Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / July 2, 2014, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews I ournal Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905 No.l7VoL109 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, July 2,2014 Now illegal to shoot at night Gun ordinance also forbids firing guns within 1000 feet of buildings By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Answering multiple pleas from Hoke County residents concerned about unsafe gunfire in the eastern part of the county, the county commissioners voted last week to approve a proposed firearm safety ordi nance. The board voted Friday at a resumed meeting to put restrictions on the firing of guns under certain circumstances while also making exceptions for situations where people use the weapons for defense of lives and property. The board held a public hearing on the matter last month where several people spoke in favor of the ordinance but also reported having concerns about some of the specifications, and one person spoke against the ordinance. The approved ordinance states that the increased population in the county has resulted in a higher population density with people living closer to each other, and there fore the shooting of personal firearms poses a greater danger than it has in the past. Af ter hearing from residents on a number of occasions regarding “a number of incidents in which firearms have been discharged within dangerously close distances of homes and other such places where people are likely to be,” the board decided it was “reasonable to regulate the shooting of fire arms near places where people live, work, shop or are otherwise likely to be present.” The county commissioners believed plac ing limitations on the discharge of firearms in the county is “necessary for the safety {See GUN ORDINANCE, page 6A) Relay For Life, take two Relay For Life back from storm A sudden storm that blew apart tents cancelled the planned Relay For Life June 20, so organizers regrouped and returned Sunday to salvage the Survivors Lap (above) and a few other activities.The event raises money for the American Cancer Society. While attendance was less than past events, the Hammonds family from Macedonia Church was undeterred as they walked the track at Raz Autry Stadium at Hoke High School. (Catharin Shepard photo) No grills on apartment balconies Fire code revised By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The county will start charging different prices for fire inspections depending on the size of the building being inspected, and also banned use of grills on balconies of multi-family dwellings in an updated version of the county’s fire prevention ordinance. The ordinance covers fire codes, permits, inspections, fees and fines, open burning, violations and penalties, haunted houses and hydrant regula tions. The county originally adopted the ordinance in October 2012 but worked on revising some of the ordi nance at the recommendation of emer gency management personnel. The re visions were made to the drawings and specifications required, plans review, operational permits, fees schedule, fire hydrants, gas grills and similar used in multi-family dwellings and additional sections of the ordinance. The county commissioners approved the changes at a meeting Friday. The newly revised ordinance, along with the budget and firearms ordinance, went into effect this week. (See FIRE CODE, page 4A) This Week Video gambling ends again 4A Calendar 2B Classifieds 5B Deaths 3A Editorials 2A Legals 2-4B Follow us on Facebook IN . SOLD HERE . Look for this symbol to find stores that sell The News-Journal wvvw.thenews-journal.com www.raefordnj.com No county tax increase as budget passes By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The Hoke County Board of Commissioners approved the finalized version of the 2014-15 fiscal year budget ordinance last week at a resumed meeting. The budget kept the ad valorem tax rate steady at 73 cents per $100 valuation, and based the total property valuation for tax purposes at about $2.7 billion. The county’s human services received the biggest amount of funding with a $12,667,768 appropria tion, while the public safety department (sheriff’s office) received $9,925,145 and the Hoke County school system received $8,914,734 in funding. The remain ing funds were dedicated as $4,631,002 for general government, $2,093,745 for special appropriations, $1,615,412 for non-depart- mental costs, $993,686 for cultural and recreational funding and $608,621 for environmental and physi cal development. The total appropriation was in the amount of $41,450,113. The budget included funding for some (See BUDGET, page 6A) County working with Lumbee Tribe on $100k in taxes By Catharin Shepard Staff writer On paper, the Lumbee Tribe currently owes Hoke County about $100,000 in back taxes, but officials try ing to address the problem said the matter is complicat ed and there may be errors on both sides. According to tax office records, the Lumbee Tribe owes the county $103,682.11 total in taxes for the 2009- 13 fiscal years. The county has known about the owed back taxes and made efforts to collect, but “for some reason it got drug out and drug out and it never got resolved,” county manager Tim Johnson said. County tax collector Daphne Dudley said she is working with Bosco Lock lear of the Lumbee Tribe’s housing authority to figure out exactly what the tribe owes, while county attorney Grady Hunt examines a 2006 agreement between the tribe and the county that gave the tribe a tax break. In 2006, the Lumbee Tribe’s housing authority signed an agreement with the county that gave the tribal government a tax break in exchange for pro viding low-income housing for the Lumbee community members in Hoke. “They pay what’s called (See BACK TAXES, page 4A) Oops: ‘And his trailer just trailed off...’ By Ken MacDonald A Raeford Police officer looks for clues to find the owner of this trailer. “I’m leaving before something else hap pens ! ” Brenda Tucker of Raeford called from her car as she drove off She’d had her fill of pickup trucks in the last 15 minutes. Tucker was driving home along East Seventh Avenue Tuesday morning when she met a pickup truck traveling in the other direction, and watched as the truck’s trailer came unhitched, drove itself slowly across a patch of grass and hit a tree in an old pecan orchard. The truck’s driver didn’t notice his trailer was gone and kept going. “I look,” she said, “and his trailer is just trailing off And he just keeps going.” Minutes earlier, just a mile away, she’d left the State Employees Credit Union and was nearly rear-ended by a pickup, she said, and then a few hundred yards up Fulton (See TRAILER, page 6A)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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July 2, 2014, edition 1
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