Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / March 21, 2012, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews I ournal If it happened, it’s news to us No.2VoL107 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, March 21,2012 Schools teU why teacher was suspended Officials release personnel ii5b in hopes of quelling national nugget flap By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The Hoke County Board of Education defended itself Monday against claims from state Rep. G.L. Pridgen that pre-k teacher Margaret Maynor was used as a scapegoat in the school lunch substitution issue at West Hoke Elementary and should not have resigned from her job. Maynor resigned Eebruary 28, five days after she was suspended with pay amid a storm of controversy surrounding three pre-kindergarten children at West Hoke Elementary School going through the school lunch line instead of eating their home-packed lunches. State policy requires taxpayer- funded pre-kindergarten programs to offer supplemental food items to children with home-packed lunches that appear not to meet federal nutri tional guidelines. However, although at least one of the children’s home- packed lunches appeared to meet the guidelines, that four-year-old ended up eating just three chicken nuggets instead of the lunch her mother packed. “This entire situation has been a nightmare because of the inaccu racies,” Pridgen wrote in a March 13 letter to the school system. At least one parent contacted Prid gen’s office about the incident and the representative’s office continues to speak on behalf of the {See TEACHER, page 4A) Voting at church approved By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The State last week ap proved two petitions from the Hoke County Board of Elections to move the Puppy Creek voting district polling place and offer Sunday voting at the county administrative building in Raeford. County Board of Elections Director Caroline Shook said she received an email last week informing her of the state’s decision. Two mem bers of the three-member board petitioned the state to move the Puppy Creek voting district polling place from the Puppy Creek Fire (See VOTING, page 6A) Woods resigns By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Woods Hoke County Se nior Services Director Don Woods re signed from (See WOODS, page 5A) II his Week I Big winner! Gets NASCAR trip page 3 A Sterilization victims eligible for $20,000 page 3 A Calendar 2B Classifieds 7B Deaths 3 A Editorials 2A Legals 4-6B Sports 5 A Worship 2B We’re on the web at www.thenews-joumal.com Readby4,500 each week Parents gathered at the wreck scene to check on their children. Most of them sat on the ground, though four were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. (Catharin Shepard photos) Fleeing driver hits loaded school bus By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Isaac Lee Nesby, 43, of Cold Camp Road in Parkton was speed ing to get away from investigators A man trying to outrun authori- around 2:39 p.m. last Wednesday ties for the third time in his life lost when he lost control of his 1998 control of his car and crashed Nissan and ran into a school bus A state trooper investigates.The car suffered the brunt of the collision. Its driver was Hoke-Robeson countv line taken to the hospital. ^ head-on into a loaded school bus that was taking children home from Wednesday on Chason Road near nearby Sandy Grove Elementary. (See EEEEING, page 5A) Schools to lose another $5 milhon next year By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Hoke County Schools will start the 2012-13 school year with $5 million less in funding than last year because of reductions and budget cuts. Low wealth funding will decrease by $620,346, Edu Jobs funding of $ 1.6 million will end, and the state’s dis cretionary cuts to the school system’s funding will go up to $2.8 million next year. School Einance Officer Wannaa Chavis said at the Board of Education’s regular meeting last week. The school system already learned it would have to give back half a mil lion dollars in school funding this year. The $5 million in additional cuts will factor in the planning for the next school year. Low wealth funding is money the state gives to school systems based on a complicated formula that factors in how much money a local school sys tem gets from the county government and how much the county should be giving the school system. “There’s three factors that deter mine our low wealth and we were hit by all three,” Chavis said. However, the state doesn’t factor in a county’s debt load when considering the low wealth funding allocations, school officials said. Superintendent Dr. Freddie Wil liamson said the school system will deal with the cuts by enlarging class sizes by one or two students per class (See SCHOOL EUNDING, page 5A) Raz Autry receives state’s top award By Catharin Shepard Staff writer As a retired school superin tendent, peach farmer, author and newspaper columnist, George Raz Autry has a lot of titles to his name and now he can add one more. Autry is the latest recipient of the North Carolina Order of the Longleaf Pine, an honor given to a select few by the Governor’s Office. Recipients are recognized for their exem plary service and commitment to their communities and to North Carolina. United States Rep. Larry Kissell nominated Autry for the award. Autry served as principal at the Montgomery County high school Kissell at tended when he was a student. “An ambassador for edu cation in North Carolina for more than 45 years, Mr. Autry has served in a multitude of promi- n e n t and im portant roles in sup port of youth, farm ers and our community as a whole,” Kis sell said in a statement. “Mr. (See AUTRY, page 6A) Matthew Dawson (right) begins a 400-meter dash against Richmond and Pinecrest.The boys’ team won its match against the Raiders and the Patriots.Story, page 5A.(Hal Nunn photo)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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March 21, 2012, edition 1
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