'f"
The
ews
No. 48 Vol. 93
Visit us
on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
Upcoming school
calendars provided
page 1B
Barnhill retires^
makes way
for Bryant
page 5A
Crimestoppers
reward offered for
trailer vandalism
page 4A
World Day
of Prayer
The annual community
World Day of Prayer ob
servance will be held this
Friday for 30 minutes at
Raeford Presbyterian
Church beginning at
noon. All are invited.
Index 1
Births
3B
Calendar
2B
Classifieds
....8-9B
Deaths
3A
Editorials
2A
Legals
....6-7B
Religion
3A
Schools
..4,10B
Social News
3B
TV Listings
....4-5B
Around Town
HNNIiipi
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
Last Thursday I had a
doctor’s appointment in
Southern Pines and there was
ice hanging from trees and
power lines. The roads were
wet but there wasn’t any ice
on them. Then the tempera
tures began to rise and the
thermometer registered 70
degrees on Saturday and Sun
day. As I write this Monday
morning the sun is shining and
most people are walking
around in their short sleeves.
Maybe the weather will make
up its mind when the six weeks
about the ground hog has come
and gone. We have had some
rain but not enough for the dry
soil.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday,callsfor the
high Wednesday to be in the
50s and the low in the 40s.
Thursday the high will be in
the 50s and the low in the 30s.
Friday and Saturday the highs
will be in the 60s or 50s and
the lows in the 40s or 30s.
There could be rain every day.
« ♦ *
Last Saturday night I re-
ceivedaphonecallfrom Mary
Helen Senter telling me of the
death of Ruth Warner Riddle
of Anderson, SC. Mary Helen
said that Ruth had died after
about an hour after her sister-
in-law, Marie Williamson
Warner passed away. Usually
you expect to hear of an acci
dent when two from the same
family die.
(See AROUND,
J oumal
it happened; it's news to u
50 cents
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Demos ponder commission choices
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Almost 13 days have elapsed
since the death of Commission
Chairman L.E. McLauglin Jr.,
but Hoke commissioners have
yet to discuss replacing some
one in his seat. Former commis
sioner Cleo Bratcher Jr. said he
sent a letter to Democrat Party
Chairwoman Charlotte Kelly
confirming he would like to be
considered.
According to Kelly, Walter
Blue, a lifelong resident of Hoke
serving on numerous boards, has
also applied, as well as former
Raeford city councilman Clyde
Thomas. She has not officially
notified commissioners of these
candidates yet.
“We want due process of the
law,” Wright said. “We will wait
until we see who the Democratic
Party may recommend before we
make a decision.
“That is common courtesy
because we would like to see
what they have to say.”
With only 47 days remaining
under state statues for county
commissioners to pick a replace
ment, the Democrat Party is
pondering who will be its choice
as a successor to McLaughlin.
Kelly has called a meeting of the
party’s executive committee to
day at 6 p.m. at the Hoke County
Public Library to decide on a
candidate. In spite of the organi
zation being private, Kelly said
the meeting is open to the publ ic.
She also invited the 13 Democrat
(See COMMISSION, page 6A)
I
State may prosecute
Hoke pyramid scam
DA: case involves Targe number of local people’
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
District Attorney Kristy McMillan New
ton has concluded her review of the SBI’s
criminal probe concerning an illegal gifting
scheme that swept across Hoke last April and
May. The findings concerning the “pyramid
scam” were turned over to her by retired D.A.
Jean Powell last December. Newton recently
determined “far-reaching” results may war
rant the N.C. State Attorney General’s office
to consider prosecution.
“There are allegations against a large num-
ber of local people,” Newton said on Tues
day. “Based on the SBI findings, there was a
lot of money involved. People lost money
and others profited by this. Any type of
participation is considered a crime.”
Sheriff Jim Davis called for an SBI and
FBI investigation on May 19,1999toexpose
the gifting operation. The scam, considered
under statutes as a form of a lottery, was first
brought to the attention of The News-Journal
in mid-April. An anonymous caller told the
newspaper the scam was primarily preying
upon African American senior citizens.
People were beingduped into thinking it was
a legitimate “get-rich” quick scheme, *ihe
caller added. Others alleged pyramid meet
ings were being conducted in churches, homes
and corporate board rooms around Hoke.
According to Powell, at least 14 deputies
were interviewed by the SBI regarding al
leged participation in the gifting scheme last
(See PYRAMID SCAM, pagelA )
- %
Two Raeford men die
in collision with tmek
‘J
:s\
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Two men died and a third man was criti
cally injured in a crash in western Hoke
County last Thursday evening.
The dead are Anthony Baldwin, 25, and
Freddie L. McLaughlin, 24, of Scott Currie
Road. Bobby Antonio “Tony” Allen, 23, of
Azalea Street, is in FirstHealth Moore Re
gional Hospital, where he was recently re
leased from the intensive care unit.
Baldwin and McLaughlin were passen
gers in the rear seat and Allen was a front seat
passenger in a 1992 Mitsubishi that collided
with an 18-wheeler on a “blind curve” on
Calloway Road two miles west of Aberdeen
Road. All three were thrown from the vehicle
upon impact.
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J.D. Hoover
said the driver, Rickie Covington, 28, of
West 5th Avenue, lost control of the east
bound car, and it slid into the path of the west
bound tractor trailer. Witnesses and
Covington reported another west bound trac
tor trailer truck had drifted into the east
bound lane and continued on after the acci
dent.
Both wrecked vehicles came to rest on the
(See FATAL WRECK, page 7A)
Horses of different colors
They call it Racehorsemania—cutouts of steeplechase competitors designed to
promote the Stoneybrook Steeplechase coming to Five Points Horse Park April
7. Top: Lindsay Smith of Aberdeen views one of the 37 signs gathered Sunday at
West Hoke Middle School. See related article on page 5A.
Raeford finalizes plans
for once-a-century event
Nations, evades death penalty
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
”We want everybody to plan to set
those three to four days aside and be
active participants. After all, this hap
pens only once every 100 years,” says
Grace McDonald, chairman of the
Raeford Centennial Celebration Com-
mittee.
Plans have been finalized and bro
chures announcing Raeford’s 100-
year birthday celebration schedule,
are back from the printers. Events are
set for May 17, 18 and 19.
The town’s name was taken from
the last letters in John McRae and
(See CENTENNIAL, page 6A)
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Convicted felon Aaron Albert Goode,
charged with the slaying of former Hoke
High School student Armando “Tito” Na
tions, pleaded guilty to second degree mur
der during his first day of trial on Monday.
Though he evaded the death penalty, Goode
was sentenced to 14.9 to 17.5 years in the
N.C. Department of Correction without a
possibility of parole until after 14 years of
time served, said District Attorney Kristy
McMillan Newton, prosecutor in the capital
case.
“I am relieved that he has been convicted,
and that he will be punished for his actions,”
Newton said. “Based on the criminal investi
gation and the trial preparation, it was clear to
me he is dangerous and he needed to be
confined so that he could not hurt anyone
else.
“I have kept my promise that murder cases
will be a top priority for me.”
According to Newton, ensuring Goode
will remain behind bars has also preventing
some witnesses from being “put in jeopardy ”
by testifying against the felon. Newton said
Nations’ mother, Ethel Nations, may have
(See PLEIADS GUILTY, page 7A)
7-year-old’s wisdom, encouragement help mom through medical emergency
.V.
.
Brittney Bowman sits between her father, SFC Julius Bowman, and
mother, E-6 Venus Bowman. On the right is her baby-sitter Ola
Mosley.
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Scurlock Elementary student Brittney Bowman
is a heroine to her family, especially her mother,
who learned just how savvy and caring her daugh
ter was on a recent trip down 1-95.
On Sunday, February 11, E-6 Venus Bowman
and seven-year-old Brittney were returning to
Raeford from a trip to Fort Lee, Virginia, where
they were visiting a family friend. “I was hurting
before we even left Virginia but it was mild,” Mrs.
Bowman said.
The pain got worse as she drove down the
interstate, Mrs. Bowman said. She pulled over
several times and threw up. Brittney rubbed her
mother’s back and encouraged her. “It’s OK,
Mommy. Just close the door and drive. We’re
almost home.”
Finally the pain was so intense that Mrs. Bow
man realized she could not continue to drive, that
she would have to get off the road. “1 saw an exit
that said ‘hospital’ and pulled in to a gas station.”
Mrs. Bowman said when she pulled into a parking
area, Brittney jumped out of the car and went into
the station. “I told them to call the ambulance
because my mother was hurting and in pain. I
wanted them to hurry because I didn’t want her to
die,” Brittney said.
“They took my mom in the ambulance,” Brittney
continued. “1 spelled her name for them, told them
m> father(U.S. Army SFCJulius Bowman) was in
the field.” Brittney instructed personnel at Wilson
Medical Centei tocaL her after-school baby-sitter.
Ola Mosley, who lives near the school.
She gave them additional information they
needed before her mother could be treated for an
(See FAMILY HEROINE, page 6A)