The News-Journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXVII Number 9 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, June 20, 1985
Reflection in a broken window
Recent cool bright days are reflected in the windows
of this old barn located in the McFarland area of
Hoke County. The barn may have once been the
center of agrarian activity, but recent changes in
farm populations and techniques have made the
building of little use except to rodents and birds.
Shortage of federal funds
may delay US 401 widening
By Kd Miller
A scheduled widening of US
Highway 401 between Raeford and
the Cumberland County line could
be in jeopardy because of a recent
ly discovered shortage of federal
funds, a spokesman for the state
Department of Transportation
(DOT) said Monday.
Engineering studies of the
highway 401 widening were
scheduled to be completed during
the upcoming fiscal year; however,
DOT spokesman Jim Sughrue said
all projects now on the depart
ment's Transportation Improve
ment Plan (TIP) are up for review
and may be delayed because of last
year's state overbudgeting of
federal funds.
Skirting and resurfacing of the
same section of highway 401,
which was planned for September,
may be also be delayed by as much
as a month, Sughrue said.
Although Sughrue does not
think 401 will be affected, the
DOT Highway Commission will be
rearranging priorities on the 10
year TIP over the next few
months, he said.
North Carolina received $50
million more than expected from
the federal government this year,
but the highway commission of
last year spent $35 million that
should have gone to projects in this
fiscal year, said Sughrue.
Most of last year's board
members were replaced when
Governor Jim Martin took office
earlier this year.
There is $370 million earmarked
to be spent on projects in this fiscal
year, which for the federal govern
ment runs from October of 1984 to
September of 1985, Sughrue said.
The former Highway Commis
sion slated $478 million for pro
jects during the year, he said.
There was an "overprogram
ming of $108 million," said the
spokesman.
For fiscal year 1986, there are
$392 million programmed for con
struction, he said.
"Our best estimate now is that
we will get $353 million," said
Sughrue.
There is a difference of $39
million.
In the final assessment, projects
projected outweigh those that can
be paid for by $147 million, said
Sughrue.
"The problem is we just had too
many projects programmed into
the improvement plan for this
year," said Sughrue.
"It is not a problem that this
board created, but they will have
to deal with it," he said.
"And, we could do the same
thing but next year we may have to
stop completely" because the
highway fund would be out of
money, he said.
"I think what you will see in the
July meeting (of the Highway
Commission) is enough priorities
to get us though the year,"
Sughrue said.
According to Sughrue, the
Highway Commission may have to
start phasing projects as a short
term solution to the funding shor
tage.
As for the resurfacing and skirt
ing project proposed for the end of
this fiscal year, Sughrue said: "We
may be back to letting projects by
September."
Commission orders proposed tax rate trimmed
By Ed Miller
Hoke County Manager William
Cowan was directed to trim a pro
posed ad valorem tax rate increase
by four cents Tuesday night.
"The move may slice into the
county's current level service, and
further cuts could affect the
schools, the literacy council, the
sheriff's department, economic
development, the Sandhills College
Satellite and the recreation depart
ment.
During a called budget meeting
Tuesday, members of the Hoke
County Commission called on
Cowan and County Finance Of
ficer Charles Davis to get the tax
hike down to three or four cents
from a proposed seven cents in
crease.
According to Cowan, a three
cents tax hike this year would only
mean an actual two cents onto the
rate because there was a loss of tax
base in the county last year of just
over $30,000, or about one penny.
Every penny added to the tax
rate brings the coumy-tm acMi*
tional $31,280, Cowan said.
If the county commission cuts
the raise in taxes to three cents,
there will be an addition in revenue
of only about $62,560.
"It can be worked out, Mr.
Chairman," Commissioner James
Albert Hunt told John Balfour.
"We don't want taxes raised
over three cents if we can help it,"
said Commissioner Wyatt Up
church.
"If you want me to cut that kind
of money, you're going to have to
give me some direction about what
services you don't want to offer at
the same level you have in past
years," Cowan said.
"Basically that's going to cut
out everything but your trash col
lection," Cowan told commis
sioners.
" iAfcCor'ding to Balfour; If serv ices
have to be cut, recreation will be
the first county department to suf
fer.
Balfour did not elaborate on
where the recreation budget may
be cut.
In the three-hour meeting Tues
day night, commissioners reviewed
every dollar of "new money" plac
ed into the budget.
Being eyed by commissioners as
a possible place to cut first are the
schools.
To begin, $1 1,500 for an outside
firm to come into the schools and
inventory the contents of every
building was urged cut from the
revenue sharing portion of the
school budget along with $6,400
tor the refurbishing of tennis
courts at Hoke County High
School.
? Tharwould total about $17,900
or just over one-half cent in tax
revenues.
That money could be taken and
put into the county's current ex
pense budget and cut one-half cent
from the tax rate, said Balfour.
County Commission members
are also hoping to lose another
one-half cent in the school's
budget when the state picks up the
salary of School Business Manager
Don Steed. Balfour said.
Commissioner James Albert
Hunt suggested that another penny
in tax revenues, or $31,280 should
be pulled out of the cost of living
raises proposed for county
employees next year.
Originally, Cowan proposed a
5% cost of living raise for all coun
ty employees to keep up the same
amount being given school
teachers.. \
A penny pulled out of that line
item would drop that cost of living
raise to 3%, according to Cowan.
Commissioners were advised not
to cut a $25,000 figure included in
the budget for merit pay raises and
overtime.
According to Cowan, the com
missioners will probably run into
situations next year that will re
quire sheriff's deputies, Emergen
cy Medical Service (EMS) person
nel and Department of Social Ser
vices (DSS) personnel to have to
put in some overtime.
Other proposed cuts could come
from the Sandhills Community
College Satellite planned for next
year, said Balfour.
Including money set aside for
renovating an office for Satellite
Director Betty High, $15,000 for
expenses in using classrooms at
Hoke County High School and a
secretary's salary, the total recom
mendation from Cowan for the
college is about $27,000.
"It may be the circle 1 travel, but
I can't find a single person out
there that wants it (the college) ex
cept the committee," Balfour told
Hoke County Higher Education
Foundation member J.H. (Buddy)
Blue, who was present at the
meeting.
Balfour also expressed concern
over how much the college would
cost the county next year.
Slaying suspect freed
By Ed Miller
A Raeford man was out of jail
Monday on $5,000 bond after be
ing charged with murdering John
Ed McRae, according to officials
of the Raeford Police Department.
James Wilbert Thomas, 55, of
507 Saunders Street, jailed on an
open charge of murder, was
released from the Hoke County
Jail last week, a spokesman from
the Hoke County Sheriff's Depart
ment said.
At about 10:35 p.m. last Thurs
day, police were dispatched to an
area near the Raeford Fire Depart
ment to investigate reported gun
shots, Police Chief Leonard Wig
gins said.
Upon arrival, law officers found
McRae's body lying in some
hedges, said Wiggins.
According to Wiggins, McRae
was 40 years old.
"Apparently, it was a domestic
type squabble" that led to the
shooting, Wiggins said.
McRae, who was shot twice,
lived at 1913 Tylertown Loop in
Raeford, said Wiggins.
Wiggins would not say what
kind of gun killed the man.
Three charged for LSD
By Ed Miller
Three Raeford men have been
released from the Hoke County
Jail after being charged with
possession of lysergic acid
diethylamide (LSD).
According to a report by Hoke
County Sheriff's Deputy C.E.
Harris, Gregory William Jordan,
30, Robert C. Cunningham, 31,
and John Wesley McLean, 31,
were all charged with possession of
the Schedule One Controlled
Substance.
The men had 10 tablets of the
acid in a car along with some mar
juana, Harris said in the report.
According to Harris, he was on
routine patrol when he saw a car
operating with the interior light
on.
Harris pulled the car over and
approached the three men, accord
ing to the report.
As he n eared the car, he noticed
John "Duck" McLean, of 1816
Cockman Street, trying to eat a
bag of marijuana, the report
shows.
According to the report, Harris
told the man "not to choke on the
dime bag."
McLean was in the back seat of
the car, according to Harris.
When back-up units arrived, the
car was searched, Harris said.
Finding the LSD tablets was the
result of that scarch, he said.
Nine tablets of "purple
microdot "were found under a seat
in the car, according to Harris.
A 10th was found in the
passenger's seat of the front area
of the car along with some mari
juana seeds, the report says.
That seat was occupied by Cun
ningham of 1215 Fuller Street,
Harris said in the report.
Jordan, of 223 Scotland
Avenue, was driving the car, ac
cording to the report.
Apparently, no statements were
given by the men.
Working for progress
Elected and appointed officials of Raeford, Hoke
County and the local school system attended a
meeting Tuesday called " Look-lip Raeford-lloke"
at the Raeford Civic Center. The meeting, which
lasted from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featured guests
from the Look- Up Cast on Foundation and
representatives from the Gaston County schools.
Pictured, F.L. (Rick) Smyre, III addresses the
group. Smyre is the Executive Director of the Look
Up Gaston Foundation. It is hoped the program
will aid officials in dealing with a diverse popula
tion effectively.
Youth sent to Troy after kidnapping
By Ed Miller
A former Sandhills Youth
Center inmate is now in a Troy
prison unit after being charged
with escaping from prison, kidnap
ping a Hoke County man and rob
bing his house.
Jonathan Patrick Venable, 18,
and another inmate escaped from
the center on June 8, according to
Hoke County Detective Jimmy
Riley.
Adam Randall Henderson, the
other youth, turned himself in the
next day, according to a report
from Riley.
Venable did not.
Last Tuesday, Venable showed
up. Not at the youth center, but in
the home of Sydney Allen
Johnson.
According to Riley's report,
Johnson came home about 11:45
p.m.
As the man entered his home,
Venable stepped out of his
bedroom holding Johnson's
shotgun.
Venable told Johnson to empty
his pockets, which he did.
The youth went through the
man's wallet but discarded it,
reports say.
Venable then told Johnson that
he was taking him to Mt. Airy.
Venable rode on the right side of
the back seat and held the shotgun
on Johnson.
"He told me unless I drove him
there, he'd kill me," said Johnson
Monday.
"When we got to Mt. Airy, I
drove down a lonp dirt road and
when I stopped, he got out,"
Johnson said.
The youth just left the car and
went into the woods, sheriff's
reports say.
According to Johnson, Venable
was not cruel to him during the
trip.
"We talked a lot about music.
He had looked through my record
collection at my house, and he
liked some of them," said
Johnson.
"He seemed like a pretty nice
guy, really."
"He wasn't mean or belligerent
or anything. He even apologized,"
said Johnson.
"He just said he was an escapee.
I just assumed he was from Mc
Cain," said the man.
(See KIDNAPPING, page 16)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The weather has been nice for
the past few days, but it turned hot
again Monday. We had 1 1/4 in
ches of rain Sunday morning. It
was a slow rain and most of it
soaked into the soil. If we could
get another rain or two like the last
one, it should make the corn crop.
The forecast is more 90 degree
weather for Tuesday. There is a
possibility of rain Tuesday night
and then the temperature is sup
posed to fall. It is forecast that the
temperatures will be in the 70s over
the weekend.
? * ?
Mr. and Mrs. L.S. Gordon of
Waldwick, N.J. have attended all
three of my high school class reu
nions. Mrs. Gordon was the
former Nannie Russell Harris who
lived on U.S. 401 South. Saturday
night after the reunion we had a
chance to talk for a long time in
our room in Southern Pines.
The conversation started about
the nice gifts that were given to our
class members by Faberge. It
seems that the Gordons lived near
the Faberge plant when it was in
New Jersey. They said that their
daughter used to work in the ac
counting department there.
Then we talked about how close,
after 50 years, these class members
were to each other. Gordon stated
that in a large place like where he
graduated, most folks didn't know
each other and didn't try to keep in
touch after graduation. He was
saying how nice it must have been
to live in a small town.
Of course with consolidation of
schools, the people are not as dote
now as they were 30 yean ago.
They have more to do and move
(See AROUND, page II)