North Carolina Center for Safer Schools Grant for SRO's in Wilkes

The Wilkes County School System has been awarded the 2026 North Carolina Center for Safer Schools Grant of $480,000, with a required 25 percent match of $120,000. The Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office proposed the grant funding be used for the salaries of 10 middle school and elementary school resource officers. The required match funding will be met by existing salary expenditures by personnel already in place at the Wilkes Sheriff’s Office. No additional local funding is needed. Currently, there are 19 SRO’s for the 22 Wilkes County Schools.

Operation Medicine Drop tomorrow

Elkin Police are sponsoring an Operation Medicine Drop tomorrow. Medications are the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths among children. Operations Medicine Drop has disposed of 280 million prescriptions and over the counter pills since 2010. The Operation Medicine Drop is October 24th at Walmart in Elkin 10am until 2pm. Also, North Wilkesboro Police Dept is teaming up with North Wilkesboro Elks Lodge for a medicine drop off. On Saturday, October 24th, bring your unused/expired medications to the Elks Lodge on Cherry Street in North Wilkesboro for proper disposal. Law enforcement officers will collect your old medications from 10am to 1pm. Drive up and look for the designated collection area.

supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans

Wilkes County Commissioners passed a Resolution this week supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans. The Resolution states that Wilkes County appreciates the sacrifices of our United States military personnel and believes specific recognition should be granted. In observance of Operation Green Light, Wilkes County encourages businesses and residents to display green lights in a window from November 4 through November 11.

Over 1,101,322 North Carolinians have cast a ballot

Through Wednesday, the seventh day of early voting, 1,101,322 North Carolinians have cast a ballot. That is 14.0% of registered voters, compared with 10.8% at the same point in the 2022 midterm. On Wednesday, 174,833 people voted. Turnout so far is higher than at the same point in 2022 in 91 of the state’s 100 counties. Of those voting early, 43 percent are registered Democrats, 23 percent are Republicans, and 34 percent are unaffiliated. Early Voting continues through Saturday, October 31.

ALE is the only agency in North Carolina selected

The North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE) has been selected as an International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Television Feature Agency for 2026, providing the agency the opportunity to showcase its mission and work on an international stage. ALE is the only agency in North Carolina selected for 2026. The film highlights not only ALE’s mission, but also the strong partnerships the division has built with law enforcement agencies throughout the state. 

reports of larceny of mail

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office has received a few reports of larceny of mail. A Red Top Road resident reported that work pants and a hoodie delivered to his mailbox were stolen. Another Red Top Road resident found a brown paper bag in her driveway containing a large amount of mail from multiple addresses in the area. There is no word on suspects and the investigation is ongoing.

a list of break-in and theft reports

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office continues to receive a list of break-in and theft reports. This week, a Thurmond resident reported a break-in where $2000 in property was taken. The stolen property included two utility trailers, a home computer, and home stereo system. A North Wilkesboro victim reported that $2000 in jewelry and other items were stolen from their home. No suspects were listed with these break-ins and the investigations are continuing.

Batteries catch fire

October is fire prevention month. Many devices such as—phones, tablets, laptops, tools, and toys—run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which store high amounts of energy in a small space. Batteries catch fire through a process called thermal runaway when batteries are damaged or charged incorrectly, they can overheat, start a fire, or even explode. Thus was the case last week in Wilkes. According to Wilkes Fire Marshal Robbie Bolin a “thermal runaway” with a 3-volt lithium battery caused a fire at a hair salon on School Street in Wilkesboro. A nearby surveillance camera caught the flash when the fire began on an outside wall. Firefighters arrived quickly and prevented the building from being a total loss.

61st academy class

Next week, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will graduate its 61st academy class on Thursday, October 29th. These new Special Agents will have completed their training and will be ready to begin their service as a SBI Special Agent. The ceremony will be held near Raleigh at The Shepherd’s Church in Cary.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program

Floods are the most common and costliest natural disaster in the United States. Flood insurance provides financial protection against the unexpected to help Americans be better prepared. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program provides $35.9 billion in coverage for 127,100 policyholders in North Carolina. This week, FEMA launched a new tool to purchase a National Flood Insurance Program policy online through Floodsmart.gov.