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The ews I ournal If it happened, it’s news to us No.3VoL107 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, March 28,2012 ‘Hokee Pokee’ opens for first time fiiis week By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Festival rides like this one will be a key draw. The first Hokee Pokee Bar becue Festival and Carnival kicks off this week with rides, food and activities for kids, adults and especially barbecue lovers. ‘ ‘We’re pretty excited about what is going to be the inau gural Hokee Pokee Barbecue Festival. We’ve got 10 cookers that are competing for sev eral thousand dollars worth of prizes this weekend, and trophies,” Festival Director Hubert Bullard said. Earlier this week carnival operators started setting up the rides next to East Hoke Middle School to get ready for the Wednesday opening. The Hokee Pokee festival will run from March 28-April 1 with a barbecue cook-off, live entertainment and more planned for the event. The carnival opens Wednesday at 5 p.m. and continues until Sunday at 10 p.m. The whole hog and rib bar becue contests are sanctioned by the North Carolina Pork Council and will be judged by a Pork Council official. The winners will qualify for the state championships and have their entry fees paid. Guests can sample the barbecue at a plate sale beginning Saturday at 11 a.m. The festival will help raise money for the East Hoke Middle School Stu dent Initiative Program and the Hoke County Schools (See POKEE, page 6A ) Couple killed in their yard Neighbor charged with murder By Catharin Shepard Staff writer A man and woman were fatally shot Saturday night in front of their children, and the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office has charged one of their neighbors with murder. Tommy Charles Brown and Thalia Mook, both of 110 TC Jones Road, were shot at about 7:30 p.m. Sat urday outside their home near the Rockfish community. Deputies arrested John Oliver Hill Jr., 48, of 5621 Philippi Church Road on a first-degree murder charge shortly after the shooting took place. Hill was held without bond. Authorities said Brown was pronounced dead on arriving at Cape Fear Valley Hospital. Mook died Sunday at the same hospital after un dergoing emergency surgery. The shooting happened while Brown was playing basketball with his children in front of the family’s home, ac cording to reports. Brown was shot from behind and then Mook was shot when she left the house into the yard. his Week Expo features locd businesses page 5 A Man killed on US 401 page 3 A Calendar 2B Classifieds 7B Deaths 3 A Editorials 2A Legals 2-6B Sports 7 A Worship 2B We’re on the web at www.thenews-joumal.com Readby4,500 each week Hill the Sheriff’s Office said. The children were not injured and hid in the house until help arrived, a family member said Tuesday. Investigators are still searching for a motive in the shooting. Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said. “We have not talked to anyone who could give us any indication about why this guy flipped out like he did,” he said. It was “an ugly scene,” he added. Family members are tak ing care of the children, the sheriff said. Detectives examining the scene of the shooting col lected information directing them to Hill. Hostage negoti ators entered a standoff with Hill at his Philippi Church Road home across the street from where the shootings took place. Hill surrendered and was arrested after about (See MURDER, page 5A) Mac McQuown makes his way into Raeford for a night at the Raeford Fire Department. He’s planning to visit all 50 states to honor veterans. (Hal Nunn photo) Marine walking to aU 50 states pays overnight visit to Raeford By Catharin Shepard Staff writer If any of his friends thought Mac McQuown wasn’t seri ous when he announced his plans to walk to every state’s capital city, raising money for wounded veterans along the way, the tattoo on his leg and the more than 800 miles he’s already traveled might have done something to hush them up. But for McQuown himself, it’s the dog tags around his neck and the boots on his feet that mean this is one journey he must see to the end. The dog tags belong to the late Pvt. Isaac Cortez, an Army soldier who was killed in combat. Cortez’ mother, Emily Toro, met McQuown at Ground Zero in New York City and presented him with her son’s dog tags and boots—the same boots he’ll wear from the Atlantic to the Pacific. “These dog tags symbolize the death of every vet eran from every conflict,” McQuown said. “My walk will end in Arlington, Virginia in about six years, and (See MARINE, page 6A) Crumpler tapped for Raeford police chief By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Recently-retired State Highway Patrol Trooper Kemp Crumpler was sworn in this week as the new chief of the Raeford Police Depart ment. Crumpler is a Raeford native and a member of the family that owns Crumpler Euneral Home. He served as a trooper for more than 24 years and retired this month to work in other areas of law enforcement. His new job with the city will give him the chance to do exactly that, he said. “I’m excited about it be cause I’ve been a part of the community all of my life,” Crumpler said. Crumpler officially steps in to his new job Thursday, March 29. A public swearing- in ceremony is planned at the Raeford City Council meeting April 2. The new chief said he hopes to foster open commu nication between the police department and the Raeford community. “The one big thing that I think people will appreci ate more is accessibility,” he said. “People know who (See CHIEE, page 5A) Ethanol plant sale behind strange lights By Knot Lindau News-Journal writer Allyesha Hall (third from left) with her fellow debaters Brandon Sweeney (left to right), Zakyree Wallace, Mark Jacobs, Cody Holcomb, and Casey Nelson SandHoke student is debate Student of Year There’s been no public announcement, but The News-Journal has learned a com pany known as Area 51 Inc. has purchased the former ethanol plant in Dundarrach. Though no officials will confirm the report, we’ve learned the company has converted the plant to manufacture a “special blend” (See ETHANOL, page 4A) Strange light captured over former ethanol plant. A SandHoke Early Col lege student was named the Eastern Tarheel District’s Student of the Year and qualified for the 2012 NFL National Tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, June 10-15. Senior Allyesha Hall is the first National Quali fier from SandHoke. After (See DEBATE, page 6A) Fast food chain adopts ‘N.C. Nuggets’ McDonalds? Burger King? No one is saying whether it’s one of those chains or another “nationally-known ubiqui tous” fast food chain that is going to name its chicken nuggets after Hoke’s recent “nugget gate”—just that one is. “North Carolina Nuggets” will join the ranks of Virginia ham and California raisins as foods associated with a state. Nugget Gate erupted last month when a preschooler (See NUGGETS, page 4A)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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March 28, 2012, edition 1
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