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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXXUI NUMBER 40 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1982
County Had $380 Error In $2,073 In Food Stamps
Stamp Errors Blamed On Rules , Clients
Around
Town
} BY SAM C. MORRIS
We haven't had any more snow
or ice as this is being written
Monday afternoon, but there has
been both over the state in the past
week. Snow is forecast for tonight,
but not for Hoke County.
I don't recall schools staying
closed for as many days straight as
they did in some of the schools
?j around this county. We were closed
for three days, but others were
closed for over a week. Some
couldn't make up days last Satur
day because of the icy roads.
Even with what cold weather and
ice we have had, it is so much better
than other parts of the nation.
Maybe it will warm up before too
long and I can get out on the golf
course.
While on the subject of weather
and the golf course, 1 understand
from reliable sources that Kathy
Hendrix of the Arabia Golf Course
stated last Wednesday, that it was
the first day players had been on
the course in 1 1 days. This sounds
inipossible for North Carolina!
The sound of sirens could be
heard here Sunday night and
Monday morning. I couldn't tell if
they were coming from fire vehicles
or ambulances, but they were so
often that you would think you were
in a large city. The cold weather
can cause people to become care
less with fire.
9 The damage to the awning over
the sidewalk in front of Vardell
Hedgpeth Insurance Agency was
not caused entirely by the wind. 1
understand that a truck struck the
awning last week and loosened
some of the slats in the frame. Then
on Sunday the wind blew the
loosened slats out of the frame onto
the sidewalk.
I That's a sturdy awning that took
I two accidents to cause much dam
age.
? ? ?
The political season is warming
up and even if we don't know when
the primary date will be we have
plenty of candidates.
The only races so far. involving
Hoke County people, are for county
commissioner and for district
I judge. Judge Joe Dupree will have
opposition for the first time since
he was first elected.
There is still a few more days to
file and this could bring forth more
candidates. The filing deadline is
noon, Monday, February 1st.
? ? *
Don't forget that the deadline is
f near for listing your taxes. Be sure
to do so before the deadline and
save the penalty.
Also, don't forget to purchase
your city tag. They are on sale at
city hall and must be displayed by
February 15th.
? ? ?
The Super Bowl that was played
Sunday afternoon in the Silver
f dome in Pontiac. Mich., was more
like a football game with the
temperature around 68 degrees
inside the stadium. The outside
reading was about zero degrees.
I think that this type of condition
should become a must for the big
game.
? * *
The following letter was received
last week from Charlton Campbell
" of Chapel Hill. I thought it would
be of interest to many that remem
ber him. but also to bring back
memories of others that worked
here in the late 1930s.
Dear Sam:
Upon reading of your retirement
as general manager of The News
Journal recently I began reminis
cing about my own employment
(See AROUND TOWN, page 10)
Hoke County's 18.34 per cent
dollar error in overpayments and
underpayments of food stamp
benefits between October 1979 and
March 1981 can be attributed to
food-stamp recipients' failing to
report changes in income and to
confusion created on the part of
workers by changes in federal
regulations.
Another cause or other causes
also may be involved.
In January 1980, the county
Social Services department started
issuing regular notifications to
recipients advising them by letter to
report changes that occur in their
income. This is required by law.
The notices are being sent rou
tinely but this is in addition to the
By U.S. Justice Department
information each recipient is given
when he or she is approved to
receive stamps.
This includes a statement of the
requirement to notify the depart
ment of changes in income; it also
includes a statement of penalties to
which recipients are liable for
violations of regulations.
The dollar error amounted to a
total of $380. which included $139
in underpayments (people eligible
not receiving as much as they were
entitled to), $190 to two ineligible
households; and $51 in overpay
ments to recipients. This total
dollar error was in a total of $2,073
in food stamps issued in the
17-month period.
Furthermore. Gov. Jim Hunt's
House Redistricting Plan Vetoed
A General Assembly redistricting
plan which would have left Hoke.
Scotland and Robeson counties in
the same State House of Repre
sentatives district was rejected
Thursday by the U.S. Justice
Department.
Scotland and Hoke Democratic
and Republican leaders and city
and county officials had signed a
letter sent to the department
opposing the plan and favoring a
Hoke-Scotland district.
The letter contends the three
county district among other things
does not comply with the one
person, one vote federal re
quirement, since Robeson's popu
lation is nearly twice that of Hoke's
and Scotland's combined. The
present district, the 21st. is repre
sented by three men. all Robeson
County residents.
Before the three-countv district
was formed in 1965, Hoke and
Scotland had one representative
each. In the 1971 redistricting, the
district lost a representative, bring
ing the 21st's to the present total of
three, because Robeson showed a
loss of population by the U.S.
Census of 1970. though Hoke and
In School Drug Violations
Scotland gained. This information
is contained in the letter sent to the
Justice Department.
The General Assembly is ex
pected to hold a special session
February 9 to study the House
redisricting problem.
In Thursday's decision, William
Bradford Reynolds of the U.S.
Attorney General's staff said the
House's use of large, multiseat
districts effectively submerges size
able concentrations of black popu
lations into majority white elec
torates. This was in reference to the
statewide redisricting plan. The
Scotland and Hoke officials' letter
on the point of "dilution" savs,
however, "It (the three-county
plan) does not dilute the vote of
minorities, but, in some instances,
actually enhances their voting
power. This is readily apparent in
the population figures (according
to the 1980 Census) shown on
exhibit A attached to this letter."
Reynold's objection was similar
to his objection filed last month to a
State Senate redistricting plan. He
is assistant attorney general for civil
rights.
One Expulsion Upheld, One Dissolved
One Upchurch Junior High School
student's expulsion was upheld and
another's for drug violations was
dissolved in effect Monday night by
ttie Hoke County Board of Educa
tion in the closing minutes of a
3'/?-hour hearing.
The action allowing the student
to return to school was taken on
grounds or ihsufficient evidence.
3 Deputies , 2 Civilians
The student had been expelled
January 12 for allegedly taking an
illegal pill at school. The other
student was expelled October 13 for
smoking a marijuana cigarette.
5 Hurt In Arrest Try
Three sheriff s officers and two
black civilians were injured Satur
day night in a fight that started
when an officer attempted to make
an arrest for alleged driving under
the influence on Rockfish Road
near Scurlock School.
Raeford Policeman George
Baker, answering the call for help,
was forced off U.S. 401 Business
about a mile north of Raeford by a
civilian car. His cruiser struck a
power pole and two mail boxes, and
he suffered bruises. The collision
with the power pole knocked out
electric service to homes through
out a wide area of the accident for
up to several hours.
An undetermined number of
blacks joined the affray after the
officers were attacked but dis
persed when several other sheriff s
deputies arrived in response to a
radioed call for help made by one of
the attacked officers.
Other blacks formed later out
side the Hoke County Sheriff s
Department and a physician's
office after two men in the civilian
car had been brought from the
scene. Shouts of "police brutality"
and obscene remarks came from
the group outside the sheriff s
department, but no violence oc
curred.
All the people in the groups left
by about 2 a.m. Sunday.
The information about the Rock
fish Road incident and the depu
ties' roles in it was provided
Monday afternoon by Sheriff David
M. Barrington.
He said the driver of the car.
Benjamin Franklin Green, about
30, was taken to Moore Memorial
Hospital at Pinehurst after he
started vomiting at the jail. He said
a hospital spokesman informed
him Green had sucked vomit into
his lungs and that his condition was
"not good."
The sheriff said Green's brother.
Joseph. 29. was being held in jail.
The Greens were placed under
bond on misdemeanor charges, the
sheriff said. The Greens live in the
Scurlock community, he said.
Barrington said Benjamin Green
was charged with driving under the
influence, assaulting three law
enforcement officers, and resisting
arrest. Joseph Green, he said, was
charged with assaulting four
officers and resisting arrest.
Barrington said Joseph Green
weighs about 175 pounds and
stands about 5 feet 8 inches high,
and Benjamin Green, about 6 feet 1
and about 210 pounds.
He said Benjamin Green was
taken to the jail after being treated
by Dr. Riley Jordan for a laceration
suffered in the fight near the
school. He said seven stitches were
taken to close the cut. which was on
the right eyebrow.
When the prisoner started vomit
ing, he was taken back to Jordan
immediately and then taken to
Moore Memorial.
Barrington had gone to the
sheriff's department in response to
a call from jailer Ralph Tyndall at
about 10:40 p.m.
He said Joseph Green also was
treated for a smaller cut which
jailer H.E. Bowen discovered Mon
day morning on the back of the
prisoner's head but which Joseph
Green had not reported.
Barrington said that Joseph
Green started fighting again,
though handcuffed, at the jail,
striking Deputy Sheriff Ronnie
Odom in the chest and kicking at
the sheriff though not hitting him.
He said Joseph Green is charged
with assaulting Odom at the jail
and Deputies Jimmy Riley, James
Madden and John Wood at the
scene on Rockfish Road.
Flesh was bitten from Riley's
lower left cheek allegedly by Ben
jamin Green, and Madden and
Wood suffered relatively minor
head lacerations and, elsewhere,
scratches and bruises, the sheriff
said. He said they and the Green
brothers were treated by physicians
assistants, then by Jordan.
The sheriff said Riley's wound
required more treatment, con
sequently he would be off duty for
several more days.
"We will not tolerate this type
situation ever again," the sheriff
said. "We will use whatever force
necessary to affect an arrest."
The sheriff said: "What should
have been a routine DUI (driving
under the influence) case developed
into a bad situation, because not
only the ones charged resisted
arrest but because other people
living in the area became in
volved."
Barrington added: "We will not
tolerate this type situation ever
again. We will use whatever force
necessary to affect an arrest."
The sheriff said the deputies did
not tire their service pistols in self
defense. He said Riley used his
pistol but as a club, in defending
himself.
The sheriff gave these other
details of events which occurred
before and during the Rockfish
Road fight.
Riley was on routine patrol when
he met a vehicle going toward
Rockfish and weaving in the school
area about 10 p.m. He turned on
his blue light to stop the car.
Madden and Wood, riding in one
car and happening to be in the
area, saw Riley stop the civilian car
and they joined him.
In the civilian car with the
Greens were two females, who have
not been identified.
The driver would not submit to
arrest, then the Greens and at least
one of the women started fighting
the officers. The woman climbed
through a car window to attack one
of the deputies.
During the scuffle, the officers'
flashlights were snatched from
them, and at least one of the
flashlights used as a weapon, was
what injured Madden and Wood.
Madden managed to get to his
and Wood's car and radioed for
backup. Meanwhile, people in the
neighborhood ran to the scene and
joined the fight but when the
additional officers arrived ran off.
The sheriff commented Monday
afternoon, "everyone should live in
harmony, peace and tranquility, as
we have in the past.
"I hope this explosive type
situation never occurs again."
Raeford Police Chief Leonard
Wiggins, who reported Baker's
accident, said Baker suffered
bruises on some ribs and a knee.
He estimated the damage to the
cruiser, a 1978 Ford, at about
S2.000. The accident happened
near the Moose Lodge building.
He said Baker was driving with
his blue light on and his siren
sounding and had moved his
cruiser into the left lane to pass the
other car when the car in front
swerved into the left land in front of
him. Baker turned his car to avoid
a collision, his vehicle went into a
skid, then ran off the road.
Wiggins said the civilian driver
had not been arrested up to early
this week.
In a related action, the board
adopted a motion to employ a fully
qualified teacher for the second
semester, which will start Monday,
at a site other than Upchurch for
students expelled, consequently ex
cluded from attending their regular
classes. County Schools Supt. Raz
Autry explained the provision is
being made for excluded Upchurch
students.
The school system provides for
instruction of expelled students in
the Extended Day classes at Hoke
County High School. Extended Day
classes are held not only for
expelled students but for all stu
dents who cannot attend regular
classes because of job requirements
or other reasons. The classes are
held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on
school days through the week.
Under the new arrangement
authorized Monday night, expelled
students will be allowed to ride
school buses to their "excluded"
classes.
Autry said the site will be
announced before Monday.
The student whose expulsion was
dissolved was allowed to return to
his regular classes Tuesday morn
ing. At the hearing, Upchurch
Principal Allen Edwards testified in
effect that the student had taken a
"speed" pill, an amphetamine-type
drug which is classified as a
controlled substance under state
law. The school system rule pro
vides that a student consuming or
possessing a controlled substance
on school property shall be expelled
for the remainder of the school
year. The expelled student is
eligible for readmission at the start
of the following school year.
Testimony for the student was in
effect that he took the pill but
didn't know what it was and that
the pill wasn't "speed" but a diet
pill of the type sold legally over the
counter without a prescription in
drug stores.
The two expelled students were
represented by Julian Pierce, an
attorqey of the U.S. government
financed Legal Services Inc.. office
at Lumberton. Legal Services pro
vides legal assistance to low-income
people.
The school board went into
executive session after hearing
evidence for about two hours, then
after an hour of discussion and
hearing more statements, reopened
the meeting and adopted the
motions.
Correction
A reference in last week's report
of the county commissioners' meet
ing to the proposed establishment
of a lake as a water supply should
have read, "between Nicholson and
Rockfish creeks." instead of
"Richardson and Rockfish
creeks."
J
and Dr. Sarah Morrow's publicized
comments about the statewide food
stamp error situation came about
13 months late, and the state Social
Services director's letter to each
county Social Services director was
written about seven months late, as
far as Hoke County was concerned.
The letter, written by John M.
Syria, state Social Services Division
director, on August 26. 1981.
explains that its purpose is "to
present to you and comment upon
errors occurring in the Food Stamp
Program, identify results of such
errors in terms of USDA sanctions,
and suggest measures which can be
taken to reduce the State's Quality
Control error rate."
This information was obtained
from Ken Witherspoon. director of
the Hoke County Department of
Social Services. Thursday. That
same day he had written letters to
Hunt and Morrow, secretary of the
State Department of Human Re
sources. objecting to the way the
situation was handled publicly by
them.
The underpayments and over
payments are being corrected.
Delores McLeod. a supervisor of
the county program, said 2(> cases
of overpayment were listed for re
payment December 31. She also
said two cases of alleged felony
fraud in connection with food
stamp receipts by clients have gone
to court for prosecution, and four
others were being investigated.
Whether the added notification
system is eliminating errors caused
by failure to report income
changes. Witherspoon said, won't
be known within the next 18
nionths report is issued. This will be
about mid- 1984.
He said, however, showing
figures, that since the notification
system was started, the numbers of
clients reporting income changes
have increased. For one example,
in October 1980. a total of b8
income changes were reported, and
in October 1981. the total reported
was 19b. For another. 84 changes
were reported by recipients in
March 1980. and lb" in March
1981.
To arrive at the percentage of
dollar errors. Witherspoon ex
plained. 21 food stamp cases were
taken from the county's files. Nine
were found to contain errors --
overpayments or underpayments.
The value of the errors then was
divided by the value of the amount
of all the cases checked and
multiplied by 100 to get the
percentage.
Witherspoon also said in effect
the percentage figure is misleading.
He said failure of a client to report
receiving disability income ac
counted tor an error of SMI
ineligible payments. This, he said
made a difference of nearly b per
cent in the error figure for the
county. Without this single case,
the percentage is 11.53. he said.
Regarding federal regulations
covering the food stamp program,
he said they .ire "constantly
changing." and the human mind
cannot ab^'+ i-: so ninth
information *? ? ?i?-t ; 1 1 to
understand i'. . mmthukiii regu
lations is a problem. Witherspoon
added.
Witherspoon s;iid that the system
itself creates problems. He added
that clients and government share
the problem. Witherspoon added,
however, that "pointing fingers" of
blame won't solve the problem. His
staft. he said, worked to find the
causes.
The department currently has
I ,b00 households receiving loud
stamps. The program is handled b\
a fulltime staff ot five eligibility
specialists and two supervisors.
Regarding supervision. Mrs
McLeod said that after an
eligibility specialist interviews a
candidate tor food stamp benefits,
the report is reviewed, and a log is
kept on every specialist. For
example, she said she found three
discrepancies in 24 cases handled
by one specialist. She brought them
to the specialist's attention for
correction, before the stamps were
issued. The same process is used
for the cases handled by every
specialist.
However, she added, the super
visor has no control over what the
client (applicant for food stamps) is
telling the specialist.
Witherspoon said in regard to
errors caused hv recipients of the
(See FOODS'! AMPS, page 10)