3WC News Blog: 3/4/07

The local and regional news page of 12403wc Hometown Christian Radio.

Friday, March 09, 2007

More Men Implicated in Fall Break-In Spree

Wilkes County deputies have charged two new suspects in connection with the large amount of stolen property seized during a raid on a North WIlkesboro man's home late last year. At the time they raided Gene Haymond's home with the help of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro Police, deputies said the arrest would solve more than a dozen break-ins and burglaries that had happened in the previous weeks. As Haymond's scheduled trial date nears, he is implicating others in some of the break-ins and in what was done with the property that was stolen.

For instance, Haymond has implicated Daniel Wayne Richter, a 32-year old local man, in several of the crimes, and 36-year old Jeremy Lee Ebersole in several other burglaries, along with helping him get rid of some of the stolen property. In one case, Haymond says Ebersole drove with him to Maryland the day after a business break-in, to get rid of a stolen Kubota tractor. According to supplements filed in most of the cases this week, Haymond has implicated Richter or Ebersole for a role in nearly all of the crimes for which he stands charged. Both are in jail on other charges, and will now face additional charges related ot his series of crimes.

posted by Newsroom # 4:27 PM

Robberies, Chase, Wrecks -- Now Jail

At least two break-ins, a chase, and several people captured. That's the result of a wild period yesterday afternoon in North Wilkesboro and the county. The report filed by sheriffs deputies indicates the original incident was an armed robbery at a home on Old Highway 60 in Millers Creek. In that robbery, an elderly woman had a number of prescription pain killers stolen at gunpoint. Shortly after that, a report went out of an armed robbery at a location in North Wilkesboro, not identified in the sheriff's report, but w understand that tho be Brame-Huie Pharmacy. The robbers sped off from there and were involved in two hit and run accidents, then abandoned the car in the 700 block of Friendship Cross street. Deputies and officers fanned out in the area, and located the group of thieves in the area of 268 Spainhouder.

Upon arresting the three suspects, officers recovered a pistol, which turned out to have been taken in yet another break-in, and numerous pills of methadone and oxycodone that one of the suspects, Eddie Settle, had tried to stuff in his pants. The other two suspects are identified as 38-year old Ronald Eugene Anglin Junior and 31 year old Melissa Kay Huffman.

Settle was charged with 9 counts ranging from trafficking in controlled substances to armed robbery; Anglin and Huffman were each charged with four crimes. This is only the count from the sheriff's office; as of news time, we had not received a count from North Wilkesboro Police. All three are jailed at this time.

posted by Newsroom # 4:26 PM

Large Fire at Tyson Welding Shop

Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro firefighters were called this morning to a large blaze at Tyson. Nick Hamby with the Fire Marshal's office tells me the fire was noticed about 9:30 by a man working in the Tyson Welding shop. The man was able to get out of the shop safely, but by the time firefighters arrived, the flames ahd worked their way up the wall and into the roof insulation of the building, and the blaze was shooting flames through the roof.

Fighting the fire immediately became what firefighters call a "defensive" attack, where they set up trucks outside and simply pour great amounts of water on it from the top. To have gone inside would have been too dangerous for the firefighters. Hamby says the metal building is a total loss, but he did not have an estimate of the total value of the building and its contents. At one point the column of smoke rising formthe building looked similar to a tronado, when viewed from across town. The smoke and the fire lines, plus the fact that Tyson is at such a traffic congestion point anyway, led Wilkesboro Police to block off much of the traffic flow and redirect drivers around the scene. North Wilkesboro firefighters remained on scene for aobut two hours; Wilkesboro firefighters were there about two hours longer.

posted by Newsroom # 4:24 PM

Thursday, March 08, 2007

More Paint Ball Vandalism

Another Wilkes property has been shot up with a paint ball gun. But this time, the vandals caused even more damage. The property on Jim Caudill Road almost appears abandoned, according to sheriff deputies, who say the house is unmaintained and falling in from weather deterioration and has no roof. The owner's son, Matthew Weber, says it had been about a week since he'd checked the property when he made the report on Tuesday. During that week, someone had shot a camper stored there with paint balls, shot more paint balls at the side of the house, broke out nearly all the windows of the camper, and borke seven windows in the house. Weber says he had a Jeep stored inteh basement, and the vandals broke out the windshield, as well. Total damage is estimated at about 29-hundred dollars. There are no suspects.

posted by Newsroom # 2:57 PM

Playstation Stolen, Family Blames Teen's Friends

A rural North Wilkesboro family believes some of their son's friends are repsonsible for taking the boy's Playstation 3 this week. The teenager came home from school Tuesday afternoon and discovered the gaming station missing. His older brother had left the door unlocked earlier in the day when he left for work, and it appears the teen-aged theives walked into the house rather than forcing their way in. The family says these two boys, ages 14 and 15, are the only people thier son associates with that knew he had a Playstation 3. One of them had visted last week and saw where it was set up. Neighbors don't report seeing anyone leaving the house or carrying the Playstation, but they do report an unknown 17-to-20 year old person was walking down the street near the home between 1:30 and 2 Tuesday afternoon.

posted by Newsroom # 2:57 PM

Clingman Pitstop Break-In

A thief went to a lot of efffort to get cigarettes from a local store this week. A newspaper carrier spotted a broken window at Clingman Pitstop early yesterday, and called the sheriff's office. Deputies entered the store along with the owner, who determined about 50 cartons of cigarettes were missing. The security tape shows a middle aged white male entering the store with a trash can. Deputies say it appeared he knew the camera setup, because he walked backward all the way to the storeroom, so his face wouldn't show. A few minutes later, the man is seen hauling the full trash can back out. He'd used a rock to break a window on the store's front door. Total loss is 15-hundred dollars for the smokes, and 300-dollar to repair the door.

posted by Newsroom # 2:50 PM

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Only There A Week, and He Pulls This...

A Roaring River man is accused of defrauding two businesses, one of them a local convenience store. Sheriff deputies say J36-year old James Kelly Shepherd worked for a trucking company for one week last year, and during that time obtained nine checks. These are a special kind of check that is used at truck stops and stores, and has to be authorized through a fleet management company to be valid. However, he cashed the checks, written for a total of over 16-hundred dollars, at Thurmond Grocery, which had no knowledge the checks needed pre-approval. He said they were paychecks.

The checks, of course, bounced, sticking Thurmond Grocery with the face value plus about 225-dollars in bank fees. According to the store owner, Shepherd admitted to the fraud, and apologized, offering the excuse he was hooked on meth. However, he has made no attempt to make good the money the store lost, so the owner has filed charges. Deputies will serve Shepherd with warrants charging that he obtained property by false pretense.

posted by Newsroom # 3:54 PM

Scooter Stolen, Found

Sheriff Deputies and West Jefferson police are looking for an area woman, after she allegedly took a motor scooter, didn't return it, and sold it to someone else for cash. The scooter was reported stolen back on the 3rd, by Daniel Beldsoe in West Jefferson. He said he had let Samantha Combs borrow the scooter, a black Yamaha with red flames on the back, to go to the store. He never saw her or the scooter again. He told police it was worth about 15-hundred dollars.

Wilkes County deputies got a tip they could find the scooter on Damascus Church Road Monday evening. When a deputy located the scooter, he was told by a woman that lived at the house it belonged to Spencer Martin. The ID number from the scooter in the yard matched the one entered in the National Crime database after the West Jefferson theft, and the description of the scooter was the same. Martin was not there at the time, but the woman said he'd be back the next day, Tuesday. Another deputy talked with him yesterday morning, and he told them he had purchased the scooter from Samantha Combs, after she brought it to the house and said she didn't want it any more. He paid 100-dollars. West Jefferson Police list the case as still under investigation.

posted by Newsroom # 3:46 PM

Federal Suit Against Tyson Goes for Class-Action Status

A major local employer could face millions of dollars in back-pay compensation if a federal judge in Kansas rules against it. Tyson workers in western Kansas are filing for class-action status in the case, which has to do with how much time the workers are paid for to put on and take off protective clothing. Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson, the world's largest meat packer, had sought summary judgments blocking the compensation claims, first brought by employees at the Holcomb, Kan., facility last May. A similar case was filed against the company in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this month.

The key to the case is what is defined as work. Employers have to pay employees for all hours worked, but Tyson has contended that the time it takes to put on the required protective clothing at the beginning of the shift and take it off again at the end of the shift is not time worked. A 1994 case against beef packing giant IBP forced the company to revisit the issue, and it has since paid for four minutes at the start and end of the shift, if the employee works in a job requiring knife or cleaver use.

This lawsuit aims to extend the pay to time other workers use donning and doffing hair nets, and for the time it takes to walk to and from their work station. The judge last Friday left open the issue of whether four minutes was adequate time to put on and remove special protective clothing and gear worn by those who use cleavers and knives on the assembly line. Plaintiffs contended that it often takes much longer than four minutes to dress for the job.

Nearly 300 workers at the Holcomb plant have joined in the lawsuit so far, and nearly 800 more say they want to be part of it.

posted by Newsroom # 4:26 AM

Two Run-In Employees Admit Stealing $21K in Lottery Winnings

Two Wilkes woman have admitted they took more than 23-thousand dollars worth of lottery tickets and merchandise from the business where they worked. 40-year old Jacqueline Dixon and 24-year old Jolinda Stephenson worked as cashiers at the Run-In on Statesville Road. Store video showed them each taking lottery tickets from the store's supply, and cashing them out of the register. Between the two of them, 21-thousand dollars of lottery tickets were illegally cashed in this manner. Deputies also say Stephenson took about 25-hundred dollars of snack food and drinks.

The crime report does not indicate the time span over which this happened, but it was reported last Friday. The two women were arrested after being confronted with the evidence at their employer's office in Wilkesboro. Dixon is charged with a single count of theft by an employee, while Stephenson faces two counts of employee theft.

posted by Newsroom # 4:25 AM

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Man Injured in Afternoon Wreck

A wreck this afternoon has sent one person to the hospital, after rescuers had to extricate him from his semi truck. Wilkes dispatchers tell me the wreck happened about 1:30 this afternoon on Red White and Blue Road in Roaring River. Rescuers found the truck on its top when they arrived, and a little fuel had leaked form the diesel tanks. After they extricated the driver, Wilkes EMS took him directly Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. The road did have to be closed down for a time about mid-afternoon so tow trucks and equipment could right the truck and tow it off.

posted by Newsroom # 2:22 PM

Domestic Assualt Ends with Both in Jail

A domestic squabble ended this weekend with both the man and his wife being hauled to jail. Deputies were called to the couples home on Fish Dam Creek Road in Millers Creek a little after 3 Sunday morning. they spoke with the woman, Laura Butrick, first. She said her husband had poured water on her during the argument, thrown a cup at her, and pushed her to the floor. Her husband, Robert Butrick, said she slapped hin int he face and broke his lip.

Deputies arrested both people. Mr Butrick is charged with Assault on a Female, while Mrs. Butcrick is cahrged with Simple Assault. Both charges are misdemeanors.

posted by Newsroom # 4:56 AM

Business Break-In

A local business owner was burglarized late last week. Charles Alexander, the owner of the Tinker Shop on Ruritan Road, tells sheriff deputies the break-in happened sometime between when he locked up at 6 last Friday and when he opened just before 9 Saturday. The thief broke his front window, and once inside took about 10 knives from a case near the cash register. The knives are valued at 200-dollars. Alexander doesn't know who might have done this, and the report makes no reference to the stor having a video tape system. The investigation continues.

posted by Newsroom # 4:50 AM

Man Accused of Strangling, Threatening His Wife

A rural Wilkesboro man was jailed, after being accused of trying to strangle his wife. 35-year old Brian Keith Hemrick was arrested Friday night about 9:30 in his home on Shaw Ridge Mission Road. Deputies say they were called there by his wife, Angela. She told them the two had been arguing, and during the argument he threatened to kill her and choked her. She had bruising and red marks around her throat to back up the claim. Deputies arrested him without any further problems, and charged him wigh Assault by Strangulation and with Communicating a Threat.

posted by Newsroom # 4:46 AM

Monday, March 05, 2007

Someone Has Issues...

Anger management class might be a good recommendation for a judge to make in relation to a man's recent assault of his wife. The 24-year old man was arrested after his wife showed up at Wilkes Regional Medical Center Saturday with a broken elbow -- in the words of a sheriff's deputy, broken completely in two. The woman tells deputies her husband had been out with friends, then came home and dragged her back out, supposedly to a poker game. But she ended up sitting in the corner while he and his buddies talked about drugs. A few hours later, they went home, where he decided he was "in the mood." She turned him down.

At that point, she says he became irate, throwing things at her and causing a mess on the floor where she tripped and fell. It was then that he kicked her repeatedly, the woman says, breaking her elbow. He then did a number of degrading things to her hair, and for four hours would throw her out of the house, then minutes later drag her back in for more abuse. She finally broke free or he passed out, the report isn't clear which. He was served with a warrant charging assault inflicting serious bodily injury, without further incident.

posted by Newsroom # 3:48 PM

With a Welcome Home Like This....

Back from vacation half an hour, and already the car's been broken into and a bunch of stuff stolen. A rural North Wilkesboro man and his wife got that sort of rude welcome home this weekend. The couple got back about 8:30 last night, and went inside to relax and settle down a few minutes before unpacking the car. She went back outside about 9, to get some photos from the car.

She stopped short when she saw the driver's side rear door had been keyed. They went through the car, and found a thief had stolen two leather coats and a jacket, the car keys, a purse, a cell phone case, and a class ring. But it was what was in the pocket of one of those coats that was the most significant loss -- 9-thousand dollars in cash. Between the damage to the car and the total of the stolen items, the loss is estimated at about 10-thousand-500 dollars. No suspects are listed.

posted by Newsroom # 3:47 PM

Shoplifting Averted, Drugs Found

Wilkes County Sheriff Deputies had another encounter late last week with a man they have considerable familiarity with. Tommy Shoemaker was arrested Wednesday for concealing items in a convenience store, with the intent of walking out without paying. He was also found to have drugs on him whe deputies did a search. A clerk at the Village market on Sparta Road called deputies Wednesday evening, saying Shoemaker had just come in the store, stuffed several items in his pockets, and then put them back on the shelf when she confronted him. The items in question were small -- totaling just over three dollars.

Deputies caught up with Shoemaker a few minutes later, and took him and the driver of the car he was in back to the store. When the clerk said he was the one, they patted him down before taking him to jail. At taht time they found a container that had 22 Xanax pills in it. Shoemaker faces a charge of concealing property and of drug possession.

posted by Newsroom # 4:43 AM

Basement Fire - Set?

A local man claims a small fire underneath his home was the work of an arsonist. Joey Bolick was moving out of a house on Highway 16 South last week, and when he came back to get another load of property, discovered a fire had started near the water heater, which was on a concrete slab in the basement. A report from Nick Hamby with the fire marshal's office indicates available material near the water heater was used to start the fire, but stops short of saying a person actually did it. The fire had burned itself out, causing about 5-thousand dollars damage. Neither Bolick or the owners of the rental home could come up with any possible suspects.

posted by Newsroom # 4:37 AM