General Election --Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3

The statewide general election is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voters will be asked to show photo ID when they vote. All voters will be allowed to vote with or without ID. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, November 3. Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters.  Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites without physical assistance because of age or physical disability.

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the new Wilkes County Government Building

Wilkes County Commissioners and other local officials were on hand for the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the new Wilkes County Government Building. Three of the five commissioners were in attendance including Bill Sexton, Shirley Randleman, and Casey Joe Johnson. It was Johnson who gave opening remarks--(AIR Johnson Voicer) The first Wilkes County Commissioners’ meeting in the new facility will be Thursday evening.

Seller beware with whom you do business online

Seller beware with whom you do business online and never share personal information over the phone or other device. A Wilkes County woman believed she was selling something by phone to someone who saw it on Marketplace. The purchase price was to be paid through PayPal. When the Wilkes victim received an email saying there was a problem, she shared her screen with the buyer while opening her bank account and other apps. The victim realized she had been scammed when $6400 was stolen from her account. The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

The Conservation Fund acquired the property

N.C. State Parks and The Conservation Fund announced the acquisition of a 3,005-acre tract along the South Carolina border to be added to Lumber River State Park. The land, located in Robeson County, will protect the west banks of the river and provide public access. N.C. State Parks is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Conservation Fund acquired the property from a seller through a $4.05 million grant from the North Carolina Land and Water Fund and private fundraising. 

NC Child Medical Evaluation Program

The North Carolina Department of Health joined the UNC School of Medicine in celebrating 50 years of the NC Child Medical Evaluation Program, established in response to the growing need for county child protective services  agencies to have access to expert medical evaluations. This state-funded program was launched in 1976. Over the past 50 years, CMEP has grown from providing medical evaluations for fewer than 1,000 children each year to a statewide provider network serving more than 5,000 children and families annually. 

Fall Back in Time

Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday! Don't forget to turn your clocks back 1 hour before bed on Saturday night. Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks turn back one hour. The annual "fall back" means an extra hour of sleep and a return to standard time. It also means an earlier sunset, with darkness arriving noticeably sooner in the late afternoon and evening. And despite a push in Washington to end the twice-a-year clock changes, Americans will still need to change their clocks this fall.

Stolen Mail Question

The Wilkes Sheriff’s Office was called this week regarding a missing phone sent by a delivery company. When the Moravian Falls resident did not receive the $700 Samsung phone they ordered, they contacted the delivery company that stated the phone was delivered and signed for. However, the company is unable to find any record of a signature of the person who received the phone. The investigation is continuing.

FEMA announced the approval of $86 million in post-disaster funding

FEMA announced the approval of  $86 million in post-disaster funding for Public Assistance and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program across the Southeast for 6 states including North Carolina. Examples of projects reimbursed include: $10.5 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for repairs to roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Helene; $9.8 million to North Carolina Emergency Management for emergency protective measures following Helene; and $6.4 million to Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry for repairs to buildings damaged by Helene.

Wilkes County Schools

Wilkes County Schools Superintendent Dr. Westley Wood recently joined fellow new superintendents from across NC last week for a meeting with the Dept of Instruction in Raleigh. Also last week, Wilkes County Schools hosted 35 App State NC Teaching Fellows and Appalachian Community of Education Scholars. Finally, congratulations to the North Wilkes High School Marching Vikings for their outstanding performance at the 2026 Bands of America East Regional Championship. Facing programs from Oklahoma to New York to Florida—the North Wilkes Marching Band earned a Regional Recognition Award.

Center for Safer Schools

The Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) is accepting school applications for the 2027-2028 SHINE and SEED leadership programs. SHINE (grades 6-8) and SEED (grades 9-12) are yearlong programs that empower students to become leaders and promote school safety. The CFSS seeks one middle school and one high school in both Eastern and Western North Carolina. Schools interested in participating in SHINE and SEED should apply by Friday, April 2. If you have questions, contact the CFSS Student Engagement Manager