Area Incidents
Fires Damage Mobile Home, Van
The following have been reported
to the Hoke County Sheriffs
Department.
Paul Troy Kokodura of Rt. 2,
Raeford, reported Sunday someone
stole $43 and a $45 Bowie knife
from his home.
Someone let air out of the tires
on the passenger side of a truck
owned by Johnny Rogers, Rt. 2,
Red Springs. Rogers reported it
happened Saturday or Sunday. He
reported his mail box, valued at
$20, also is missing.
George Graham of Fayetteville
reported $950 damage to his house
on Rt. 2, Raeford, and a $125 lawn
mower and a $700 microwave oven
stolen from the house between
August 16 and 19. He reported also
that a door of his mobile home near
the house was damaged. In the
house, windows were broken and
holes were put in the walls.
Someone shot out a door glass
and vent glass of Paul Sutton's
truck and four front windows of his
house and damaged a wall of the
house. Sutton, of Rt. 2. Raeford,
reported August 26. He said he
discovered the damage on return
ing home after being awvy since
August 18. The damage was esti
mated at a total of S325 to the truck
and house.
A fire damaged the bottom of the
mobile home of Mr. and Mrs.
Phone Rate
Hike Asked
Carolina Telephone and Tele
graph Company on August 30 filed
a request with the North Carolina
Utilities Commission for a rate
increase of about S3.11 a month for
the average residential customer.
T.P. Williamson, Carolina Tele
phone's vice president - administra
tion, said, "The company regrets
the necessity to file for increased
rates so soon after our last general
rate increase but it has no choice if
it is to continue providing the
quality telephone service our custo
mers expect and deserve.
Despite our most stringent ef
forts to control and reduce the cost
of providing telephone service, the
additional revenues granted to the
company in April of this year
simply have not materialized.
litis is due in part to the
Commission's overestimating the
revenues which it anticipated that
the company would receive from a
statewide increase in long distance
rates, coupled with the drastic
changes imposed upon the entire
telephone industry through federal
deregulation, and the difficult state
of the economy in general.
As a result, the company has no
opportunity to earn the return
found fair by the Commission in
our last general rate case and
continue to meet its service obliga
tion."
The company is seeking a S37.7
million increase in its annual
revenues. Of this, $4.8 million
would be for increased Extended
Area Service (EAS) rates; S3.3
million would be for increased
service connection, move and
change charges; $28.5 million
would be for increased basic local
exchange service rates; and $1.1
million would be for increased
charges for supplemental services
and equipment. According to
Williamson over half of the in
creased revenues would go to pay
federal, state and local taxes.
Williamson said, "Competition
is a key factor in today's telephone
environment. As in any industry,
competition drives prices toward
costs, and in our case where local
residential service has been sub
sidized by other services, the price
is being driven up rather than
down."
National trends by the courts.
Congress and the Federal Com
munications Commission to de
regulate the telephone industry will
reduce or remove many of the
lucrative sources of income that
have helped underwrite local tele
phone service. Because of the
trends, revenue sources such as
equipment and long distance
charges and yellow pages advertis
T.P. Williamson
ing will be reduced or eliminated
and local telephone companies will
have to make up the shortfall by
increasing rates to customers.
"Deregulation and competition
are making it impossible to con
tinue a pricing system that spreads
our costs over everyone," Wil
liamson said. "Local service his
torically has been significantly
underpriced. In the last 25 years,
the cost of living in general, as
measured by the Consumer Price
Index, has increased more than ten
times as much as our rates for local
telephone service."
If the requested increase is
granted, the average residential
customer in Carolina Telephone's
smallest exchanges will pay S2.50
more per month for basic service;
in the company's largest exchanges
the basic service increase will be
$3.70 per month. Rates differ from
town to town depending on the
number of telephones a customer
can dial within his local calling
area.
"By any objective comparison,
telephone service continues to be a
bargain." Williamson said, "For
instance, local telephone service
today accounts for just 2.3 percent
of the average retired worker's
social security check as compared
to 3.3 percent in 1975. The time it
takes an average worker to earn the
cost of his monthly telephone bill
has decreased from 2 hours and 13
minutes in 1975 to one hour and 50
minutes today."
The Utilities Commission is ex
pected to hold hearings in early
1983 before ruling on the com
pany's request, and rates are not
expected to change before next
year.
Carolina Telephone serves some
575,000 customers in 50 of the
state's 100 counties and has 5,350
employees with an annual payroll
of SI04 million.
MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 6th
We Will Be Closed
|^l| NATIONWIDE
l.f INSURANCE
Nattonwkto is on your skle
VARDEIL HEDGPETH, AGENT
1X1 Watt Ehwood Avwhm Raaford, N. C. 28376
Alexander McArn on N.C. 211 west
Friday. North Raeford Fire Chief
Johnny Baker said there was no
reason for the fire. The investigat
ing officer said the odor of fuel was
detected. McArn told the officer he
was awakened by his wife who said
before the fire was discovered
someone was outside the trailer.
The investigation is continuing.
J aye McNeill reported she found
on returning to her home August 24
on Vass Road after being gone
since June 4, 1981 that the padlock
on the front door had been cut off,
the front door open, the padlock on
a table, and the telephone re
moved.
Walter Frank Campbell, Rt. 1,
Raeford. reported August 25 that
when he returned from playing a
music engagement at a club August
22 his van, which he kept locked,
was damaged by fire, its right front
door was open and a window had
been rolled down. He said he kept
disco equipment in it. The investi
gating officer reported he believed
the fire was started by an electrical
shortage under the hood and that
the fire had been concentrated
under the hood and dash. He said
disco equipment had been
damaged by the fire's heat.
Charles Dale Allen, Rt. 1,
Raeford, reported a $175 cassette
tape player and a $120 booster were
stolen from his car by someone who
broke into it.
Raeford Police Chief Leonard
Wiggins reported the following
received by his department.
Radio station WSHB reported
Tuesday someone stole 36 of the
letters from its marquee on U.S.
401 north. The letters are valued at
$15.
Heilig-Meyers Furniture Co. re
ported Monday about $500 damage
was done deliberately to one of its
trucks while it was parked in
Edinborough Shopping Center.
Henry Everette Bowen reported
that someone stole the molding
from the right side of his car Friday
while the car was parked in a
parking lot at Faberge, Inc. The
molding is valued at $27.77.
James R. McNeill reported Fri
day two tires on his vehicle were cut
while the vehicle was parked in
Edinborough Shopping Center.
The damage was about $200.
Someone stole a battery from a
school bus at the Hoke County
school bus garage on South Mag
nolia Street, it was reported Thurs
day. The battery is valued at $75.
WRIGHT COMPLETES 30
YEARS -- E.J. Wright recently
completed 30 years of continuous
service with the Raeford Plant of
Burlington Industries. Mr. Wright
has worked in the Weave De
partment as a Cleaner, in the Cloth
Room as a Packer and again in
Weave as a Sweeper. Shuttle fixer.
Weaver. Warp Hanger and Weave
Technician, which he has per
formed since 1965. He is pictured
displaying his service certificate.
He also received a Cross Pen and
Pencil set and a gold/diamond
30-year tie tac pin.
Fuel
Adjustment
Charge Less
The fuel adjustment charge on
Lumbee River EMC members' bills
will be a little lower in September,
according to spokesman Jim Autfy.
"The fuel charge on our billing
will be down to S5.10 per thousand
kilowatt hours beginning Sept. 1,"
said Autry. "In August, the charge
on the same number of kilowatt
hours was 57.73 after a summer
high of $10.56 per thousand in
July."
The fuel adjustment charge is set
by Carolina Power and Light
monthly for its wholesale customers
and is passed along by Lumbee
River EMC. adjusted for line loss.
"With three nuclear plants not
working, Carolina Power and Light
may raise the fuel charge again in
October," said Autry. "With in
creased usage and the possibility of
another wholesale rate increase,
things could be mighty tough for
our customers this fall."
Women's Club To Man
Phones During Telethon
Members of the Woman's Club
of Raeford will be manning posts
Sunday and Monday to receive
pledges for the Jerry Lewis Labor
Day Telethon.
Radio Station WSHB's studios
will be used as the pledge center for
the Hoke County area, and those
interested in making a donation
should call 87S-2149.
The Telethon begins at 9 p.m.
Sunday and will continue until 6:30
p.m. Monday. The Raeford Center
will close between 1 a.m. and 8
p.m. Monday.
Funds raised during the Tele
thon will go to the Muscular
Dystrophy Association and the
amounts pledged in Raeford will be
broadcast during the coverage of
the event on WTVD-TV 11.
SMITH IS 30 YEARS ?? Pat Smith has just completed 30 years service with
the Burlington Menswear Raeford Plant. Mr. Smith began his employment
with the local plant as a Weaver in the Weave Department and has held the
positions of Warp Hanger. Overhauler, and Weave Technician, which he
has performed since 1971. Mr. Smith is pictured [right] with his supervisor.
Bobby Baker, while displaying his service certificate. He also received a
Cross Pen and Pencil set and a gold/diamond 30 year tie tac pin.
On April 12, 1776, North
Carolina became the first
colony to instruct its cMaprtas
to vote for independence in
the Continental Congress.
A.A. Meetings
Wed. 8 p.m.
Nursing Home
Dining Room
HILLCREST BAPTIST CHURCH
401 BUSINESS NORTH
The Teaching Ministry Begins at 9:45 a.m.
MORNING WORSHIP 11:00 a.m.
EVENING 7:30 p.m.
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Wednesday - 7:30 p.m.
CHOIR ... Youth 6:30 p.m.; Adult . . . 7:30 p.m. Monday
Each Day Lived On Earth l? One Day Lea a For You To Be Ready To
Face A Living God.
If you Have No Church Home, Vlelt With (lal Allow Jesus To Become
Lord In Your Heart In
Mndm
Sunday
?ept.B
0?t phy*jea|/
Exercise and Dancewear
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Girls sizes S.M.L 3*1
Ladles sizes S,M,L,XL
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only) or white (girls only.)
Girls sizes S.M.L,XL 1 "
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