The
ews
J oumal
it happened, it^s news to ut
No. 49 Vol. 93
50 cents
Wednesday, March 7, 2001
Visit us
on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
Republicans invite
unaffiliated voters
page 6A
Drama serves
mystery and dessert
page 6A
Shooting under
investigation
page 4A
Teacher displays
African American
artifacts
page 1B
Index
Births 3B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 9-1 OB
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2-3A
Engagements 3B
Legals 6B
Public Record 4A
Religion 5 A
Social News 3B
TV Listings 4-5B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
As I write this column Mon
day morning and after listen
ing to the weather report on
television, maybe we have
dodged some severe weather.
It seems that the heavy snow
fell well to the north of us. It
does say in the reporting that
we will have rain and strong
winds. At least this will save
the Department of Transpor
tation money, since they won’t
have to put out salt on the
roads and clear snow from the
highways. Since the news
from Raleigh states that the
state is in financial problems,
this is good news. I will be
glad to see warmer weather!
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for
the high during this period to
be in the 50’s and the lows in
the 30’s. We could see some
rain on Frida\.
Last Wednesday night the
Democratic Executive Com
mittee of Hoke County met at
the Hoke County Library to
pick a person to replace L.E.
McLaughlin Jr. on the Board
of HokeCounty Commission
ers. I did not attend this meet
ing, but I was informed that
Clyde Thomas was to be rec
ommended to the board. Ac
cording to my source, who
attended the meeting, there
were some questions raised
about the way the meeting was
conducted. I don’t know all
the details, but later the head
(See AROUND, page 8A)
Democrats’ first meeting didn’t take
Confusion reigns about protocol as commissioners select McLaughlin’s replacement
voting session must be held for
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
After a Hoke County Demo
cratic Party debated voting pro
tocol at a recent meeting, the
vacant seat of the late Commis
sion Chairman L.E. McLaughlin
Jr. is still up for grabs. A second
“The previous meeting was
all nominees competing for the determined to be invalid because
Party’s recommendation to re- some Democrats complained
about the way the last meeting
was conducted by Charlotte
Kelly, the party chairman,” Jack-
son said. “It is like the first one is
erased, and the entire process
has to be repeated. We bel ieve it
place McLaughlin because of “ir
regularities and complaints” gen
erated by the February 28 meet
ing, said Morgan Jackson, affairs
director for the N.C. Democratic
Party.
is the only fair thing to do be
cause of inaccuracies that oc
curred.
“It is a good resolution to the
problem that has come up in
Hoke.”
Kelly initially announced
former Raeford city councilman
Clyde Thomas as “the winner.”
expansion
Sewer costs too high
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
At a time when Hoke County
is considered the 18th fastest
growing county in the state and
one of the top five in terms of
lower income levels, Raeford city
councilmen reluctantly applied
the brakes to expanding sewer
1 incs outside the eastern city lim
its across Rockfish Creek. The
council postponed approval of
annexation requests from three
county landholders to extend
sewer infrastructure that would
have accommodated “multiple”
businessesand increased jobs on
the U.S. 401 Business Bypass.
After Raeford's City Manager
Mike McNeill said The Wooten
Company’s engineer estimated
the project would cost $219,000,
the councilmen could not agree
on a short-term financial remedy
to “offset” the cost.
“1 recommend to table the an
nexation as far as a financial
commitment until further devel
opments can be secured,”
McNeill said. “Because of Rock-
fish Bridge, the Department of
Transportation would not allow
us to suspend a line on that
bridge”
Two local businessmen, John
T. Manning and Frankie J. Gil
bert, each own more than 200
acres of land on U.S. 401 Busi
ness Bypass near Rockfish
Creek. They discussed the im
portance of running sewer lines
to encourage “red carpet” devel-
(See EXPANSION, page 6A)
k
momas
City Manager Mike McNeill at the site the city is buying for a future city park.
Bypass may exit at planned dty park
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
The N.C. Department of Transportation was
receptive to Raeford’s request to take the planned
Raeford-Palmer Road Extension nearer to a 52-
acre tract earmarked for a recreation area.
Raeford Mayor Bob Gentry, City Manager Mike
McNeill and Public Works Director Mike Lucas
attended a roadway design conference last month
with DOT engineers in which plans for the bypass/
extension were discussed.
The city’s leaders had been successful i n getting
the “scoping” meeting moved up two years, and
would also like to see construction of the bypass
moved up. Right-of-way acquisition for the project
is on the DOT transportation improvement plan to
begin in April of 2005 with contract letting for
July, 2006. Construction should begin one or two
months after the contract islet, according to project
development engineer Jennifer Safron.
Plans are for the bypass to begin at the N.C 211
(Red Springs Road) and East Palmer Road inter
section and extend to the N.C. Highway 20 (St.
Pauls Road) and Oakdale Gin Road intersection.
' At the design meeting, McNeill showed aerial
photos of the “Joe Upchurch property” which
consists of 52 acres of fields, wooded land and a
small lake. Purchase of the property is being funded
through grant money provided by the state to
prevent flooding problems created by Peddlers
Creek when rains are heavy. The money will also
pay for design work and construction of an im-
(See CITY PARK, page 6A)
After repeated requests, she was
unable to provide the official vote
count. Unofficially, Thomas gar
nered 13.75 votes in order for
(See DEMOCRATS, page 7A)
Nine get second
chance, others can
be nominated
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke County Democratic
Party election results from nine
nominees vy
ing for the rec
ommendation
to fill the va
cant seat of
Commission
Chairman LE.
McLaughlin
Jr. are a “moot
point,” said
party chair
man Charlotte
Kelly on
Monday. In
spite of the
February 28
election being
voided and a
new one slated
for March 15,
the nine nomi
nees— allex-
perienced
community
leaders — arc
still in the run
ning, and
nominations from registered
Democrats are still open until
March 14, she added.
“We appreciated the interest
candidates have shown,” Kelly
said.”I always thought it was our
Christian duty to vote.
“It is a very important office
they seek in order to fill the shoes
of Commissioner L.E.
McLaughlin Jr.”
The three top candidates voted
upon in the last election that was
cancelled including first-place
choice, Clyde Thomas, former
Raeford city councilman; sec
ond-place winner, John
McAllister, retired Hoke school
superintendent; and third-place
recipient, Jean Powell, retired
district attorney.
(See CANDIDATES, page 7A)
McAllister
Powell
Sign heralds planned shopping center at prime North Raeford site
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Curious Raeford residents were won
dering about a large sign recently erected
on U.S. 401 for the “North Raeford Shop
ping' Plaza.” Another spacious building
already under construction on the 401
corridor near the proposed mall caused
fu rther speculation. Both mysteries were
solved after development plans were
announced last Friday for two separate
projects by J.A. Floyd, a prominent de
veloper in Fayetteville and Moore
County, and Kasey Kelly, co-manager
of First Impressions printing firm owned
by House of Raeford.
Owner of J.A. Floyd Construction
firm for the past 12 years, Floyd said he
is convinced that developing commer
cial enterprises in Hoke County is a
“wise” investment.
“A multi-million dollar shopping cen
ter is envisioned north of Raeford,” Floyd
said. “I have already secured financing.
We are planning an attractive strip mall
that will only include well-established
clientele.
“I would like to put some nice stores
in there.”
According to Floyd, Dino’s Pizza res
taurant in Fayetteville is one of the busi
nesses that has already expressed an
interest in leasing space at the future
Hoke plaza. Located beyond the Raeford
city limits, the mall’s retail spaces are
offering a minimum of 1,220 square feet
per store on up depending on the needs
of the retail businesses, he added.
“I was interested in this particular
location because highway 401 always
seems to be busy,” Floyd said. “Raeford
is getting bigger, and there are more and
more home subdivisions being devel
oped in Hoke.
Situated on seven acres of road-front
age property on the west side of highway
(See SHOPPING CENTER, page 6A)
d'rti
COMING SOON
North Raeford Plaza
Retail & Profssaionai Center
*■
Spaces Ratable |
Please Information
1j.A. FLOYD
488^9637
Spaces AvaiaDK
12C0 Sq. Ft. S U? j
Landfo'Le^
North Raeford Shopping Plaza opens on U.S.
401 near Raeford in the future.
Pinehurst, Raeford firemen put
sprinklers in Habitat House here
About five years ago, Christer Shirmer, a retired fire protec
tion engineer — nationally known in the field of fire safety —
saw a “genuine need” for home fire sprinkler systems to be
installed in dwellings built for Habitat for Humanity.
In general. Habitat homes have more people living in them,
according to Glenn O’Ferrell, Village of Pinehurst Fire Depart
ment fire chief. He and other firefighters from his department
joined with City of Raeford firefighters in installing a sprinkler
system in the Habitat House currently under construction here.
Other socio-economic factors come into play with the higher
incidence of fires in Habitat homes across the nation. Habitat
House residents are generally more apt to utilize kerosene heaters
to help heat the homes, O’Ferrell said.
(See HABITA T HOUSE, page 7A)
A
f'
Fayetteville woman kidnapped, raped
Pinehurst firefighter Cy Kirk installs a
sprinkler in the Habitat House here.
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A Fayetteville woman was
abducted early last Thursday
morning in front of the Pentagon
Federal Credit Union on U.S.
401 South in Fayetteville after
her car was high-jacked by a
man, said Major Thomas Carlton
of the Hoke Sheriff’s Office.
During a terrifying ordeal that
followed, Carlton said the fe
male victim was forced to ac
company the man into Hoke
County where she was raped and
later released.
“The incident happened about
2:50 a.m.,” Carlton said. “She
had just gotten off from work and
drove alone to an ATM to with
draw some money. While she
was in her vehicle, a black male
approached her and jumped into
the driver’s window. He forced
her to the passenger’s side of the
car.'
Carlton said the victim was
repeatedly threatened during the
drive. He said the man reportedly
used a gun to frighten the victim.
(See RAPE, page 7A)