Five suspected in home invasion

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Five suspects have been identified in connection with a home invasion robbery at a North Wilkesboro apartment complex.

And, as of Tuesdays, two of those suspects have been arrested.

The reported home invasion occurred around 11 p.m. on June 14, according to reports.

North Wilkesboro Police Capt. Ralph Pittman stated that the first arrest was made on June 16. Then police charged Joeskey O’Brian Barnes with armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, damage to property and larceny.

Barnes, according to Pittman, was located in Wilkesboro and was arrested during a traffic stop by Wilkesboro Police Officer D.R. Church, North Wilkesboro Patrol Sgt. John Vandervort, and North Wilkesboro detectives David Johnson, Ann Williams, Bobby Huie and Police Chief Joe Rankin.

Barnes was jailed and held under a $75,000 bond.

The second and most recent arrest came late Tuesday morning.

According to North Wilkesboro Police Detective David Johnson, Alesia Marie Blevins, 29, of Wilkesboro, was charged with aiding and abetting first-degree burglary, aiding and abetting kidnapping, aiding and abetting assault by pointing a gun, aiding and abetting robbery with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting injury to real property.

Blevins, according to Johnson, turned herself in at the Wilkes County Intake Center in Wilkesboro. She was held under a $24,000 secured bond.

Johnson said that warrants for armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary, damage to property and larceny have been issued on Christopher Antonio Scott, Brent Monroe Antone and Derell Lamar Cannaday all of Wilkesboro.

It was reported that suspects broke into the residence of Christopher Dodd at Peace Street Apartments in North Wilkesboro. They threatened him with a handgun, he told police.

Once inside, the suspects ransacked the residence and took cash and other items belonging to the Dodd, according to the report.

 

Woman’s shooting death investigated

By JERRY LANKFORD

Record Editor

Investigators are probing the shooting death of a Boomer woman.

Wilma Jean Wilcox, 38, of Boomer, was found dead at her home on AA&W Road when deputies with the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the scene late Friday evening.

Officials say that Wilcox died of a gunshot wound.

“Right now it’s still a death investigation and we have made no determination one way or another,” Det. Tim Pardue of the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department said on Monday. “All we know is that she died from a gunshot wound.”

Pardue said a firearm was recovered from the scene. An autopsy was performed on Wilcox at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem on Monday.

According to Pardue, the emergency call was made around 11:15 p.m.  Mrs. Wilcox lived at the home with her husband, Gary, and her 16-year-old daughter, according to reports. It was also reported that the couple may have been arguing prior to the fatal shot being fired.

The daughter went to a neighbor’s home to make the 911 call, investigators say. When emergency personnel arrived at the home, Mrs. Wilcox was found lying on the floor of the master bedroom.

Mrs. Wilcox was employed by Wilkes Regional Medical Center.

The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation.

 

 

Ticks survive harsh winter, thrive in summer

By REBECCA TRIPLETT-JOHNSON

For The Record

When Wilkes was covered in white during December and January, a most common phrase was, "At least all of this snow is killing the ticks and bugs." 

Unfortunately, for everyone but the bugs, ticks and fleas are capable of surviving long bouts of cold weather while staying buried in the soil.  The heavy snow and cold temperatures did little to alleviate the tick population for 2010. Some etymologists have reported frozen ticks have even been capable of living more than three years.

Ticks are parasites that feed on animal and human blood while carrying multiple viruses that can be spread through their bites.  Of these, Lyme Disease, Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are the most commonly acquired diseases. 

People in all districts of Wilkes have already reported finding ticks on themselves and their pets during the spring months.  With the onset of a hot and humid summer, their abundance is expected to grow.

Although ticks are found in most all outdoor areas, their chosen habitats are near grassy and wooded areas, bushes and shrubs, clusters of fallen leaves and dense ground vegetation. 

In recent years, the Lone Star tick has become the most aggressive of the North Carolina and southern United States species.  However, Dog ticks and Deer ticks still make up a large percentage of yearly bites.  Around 20,000 reported cases of Lyme disease are reported annually in the U.S.  The likelihood of being exposed to ticks and the diseases they carry is about 10 to 20 times greater than it was 10 years ago, according to the Companion Animal Parasite Council.

Education, awareness and prevention about tick born illness decreases the chances of being bitten and acquiring a disease, for both family and pets. 

 Guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are:

When outdoors in the most commonly known tick environments wear a repellent with Deet (on skin or clothing) or permethrin (ONLY on clothing ).  Products containing permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear which can remain protective through several washings. Repellents containing 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, and protect up to several hours. Always be sure to follow ALL product directions.  Adults should apply this product to children, avoiding the hands, eyes, and mouth.

Wear light colored clothes in order to better see ticks crawling on your clothing.

Wear light weight fabric long sleeves, long pants and socks.  Tucking pants into socks offers even greater protection making it harder for ticks to crawl inside pant legs.  Ticks also crawl down into shoes. Some are even small enough to crawl through most socks fabrics. 

Make a habit of doing daily body checks, even if you have not been outdoors.  Ticks can attach to objects, clothing, pets and other people without having a secure bite. This will allow them to drop off indoors leaving them to roam until they find another host.  Always examine the entire body, scalp, hair, ears, arm pits, belly button, back of knees, inner legs, around waist, feet and ankles to ensure that ticks are not attached.  One of the most common times to find attached ticks is first thing in the morning after the host has been bitten in his/her sleep.

Remove an attached tick, on humans and pets, as soon as you notice it.

Guidelines for safe removal are:

Use blunt curved tweezers or a thread. Do not touch tick with bare fingers.

Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with a steady, even pressure.

Do not twist or jerk the tick because this may cause the mouth parts to detach and remain in the skin.

You should pull firmly enough to lift up the bitten skin.

Hold this tension for three to four minutes and the tick will usually back off the bite site.

DO NOT squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids contain bacteria.

Put the tick in an air tight plastic bag or container and freeze it.  If symptoms occur, the frozen tick can be taken to the health care provider where tests can be done to find out which type disease has been transmitted.

Immediately wash your hands and the affected area with soap and water.

Make a note of the date the tick bite occurred for accurate counting of possible incubation time.

Watch for signs of illness such as rash or fever, at which time a health care provider should be contacted.  Anyone who has a low immune system due to other illnesses or treatments should immediately contact their health provided and not wait for symptoms to arise.

Symptoms of ehrlichiosis may resemble symptoms of various other infectious and non-infectious diseases. The initial signs and symptoms generally include:
fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches.  Sometimes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, joint pains, confusion, and an occasional rash occur.  Symptoms typically appear after an incubation period of five to 10 days following the tick bite. It is possible that many individuals who become infected with ehrlichiae do not become ill or they only develop very mild symptoms.

Lyme disease signs and symptoms vary widely because it can affect various parts of the body. Not everyone with the disease will have all of the signs and symptoms.  A small, red bump may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite, often in the groin or belt area or behind the knee. The bump may be warm to the touch and mildly tender.

 Over the next few days, the redness expands, forming a rash that may be as small as your fingertip or as large as 12 inches (30 centimeters) across. It often resembles a bull's-eye, with a red ring surrounding a clear area and a red center. The rash, called erythema migrans, is one of the hallmarks of Lyme disease, affecting about 70 to 80 percent of infected people. If you're allergic to tick saliva, redness may develop at the site of a tick bite.

The redness usually fades within a week. This is not the same as erythema migrans, which tends to expand and become redder over time. Flu like symptoms of fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache may accompany the rash. If the infection is not treated, you may develop bouts of severe joint pain and swelling several weeks to months after you're infected.

Your knees are especially likely to be affected, but the pain can shift from one joint to another.  In some cases, inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell's palsy), numbness or weakness in your limbs and impaired muscle movement may occur weeks, months or even years after an untreated infection.  Some people may experience heart problems or irregular heartbeat, several weeks after infection.  However, this rarely lasts more than a few days or weeks. Eye inflammation, hepatitis and severe fatigue are also possible.

Signs of Rocky Mountain spotted fever do not always develop together.  Initial symptoms may include fever, nausea, vomiting, severe headache, muscle pain and lack of appetite.  The rash first appears two to five days after the onset of fever and is often not present or may be very subtle when the patient is initially seen by a physician.

Younger patients usually develop the rash earlier than older patients. Most often it begins as small, flat, pink, non-itchy spots (macules) on the wrists, forearms, and ankles. These spots turn pale when pressure is applied and eventually become raised on the skin. Later signs and symptoms include rash, abdominal pain, joint pain and diarrhea. 

Long-term health problems following acute Rocky Mountain spotted fever infection include partial paralysis of the lower extremities, gangrene requiring amputation of fingers, toes, arms or legs, hearing loss, loss of bowel or bladder control, movement and language disorders. These complications are most frequent in persons recovering from severe, life-threatening disease, often following lengthy hospitalizations.

To create an outdoor space with less tick friendly habitat, keep seating areas and playground equipment away from shrubs, bushes, and other vegetation. Also, regularly remove leaf litter.  Clear tall grasses and brush from around homes and place chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to help keep ticks away from recreational areas.

Effective tick control chemicals are available for use by the homeowner or can be applied by a professional pest control expert.  Even limited applications can greatly reduce the number of ticks. A single springtime application of acaricide can reduce the population of ticks that cause Lyme disease by 68 percent –100 percent.  Always check with a professional service or a home and garden dealer for exact instruction for safe application of any chemical.

 April, May and June usually bring the highest increases of ticks and fleas on pets. Maintain your family pet under a veterinarian’s care or guidelines. Two of the ways to get rid of ticks on dogs and cats are by applying animal safe tick medicine or using a tick and flea collar. Be sure to always use these products according to the package instructions. 
    For more information contact The CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO, (1-800-232-4636), TTY: (888) 232-6348, 24 Hours a day or visit their website at www.cdc,gov.

 

 

Second Annual OliverFest set

Downtown North Wilkesboro is the place to be on Saturday, July 17. 

The Second Annual OliverFest will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight and will feature live music, food and a festive atmosphere.

OliverFest is a free downtown event that is open to all the public. 

The namesake of OliverFest is William Oliver Swofford, who was an American pop singer in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and was known on stage as Oliver.  Swofford was a North Wilkesboro native who achieved fame for his songs, Good Morning Starshine, (from the pop/rock musical Hair), and his ballad Jean, which was the theme song from the Oscar winning film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

OliverFest is a celebration commemorating the 41st anniversary of William Oliver Swofford's achievements, featuring many great live performances.  OliverFest coincides with the 41st Anniversary of the Summer of ’69 and also the 41^st anniversary of Oliver’s Top 40 Hits “Good Morning Starshine” and “Jean.”

 

 

Fireworks to be on July 3

The annual fireworks display at Memorial Park in Downtown North Wilkesboro will once again be held. The event is sponsored by the Wilkes Law Enforcement Officers Association.

This year, the fireworks and other events will be held on Saturday, July 3.

Prior to the fireworks, which will begin at dusk, there will be a parade of about 200 emergency vehicles. The parade will start at West Park in North Wilkesboro, head west on D Street, east on the CDB Loop to Sixth Street and then on Main Street to 10^th Street, back onto the loop to Forester Avenue then Wilkesboro Avenue and end at Memorial Park.

The emergency agencies participating will include Wilkes County Emergency Medical Service, Wilkes County Fire Marshal's Office, Wilkes County Sheriff's Department, Wilkes Rescue Squad, North Carolina Forest Service, North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro Police departments, North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina National Guard, W. Kerr Scott Rangers, State Bureau of Investigation and Wilkes County Bomb Squad. 

 

 

 

 

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Community Happenings

Mayo's Baseball School: Dream Bat Baseball Camp Fundamental Baseball Clinic. June 29-July 2 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ages 6-14, Memorial Park, North Wilkesboro $150.00 membership fee. Free T-shirt for every camper. Registration deadline June 4, after which a $15.00 late fee will be charged. Spaces are limited. For more information contact Jeff Mayo at 336-684-4861 E-mail: mayosbaseballschool@charter.net.

 

The Humane Society of Wilkes offers registration for the low cost spay/neuter clinic every Tuesday night, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Wilkes County Public Library.  Registered pets are transported to the clinic on the second Monday of each month. For more information please call 336-984-0227.

You are invited to Vacation Bible School at Hilltop Baptist Church in Fairplains on June 27- July 1 from 6:30 until 8:30 each evening. There will be classes for all ages and everyone is welcome.

 

The Wilkes Senior Citizens Council, Inc has fans to give to persons 60 years and older.  The eligibility requirements are as follows: Must be 60 years or older, and must be a resident of Wilkes County and have a home situation where a threat to the person’s health and well-being exists.

 

The Wilkes County Library Sci-Fi Convention has a website at http://www.wilkeslibrarycon.com.

Please visit the website to learn more about the upcoming Convention on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at the Wilkes County Public Library.

 

Millers Creek Baptist Church will have Vacation Bible School from June 27-July 1 from 6:25-8:50 each evening. Classes will be offered for all age groups and a nursery will be provided.  The theme for this year is A Saddle Ridge Ranch Vacation Bible School.  There will be a special guest appearance by Rev. Will Graham. For more information, call 833-4446 or visit www.millerscreekbaptist.org.

 

Celebration of our 35^th Judy Barber Tribe Reunion

Friday, July 2, the celebration starts at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Heights School for an evening of fun and entertainment known as the Barber Shuffle/Karaoke Night. Admission is free.

Saturday, July 3, picnic at Smoot Park beginning at 1 p.m. Meat and drinks will be provided. Bring a picnic basket filled with other goodies and swim wear if you want to play in the pool. A horseshoe competition will be held and trophies will be presented.

Sunday, July 4 at 3 p.m. a special Celebration Service will be held at Rickard’s Chapel AME Zion Church.

 

The 30^th annual Davis reunion will be held Sunday, June 27 at the Fish Dam Picnic Center at the flag pole entrance to the dam.  Family and friends are welcomed. Please bring a picnic basket of food to share.

 

A chicken-que will be held at Union United Methodist Church, located above the Animal Hospital on the left, on Saturday, June 26, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Plates are $7.00 each and curbside service will be provided.