The
ews
J ournal
Hoke Count3^s newspaper since 1905
L
No. 39Vol.llO
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, December 2,2015
KKK papers found in area mailboxes
Mail carriers finding recruiting propaganda in Ashley Heights
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Two mail carriers have found Ku Klux
Klan propaganda and recruitment materi
als placed in dozens of mailboxes in the
western part of Hoke County.
Aberdeen Post Office carrier Kate How
ard, who delivers mail in Moore and Hoke
counties, said she came across the first
packets a week ago in mailboxes near the
Hoke-Moore line.
“I started picking them up last weekend
and I picked up more this weekend,” How
ard said. “I was shocked when I came back
after Thanksgiving and I picked up a whole
boatload more.”
Monday, another carrier working on
Howard’s day off picked up a thick stack of
the papers left in mailboxes on Ashemont
Road. The papers were also left in boxes
on Reservation Road and Calloway Road,
among other locations.
“I think this is probably going to blanket
the whole Ashley Heights area,” Howard
said.
The materials included two different
packets stapled together, each one with
information printed from the white suprem
acist group’s website. One packet urged
voters not to vote for Republican presiden
tial candidate Jeb Bush because his wife is
Mexican-American.
“A vote for Jeb Bush is a vote for open
borders and for an accelerated browning of
{See KLAN, page 7)
Mary Katherine Hodgin (standing) and Riley Sutherland prepare some of the 1,000 luminaries for downtown. Lights are up on Main Street.
‘Hometown Christmas’ is Thursday downtown
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
The first annual Hometown
Christmas is set for 6 p.m. this
Thursday with Santa Claus ar
riving at 6:15 p.m. to help light
the Raeford city Christmas tree
at the corner of Main Street and
Central Avenue.
Main Street in Raeford from
the Hoke County Public Library
to the shopping center at Harris
Avenue will be lit by a thousand
luminaries, along with the city’s
brand-new LED Christmas
lights that are now on display
on the lamps downtown. Local
elected officials and children
from the Hoke County Schools’
music programs will help wel
come in the holiday season.
Caroling, classic Christmas
movies, free popcorn and other
goodies, hayrides and horse-
drawn carriage rides, story time
at the library, arts and crafts for
kids and tours of the Raeford-
Hoke Museum are among the
activities planned for the event
which runs until 8 p.m. After
the tree lighting, Santa will be
available for “Selfies with Santa”
at the Chamber of Commerce
building.
Downtown businesses have
decorated their windows for the
season and will stay open later
than usual Thursday, and busi
nesses in the county will set up
tables on the sidewalks to meet
and greet citizens. The event
is meant to offer fun and fel
lowship while supporting local
businesses.
Weather for the evening is
predicted to be mostly clear, but
(See CHRISTMAS, page 7)
Duke plans
transmission
line for city
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Duke Energy is planning to build
a new transmission line to connect
its Raeford substation with another
line that runs to a substation in
Richmond County, and wants to
connect with the community about
the project.
“We’re investing in a new trans
mission line to connect our exist
ing Raeford substation, located off
of Old Wire Road, to our existing
transmission line that runs from the
Woodruff Street substation to the
Richmond substation,” the company
said in a statement.
Property owners who would be
affected by the proposed transmis
sion line have been notified directly
by letter, the company said.
Duke Energy seeks to build
the new transmission line to help
improve its service in the area, the
company reported.
“The new line will provide
greater capacity and enhanced reli
ability for your community, includ
ing customers of local cooperatives,”
the statement said.
The company will hold an open
house Tuesday, December 8 from
4:30-7:30 p.m. at the senior room in
the Hoke County Old Armory
(See DUKE, page 7)
This Week
Christmas
Home Tour
IS coming
Page I I
Browsing the Files 2
Calendar 4
Classifieds 10
Deaths 4
Editorials 3
Sports 5
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Kiss and sell
Heather Greer (left) and Destiny Locklear found a way
to make a little money for Christmas — sell mistletoe,
that plant under which lovers are supposed to kiss.The
two were hard at work Monday on Lundy Lane.Two-
year-old Maddison Davies was enjoying the outing. (Ken
MacDonald photo)
Man stops for Coke, wins $150,000
For the second time in a week, a person
won big off of a lottery ticket purchased in
Hoke County.
Joe Gunter, a construction supervisor
from Laurel, Mississippi, was visiting Hoke
County with his workers to build a pipeline
when he decided to stop for a drink at the
211 Lucky Stop on Aberdeen Road. He
bought five $5 scratch-off tickets and gave
four of them away, but it was Gunter’s own
ticket that proved to be a winner.
“I’m scratching and I see a T’ and I’m
thinking, $10,” Gunter said in a statement. “I
keep scratching and the zeroes kept com
ing.”
Gunter won $150,000 in the Golden 7s
game. After taxes, he will receive $103,876.
After realizing he’d won, Gunter called
his wife and they cried together over the
(See WINNER, page 7)
Celebrity chef to hold show at Hoke High
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
A celebrity chef will demonstrate his
culinary prowess Friday at Hoke High
School in a dinner prepared live in front of
an audience.
Chef Jerome “Rome” Brown got his start
in the culinary arts at Gardener’s BBQ in
Rocky Mount. He later served in the U.S.
Army, studied under other chefs, and got
his first big break working at Walt Disney
World Resort. In 2011, he appeared on Food
Network’s “Extreme Chef,” and today he
cooks for the stars, serves as a consultant
and travels around the country for various
events.
Hoke High School culinary teacher Lan-
ice McLean connected with Brown after
(See CHEE, page 7)
Looking for job? Career fair is Thursday
Several local organizations will hold a
career fair Thursday, December 3 at Raeford
United Methodist Church on Main Street.
Maggie’s Outreach Community Develop
ment Center, the NCWorks Career Center,
American Legion, Hoke County, the Hoke
County Reentry Council and Raeford
United Methodist Church joined forces to
host the career fair. The fair is set for 9 a.m.-
12 p.m. and from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at Raeford
United Methodist Church on Main Street in
downtown Raeford.
Health care, manufacturing, industrial
and construction job opportunities will be
available. Candidates should “dress to
(See CAREER FAIR, page 7)