The
ews
Journal
U it happened, it’s news to us
Na44VoL100
Raeford & Hoke County n.c,
Wednesday, January 18,2006
Fire leaves DSS building unusable for months
Staff moved to senior services room in old armory until old health center available
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke Interim Social Services
Director Barbara Brooks and
County Commission Chairman
Bobby Wright were in a crisis
mode yesterday, “allaying the
apprehensions” of county DSS
employees and any potential fears
of clients of the human services
agency.
A Saturday night fire caused
severe smoke damage to the DSS
building on Magnolia Street, tem
porarily shutting it down.
Wright said some of the DSS
staff would be accommodated
in alternative offices.until Health
staff vacates the old Health Build
ing to relocate to the new facility
on West Palmer Street. The for
mer health facility will reopen in
approximately one month as the
DSS’s temporary building.
“None of our staff will go
without pay,” Brooks said. “We
will work on a rotating system as
of today, with some people put on
a temporary administrative leave
with pay.
“Other counties have also of
fered us assistance so none of our
new or existing clients will suf
fer from this accidental fire that
burned the DSS building.”
DSS department heads met
in an emergency meeting on
Monday. Arj insurance adjuster
from the N.C. Association of
County Comniissioners’ risk
management insurance pool also
assessed th^ damage yesterday,
with Hoke buildings director
Dennis Baxlgy accompanying the
appraiser. Damage is estimated at
more than $400,000, according
to County Manager Mike Wood
and Wright.
“The Department of Social
Services is not shut down,”
(See DSS FIRE, page 7A)
School evacuated
Cleanup work was underway Tuesday at the Hoke DSS building.
Passerby saves day
Spots smoke, calls 911 in time
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
A man who saw smoke in
the vicinity of the Hoke County
Dept, of Social Services building
and called 9-1-1 saved the day for
This Week
4(r.‘
Congressman strolls
Raeford
page6A
Two crashes loll two
p^e3A
Marie Lowery retires
page IB
1 Index 1
Births
2B
Calendar
2B
Classifieds
5B
Deaths
8A
Editorials
2A
Legals
...3-4B
Public Record
3A
Religion
3B
Schools
3B
Socials
...2-3B
Sports
4A
Weddings
3B
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DSS operations.
The unidentified man said
there was smoke near the DSS
building and a parking area for
school buses. TTie call went in
at 6:06 Saturday evening, and
firefighters were dispatched to
the building.
“If (the fire) had another 30-
minute or hour jump on us, it
could have been a different situa
tion, a whole ‘nother world,” said
Raeford Fire Marshal Terry Tapp.
“It was fortunate somebody did
see it at that time.’
What firefighters found when
they arrived was some “pretty
heavy smoke” coming out of the
north end of the building, accord
ing to Tapp.
(See SAVES DAY, page 7A)
West Hoke Middle School students were evacuatedTuesday afternoon after a fire suspected
in a ceiling.The alarm was triggered by a broken heating belt and there was no fire. Students
made the best of the disruption (top) while Raeford firemen suited up (above) ^rid Principal
James McLauchlin coordinated the evacuation (right). (Story, page 5A)
Software glitch delays eight-year property revaluation
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Property owners will have to
wait a little longer for word on
whether their property value will
increase. Because of software
glitches, an eight-year property
revaluation is being delayed.
Values on real estate property
are estimated to increase by as planned. the county money by doing the
much as 20 to 25 percent since the “We had some problems with process in house,
last valuation eight years ago and our software system that caused “We want to make sure every-
could generate $ 1.6 million more somedelay in finishing the revalu- one is treated fairly and that our
in tax revenue for the county.
However, Tax Assessor Ginny
Gibson indicated tax revaluation
notices normally sent to prop
erty owners, advising them of
increases, would be later than
ation across the county,” Gibson revaluatioris are accurate.’
said. “We have teams going out Gibson anticipates taxpayers
from our office, completing the will not likely receive revaluation
appraisals. We ate in compliance notices until the end of February,
with the state, but it is taking Even then, people will not be
longer because we are saving aware of \vhat their tax bill will
be for 2006 until commissioners
decide on whether to revise the
tax rate. Tax bills will be mailed
out in September 2(X)6.
“The revaluation rates will be
effective for 2006, starting from
January 1,” Gibson said. ‘Tradi
tionally, the tax rate is lowered
when there is a revaluation, but
(See REVALUATION, page 7A)
King’s memory honored at Hoke County Civic League banquet
By Sonia Jackson
Intern to The News-journal
The tables were set with white
tablecloths and matching white
roses for centerpieces. At the
tables were people of different
backgrounds and experiences
who had come together to cel
ebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s
birthday and honor his memory
at the Cape Fear Conference B
Headquarters at 6 p.m. on Jan.
16.
The room rang loud with the Church presented a lively imita-
sound of music as audience mem- tion of Rosa Parks, another person
bers stood to sing “Lift Every whose d^eds helped changed
Voice and Sing,” the National society fo»-people of color.
Black Anthem. The guests were treated to
Minister Shirley Jones of the Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist
JuniperLevel Missionary Baptist Church choir’s music followed
by a banquet consisting of rice,
chicken, sweet potatoes, dessert
and drinks.
Afterward, the Rev. Dr. Lafay
ette Max well,pa.storofMountZion
Baptist Church, spoke about King.
(See BANQUET, page 4A)
le x>ews
News
T Joumaj
Otherstuff
Child rapist sentenced to 30 years
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
Most families go to the beach in the
summer. Something about sun-tanning
and swimming.
Our family goes to the beach in the
winter, because the rates are cheaper.
We tell ourselves it’s lesscrowded (and it
if you dress warmly (you will).
We kick back and read, and watch a
movie, and listen to music and concentrate
a month’s worth of dysfunction into one
weekend.
“Who wants to play Taboo?” someone
asked this weekend.
Heads remained facing forward, 1 no
ticed, but eyes looked to the right and left as
is), that you can swim in a hot tub or indoor everyone asked himself the same question:
pool (you can) and that you won’t freeze (See OTHER STUFF, page 6A)
By Victoriana Svmmi-.rs
Staff writer
A Hoke mother whoall^gedly accepted
drugs in exchange for allowing a male
friend to have sexual fav^^rs with her 12-
year-old daughter was mot charged with
any criminal offense. Ho\vever, child rap
ist Martin Black was sentenced yesterday
in 1 loke Superior Court for up to 36 years
in state prison for his crimes.
Hoke resident Black, 25, fathered a
baby with the child, according to Hoke
senior assistant district attorney Mike
Hardin, lead prosecutor for the ca.se.
Hardin said at the time Black had
sexual intercourse with the victim in
2004, he was 22, but she was only 12
years old. Hardin said the Department of
Social Services investigated the incident
initially as a case of neglect, removing the
girl from the custaiy of her mother. An
aunt has been raising the victim, now 15,
and is credited with repoiting the crime
to the Hoke Sheriffs Office w hen she
found out the girl was pregnant.
Black was convicted of statutory
(See RAPIST, page 7A)