itself in need of help as we enter the month of November. 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.

Wreck Just Off Cabin Creek Road Injures Local Man
A wreck just off Cabin Creek Road earlier this week injured a local man. The 21-yr-old was driving an all-terrain vehicle when he lost control and wrecked, in the woods near Cabin Creek. His injuries were bad enough that EMS contacted Baptist Hospital and the man was flown there to receive treatment. An update on his condition as well as the man's name were not available.

Focus On The Kitchen
When people can’t afford to buy food 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. As we get closer to Thanksgiving, the Kitchen finds itself in need 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.

Pregnancy Center Needs Volunteers
As we start the month of November, the Wilkes Pregnancy Care Center finds itself in need of help. The Center is looking for volunteers however before someone can begin helping, they need to go through a training session. Coming up next week, there will be a three day session beginning November 10th and finishing Saturday November 12th. The sessions last for 2 ½ hours on Thursday and Friday, then wrap up with a three hour session on Saturday. For more information about what training involves or if you want to sign up, you can call the Center at 838-9272.

Focus On Hats
Women have to juggle a lot of different jobs, taking the role of cook, caretaker, banker and several others all to benefit their families. Coming up this Saturday, Fountain of Life Church wants to honor all the ladies with a special "Hats Off To Women" Service. Former Wilkes County resident and christian comedian Kim Coleman will be speaking at the event and she'll be Brian's guest this week for Focus on the Foothills as they'll be talking more about the event and also about Kim's own ministry as a Christian comedian. That's coming up later today at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Thieves Break Into Millers Creek Man's Vehicle
Sometimes even locking up isn't enough to protect your car from thieves. A Millers Creek man found that out earlier this week, after he got off work to find his car was damaged. Thieves had somehow managed to unlock the car, by using the partially opened passenger side window. After gaining access, they took 115 CDs from inside the vehicle, along with a portable CD player and the man's cell phone. The cell phone number and other information was given to Wilkesboro police and that investigation is ongoing.

Home Heating Series Pt.3
The things you don't do can be just as important when dealing with ways to heat your home. In part three of our Home Heating Series, we take a look at some things you might want to stay away from. First off, never use gasoline or starter fluid to ignite a fire in your fireplace. You'd be surprised how many people do that each year and cause a major blaze that puts the entire home at risk. Also fireplace chimneys commonly build up creosote, which is itself flammable. Be careful how much trash or paper you burn in your fireplace, as they are the number one cause of creosote buildup. Also be careful when using space heaters. They need to be kept on the floor, away from any combustible materials. Always unplug your heaters when going to bed or leaving the house and if you have a kerosene heater, never substitute gas or camp stove fuel. That could cause some serious problems you don't need. In tomorrow's final installment, carbon monoxide can be a major problem where furnaces and fireplaces are concerned. We'll take a look at some of the problems and offer some solutions.

Regional News

Search Is On For Man In Alexander County
Officials are hunting for a man in Alexander County accused of being involved with at least 12 seperate break-ins. Donta Miller is wanted by sheriff's deputies for breaking into several mobile homes in the area and also burning down two of them in the process. He was supposed to turn himself in on Monday, but instead went on the run. Alexander County Sheriff's Deputies are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to call at 828-632-4658.

State News

Smoking To Possibly Cost More
Some bad news for smokers in North Carolina. Depending on where you work, it could cost more for you to smoke. Several companies in the state, including General Mills and Northwest Airlines, are raising the raises of their employees' health insurance. But only those who are identified as smokers will be seeing more taken out of their paycheck. Officials at several of the companies say they hope this plans will convince people to quit smoking.

Highway Patrol Asking For Help In Hit & Run
The Greensboro Highway Patrol is asking for help to locate a hit & run driver. Late Monday night, a man was hit while walking on the side of Business I-85 near the Groometown Road exit. Officials are still trying to identify him, as the man had no wallet or other form of ID on him. He was wearing a camouflage jacket, black pants, a hat and shoes and was hit by an early 1980s Jeep, either a Cherokee or a Comanche that had damage done to the right front side. Highway Patrol officers are asking anyone with information to call toll free to 1-800-445-8621.

Jobs Lost At Winston Plant
Bad news for workers in the Winston Salem area, as the Hanes company announced this week that it plans to lay off 144 workers at its' local plant. The Hanes Dye and Finishing plant will see its' workforce literally cut in half but company officials said they had no choice, citing the increasing number of cheaper textile imports coming here from overseas.

Take Your Junk To The Baseball Park
For anyone looking to get rid of those old electronics you don't use anymore, this Saturday might be a good day to do it. From 9am til 3pm, L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory is hosting a Household Hazardous Waste And Electronics Collection. It's open to anyone, no matter where you live and any type of electronic equipment can be dropped off. The event is hosted by the Catawba County government with several different companies on hand to collect and dispose of the material. The only things not accepted at the event will be tires, any radioactive, biological, explosive or other form of truly hazardous waste. Once again that'll be going on at the L.P. Frans Stadium, home of the minor league Hickory Crawdads on Saturday from 9am til 3pm.

North Carolina Not A "Decent" Place To Work
According to a study by the University of Massachusetts, North Carolina isn't a "decent" place to work. A study was done of all fifty states, ranking them in regards to job opportunities, job quality and fairness in the workplace. Deleware was ranked number one, with New Hampshire second, Minnesota third and Vermont coming in fourth. North Carolina ranked 39th in job opportunities, and fairness in the workplace, while coming in 28th in regards to job quality. Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana were at the bottom of the list, with Louisiana dead last.

Sports Headlines

UNC Recievers Focus Of Concern
Concerns are being raised this week in Chapel Hill, after Tarheel wide recievers stumbled against Virginia and Boston College. Jesse Holley leads the Heels with 27 catches for 355 yards, that's more than double the production from anyone else on the roster. Combined, the other recievers, Jarwarski Pollock, Mike Mason, Wallace Wright and Derrele Mitchell have only caught 43 passes for 712 yards. That's an average of just 178 yards each. With the Tarheels needings wins in three out of their last four games just to qualify for a bowl bid, Coach John Bunting made that a focus of practice this week. The Heels will play at home against Boston College this Saturday.

Bad News Continues For UNC Charlotte
In college basketball, the bad news continues for UNC Charlotte as they get set for the season opener. The team will lose senior guard Marcus Bennett for about three weeks after he partially tore ligaments in his left thumb. Meanwhile four other members are also walking wounded. Guards Leemire Goldwire, De'Angelo Alexander and forwards E.J. Drayton and Courtney Williams, have all missed practice over the last few weeks. All five are expected to miss some, if not all of the preseason, including the BCA Invitational but plan to suit up for the home opener in Halton Arena Nov. 23rd.

East Carolina Names New Baseball Coach
A few weeks after suspending their baseball coach, East Carolina has found a replacement. Interim head coach Billy Godwin had the tag removed from his title this week, assuming full control of the Pirates' program. He'll be taking over for Randy Mazey, who was suspended from the team in October for unspecified reasons. Despite the suspension however, Mazey has yet to be officially fired. School officials said that they were impressed with Godwin's leadership since taking over.

Hurricanes' Staal Named Offensive Player Of The Month
For the first time since 1980, a member of the Carolina Hurricanes was named the NHL's offensive player of the month. 21-yr-old Eric Staal leads the league with 22 points so far in 11 games this year and was named the player of the month for October. Staal will put his six game scoring streak on the line later tonight when the Hurricanes play host to Toronto in Raleigh. So far this season, the 8-2 Hurricanes, who currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, are unbeaten at home.

Former Panther On List For Hall Of Fame
In the NFL, a former member of the Carolina Panthers is on the ballot for the Hall of Fame. Defensive end Reggie White, who suited up for the Panthers back in 2000, leads this year's list of former coaches and players. Also making it on the ballot was John Madden and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, among others on the list of over 25 names. The final 13 finalists will be announced later this year, with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony being held the day before Super Bowl 40, on Feburary 4th of 2006.

News & Sports For November 2nd

News From Last Night's Commissioners Meeting
Wilkes County could be looking at an increase in sales tax, after last night's commissioners meeting. The board of commissioners voted for Wilkes to be included in a resolution going before the General Assembly in February. 48 counties in North Carolina have their names on the resolution, which would give each of them permission to raise the sales tax a 1/2 cent in their respective areas. If the resolution is passed by the General Assembly, it would then come back and be voted on in November of 2006. According to County Manager Gary Page, the increase in sales tax would generate $2.4 million each year in revenue, just enough to pay for the county's portion of the new high schools. All five commissioners agreed that it should go to the citizens for a vote and approved the resolution. In other news from the meeting, a public hearing was set for December 20th to discuss using land near Hwy 421 West for a Truck and Used Farm Equipment Sales lot. And the Chesnut Acres Phase 2 subdivision was approved in Mulberry.

JobFair Later Today At WCC
For many people here in Wilkes, the economic problems of the area have made it hard to find work. It can be complicated at times. What companies are hiring? What skills are they looking for? The Wilkes Joblink Center was created to help answer those questions. And coming up later this morning, the Center will hold a Job Fair at Wilkes Community College. The event will be held from 10am til 1pm at the John A Walker Center. If you’re looking for a job, all you have to do is show up and over 45 different employers will be on hand for an interview.

Thieves Break Into Deejays
A Wilkesboro business fell prey to thieves earlier this week. At DeeJays resturant, the owner came in Sunday morning to find that her office door was open and over $4000 was missing. The door to the office had been forced open by the thieves and all information was turned over to sheriff's deputies. There are suspects in the case and that investigation continues.

Focus On Hats
Women have to juggle a lot of different jobs, being cook, caretaker, banker and several others all to benefit their families. Coming up this Saturday, Fountain of Life Church wants to honor all the ladies with a special "Hats Off To Women" Service. Former Wilkes County resident and christian comedian Kim Coleman will be speaking at the event and will be Brian's guest this week for Focus on the Foothills as they'll be talking more about the event itself and also about Kim's own ministry as a Christian comedian. That's coming up tomorrow at 1:05pm right after the midday stock report.

Tag Stolen While Owner Shops
A Moravian Falls woman came out of the pharmacy earlier this week to find that someone had paid a visit to her car. There was no damage done to the vehicle, however the car's tag had been ripped off. Witnesses however saw what they described as a suspicious vehicle circling the area earlier in the day and turned that information over to Wilkesboro police. There are suspects and that investigation is ongoing.

Tickets Still Left For Inman Conference
Coming up this Sunday, the Friends of the Library will welcome in former tv anchor Bob Inman to speak at their annual dinner meeting. The event, which will be held at the North Wilkesboro Elks Club, will feature Inman discussing the experiences of his life as an author and journalist. There is a fee of $25 to attend this Sunday's dinner, with proceeds going to benefit the Wilkes County Library. However if you want to make reservations, you better hurry. Today is the last day to do that by calling 667-6910.

Eat Fast Food For A Good Cause
This Friday, you can help raise money for a good cause with every burger you eat. Communities in Schools is partnering up with the local Hardees' for Community Day. This Friday, a percentage of all the day's sales at Hardees will be donated to Communities in Schools, to help fund things such as their Lunch Buddy program. There's no paperwork involved, you don't have to request for your money to go to the organization. All you have to do is simply go in and eat this Friday throughout the day. For more information you can give Communities in Schools a call. Their number is 651-7830.

State News

Search Ends For Missing Girl And Grandmother
Officials in Craven County have finally laid to rest their search for 15-yr-old Heather Roberts and her grandmother. Their remains were found in the van that was brought up on Monday from the bottom of the Neuse River. The discovery ends a 10-month old search and begins what could possibly be a murder case. Just before the two disappeared, the house they had been living in caught fire and investigators still haven't been able to determine what caused it. Questions are now being raised if the fire and the disappearance is somehow linked.

North Carolina Families Starving
It turns out that North Carolina families are literally starving. In a study done at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, North Carolina households came in fourth in the nation in regards to the rate of hunger. 4.9% of North Carolina families classified as being hungry, that's just below Arkansas at 5.3 while Oklahoma is first in the nation with a hunger rate of 5.6%. Data for the study was taken from the Department of Agriculture, which also found that over the last five years, the number of hungry familes across the U.S. jumped by 43%.

Vandals Cause Thousands In Damage To Chapel Hill School
What possibly started out as a high school prank turned extremely costly for East Chapel Hill High. When officials came in to get things ready for the school day, they found vandals had been by during the night. All parts of the school, from the main building, to the parking lot and even the concession stands at the nearby football field were hit, with estimated damages placed at over $5000. The vandals did leave behind one piece of evidence, spraypainting the numbers "06" on the buildings, symbolizing next year's graduating class.

Valdese Company Closes Its Doors
Bad news for workers in Valdese, as Carolina Mills is cutting back both on the local plant's operating hours and on the staff. 100 of the 220 workers at the plant will be let go, an almost 50% reduction as the company moves to a five day workweek. Company officials blamed the changes on rising natural gas prices and competition from cheaper foreign goods.

Black Substance Appearing In Canton Water
Officials in Canton North Carolina are testing a strange black substance found leaking out into the water this week. Barrels containing the substance were found leaking originally over the weekend, then earlier this week firefighters were called out to clean up a 20 by 30 spill of the material in the local river. Residents of Haywood County have been asked to conserve water as lines were shut down leading into the town of Clyde. As a temporary measure, people in Clyde will be getting water from nearby Waynesville. There is still no answer as to what the substance is.

Sports Headlines

High School Sports Tonight
Around the high school scene, several matches will be going on tonight. In soccer, the state tournament has started and in the 1A division, both East Wilkes and West will have their teams on the field. The 11-10 West Wilkes Blackhawks will be on the road against South Stanly, while East Wilkes heads up to Bishop McGuiness for their first round battle. In the 2A division, Wilkes Central recieved a first round bye and won't know their opponent until later this week.

NC State Lands New Recruit
Some good news for the NC State Wolfpack. While this year's football season hasn't exactly gone as planned, 2006 is looking a lot better. The Wolfpack added another name to their recruiting class this week, as DeAndre Morgan committed to the school. The 5-10 Morgan, a defensive back from Florida, turned down offers from Wake Forest, Syracuse, Clemson and Purdue to join State. Morgan will join his older brother DaJuan at the school. DaJuan Morgan, also a defensive back, is a redshirt freshman this season.

Wake's Chris Barclay Takes Weekly Award
After running for 204 yards in the win against Duke, Wake Forest's Chris Barclay was named co-offensive player of the week by the ACC. He shares the honor with Miami's Tyrone Moss, who put up 194 yards against UNC last Saturday. Also Andre Brown, NC State's freshman running back was named the ACC rookie of the week, after running for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the win against Southern Mississippi.

Panthers Make Roster Moves
Coming off their 38-13 win over Minnesota on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers made some roster moves. Gone is cornerback Garnell Wilds, who the team released. Taking his place on the roster is third round pick Atiyyah Ellison, who was brought up from the practice squad. The Panthers will be fighting for first place in the NFC South this week when they take on Tampa Bay.

NASCAR Standings
Taking a look at the Nextel Cup Standings, Tony Stewart increases his first place lead, holding a 43 point lead over second place Jimmie Johnson. In third is Greg Biffle, 75 point back and fourth place is occupied by Sunday's winner Carl Edwards, sitting 107 points behind Stewart. Ryan Newman is fifth, Mark Martin sixth, Matt Kenseth seventh, Rusty Wallace eighth, Kurt Busch is ninth and Jeremy Mayfield is bringing up the back of the pack in the Chase for the Cup. The next race will be the Dickies 500 this Sunday.

News & Sports For November 1st

People Turn Out To Say Goodbye To Fallen Soldier
Over 500 people turned out to pay their final respects Sunday to a fallen soldier from Wilkes County. Petty Officer Third Class Chris Thompson was laid to rest at the Mountlawn Memorial Gardens, with a 21-gun-salute and full military honors presents. The 25-yr-old Thompson was killed on October 21st while on his second tour of duty in Iraq. A homemade bomb exploded near a Humvee he was riding in just west of Baghdad.

Fugitive Picked Up In Wilkes
On Sunday of this week, sheriff's deputies saw a vehicle weaving over the center line while driving on the Bethany Ford Road. They pulled over the car and asked for ID from both the driver and passenger. The passenger, 55-yr-old Jose Torres it turns out, was wanted on charges in California. The SBI was contacted and Torres is sitting in the WIlkes County Jail awaiting extradition.

Structure Fire On East Church Street
The home of a Wilkesboro fireman burned to the ground Monday morning, after a structure fire gutted the building. Former fireman Tommy Michaels, who's out on disability and his family were able to get out of the house, located on East Church Street, without any injuries. The fire itself is believed to have been caused by a baseboard heater in the home which was accidentally turned on.

More Counterfeit Money In Wilkes
Wilkesboro police discovered some more counterfeit money over the weekend. A man and woman came into Wal-Mart and had tried to pay for their purchases with a fake $20 bill. When the cashier refused to accept it, the couple left their items and took off out the door. Security cameras and the cash itself were all turned over to Wilkesboro police and that investigation is ongoing.

Home Heating Series Pt. 2
Now that we're in November, the temperature is dropping down at night and we're starting to see the weather drop below freezing. With that in mind, part two of our 3WC Home Heating Series has some more tips on how to winterize your house. First, keep the damper closed on your fireplace unless you have a fire going. According to Duke Power experts, keeping it open is like opening up a window, as the warm air rises up the chimney. Another tip is to buy a humidifier, since heat clings to moisture in the air. A humidifier can help warm a room in your house by about ten degrees. Also check the filter in your furnace at least once a month and replace it at least twice a year. Finally, be sure and get a blanket for your water heater. That'll more than pay for itself when the temperature drops below freezing. Tomorrow in part three of our series, we take a look at some things you shouldn't do, when trying to get your home ready for winter.

Always A Good Idea To Wear Sunglasses
The sun caused a wreck in Wilkesboro over the weekend. Early Saturday morning, A Shelby man was pulling out of the Texaco parking lot on Hwy 421, but later told police he couldn't see where he was going because the sun got in his eyes. He slammed into a Wilkesboro man's car, causing an estimated $2500 worth of damage. Thankfully however no one was injured in the crash.

WCC Holds Program For Business Leaders
There can be a lot of headaches if you run your own business. What’s the requirement to qualify for overtime? What’s an appropriate amount of time to set aside for rest and meal breaks? How can you legally fire someone without putting your business at risk of a lawsuit? All those questions and more will be answered this afternoon during a seminar at Wilkes Community College. The event lasts from 1-4pm and will be held in Room 1112. For more information or to register, you can call the WCC Joblink Center at 651-2550.

Thieves Hit Home In Moravian Falls
Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home in Moravian Falls over the weekend, after thieves paid a visit. The homeowner returned to find Several hundred dollars worth of material was missing, including a Playstation, DVD Player, color TV and over $200 in coins. It's still unclear exactly how the thieves got inside however, as there was no damage done to the property and no sign of forced entry. That investigation is still ongoing.

Thieves Walk Out Of Best Way With Reciever
Thieves hit a Wilkesboro store over the weekend, walking out of Best Way with over $400 worth of merchandise. Apparently while inside, the suspect took a Techwood Surround Sound Reciever from the shelf and walked out the door with it. There was however a witness that saw the theft and a description of the thief, along with his name, was provided to Wilkesboro police. Warrants are being taken out in the case.

Last Week For Christmas In Wilkes Applications
After this coming Friday, no more applications will be taken for this year's Christmas in Wilkes program. November 4th is the cutoff date for parents to turn in the names of their kids. Every year, the names of needy kids are placed on Angel Trees throughout Wilkes County, so that people can provide the children with toys and clothes their parents otherwise couldn't afford. You can drop off applications at the North Wilkesboro Rotary Club Building, located behind Cooks in West Park. Today and Wednesday, you can come by from 11am til 7pm, then on Thursday and Friday, from 11am til 5pm. When coming to apply, parents or guardians must bring a picture ID, proof of their current income and social security cards for both the parents and children. For more information you can call Judi Mitchell with Christmas in Wilkes. Her number is 667-7174.

Thieves Desperate To Do Some Fall Cleaning
Thieves in the Boomer area apparently were desperate to do some fall cleaning over the weekend, as they ran off with a local man's vaccum cleaner. The back door to the man's home had been pried open and the shopvac, along with a blacak and decker drill were taken from the residence. Deputies do have a suspect in the case, as a green camero had been seen driving back and forth in front of the house. That investigation is continuing.

State News

Officials Find Link To Year Old Missing Persons Case
It was a case that puzzled investigators across the state, when 15-yr-old Heather Roberts and her 55-yr-old grandmother disappeared last winter. The pair had called relatives asking for help, saying that they were drowning in their van. But search teams could never locate the vehicle. Now however divers have located the vehicle, while on another missing persons case in the Neuse River. Officials with Craven County are taking their time pulling up the van, trying to preserve any evidence inside.

Massive Halloween Celebration Spills Out In Chapel Hill
Over 75,000 spilled out into Franklin Street Monday night, for Chapel Hill's annual Halloween celebration. Police shut down the area surrounding Franklin after 9pm and searched would be party-goers for any banned items. Alcohol, paint and fireworks were all banned from the event, which made the job easier for the 364 officers representing over 16 different law enforcement agencies, called out to maintain control.

Police SUV Still Missing
Police in the Winston area are on the lookout today for a missing SUV, one that had been used by their own officers. Over the weekend, the officers parked the vehicle at a residence on University Parkway and minutes later it was gone. The white 2000 Ford Explorer has the license plate MWD-4124. There are no weapons inside however local police are asking people with information to call Crimestoppers at 336-727-2800.

Robot Helps Ocean Scientists
Scientists at UNC Wilmington have a new tool to help in exploring the Carolina coast. The Pelagia, a robotic submersible glider, is being used to gather information on the ocean environment. The robot records all biological and physical changes to the environment, allowing scientists to track incoming storms and also to see what impact hurricanes and other weather patterns have on the ocean.

Easley Reappoints Board Of Elections
There'll be no change when the State Board of Elections takes office this year, as Gov. Mike Easley reappointed all five members to a new term this week. Democrats had fought against the move, although it was never explained why. Currently three democrats, Larry Leake, Bob Cordle and Genevieve Sims and two republicans Lorraine Shinn and Chuck Winfree are on the board, with a new appointment that doesn't expire until 2009. The board was originally supposed to be appointed back in May, but infighting with the Democratic Party put off the process until now.

Sports Headlines

UNC Quarterback Ready To Play
There had been some concerns after Saturday's game if UNC quarterback Matt Baker would be able to play this week. Baker sprained his ankle during the loss to Miami and was kept out of the final minutes. Now however, Coach John Bunting says that he'll be ready to go when Boston College comes to town this week. What's not so good for the Heels, who have to win three out of their last four to have a shot at a bowl game, is the fact three of their defensive players might be out for a while. Linebacker Jeff Longhany pulled a hamstring, defensive lineman Melik Brown sprained his left ankle and defensive back D.J. Walker got a concussion during the loss against Miami. All are listed as day to day and will probably miss this Saturday's contest.

NC State Player Out For Season
Meanwhile some bad news out of the NC State camp, as defensive tackle John McCargo could be out for the year. McCargo, a 6-2 295 lb. junior, went under the knife to fix a stress fracture in his left foot. However even though the surgery was a success, it could take until spring practice to fully heal. In other Wolfpack news, Coach Chuck Amato announced that freshman runningback Andre Brown would get his first start of the season as the team goes on the road to take on Florida State.

Wake Forest Freshman Suspended
The Wake Forest basketball team will have to do wihtout one of their top recruits for a few weeks after freshman Kevin Swinton was suspended. Swinton was suspended by the coaching staff for 30 days, meaning that he'll miss two exhibition games, two games in the regular season and also the first two games in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. It's still unclear what exactly Swinton did, as athletic department officials would only say that he violated team policy. Swinton was the top ranked recruit in this year's Deacon class, after taking Dudley High School to the state championship last season.

Panthers Almost Get A Clean Bill Of Health
As the Carolina Panthers gear up for next week's game against Tampa Bay, the team almost got a clean bill of health. The exceptions were Julius Peppers, who's still dealing with some broken bones in his right hand, which require a cast. Now comes news that linebacker Dan Morgan, who's dealing with a seperated shoulder, will also have some extra equipment for the rest of the year. In order to play, Morgan will have to put his shoulder in a harness so that it won't pop out. The injury will probably need to be surgically fixed after the season.

New Fuel Being Tested In IRL
Some changes could be coming in the racing community sooner than later. In the IRL league, officials announced this week that over the next two years, they'll be making a switch to grain based ethanol to power their cars. To begin with next season, cars will use a special blended gasoline that mixes in 10% ethanol before a totally new engine is installed in 2007. IRL officials said they made the move because ethanol is cheap in the Midwest, where the Series is based and with rising gas prices, they had to do something to keep ticket prices low. Depending on how the experiment goes, NASCAR could be making the switch as well. Testing continues but spokesman Ramsey Poston said that technicians haven't found the right formula to use on the cars yet.

News & Sports For October 31st

Share-A-Thon Success
It was a spirit-filled weekend here at the 3WC Studio's as the Fall share-a-thon was held for the Ebenezer Christian Children's Home. The weekend started with hopes that between 50 and 60 thousand dollars would be pledged, that was the amount needed to complete the Hope home project. Over the course of the two day event, over $67,300 was raised. Nearly 100 volunteers came together to make the share-a-thon a success. If you made a pledge over the weekend, you may mail it to:
The Home
PO Box 2777
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659

Men In Christ March On Wilkes
115 men marched in Broadway over the weekend to signify the beginning of a new ministry. The Men in Christ Ministry held a march, starting at the Rickards Chapel AME Zion Church and going all the way down to the old Lincoln Heights School. The march began at 9am Saturday morning and was planned, ministry members said, to show that some men in the community want to help and do positive things.

Halloween Trick Or Treating Tips
With today being October 31st, a lot of kids will be going out trick or treating with their parents. Here are some tips for when you’re out and about tonight. Only go to homes of people you know or well lit houses with the porch light on. Also both adults and kids need to wear light colored or reflective costumes, so that people can see you when you’re near the highway. Keep your costume away from open fires and candles. The reason being is that a lot of costumes are extremely flammable. And be careful not to let kids eat any candy until you’ve had a chance to check it and make sure there aren’t any problems.

Money Stolen From Ronda Home
Be careful who you let inside your home. A Ronda woman found that out the hard way last week, after thieves ran off with $1900 from her house. A man had knocked on the door and asked if he could come in, saying that he was there to check on the floors. He asked the woman to help him measure the floors while another man went through the home and took the money. Then both took off running out the door. The victim gave deputies a description of one of the suspects and the investigation continues.

Two Cars Damaged At Fast Food Restaurant
A Wilkesboro woman was waiting in line at the local Burger King last week when she was hit by a drunk driver. 41-yr-old Melvin Bumpus was also pulling in but couldn’t slow down in time to avoid hitting the woman’s car. Estimated damage was placed at $500 to her car and Mr. Bumpus was charged by Wilkesboro police with DWI and driving with a revoked license.

Home Heating Series Pt.1
With the calendar turning towards November, the temperature is dropping and it’s time to start thinking about ways to heat your home. For the rest of this week, 3WC News will be presenting a Home Heating Series, giving you tips on safe ways to prepare your house for the winter months. First off, if you haven’t already, now is a good time to install blinds or curtains in your windows. They help keep warm air inside, preventing it from escaping. Also turn off any exhaust fans in your home unless you’re using them to cook or vent smoke. If left unattended, they suck the warm air out of your house. Another good idea before it gets too cold is to climb up in your attic and check the insulation. Over 10% of the warm air leaves your home through cracks and tears in the attic insulation. A quick patch job can help ensure that your home stays warmer through the winter. Finally today, check your doors and windows, to make sure there are no cracks where cold air can get in. Especially late at night, homes can freeze up as cold air blows in.

Car Vandalized In Store Parking Lot
A North Wilkesboro woman got a surprise while shopping last week. She walked out of the local Belk’s store to find that someone had damaged her car. The passenger side window had been busted out, with estimated damage totaling $200. However despite the damage, nothing was missing from inside. Wilkesboro police are continuing the investigation.

Child Abuse Prevention Conference Coming Up This Friday
Child abuse affects all of us in some way, in our churches, schools and even in the workplace. To help people better understand the problem, the Child Abuse Prevention Team here in Wilkes County is getting set to hold a conference coming up this Friday. Childhood depression and postpartum depression will be the topics addressed at the conference. People can sign up for a fee of $55. Along with the conference itself, breakfast and lunch will be included in that price. For more information you can call Our House at 667-5555.

Fire Department Sign Taken For A Ride
Halloween came a little bit early for members of the Little Brushy Mountain Fire Department last week as thieves ran off with the sign for their hayride. The sign, which stood next to the road, was across the street from the local Run-In. The store’s cameras caught the thieves as they ran off with the sign and all the information was turned over to sheriff’s deputies. There are suspects in the case and the investigation is ongoing.

Job Fair This Wednesday
For many people here in Wilkes, the economic problems of the area have made it hard to find work. It can be complicated at times. What companies are hiring? What skills are they looking for? The Wilkes Joblink Center was created to help answer those questions. And coming up this Wednesday, the Center will hold a Job Fair at Wilkes Community College. The event will be held from 10am til 1pm at the John A Walker Center. If you’re looking for a job, all you have to do is show up and over 45 different employers will be on hand for an interview.

Vandals Hit North Wilkesboro Home
Sheriff’s deputies were called out to a North Wilkesboro home late last week, after vandals came by for a visit. After the homeowner left for work, neighbors said they saw a green ford ranger pulled in and a few minutes later take off. When the homeowner returned, a window at the home had been shattered. There is a suspect in the case and deputies are continuing the investigation.

State News

Plant Closing In Murphy
Some bad news for people in Murphy North Carolina, as Western Forge is shutting down its’ plant. 170 people will lose their jobs in the move, which company officials said was caused by increasing competition.

Fugitives Being Hunted In Alamance
Officials in Alamance County are searching today for two fugitives that escaped over the weekend. Charles Turner and David Richards are both wanted an assault charges in Florida. The northwestern part of Alamance County has been blocked off from the rest of the state as roads have been closed and helicopters circle overhead.

State Fines Company Over Fair
North Carolina finds itself going to court once again, this time over the state fair. Several rides had to be shut down before the fair started, after they failed safety inspections. As a result, state officials fined Wade Shows $20,000 for violating their contract agreeement. Even after the fines, the company was paid $2.23 million for the fair.

ID Theft Case Broken In Lenoir
A woman who stole the identities of eight people is in a Caldwell County jail today. 31-yr-old Phoebe Davis of Burke County is accused of scamming over 20 businesses and impersonating eight different people. Officials originally had searched her home and found several birth certificates and credit cards but Davis herself had disappeared. Caldwell County deputies found her in Granite Falls.

Cumberland Deputy Charged With Drug Trafficking
A sheriff’s deputy in Cumberland County finds herself facing drug trafficking charges today. 26-yr-old Tirhonda Leach was arrested after officials found cocaine and marijuana inside her vehicle. The original target of the investigation had been Leach’s mother, but when she pulled up to the house, investigators searched her car and found 135 grams of marijuana and 53 grams of cocaine.

Blue Ridge Parkway To Stay Open Longer
It’ll be a longer season than expected for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Usually campgrounds, hotels and visitor centers on the Parkway close down November 1st. But due to temperatures only recently dropping into the 30s, officials have announced that the visitor centers will be open until November 13th and facilities at Mount Pisgah will be running until this Saturday.

Sports Headlines

High School Football Scoreboard
Taking a look around the high school football scene this weekend, East Wilkes blew out Alleghany 40-6 at home, bringing their record to 5-6 on the year with one game left. Also on the road against a tough Ashe County team, Wilkes Central fought hard but fell just short as they lost 13-7. The Eagles drop to 2-8 with the loss. And West Wilkes lost a heartbreaker to East Surry 20-17. West falls to 6-4 with the loss. And in a major upset, it was Mt. Airy knocking off Elkin 28-23. The loss was Elkin’s first this year.

Mathis Loses In Tennis Championship
In high school tennis, Wilkes Central’s Emily Mathis went all the way to the finals of the state’s 2A championship but fell just short, losing straight sets to Britney Cloer of Brevard. Cloer won 6-2, 6-1 for her third state title in three years.

Local Teams Advance In Track
Taking a look around the track this weekend, it was Wilkes Central’s Lindsay Groce winning the West 2A Regional. Groce took the race in 18:56, while her teammate Sabrina Ashley finished third with a time of 19:37. Melinda Lackey of Wilkes Central finished ninth and Kay;a Branciforte of North Wilkes came in 14th. Overall in the 2A Regionals, Wilkes Centrals girls placed third and advanced to the state championships while Kayla Branciforte from North Wilkes qualified as an individual. In the 1A Regional, Anna Hayes from East Wilkes won with a time of 20:10 and overall East Wilkes finished second, advancing on to the state championship. Also Derek Cleary from the East Wilkes boys squad and Amanda Davis from the West Wilkes girls team each advanced to the state level as individuals.

ACC Scoreboard
In college football this weekend, it was Wake Forest beating Duke 44-6, improving to 4-5 on the year. During the game, Wake’s Chris Barclay broke the all time school record with 204 yards on the day. He passed James McDonald with 3903 yards rushing so far in his Deacon career, also good enough for eighth all time in the ACC with two more games in the season. Duke meanwhile drops to 1-8 on the year. NC State beat Southern Mississippi 21-17 as freshman Andre Brown rushed for 248 yards and two touchdowns, just 3 yards short of the Wolfpack’s single game record set back in 1977. The 3-4 Wolfpack keep their bowl hopes alive. And speaking of bowl hopes, North Carolina’s got a little dimmer after losing to Miami 34-16. Matt Baker only had 74 yards passing as the Heels drop to 3-4.

NCAA Scoreboard
Around the rest of the NCAA, it was East Carolina falling to UCF 30-20. Coastal Carolina beating VMI 38-14, Western Carolina beating Elon 31-26 and Gardner-Webb beating Liberty 21-16. Finally Appalachian State beats Chattanooga 35-25 as quarterback Richie Williams throws for 256 yards. The Mountaineers improve to 6-2 with the win and take over sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference.

Panthers Blow Out Vikings
In the NFL, the game was over in the first quarter as the Carolina Panthers beat the Vikings 38-13. Wide reciever Steve Smith caught 11 passes for 201 yards, most in Carolina history and quarterback Jake Delhomme tossed for 341 yards and three touchdowns. The win brings Carolina to 5-2 on the year as they move on to face Tampa Bay next week, in a battle for first place in the NFC South.

Edwards Wins In Atlanta
Finally in the Nextel Cup, it was Carl Edwards taking the win at the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Jeff Gordon came in second, Mark Martin third, Dale Earnhart Jr. was fourth and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.