WILKES COUNTY, N.C. — THE HOMEPLACE OF AMERICANA MUSIC Contact us at 336-667-0134, e-mail [email protected] In Sports Anti-Semitic She gave Strategy at much, but the UN See Cox, asked little... Page 6A See Welborn, page 6A Willa Mae Lankford Mountain View's Aubrie Lockhart takes the shot NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 VOL. 37, NO. 36 Only 25¢ A remembrance of local journalist and musician Lynn Worth (Editor's note: This column at the tracks for a couple of was in need of a sports editor. See Obituary by author Rick Houston is a trib- weeks and sneaking food out of Would I possibly be interest- Page 4A ute to Lynn Worth, a well-known the press box - when it was ed? local journalist and musician that I moved from my home- available - I was desperate. Yes!!! who passed away on Feb. 6, town of Nashville, Tenn., to I'd met Jerry Lankford - now I didn't even ask Jerry where 2019.) North Carolina, hoping against the editor of The Record - a this paper was, or how much it hope to somehow make it in the month before. We struck up a paid. As bad as things were By RICK HOUSTON great and wondrous world of friendship, and when we saw going at that point, those kinds Special to The Record NASCAR. each other again at the North of trivialities didn't really matter. Lynn Worth changed my life. The journey was a difficult Wilkesboro event, he told me Turned out, the paper was The Lynn Worth It was in late September 1992 one and after sleeping in my car about a nearby newspaper that See Worth, page 3A Murder at the Jumpingoff Place: part XXX Becoming Hiding in plain sight By LARRY J. GRIFFIN The Record Special Reporter for The Record It was apparent to Annie Geist that Darlene Brooks (Note: this column is a continuation of the story of my must have been drinking before she and husband, 20 years at The Record and Thursday Printing.) Bill, walked into the side-door of the Brooks's dou- ble-wide. By JERRY LANKFORD A distinctive scent of alcohol laced Darlene's Record Editor breath and her behavior suggested that she "had been The first day I went to work for Ken Welborn, he gave at it" for a while. With open arms, she welcomed her me the day off. new neighbors and treated them as if they were fami- I've certainly paid for that since. ly who had been absent for a while. But, allow me to explain. "I'm not sure where Harold was; I never asked," The plan was for me to work a two-week notice at my Annie recalled. "But Darlene continued to talk to me other job before I came to work for Ken - he has a real like she had done on the phone-telling me stuff about problem with people who quit a job without giving a her family that was too personal to be telling a virtu- notice. I was told by my former employer that a notice al stranger. 'I really don't know your family and some wouldn't be necessary - and that's putting it very mildly. of these things you're saying to me, I don't need to At mid-afternoon, on a sunny winter day, after being know.'" de-hired, collecting my few personal items off my sud- Then Darlene repeated an intoxicated asseveration denly former desk, and turning in my key, I drove up that Annie heard her utter on a number of occasions, Fourth Street to the corner of E Street in North "You're my friend; you're like a sister to me; I feel I Wilkesboro. I walked up the steps and in the front door of can talk to you." the white, wood frame, century-old, two story house Annie's husband decided that he was going out to which was the home of Thursday Magazine and Thursday smoke a cigarette; so he excused himself, leaving her Sherry Hart and her daughter, April Printing. I found Ken sitting in his office and told him I and their hostess inside-talking. was ready to go to work. "There is a room off the dining area that Darlene might try to hurt you- then I would have to kill him That was on Friday, Jan. 29, 1999. referred to as a 'denning room.' It had a pool table in myself if he tried that, or hurt him." Ken just laughed and said, "Take the rest of the day it as well. It was on one of the walls in there that I Almost as if on cue, a white Mustang-with what off. We'll see you on Monday." saw again the picture of Bare among his relatives-the appeared to be a faded blue/black stripe-pulled into So, really I started work for Ken on Feb. 1, 1999. same photo I noticed when Bill and me came down to the driveway; a lone passenger exited the car and Like in the beginnings of any new job, I floundered a meet Darlene the first time and she wasn't at home." walked toward the patio where Bill was smoking his little, trying to figure out exactly what to do. It was still Since Annie's new acquaintance was talking freely cigarette. Though his hair and beard were shorter Thursday Magazine - a shopper paper that printed TV and unrestrained about her family, she decided to ask than the first time she saw him, Annie knew that the listings and public service announcements. The paper was about the photograph. She recalled that it was approaching man, spotted through the window, was tabloid-size, so filling the front page was no problem approaching 2 p.m. when she ventured to ask. "Is that the same one she met during the septic system instal- since, like now, we publish once a week. the guy on Unsolved Mysteries?" lation. And it "freaked her out." I think my first story was something about the Tyson "Yeah, that's my brother, Bare; he's wanted for "When he got out of the Mustang, he left the door Feed Mill in Roaring River and its importance to Wilkes murder of a woman up here," Darlene responded with open for some reason. I could see inside it; some- County. I remember interviewing then manager Skipper an uncommon candor. "He comes around every once thing about the insides had been changed, like some- Solomon, who I was familiar with from my time at The in a while, and I would like for you to meet him. But body had painted the interior," Annie recalled. "Bare Tribune in Elkin. if he knew that you knew about what he's done, he When Ken and I first spoke and he asked what I need- See Bare, page 3A See Lankford, page 3A At the Black Cat Station The Black Cat Station Yadkin Valley Railroad Club opens its facility at 800 Elizabeth Street (the corner of Hinshaw Street and Elizabeth Street) in North Wilkesboro the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The club is home to a huge model train layout with five tracks and ten trains in operation. On Saturday, the traffic was steady as kids and adults came to enjoy the display. Benjamin Livingston, a railroad fan from early childhood was Saturday's conductor assisted by Koben Cardwell, who was there with his grandmother, Patricia Ruggiero, who said Koben would come there every day if it were open. See more photos on 2A Record photos by Ken Welborn Classifieds. .......... 3B Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Comics. ................ 4B Community ........... 4B Deaths. ............... 3A Low Low Editorial Page. ..... 6A High Low High High Low High o o o o o o o o Horoscopes. ........ 3B 52 Sunny 31 F 60 F P/Cloudy 42 57 F Rain 42 47 F Rain 29 F WILKES COUNTY, N.C. — HOME of WILKES HERITAGE MUSEUM, BLUE RIDGE MUSIC HALL OF FAME, THE RECORD PARK, CHICKENFEST and AMERICANA DAY The Record - North Wilkesboro, N.C. - February 13, 2019 - Page 2A More scenes from Black Cat Station Volunteer Carol Patton was on hand Many of the buildings and trains have the names of sponsors and folks who have Another volunteer, John Patton, selling snacks in the stations gift shop worked through the years on the Black Cat Station project. This area above is worked in the main display area to which also features the Thomas the names for the late Walt Plexico, the WCC Dean of Instruction who died in 2005. answer questions and explain many Train layout which children can oper- Walt was known for his volunteer work throughout the county and especially for of the details involved with a model ate. Record photos by Ken Welborn his years of service to the Rotary Club of North Wilkesboro. train project of this size. Plenty of music was to be heard in the Wilkesboros on Friday At The 1915 in Wilkesboro on Friday night a sold out crowd enjoyed the original music of Shay Lovette. Lovette, the son of Beth and Rick Lovette, who now lives near Boone, was accompanied by Earleine (Ashley Wright of Boone) shown above left. The music continued with The Contenders, (shown above) with Wilkes native Josh Day and Jay Nash. Day is the son of N.W. Rotary News Lynn Day and the late Sam Day of Wilkesboro. Record photo by Ken Welborn On Friday evening Anchor Coffee on D Street in North Wilkesboro was host for Western North Carolina native Will Easter, right, and Nicholas Bullins who played some of their original folk rock music.