Monday Afternoon Shooting in Wilkes

On Monday, October 26, 2026, at approximately 4:50 p.m., deputies with the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office were notified of a shooting victim who had driven to the Wilkesboro Fire Department seeking medical assistance. The Wilkesboro Police Department and Wilkes County Emergency Medical Services were initially dispatched to assist. After it was determined that the shooting had occurred outside the Wilkesboro city limits, deputies with the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office were requested to respond and investigate. Upon arrival, deputies located the victim, Stanley Andre Petty, 68, of Boomer, North Carolina, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel provided treatment at the scene before Petty was transported to Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. He remains in critical condition. As the investigation continued, deputies obtained and executed a search warrant at the reported location of the shooting, 3931 South NC Highway 16 in Moravian Falls, North Carolina. During the execution of the warrant, the suspect was detained at the scene. Following further investigation, Melissa Sue Gail Hammons, 38, of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was arrested and charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder. This case remains under active investigation by the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. No additional information is available at this time.

Weekend Shooting

Charges included attempted first degree murder. Over the weekend, Wilkes Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a Ferguson residence regarding shots fired into a house. Deputies arrived to find broken glass and bullet holes at the house with rifle shell casings on the porch. Damages were estimated at $1400. No injuries were reported to anyone inside the house. The suspect, a white male, was found and arrested. He was charged with attempted first degree murder, first degree burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

thefts where property was towed away

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office is investigating a couple of thefts where property was towed away. In Moravian Falls over the weekend, a property owner reported that a 16-foot, dual-axle trailer valued at $1000 was stolen from where it was parked near the roadway. Also a Wilkesboro victim reported that a tow-behind wood splitter valued at $1600 was stolen from their residence. No suspects were listed in either theft.

SBI special agents conducted years long investigation

The investigation into the death of Faith Hedgepeth took nine years and nine days to solve. Over that time, 25 SBI special agents worked with Chapel Hill Police. Agents and staff logged thousands of hours and followed thousands of leads, conducted hundreds of interviews, and collected and tested 400 DNA samples. The SBI is glad this chapter has found resolution for the family, friends, and all those who have worked diligently over the years to bring justice and closure. Again, we extend our condolences to Faith's family and friends.

Department of Health will host a live fireside chat

North Carolina Department of Health will host a live fireside chat and tele-town hall today from 6 to 7 p.m., to discuss how parents and health care providers can support youth tobacco cessation. In North Carolina, 13% of high school students use electronic nicotine products. Many of the vape and pouches used contain high concentrations of nicotine. More than half of middle and high school students who vape want to quit and have tried to do so. The fireside chat will stream live from the NCDHHS Facebook, X (Twitter) and YouTube accounts, where viewers can submit questions.

Randleman will serve on the board with the merger of VAYA

Wilkes County Commissioner Shirley Randleman will continue to serve on the board with the merger of VAYA Health with Partners. Vaya Health is the local management entity/managed care organization (LME/MCO) responsible for management and oversight of public behavioral health systems in 32 counties. On October 1, the state approved the merger of Vaya with Partners Health to create the new Vaya Partners. Commissioner Randleman will serve on the Governing Board for Vaya Partners and the Wilkes DSS Director will serve as the representative for Wilkes County on the Vaya Partners CCAB.

Town of Ronda has gone through a state audit

The Town of Ronda has gone through a state audit which revealed overspending of nearly $21,000 per month over a two-year period, according to State Auditor Dave Boliek. Ronda also used money from grants and investment accounts for general spending to cover the shortfall in deposits. State Auditor Boliek also flagged $4,000 in questionable credit card transactions to cellphone companies, Venmo transactions, and hotel websites. The Town of Ronda has officially approved to begin dissolution of the town charter, and the Local Government Commission has taken over its finances.

RiverStreet Communications filed for Chapter 11 protection

RiverStreet Communications, a Wilkesboro, NC-based provider of telecommunications and broadband services, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Oct. 21 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The company attributes financial issues to the breakdown of a grant-funded fiber expansion. In 2023, it committed to a $480 million build-out to 182,000 locations across Virginia and North Carolina. Then, higher materials and labor costs, rising interest rates, and the closure of capital markets to rural telecommunications providers left an unfunded capital need of $153 million. So, after 75 years, RiverStreet (formerly Wilkes Telephone) has filed for bankruptcy with plans to sell the company pending court approval.

FEMA is awarding $101 million to North Carolina

FEMA is awarding $101 million to North Carolina, funding 52 projects that will accelerate disaster recovery. The state will receive $100 million through FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which provides federal reimbursement to communities for debris removal, emergency protective measures eliminate disaster impacts, and to repair or rebuild damaged critical infrastructure. Public Assistance grants announced include: $49.4 million to North Carolina Emergency Management and $10.8 million to North Carolina Department of Transportation.

State Archives of North Carolina -- American Revolution in the Cherokee homeland

The State Archives of North Carolina will host a virtual program Nov. 4 exploring the complex history of the American Revolution in the Cherokee homeland and the challenges of commemorating the conflict in western North Carolina. The speakers will discuss the history of the Revolution in Cherokee ancestral lands, where the conflict brought violence and destruction amid a much longer struggle to protect Cherokee land and communities. Participation is free but advance registration is required