The
ews
Journal
ned, news to
No.48VoLlOO
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, February 15,2006
Nine Democrats file on opening day
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The opening day of elec
tion filing at Hoke’s board
of elections was energetic as
nine Democrats - four of them
incumbents - filed for either a
local or state office.
At elections board offices in
Raleigh, Scotland and Robeson
counties, three Democratic in
cumbents for the N.C. General
Assembly and one Democratic
contender for a Hoke-Scotland
district judgeship filed.
Following filing day, the
Hoke County Civic League met
on Monday night, endorsing
seven of those who filed and
one candidate who still plans
to file.
First and only candidate in
the Hoke Board of Elections
door at noon on Monday to
file for the 2006 election was
incumbent Hoke sheriff Hubert
»
Caroline Shook rings a bell to open filing.
Ethanol plant
gets permit
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Clean Bum Fuels has been given the okay to build its
$ 100 million ethanol-producing plant in Hoke. The N.C.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
issued the final air quality permit last week, according
to Jack Cariisle, founder of the Cary firm.
Carlisle plans to headquarter the future Clean Bum
Fuels eight miles southeast of Raeford and 12 miles
from Interstate-95.
“We needed this permit in place,” Carlisle said.
“We have already invested hundreds of thousands
of dollars, and we are sold on Hoke County for our
plant.
“The main thing
is that we are pro
gressively going for
ward in an orderly
manner with the
project.”
Carlisle plans to
meet today with the
U.S. Army Corps of
(See PLANT,
page 4A)
Rep. Pierce files
for reelection
page I B
G)ach GiUender
honored
page6A
Arrests made
in check cashing
scheme
page 5 A
Index
Business/Farm 4A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7,8B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2A
Engagements 3B
Legals 4-6B
Public Record 5A
Religion 2B
Schools 4B
Socials 3B
Sports 6 A
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I
Local actor Sean Smith takes a break on the set of the play,“Streetcar Named Desire,” where he per
forms in the leading role.
Peterkin, who is seeking a sec
ond term of office.
Hoke District Attorney
Kristy M. Newton and Hoke
Register of Deeds Onnie Dud
ley, both accompanying him,
endorsed Peterkin. The Civic
League also endorsed Peterkin
(See FILING, page 7A)
Teacher
moonlights
as actor
In play, movies
By Victoriana Su.mmers
Staff writer
An aspiring Hollywood
film star and local actor will
perform center stage tonight
in Pinehurst in the clas
sic adult drama. “Streetcar
Named Desire,” and two
major independent movies
this spring.
When the curtain opens at
the Sandhills Theater Com
pany’s production of the post
war-1940s play, Hoke High
school teacher Sean Smith
will perform in the lead role
of Stanley Kowalski—made
famous by the brawny, brood
ing Marlon Brando.
Set in the French Quarter
of New Orleans, “Street
car” originally opened on
Broadway, but in 1951 was
converted to a movie starring
Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter
and Brando. Smith, also an
up and coming movie ac
tor, captures the essence of
the smoldering, swaggering
character of “redneck” Stan
ley. The play opens at 8 p.m.,
playing through February 19
at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst
(See TEACHER, page 5A)
Steed takes helm, board decides to build school
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke’s board of education is re
viewing personnel requirements for
the future school superintendent,
declaring he or she must meet specific
requirements as a resident of Hoke
County.
Applications to recruit a superin
tendent to replace Allen Strickland,
who retired on Feb. 1, are currently
being accepted by the school’s human
resources director, Sharmaine Butler.
The position will close on February
28. The board plans to hold two spe
cial meetings in March prior to its
regular meeting to review the pool
of applicants.
An elementary school is also in the
works as the next capital project that
the board will undertake, according
to school board chairman Russell C.
Smith.
Cost for the construction cou Id go as
high as $ 15 to $20 million. The school
would be constructed on land do
nated by James Hendrix, who recently
pledged 50 acres located on Philippi
Church Road for that purpose.
“I think an elementary school is
our first and foremost immediate
need,” Smith said prior to the board’s
approval of the project. “The county
commissioners want us to give them
a specific plan of what kind of school
we want to put on that land.”
School board members Tom Pilk-
ington and Hank Richards led the
board in unanimously voting to build
the school. Upchurch Elementary
School is projected to be so crowded
next year, with almost 900 students,
that Hoke interim school superinten
dent Don Steed has recommended a
cap of 43 students per class. After that
quota is reached, students could be
placed on a waiting list to attend West
Hoke Elementary School, which is
less populated. The board will decide
next month on options for overcrowd
ing in Hoke schools.
The board decided, based on a
recommendation from Steed, to
hire Shuller, Ferris and Lindstrom
Architects in Fayetteville to design
the proposed school. Steed said the
architectural firm would provide the
board with three options for different
sizes and costs.
“We do not want it to be too big
because then your core capacity
such as the cafeteria would not have
the necessary resources for 850
students,” Smith said of past experi-
(See SCHOOL BOARD, page 6A)
rrhe News-i Journal
News Other stuff
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
Heard the word “$#%!” used a lot
Saturday afternoon.
Like changing smoke detector bat
teries, visiting the dentist and washing
the truck, driving to Fayetteville is
something 1 have to do about twice a
year, and over the weekend it moved
to the head of the list of unpleasantries.
I must have missed the memo that the
weekend before Valentine’s Day is the
shopping equivalent of Black Friday,
so I ignorantly headed out with my
daughter and a friend for a few quick
errands to the mall, acouple of clothing
stores, a crafts store, and - shhhhhhh
- Circuit City.
1 was in my wife’s Honda, and not my
poor pitiful 4-cylinder tmck, or I’d have
never made it across the traffic into the
mall. “Man, this looks like Christmas,”
(See OTHER STUFF, page 2A)
Keith McDougle visits the grave of his brother Stephen Pittman, who died in a
2001 vehicle accident at the age of 22. (Snow story, page 3A)