CRIME & SAFETY
Elkin announces interim police chief
Officials for the town of Elkin have announced that Lieutenant Joey Vanhoy has been appointed Interim Police Chief effective Jan. 1, 2024. It was announced last month that longtime Chief of Police Monroe Wagoner would be retiring at the end of the year.
Person shot in head in Hays in stable condition
A person is in stable condition after being shot in the head on Noah Harrold Road in Hays on Saturday night, Dec. 2. Wilkes County Sheriff's Office Major Logan Kerr, in a press release sent to The Wilkes Record, stated:. "On Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 at 9:23 p.m., the Wilkes...
Family seeks answers in death of 14-year old son
BOONVILLE — On Sept. 26 Kacie Gillespie got the phone call of nightmares — a video call no less — of her son lying on the floor bleeding. Channing O'Neal, age 14, sustained a gunshot wound to the head while at a friend's house just a few miles from his own home in Boonville. He passed away from the injury on Sept. 28 at Brenner Children's Hospital. The official cause of death on Channing's death certificate is listed as suicide, but his mom Kacie and stepdad John Gillespie don't think that's what happened. Most of all, the family has concerns that their son's death was not properly investigated.
Unsolved Homicide in North Wilkesboro Sparks Plea for Justice from Victim's Brother
In a heart-wrenching plea for justice, the brother of a homicide victim in North Wilkesboro speaks out. The victim, a 32-year-old aspiring musician, was fatally shot in September. Despite ongoing investigations, no suspects have been charged, leaving the family desperate for answers.
Two months later, no closure for homicide victim's family
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — The brother of a homicide victim in North Wilkesboro is asking for justice. North Wilkesboro Police tells WXII that on Sept. 29, 2023, they and Wilkes County EMS found a shooting victim on L Street in North Wilkesboro. The victim, Levern Johnson, 32, later died of that wound on Oct. 10.