The man, who allegedly shot his elderly employer last week, may have feared that his boss had caught him embezzling money, police say. Perry Eugene Souther, 33, a bookkeeper at Lowe Fur & Herb, was charged with embezzlement by North Wilkesboro Police Det. Randy Rhodes on Saturday. Souther has been held at the Wilkes County Detention Center since last Wednesday. He had been arrested a short time after his boss, Arthur Clyde Lowe Sr., 81, had been shot in the back. Police last week charged Souther with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, secret assault and firing a weapon into an occupied building. Lowe remained hospitalized at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center on Tuesday morning. He was listed in satisfactory condition. The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. last Wednesday, police say. Lowe, the owner of Lowe Fur & Herb on Fifth Street, was standing at a counter writing checks. “He (Lowe) said he heard a loud noise and felt a sharp pain,” Det. Butch Holland told The Record during a Monday morning interview. “He turned and saw (Souther) standing there with a gun.” Although the heavy bullet passed through Lowe’s kidney, large intestine and liver, he ran out the door to a nearby hair salon. “He was strong,” Holland said. “He had enough stamina to run.”

       Souther reportedly fired two more shots at the wounded Lowe. Holland said one of the bullets struck a wall at Elaine’s Hair Designs on East Main Street where Lowe had fled. Souther had driven to Dermox, on Wilkesboro Avenue, Holland said. Police found Souther with his wife, who is employed there. Officers also found a .45-caliber pistol inside Souther’s Ford Taurus station wagon. The arrest was made without a struggle. “He (Souther) was pretty docile,” Holland said. On Friday, Souther’s bond was upped from $50,000 to $200,000, police say. It was increased again this week to $225,000 after the embezzlement charge was made. Since the incident, investigators have been trying to track down a motive for the shooting. Holland said that it is believed that Souther has a substance abuse problem that began after a 1990 automobile accident. “We believe he got on prescription drugs for pain,” Holland said. “In the past few months it appears to have elevated to the extinct he had been embezzling.” Holland would not say how much Souther is believed to have embezzled. “It’s a large sum, a substantial sum,” he said. Police Chief David Pendry said on Tuesday that detectives were investigating fictitious checks, believed to have been written by Souther.

       Lowe had inherited Lowe Fur & Herb from his father decades ago. His trading in furs and medicinal herbs has attracted clientele from around the world. Souther had worked for Lowe for close to two years, Holland said. He had worked in the office and ran errands for the longtime North Wilkesboro businessman. Lowe didn’t suspect any wrongdoing. “In talking to Mr. Lowe, he said everything had been fine,” Holland said. “They had had no arguments. As far as he knew Perry (Souther) was doing a fine job for him.” During interviews with Holland, Lowe seemed more surprised than upset. “He’s just kind of in awe,” Holland said. “He just doesn’t understand why this happened.”

       Nine teaching positions were filled Monday night -- the day before faculty members started school -- but several positions remained vacant. Despite the hires, a math teacher’s position at North Wilkes High School was left unfilled after Monday night’s Wilkes Board of Education meeting. Also a couple of elementary level Spanish teachers are still being sought, said Associate Superintendent Wayne Barker. Wilkes County School’s administrators are dealing with a statewide teacher shortage. This is an issue Barker and other officials here have faced in the last few years. “There’s a real shortage of people,” Barker said during an interview with The Record, after the meeting. “For example, we had someone for the North Wilkes position. We interviewed him last week and he already found a job somewhere else.” Barker says he hopes all positions are filled before students return to school next Tuesday. The lack of qualified teachers allows applicants to pick and choose jobs. That’s especially true in North Carolina, Barker said. For that reason, some of the new teachers were recruited here from Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio. Other recruitment areas included Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina. The elementary Spanish positions may be the hardest to fill. “There’s just no candidates out there,” Barker said. “There’s a lot of demand, but most of them (teachers) want to teach high school. That’s where they head first.”

       The new teachers include: Kaylene Absher, English teacher, North Wilkes High School; Susan Bella, K-6 teacher at North Wilkesboro Elementary School; Steven Braune Jr., physical education teacher at Ronda Clingman Elementary School; Stephanie Chambers, exceptional children teacher at Wilkes Central and North Wilkes high schools; Carol Huffman, music teacher at Union and Mt. Pleasant elementary schools; Kerry Jennings, part-time band teacher at Woodward Middle School; Michael Koffi, French teacher at Wilkes Central; Tammy Mumpower, math teacher at C.B. Eller Elementary School; Daniel Ward, first term teacher at North Wilkes.

       School board members also accepted the resignations of Lisa Foster, a speech/language pathologist, and Alice Greer, a teacher at Millers Creek Primary School. The board also approved the retirement of Janet Mathis, a teacher at Boomer-Ferguson Elementary School. Mathis stepped down after a 31-year career, Barker said. Along with the nine teachers, a lengthy list of support personnel, including teaching assistants, daycare workers, tutors and substitute teachers, was approved for employment by the board.

       Sewer line expansion from North Wilkesboro to Millers Creek is on schedule for its mid-September completion deadline, officials say. Bobby Elledge, who is working as liaison and community relations contact for the project, said few snags have hindered the construction. Work on the expansion began in March. Since then, backhoes have been digging along Old U.S. 421 west of North Wilkesboro’s corporate limits. The $3 million project has been paid for through a state grant. The grant was awarded to the town last winter. “We have completed the work along the upper part of Old 421,” Elledge told The Record on Tuesday. One of the next steps will be crossing N.C. 16 near the intersection of Old U.S. 421, he said. That work will begin along the edge of the parking lot at Lowes Food. From there, the line will be run beneath the road to the site of a Food Lion grocery store and shopping center, which is under construction. That work may start this week, Elledge said. Although the intersection is a heavy traffic area, he said, “We’re hoping to keep the inconvenience to a minimum.” The sewer line has already been run beneath Old U.S. 421 near Lowes Food. Other work is underway near David’s Market, at the intersection of Curtis Bridge Road. From there the sewer line will be connected to Union Elementary School, Elledge said. Another phase of the project follows Tucker Hole Creek off of Congo Road.

       There, Elledge said workers have run into dense underground rock. “It’s more than we expected,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do along the creek.” Equipment there has been taken up a private road. Little clearing has been needed, Elledge said. “I’m a tree lover,” Elledge said. “Unless a tree is right on the line, we’ll leave it alone.” Other work on the project includes repairing yards and driveways that have been disturbed by the work. “We’re now finishing up stabilization,” Elledge said. “We’ve had a little rain and that has helped us with reseeding.” Although several property owners opposed the project, Elledge said most residents have been easy to work with. “Folks have been good about calling us and telling us if they have a problem,” Elledge said. “Most of them have been understanding. If we don’t get (their property) fixed right back the way it was the same day, they’ve been patient with us.”

       The Food Lion grocery store, under construction in Millers Creek, may be completed before year’s end, developers say. “We’re hoping for early December. That’s what we’d like to see,” said Marty Koon of Venture Properties. In the meantime, the nearby Lowes Food store is expected to close soon. Lowes Food officials say structural problems and the small size of the Millers Creek store prompted them to drop the lease they’ve held for 20 years. The building may not be vacant long however. Sources say someone is already poised to take over the lease. When contacted by The Record on Tuesday morning, however, a local business owner declined comment, saying, “We’ll have to wait and see.” Some say the store may close before October, but management there on Tuesday said they were not sure when the business would be vacated. Groundbreaking on the Food Lion and planned adjacent shopping center came in early June.

       Since then, workers have raised cinder block walls and have partially enclosed the ceiling. Brickwork on the façade began last week. Grading has also began on a planned 7,200-square feet Fast Track convenience store, which will be located near the intersection of N.C. 16 and Old U.S. 421. That store, which should be open by October, will operate 24 hours a day, said developer Barry Bush of Lenox Properties. A 2,400-square feet portion of the store will house a restaurant, Bush said on Tuesday. He wouldn’t say what restaurant, but said it would be part of a national chain. Other stores in the shopping center might include a restaurant, dry cleaners and video rental shop, Cam Finley of Venture properties said in an earlier interview. Koon declined to say what businesses, other than Food Lion, would be in the shopping center.

       “Nothing yet is finalized,” Koon said Tuesday. “We’re working with several people. But, I’d rather not disclose who they are until we have binding commitments.” He added, “When it’s all said and done, we’d like to have a good assortment of retail, food and service.” The Food Lion will be a 33,000-square foot store, which is about the same size as Food Lions on N.C. 18 and U.S. 421 West. Work, although initially delayed, appears to be on schedule. “We’re moving right along,” Koon said.

       The North Wilkesboro Rotary Club wants people to use their park. “We’re trying to create a facility that can be used by the community,” said club President Gordon Burns. Improvements are ongoing at Worth Evan Tomlinson Rotary Park in North Wilkesboro. One of the newest additions is a 40-by-100 feet pole shed. That structure will be used to house livestock and a petting zoo during next year’s Wilkes County Agricultural Fair. A new sign has been erected at the park. The memorial to Tomlinson reads: “In memory of one of Wilkes County’s Outstanding Citizens.” Various Wilkes groups have already utilized the 13-acre facility. Besides the fall fair, the North Wilkesboro Police Department recently hosted an event in which law enforcement exhibits were displayed. In March, the Wilkes Central High School Academic Boosters Club held a spring carnival. Christmas in Wilkes also uses the exhibit hall to sort and distribute clothes donated to needy children.

       Ownership of the park is titled to the North Wilkesboro Rotary Scholarship Foundation. Each year the foundation gives four $250 scholarships and one $1,000 scholarship to Wilkes County high school students. Groups that use the facility give a portion of their proceeds to the foundation. Club member Arnold Lakey said that last year around $3,000 was raised through the use of the park. Lakey is also a member of the board of directors for the Wilkes Agricultural Fair. The North Wilkesboro Rotary Club acquired the property in early 1998. It had been owned by Tomlinson’s heirs. Once the deal was closed, club members and workers started clearing the land. The fair was held there for the first time in October of 1998. Before that, the event had been held on the American Legion baseball field. Prior to that, the fair had been held at the North Wilkesboro Speedway. Now the event has a permanent home at the park, Lakey said. Another project being eyed by the club is the construction of a BMX track. Burns said the goal is to attract national bike races here. Fencing will also be added to the park, Lakey said.

       The North Wilkesboro Rotary Club has invested about $250,000 in the facility. “Club members have either loaned or donated the money,” Lakey said. “We’ll continue to make improvements,” Burns said. “We want to see increased use of the facility.” Local 4-H and scout groups have recently made inquiries about using the park, he added. The sky’s the limit as to what the park could be used for, Burns said. “That’s just up to everyone’s imagination.”

       Beneath the big pin oak tree in Lance Teague’s front yard there is a tiny garden where he goes to read and meditate. Swirly finger trails, swathed through a patch of sand, surround stones inscribed with the words, PEACE, HAPPINESS and PATIENCE. Three small statues in the garden form a triangle. One is a likeness of Jesus, another of St. Francis of Assisi. Yet another is of Buddha. One evening last week, Teague walked to the garden at his Moravian Falls home, sat in a wooden rocking chair beneath the tree and noticed something was wrong. Several of the ornaments had been rearranged. The Buddha statue was gone. Teague, 35, believes the vandalism is a result of a lawsuit he filed against Wilkes County in April. Then Teague, a Zen Buddhist, sued the county for the commissioner-sanctioned posting of wooden Ten Commandments plaques in county office buildings. He says the action violated his First Amendment rights. Although the plaques were replaced with historic displays in June, the lawsuit remains in limbo. As of Monday, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and county officials were awaiting a compromise. “Things haven’t broken down or anything like that,” said Deborah Ross, executive and legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina. “We’re just kind of in a holding pattern.” About the vandalism at Teague’s home, Ross said, “It’s tremendously unfortunate that people can’t be tolerant to others’ freedoms of religious beliefs.” Since February, when Teague first showed his opposition to the plaques during a county commissioners’ meeting, he says he’s been the victim of sporadic harassment. Religious pamphlets have been put in Teague’s mailbox and on his vehicles. When he goes out, strangers sometime lambaste him for his beliefs. The most disturbing annoyances, however, have come from telephone calls.

       “One man called me and told me, ‘Be careful that you don’t come home and find your house burned down,’” Teague said during a Friday morning interview with The Record. Teague’s lawsuit has attracted a flood of attention from local news media. “Anytime there’s a story on the front page of the papers, people will call me,” Teague said. “Most of them say, ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this, you’re a troublemaker, we’re going to get you.’” Others have approached him face-to-face. Teague, who works out at Wilkes YMCA, said a woman asked him, “Are you offended by being here because YMCA has the word Christian in it?” “I said, ‘No, it doesn’t offend me,’” Teague said. “She said to me, ‘Well, you offend me by being here.’” Most of those who have harassed Teague have told him they are Christians. “These people are not the representatives of Christ,” Teague said. “These are the representatives of hate and ignorance. By the very nature of their actions, they are not Christians.” Teague says that he and his wife, Rebecca, aren’t particularly frightened by the threats. “If anybody is going to hurt me, they’re not going to call me and warn me,” he said. Instead, Teague has been visiting different Wilkes churches of various denominations to learn more about other faiths. Many times when he shows up at a church in his Buddhist robes, he draws funny looks from congregations. Teague says he’s not there to start controversy, but it occasionally finds him.

       Laughing as he stood in the shade of the oak Friday morning, he said, “One time I was the only one sitting on a whole bench.” Teague said he is also a student of the teachings of Christ and that he can hold his own in Christian theological discussions. Despite the resentment he has apparently amassed among some Wilkes residents, Teague said he was still surprised to see his garden disturbed. It didn’t stay that way long, he said. Teague quickly replaced the Buddha statue. His neighbors helped with other items. “They noticed the deputies and came down to see what was wrong,” he said. “They brought me some new flower pots and gave them to me.” Teague says that, along with the bad, he’s seen a lot of good in people over the past couple of months. “I say everything happens for a reason,” he said. “It’s like when this happened to my garden, it just gave my neighbors an opportunity to show that they are benevolent people.”

North Wilkes High School Class of 95 would like to have a class reunion. Anyone interested in being on the committee to arrange this reunion call Robin Bumgarner Shumate at 670-3797 or Robbie Miller at 526-2925.

The Wilkes County Public Library Chess Club meets every Saturday from Noon to 3:00 p.m. in the Friends of the Library’s Meeting Room. If you are interested in a good game of chess and meeting other players from this area, stop by for an hour or two. Chess boards will be provided, and the club is free and open to all levels of players.

Attention West Wilkes Class of 1975 Silver Anniversary Reunion will be Oct. 13-14. We need classmates addresses! Contact Tim Foster at 973-4150 or email: West Wilkes 1975@yahoo.com

The Crossmen Quartet will be at Faith Baptist Church in Traphill August 19 at 7 p.m. No charge, but a love offering will be taken.

Family-To-Family Support Group of Wilkes will meet at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the New River Behavioral Health Care Center, 1430 Willow Lane, North Wilkesboro (The former Brands Building). Family-to-Family is a support group offered to family members and friends of persons with mental illness. For more information Please Call NAMI OF WILKES at 973-3382 or 835-3629.

"From Ginseng to Jack-in-the-Pulpit," an illustrated talk on Homoeopathy with slides of Appalachian medicinal plants, will be given by Janice McGrady on Tuesday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Wilkes County Public Library’s Meeting Room. For more information contact the Reference Department at 838-2818.

Baldwin Reunion at the Mt. Rogers Fire Hall, Whitetop , VA, on August 12 beginning at 10 a.m. All relatives and friends are invited to bring a covered dish. Dinner will begin at 1 p.m. For more information contact Irene & Reid Baldwin at 410-939-2395 or email: ibaldi@erols.com.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church will be having Homecoming and old-fashioned day August 13. Rev. Richard Harrold invites all former members and pastors.

The United Way Agency of SAFE will be sponsoring a Domestic Violence Support Group for Women on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The primary goal of the support group is to offer a safe environment to allow women to talk about what they’re going through and to find understanding and support. The group will cover topics such as: Cycle of Violence, anger, signs and types of abuse, safety plans, parenting issues, etc. For more information and location call 667-7656.

Chestnut Grove Independent Baptist Church on Hwy 18 on Mertie Road will be having revival August 2-4 starting at 7 p.m. nightly. Brother Fred Carlton will be speaking. Everyone is welcome. For more information call 670-2298, Donald McCleary.

Peter MacTavish, Magician and Celtic Harpist, will perform at the Wilkes County Public Library Friends of the Library Meeting Room on Tuesday, August 8, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Holland/Wiles Family Reunion will be Sunday, August 6 at 1 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church on Antioch Baptist Church Road off Speedway Road. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m. Please bring a well filled basket.

The United Way Agency of SAFE will be sponsoring a Support Group for Parents and Loved Ones whose adolescent and young adult children have been raped and sexually assaulted. It will be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. The primary goal of the support group is to offer a safe environment to allow parents and loved ones to express their fears and concerns and to explore ways to cope with stress and frustration so they can be better equipped to support their children. For more information and location call 667-7656.

Shew Ridge Mission will be having a revival August 14-18 at 7 p.m. nightly. Guest speaker will be David Robinson. Special singing nightly.

Vision Baptist Church on Eller Mountain Road, Millers Creek will be having a Youth Day August 5 starting at 9 a.m. There will be preaching, singing and games all day long. At 6 p.m. The Vaden Family will sing and Dr. Paul Sisk will preach the closing message of the day. For more information call 696-2389.

The Wilkes County Public Library Book Club will discuss Waiting by Ha Jin on Tuesday, August 22, at 7 p.m. in the Friends of the Library Meeting Room. This promises to be a fascinating book dealing with everyday life in Communist China. For more information, contact the Reference Department at 336-838-2818.

Poetry Reading will be held on Tuesday, August 22 at 7 p.m. in the Friends of the Library Meeting Room. The July Poetry Readings brought out 15 poets and listeners. If you are a poet or someone who just likes to listen to original poetry, come to the library for an interesting and thoughtful evening of original poetry.

The Family Center holds the following: Thursday, August 3, Clinic, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Motherwell, 5:30 p.m., Infant CPR, 6:30 p.m. and Lamaze, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, August 4, Clinic, 10 a.m.-5p.m.; Monday, August 7, Clinic 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Motherwell, 5:30 p.m. and Breastfeeding, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 8, Clinic, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Parent-to-Be Tour, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 9, Clinic, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Lamaze, 6:30 p.m. For more information call 651-8547.

Don't only Take Part, Be A Part!!!...of the High Country Festival 2000 happening in Boone with Franklin Graham, September 15 through 17. Ushers are needed, so come be one of many in our community that are working together to make this festival happen. Usher rehearsals are being held on August 3 at 7 p.m. at Boone United Methodist Church and on August 5 at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Blowing Rock. For more information, contact the Festival office at (828) 265-2090.

Mountain View Elementary School will hold an orientation and open house for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 and their parents on Monday, August 7, 2000 with grade levels attending by the following schedule: Grades K-2 from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. - Grades 3-5 from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. Orientation/Open House for the middle grades 6-8 will be announced at a later date.

Maple Spring Community Center is sponsoring a chicken-que on Saturday, August 5 beginning at 11 a.m. Proceeds go to the upkeep of the community center.

There will be a Desire the Fire Youth Revival August 14-25 at 7 p.m. nightly in Elkin, N. Bridge St. across from Wal-Mart). Under the Old Gospel Tent-Preachers: Zeb McDaris, Evangelist, Gary Caudill, Evangelist, Chris Hazlip, Associate/Youth Pastor, Peace Haven Church, Yadkinville. Special singing nightly. Adults welcome. For more information call 336-723-9083.

There will be a yard sale at the Arbor Grove United Methodist Church in Purlear, beginning at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5. The church is located at 1984 Arbor Grove Church Road in Purlear. Proceeds will go toward the publishing of a cook book compiled of recipes from church members, families, and friends.

Bar-be-que chicken at Arbor Grove United Methodist Church beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5. Dinners will consist of 1/2 chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, homemade pound cake, and a roll. Cost per plate is $5. Proceeds will go toward the building fund. To place call-in orders, please call 973- 3733. The church is located at 1984 Arbor Grove Church Road in Purlear.

There will be a Kids Crusade, featuring The Son Shine Puppets at Fountain of Life Church located at 2512 Brushy Mountain Road, Wilkesboro, Aug 4 through 6. The theme is Road Rally 2000. Kids fill your tanks, start your engines, fasten your seat belts and get ready to win in the race with Jesus.

The annual chicken-que sponsored by United Way of Wilkes County and Tyson Foods is Friday, Aug. 4. Plates are $5. Take out or delivery available. Some tickets available. For more information, call 651-7802. Proceeds to be used for campaign promotions.

Harvest Time Fellowship Church will have a Barbecue Chicken Fundraiser Saturday, August 5 at 10 a.m. until. $5 per plate, (has all the fixin’s). It will be held at Memorial Park, North Wilkesboro and The Harvest Time Fellowship Church in North Wilkesboro. The church is located across from Knottville Fire Department.

Wilkes Central High School Class of 1965: Anyone interested in helping organize reunion and locate class members, please contact Marcia Little at 667-6272 (office), 667-3095 (home) or email MBLITTLE99@ AOL. First meeting will be Thursday night, August 3, at Elks Club at 6 p.m.