Four Area Stores Cited for Underage Sales
Four area stores were among the 23 cited last month for selling tobacco to underage children. North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agents checked 99 stores in Wilkes, Forsyth and Catawba County last month, and in each of the 23 cases cited, a clerk sold cigarettes to someone younger than 18. The four stores cited locally for underage cigarette sales are: FastTrack, 19-41 Statesville Road in North Wilkesboro, Walgreens in North Wilkesboro, Porters Grocery in Roaring River, and Neighbors in Elkin. Fifteen other Wilkes stores were checked, and none of them sold cigarettes when the buyer was underage.

Welcome Dove Air
A new business specializing in used airplanes is expanding in Wilkes County. Dove Air Incorporated is adding to its presence at Wilkes County Airport. Dove Air specializes in Cessna Citations. The company’s website says owner Joe Duncan has been selling airplanes since 1971. He has owned more Citations than anyone in the world, says the company, and has had over 1 Billion dollars worth of Business ranging from the sale of Single Engine Planes to Private Jets.

505th Welcome Home Event
A series of official welcome home events are being held over the weekend for the members of the 505th Engineer Battalion, an Army National Guard unit with numerous Wilkes county members that recently returned form a year in Iraq. The 505th Engineer Battalion was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom Aug. 2005. The Soldiers conducted combat engineer operations, road clearing, and repairing and force protection construction. This deployment is part of a long history of serving North Carolina, recent mobilizations include; response to ice storms, construction projects across the state and homeland defense missions at Ft. Meade during Operation Noble Eagle, in 2002. Each company of the unit is hosting their own official welcome back ceremonies. “A” Company’s celebration is at the Walker Center at 10 Sunday morning.

Tyson Donates to Local Food Banks
Tyson Foods has donated more than 18 tons of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.

The donation will help reach an estimated 134,000 people served through emergency food assistance agencies.

Tyson delivered the truckload to the food bank and then moved on to deliver about 2,000 pounds of frozen food to Celebration Baptist Church on Monday afternoon. This food will go to for Samaritan Christian Ministries, Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission and Wilkes Cares.

The donation is part of a three-year commitment from Tyson Foods to America's Second Harvest. As part of the initiative, Tyson has pledged at least 10 million pounds of protein to the nationwide food bank network and charitable domestic hunger-relief organization. Second Harvest Food Bank Deputy Director Nan Griswald says perishable donations account for about 40 percent of product donated to the food bank.

More Than Enough Flu Shots This Year
Health officials say there will be plenty of flu vaccine to go around this year. State Health Director Dr. Leah Devlin says the Centers for Disease Control estimates a record 100 million doses of the vaccine will be distributed across the country. That’s about 20-percent more than has ever been used in a single year.

"There will be plenty of vaccine for everyone," she said. "We should even have a little cushion."

About 75 percent of the vaccine shots should be in health care facilities by the end of the month, Devlin said. Officials hoped to vaccinate 80 percent of the state's health care workers. Nationwide, only 40 percent are vaccinated.

Flu season begins in October, though flu is most active in late December and January in North Carolina.

Break-In Discovered
A Miller’s Creek woman realized a number of items had been stolen from her home, when sheriff deputies contacted her in relation to another theft case. Melissa Johnson says about 750-dollars worth of video games, cash, poker chips, knives and other items were taken from her house sometime between September 23rd and late last week. She realized the items had been stolen, after a neighbor’s son admitted receiving some of the property from Daniel Richter, who was arrested late last week for a series of other Wilkes break-ins.

State Officals: Three Wilkes High Schools Make AYP
State education officials say one of Wilkes County’s high schools has exceeded expected student achievement scores last school year. West Wilkes High School students showed an average growth of .23, according to results of the ABCs of Public Education scoring system. Wilkes Central earned the second-highest distinction, the “Met Expected” rating, with an average growth of .04. The other two high schools did not meet the higher expectations implemented last hear.

However, three of the four high schools did meet the No Child Left Behind Act’s definition of adequate yearly progress. Only East Wilkes missed that mark.

Teachers at West Wilkes and Wilkes Central will receive bonuses based on the status of their schools, according to state officials.

Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson says the results can't be compared to previous years because the state has adopted new formulas that measure test results.

According to Atkinson, the new standards are higher and reflect expectations North Carolina schools should have this century.

The 2005-2006 test results for elementary and middle school students will be released next month.

29th Apple Festival This Weekend
Just two more days remain until the 29th Annual Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, one of the largest tourist events of the year in North Wilkesboro. The “Apple Jam” live music event, which has been held the evening before the festival for the past five years, starts at 6pm tomorrow at the Festival Park, which is at 10th and Main in North Wilkesboro.

Saturday, the streets of North Wilkesboro will come alive with over 350 crafts, 75 food booths, and music playing on four stages. It gets underway with opening ceremonies at 9am. The annual event is sponsored by the Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club. Parking is available at West Park Medical Park on Business 421, with regular shuttle service to the festival.

Task Force Stops Drug Traffic
Recent efforts of the Wilkes County Sheriff’s office and deputies from neighboring counties, plus the federal government, have resulted in numerous drug-related arrests and charges. During September, intensified patrol efforts along I-77 and US-421 have resulted in the seizure of eight pounds of cocaine, a mobile marijuana growing operation, 63-thousand dollars in cash and several autos. Seven people are facing numerous felony charges in connection with the cases, each of which started as a routine traffic stop along one of the two highways. A news release form Wilkes County Sheriff Dane Mastin says the efforts to curb drug trafficking along the US-421 and I-77 corridors will continue.

Two Wilkes Women Assaulted
Sheriff Deputies arrested a Millers Creek man early yesterday and charged him with assaulting his wife. The woman called 9-1-1 about 2 a-m yesterday and told dispatchers she had been hit in the face and her husband had clawed at her chest during an argument. When deputies arrived they arrested 40-year old Everett Tilley after his wife showed them the marks from the alleged assault. He said the two had been arguing, but he denied hitting her.

A Wilkes man is on the lam, while his girlfriend went to the SAFE Shelter, after she reported being punched in the right temple. The fight happened just after midnight yesterday morning, at a home in Traphill. Although the woman suffered visible injury to her head and said she’d been kicked in the side, she refused medical help. The victim said she and the man had been “sort of” dating. Deputies said he was gone when they arrived. Charges are pending against the man, who has not been found yet.

Mower Theft...and This One Isn't Cheap!
Mowers have been stolen regularly this summer across Wilkes County, but few of the reports have involved mowers this valuable. A North Wilkesboro man called 9-1-1 about 7:30 Tuesday evening, after discovering someone had stolen a nearly-new Cub Cadet riding mower and bagging attachment valued at a total of two thousand dollars. Johnathan Shaw told deputies the mower had disappeared sometime between Saturday morning and Tuesday evening, and that whoever had taken it from an out building at his home had to push the mower up a pretty steep hill. Further investigation showed the mower may have been loaded on a pickup truck. When that fact surfaced, Shaw remembered he had seen an older Ford pickup in the neighborhood a few days before. Later that evening, a neighbor gave Shaw the name of a possible suspect, which he passed on to the investigators. So far, that man has not been arrested.

Four Wheeler Seat Slashed, Victim Blames Hunters
A Millers Creek woman blames hunters using land leased next door to her may be responsible for slashing the seat of her Honda four-wheeler. JoAnn Terrell found the damage Tuesday afternoon. She said her son sometimes rides the four-wheeler in the nearby woods, and apparently had a confrontation with some hunters recently, because he was riding in an area that adjoined the land where they were hunting. Mrs. Terrell told deputies she had talked to the land owner, who was going to talk to the hunters. The investigating deputy told Mrs. Terrell that if she felt she was being harassed by hunters, she could also take the matter to North Carolina Wildlife officials. So far, no charges have been filed in the case.

Business' Truck Peppered by Pellet Gun
A Wilkes business was apparently the victim of a bit more malicious form of hunting. The Welding Company reported someone used a pellet rifle to shoot out a window on the passenger side of one of their trucks sometime Tuesday or early yesterday. The shooter apparently took two other shots at the truck, as well. There are no suspects.

Visitors Steal Items from Disabled Woman
A disabled Boomer woman has spent much of the past several weeks trying to figure out all the items two people who stayed with her recently have apparently stolen. A report on the theft at Barbara Staley’s home was filed yesterday by sheriff’s deputies. It lists almost 25-hundred dollars worth of missing property, including a portable wheelchair ramp. Staley told deputies the pair had also taken two string trimmers, one electric and one gas-powered, various tools and a 22-caliber semi-automatic pistol. She said she noticed the items missing after the suspected thieves stayed with her for a few days early last month. So far there have been no arrests.

Go-Cart Theft
A Wilkesboro man reports someone took a go-cart from under his carport, but chose not to steal a second go-cart sitting right next to it. Jody Wall told police neither cart was locked up when he and his wife left for work yesterday. When they came home last night, one of the carts was gone. He gave police a detailed description of the cart: black with yellow marks on it, single wheel drive with a pulley-to-pulley torque converter, slick tires, puncture-resistant inner tubes, no seat pad, and an improvised throttle hook-up. Although it was designed to have a roll cage, Wall said the cage was not mounted to the go-cart. The other cart, which was similar but did have a roll cage, was still in the carport. The stolen cart also had a brand-new Tecumseh 6-and-a-half horsepower motor. Both cars were visible from the street. There are no suspects.

Break-In at Wilkes ATV, Cycle Shop
A Wilkesboro ATV and motorcycle dealer suffered a break-in Sunday, but he’s not sure yet if anything was stolen. An employee of Brushy Mountain Motorsports called police after finding the plate glass window at the front of the store shattered. Until the owners and police review a videotape and inventory the merchandise, it’s unclear if any of the motorcycles or ATVs on display were taken. According to the employee, the store security camera should have caught the burglary attempt on tape.

Shoplifter Reported, Possible Accomplice Found
On Monday, a different Wilkesboro merchant reported a shoplifter to police. A woman working at Burlington Shoes called 9-1-1 to say a man had just come into the store and left without paying for a pair of Adidas shoes valued at 30 dollars. The thief was described as a white male wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. Police officers searching the area did not find the man, but they did find a woman sitting behind the wheel of the car he was reported to have come to the shoe store in. Turned out the car had a false license plate, and the woman, Nicole Nickens, was driving on a revoked license. She was ticketed and the car seized after it was discovered the vehicle I-D numbers were no longer on the car. She told officers she did not know the man accused of stealing the shoes. He has not been found.

Weed Trimmer Stolen from Unattended Trailer
A local lawn care business is without one of the pieces of equipment used to do the job, after a thief stole a weed eater from his work trailer. Jeffery Wagoner told sheriff deputies he was mowing for J & J Lawn Care around the Food Lion store in Millers’ Creek. The deputy investigating the case looked at security videos from the nearby FasTrak station and the Miller’s Creek Market, and neither was aimed at the area where Wagoner had parked the trailer. So far, no leads or suspects have turned up.

Christmas In Wilkes Applications Close Thursday
This is the last week to apply for this year’s Christmas in Wilkes assistance program. The annual program, now in its 12th year, will accept applications for help this Christmas season today and tomorrow from 11 am to 7pm each day. Eligibility for each child is based on family size and income, and parents need to bring verification of both, along with a picture ID, original social security cards for each family member, and verification of state benefits, if the family applying is on a state assistance program. Those still needing to apply should come by the North Wilkesboro Rotary Club’s Worth Tomlinson Fairgrounds Building near West Park today or tomorrow. NO late applications are accepted. When the application period opened a week ago Monday, more than 250 coats and other items were distributed to people applying for Christmas in Wilkes, after they had been donated at two Wilkes Dry Cleaning businesses.

Foxx Honored by Tax Hike Opponents
A national group that opposes all tax increases has recognized fifth district Congresswoman Virginia Foxx as a “Hero of the Taxpayer.” The honor was given last week by the group Americans for Tax Reform. In a statement released yesterday announcing the honor, Foxx, who is running for another term in next month’s general election, said tax cuts have bolstered the economy and lowered unemployment to levels not seen in thirty years. She said work remains to be done on the estate tax, and she supports additional tax cuts proposed by the Bush administration.

North Wilkesboro Town Board to Meet
Town Board members in North Wilkesboro will also discuss paying a consultant to help in the negotiation process for a new lease on Wilkes Regional Medical Center. Negotiating the final lease terms is the next step, after board members name the winning entity of the three competing for a 30-year lease. As we reported on 3WC news last week, they are scheduled to announce their choice on Tuesday night. Once that announcement is made, the board will discuss a contract with Cambridge Management Consultants to assist in the negotiations of the exact lease terms, which are expected to be finalized before the end of the year.

North Wilkesboro Town Board members are in the final stages of applying for a grant to extend sewer service to the Damascus Church Road area. The agenda for their Tuesday night meeting lists a public hearing on the project, which has been requested by homeowners in the area. The grant being applied for is through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Community Development Bock Grant program.

Cyclists Riding Across N.C. Visit Wilkes
More than one thousand cyclists were in town over the weekend, as part of the Cycle North Carolina bike tour. They stayed the night in the large field near Watson Stage and at local hotels, after riding in all afternoon at the finish of a 70-mile ride from Banner Elk. They’re leaving through downtown Wilkesboro this morning, on their way to Clemmons, Burlington, and other points between here and the coast. The will take them a week, and they’ll bike a total of 430 miles.

Caution: Deer Crossing
Now that October’s here, it’s time for the annual fall reminder to be extra alert for deer along area roads. More than 15,000 animal-related crashes are reported across the state each year — 90 percent involving deer. Since 2003, the incidents have resulted in 2,909 human injuries, of which 19 were fatal, and nearly $104 million in property damage.

While a crash involving a deer can happen at any time, the majority of deer-vehicle collisions occur between the months of October and December, when deer activity increases due to the mating and hunting seasons. Incidents are most common during the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., when deer movement increases and limited lighting makes it more difficult for motorists to see them on or near roads.