Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / April 4, 1985, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News -Journal The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 Volume LXXVI Number 50 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, April 4, 1985 Britthaven denied permit by state By Ed Miller A nursing care firm, which had received the endorsement of local officials, has been denied a state permit to operate a facility in Raeford. A certificate of need, approved by Cardinal Health Agency's Board of Directors which would have allowed Britthaven Incor porated to build a nursing home in Raeford, was overturned by the North Carolina Department of Human Resources (DHR) last week in favor of another firm. Despite local objections, which had been voiced in earlier hearings. Autumn Care Corporation of Rocky Mount will be allowed to build the facility. Britthaven has 30 days to appeal the decision. "1 really can't discuss the merits of either corporation for 30 days," said Lee Hoffman, DHR Project Analyst for the Division of Facility Services. Some local officials, athough asking to temporarily remain anonymous, have suggested ex* treme displeasure at the overturned decision. Members of both the county and city governments attended numerous meetings in the effort to get Britthaven the certificate of need. "I read the endorsements and letters' from the local people, and I did take them into consideration," Hoffman said. "I read the letters, and I think they stated their case very well," she said. Raeford City Manager Tom Phillips said he was not happy with the state's decision. "I am extremely concerned by the fact that Raeford officials and the officials of Hoke County, who are going to have to live with this thing, wanted to work with Britt haven. "We made the trip to Lumber ton to speak to Cardinal Health Agency, and the Cardinal Board agreed with the county and the ci ty. Then, an individual at the state level makes the decision that we really don't know what we're talk ing about," Phillips said. "It also concerns me that a public official would elect to make this decision in a total vacuum without any regard as to what the public desires," Phillips said. According to Hoffman, Britt haven was going to have higher ex penses per patient per day than Autumn Care on applications filed by both companies. "Based on what was on paper, it couldn't work. Operating expenses would have outweighed revenues for Britthavon," Hoffman said. According to Hoffman, she and Susanne G. Moulton, Chief of the Certificate of Need Section, reviewed the applications of both companies and ruled that Autumn Care "best meets the needs for the 62 long-term-care beds in Hoke County." When asked about the over whelming backing given Britt haven earlier in the certification process, Hoffman replied that community support was only one criteria and that many more had to be looked at before awarding the certificate of need. "When 1 do a case, I start from ground zero," said Hoffman. "1 don't want to be biased in my decisions," she said. At the time the certificate of need was granted to Britthaven by Cardinal Health, public officials were baffled by accusations from Autumn Care that the company had been ignored. "I along with everyone else had never heard of Autumn Care until the day before the public hearing," Hoke County Manager William Cowan said at the time. Public officials fought for Britt haven because that company has been working to build public sup port for some time, Cowan has said. Autumn Care has done little to promote themselves in Hoke County, both Cowan and Phillips have said. Son-in-law is charged for death By Ed Miller A 23-year-old Hoke County man was in jail Tuesday under $50,000 bond after being charged with second degree murder of his father-in-law, according to a report from the Hoke County Sheriff's Department. Carl George Brewer, of Rt. 5, Lot 3 of the Hillcrest Mobile Home Park is charged with beating Harvey Hilton Stocks to death. Stocks, of Rt. S, Box 161 A, died Sunday morning at 12:45 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center of,bead4^yric*.>-^ According to the report, an alleged beating put Stocks in the hospital where the probable cause of death was listed as a brain hemorrhage. Stocks was 54. Few details on the case have been released by Hoke County Sheriff Dave Barrington who refused comment Monday. Around Town By Sam Morris The weather has been windy for the past few days, but the temperature has almost been like summertime. Even the nights were warm over the weekend and this has caused the grass to begin grow ing. The dogwood trees are in full bloom and this is as early as 1 can remember the full blooms. If you have noticed your car lately, the pollen has been blowing off the trees and everything has a shade of yellow to it. If it should rain even the ground would take a yellow shade. The forecast is for cooler weather Wednesday and Thursday and then it is to become warmer. This should make for a beautiful Easter. After the paper came out last week, I received a call from Red Scarborough on the item about Price Morris. Red said he was at Oak Ridge the same time Price was there. This was before he had moved to Raeford. I believe that Red came from Mt. Gilead. He stated that John Cal McLean was there during that time. He also said he had some old pictures in his scrapbook and would like for me to look them over. Thanks Red, and 1 will come by one of these days. * * * Now you folks that read this col umn know that I am a buff about reunions and old days. Well, Jim Williamson came up with an idea that I think was superb. I will try to write what he passed on to me Monday. It seems Jim was going through a group of old pictures recently and came fccross tome that were made on his father's farm in 1933 (SO years ago), the year the family moved to Raeford and Hoke County. That year they purchased (See AROUND, page 2A) Easter scene Dogwoods are In full bloom in Hoke County this week for the celebration of the Easter season. This familiar scene in front of the Raeford Post Office is hard to overlook this time of year. Raeford council OK's plan for changing city elections By Ed Miller Members of the Raeford City Council voted Monday to change the term of office for future members of the board. After almost no discussion, the councilmen voted to give the top two vote getters in November's city elections four-year terms, and the other election winners two-year terms. Raeford councilmen currently serve two-year terms and all come up for election at one time. The motion would give the electcd officials, not only longer terms, but would also stagger the elections of members. "Hie motion was put into the form of a "resolution of intent." Once the resolution is passed, it must be advertised for 10 days before being put into the form of an ordinance, according to City Attorney Palmer Willcox. The ordinance must then be passed for the process to be com plete, Willcox said. The City Council is taking ac tion now on the question so it can become law before the upcoming election, said Councilman Bob Gentry, who suggested the terms of the resolution. According to Willcox, the or dinance must be signed into law 90 days before an election. Gentry added that the mayor's term be lengthened to four years also. Once the terms are staggered after the first election, all city council terms will be for four years, Gentry said. In other action, the council members voted not to spend a budgeted $50,000 on a portable electricity generator to be used in times of disaster to run the city's water pumps. According to City Manager Tom Phillips, the subject of the generator was breeched last year when tornadoes destroyed parts of Red Springs and other surrounding areas. "The generators are like in surance. You purchase it with the intention of never having to use it, but, if in years to come, you need it, it's there," said Phillips in the Monday night meeting. (See CITY, page 3A) County mulls garbage pickup By Ed Miller Just two years after getting into the ambulance business, Hoke County officials may be forced in to picking up garbage. Members of the Hoke County Commission voted unanimously Monday to consider getting into the solid waste disposal business, but at the same time agreed to have specifications drawn up for renew ing a contract with American Refuse Systems (ARS). American Refuse has given notice that they will terminate their contract to empty county garbage containers unless members of the commission agree to more than double the present price of their contract, Hoke County Health Director Bobby Rogers said. According to Rogers, the Hoke County Solid Waste Committee, a branch of the County Health Board, has budgeted $72,332 for the contract. American Refuse is asking for $156,000, more than double the current contract price, to continue the service, Rogers said. A major problem with the Hoke County contract, as ARS sees it, is that there are two different sizes of containers in the county, Rogers said. Because of the six cubic yard and 25 cubic yard containers, ARS is having to maintain two trucks for working Hoke County, the Health Director said. A Solid Waste Committee has suggested that all containers in the county be converted to the six yard type, according to Rogers. That may relieve some costs, he said. ARS has agreed to empty all containers in the county three times per week and clean up around them for a cost of $1.30 per yard, according to the commit tee's report. The committee also reported 10,991 yards of trash space in the county. If the county cleans the sites, ARS will empty the containers for SI. 10, Rogers said, adding that the county will save $22,000. According to Rogers, if the county takes over the system, it will cost $168,000 in the first year and 159,000 the second year. Those figures include $50,000 per year for trucks, and capital reserve funds of S30.000, the report from the waste committee says. The total price for ARS to con tinue service is projected to be $195,385 next year, Rogers said. According to the motion passed by the commission, Rogers will help in setting the bid specifica tions for a new contract. In another matter, members of the commission agreed to try and fund the arts in Hoke County when budget sessions begin. Hoke County Schools Cultural Arts Director Mary Archie McNeill asked the commission for $5,000 to go with a S4,000 match from the state. McNeill is trying to "revitalize the Arts Council," she said. According to McNeill, in the past, all projects sponsored by the council have raised separate funds. Therefore, industries and businesses were approached many times in a year for money, said McNeill. (See GARBAGE, page 2A) Murder trial testimony begins By Ed Miller The trial of a Shannon man, ac cused of killing his wife last September, got underway Monday in Hoke County Superior Court. By Tuesday afternoon, 12 jurors and two alternates had been chosen in the first degree murder trail of 34-year-old Don Michael Woods. Woods is also charged with first degree kidnapping, Hoke County Sheriff Dave Barrington said. Wake County Superior Court Judge Edwin S. Preston Jr in structed Assistant District At torney Jean Powell and Defense Attorney Phil Diehl to keep open ing statements, to be presented Wednesday morning, ss brief as possible just before recessing court for the day on Tuesday. Woods is accused of killing his wife, Isabell Henderson Woods, who would have been 34-years-old on March 22. According to Barrington, Woods and his wife were separated at the time of the alleged murder. Earlier Barrington said a pistol had been found in Woods' house along with the body of the victim. The couple had a history of domestic problems, said Barr ington, referring to Hoke County District Court cases. The sheriff said that on the morning of the alleged shooting, the victim and her 16-year -old son, had gone to Wood's home to. retrieve a running suit left there by the boy after spending the weekend with his father. Woods allegedly detained his wife and son. During the course of that day, the son left the house several times to run errands for his father. At one point, all three people left the house to eat, said Barr ington. The son knew his father had a gun, according to Barrington, add ing that the last time he was allow ed to leave the house, he reported to the sheriff's department. By the time deputies arrived at the home, Mrs. Woods was dead, apparently shot through the shoulder. Breaking up A major construction effort got underway on the depot restoration project Tuesday when this Burlington employee cleared the way for new plumbing in the facility. We take a look at the plans for the restoration on page / of section B in today's News-Journal.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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April 4, 1985, edition 1
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