The
ews
Journal
Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905
L
751
No.6Vol.113
Rae ford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, April 11,2018
Investigation coming to a close?
SBI spokesperson says year-old-plus case involving county nears end
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
A police officer keeps people out during an S.B.I.
raid of county offices. (File photo)
While the State Bureau of
Investigation probe of county
departments into alleged time
card fraud is still ongoing, it
could be coming to a close
sooner rather than later, ac
cording to an SBI spokesper
son.
“The investigation is still on
going, but getting close to the
end,” Patty McQuillan of the
North Carolina Department of
Public Safety said in an email
last week.
The investigation has been
underway for more than a year.
However, no charges have
been filed. McQuillan reported
earlier this year that agents
continue actively investigating.
“The agents are doing
interviews and they’re keeping
the district attorney updated on
their progress, so nothing re
ally to report at this time,” she
said in February.
The SBI typically does not
release information about on
going investigations, but should
any charges be filed, that infor
mation would be public. The
search warrants in the case
remain sealed by a judge.
The investigation became
public knowledge February 20,
2017 when SBI agents executed
search warrants at the Hoke
County government offices in
the Pratt Building in connec
tion with alleged time card
(See SBI, page 4)
SherilF’s office seizes 240 computers in raids
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Deputies cart out computers allegedly used in illegal gambling at Club Pond Skill Internet Cafe Monday. (Catharin Shepard photo)
The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office seized
more than 240 computers allegedly used for il
legal electronic gambling Monday afternoon in
a simultaneous raid that shut down three alleged
gambling parlors.
Investigators removed 175 of the computers
from Club Pond Skill Internet Cafe operated at
the shopping center near Walmart at the intersec
tion of U.S. 401 and Club Pond Road, accord
ing to authorities. Officers also took 66 of the
machines from Triple S Bingo and EZ, located
in Hillcrest Plaza shopping center located near
the intersection of U.S. 401 Business and Rock-
fish Road.
Electronic gambling has been the subject
of legal battles for years in North Carolina. At
the moment most setups are considered illegal,
Peterkin said.
“Right now until somebody tells us different,
we’re going to enforce the law,” he said.
The Hoke Sheriff’s Office received a high
volume of complaints from the community about
the gambling parlors, with people citing issues
such as an increase in crime and concerns about
safety.
“They’re near schools, churches.. .this has
been a nuisance to the community,” Peterkin
said. Deputies have also responded to a number
of recent armed robberies at some of the parlors.
(See VIDEO GAMBLING, page 4)
All 9 candidates for Hoke Commission share views
We put 10 questions to those miming for commissioner, here are their responses in their own words
Jones Frump
Nine people are vying for three
seats up for election this year on the
Hoke County Board of Commission
ers, marking one of the larger fields
of candidates Hoke voters have had
to choose from in recent years.
Among those nine are incumbent
Commissioners Tony Hunt and Al
len Thomas and Vice Chairman
Harry Southerland, all Democrats;
Hunt Little
Democrat candidates Angela Carter
Jones, Therman Little, Terrell
McMillan and Graham Poole; and
Republican candidates David Frump
and Clifford Overby.
In just a few weeks, voters will go
to the polls for the primary election
to narrow the field of Democrat can
didates for commissioner from seven
to three. The three Democrat candi-
McMillan
dates chosen during the primary will
go on to face Frump and Overby in
the General Election in November.
Frump and Overby will not be on
the May primary ballot because not
enough candidates filed to run as
Republicans to require aRepublican
primary election this year.
To help voters learn more about
the candidates’ views on topics of
Overby
Poole
local interest. The News-Journal
sent out questionnaires to each of
the nine candidates, with some of
the questions drawn from sugges
tions provided from readers on
Facebook.
The commission candidates’
answers appear here, and will also
be made available online at thenews-
journal.com.
Southerland Thomas
Early voting for the May primary
election begins April 19 and runs
through May 5.
Early voting locations include
the Board of Elections at 227 North
Main Street in Raeford and the
Rockfish Community Center at2749
Lindsay Road. The primary election
will be held Tuesday, May 8.
(See CANDIDATES, page 3)
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18-year-old murdered in Fayetteville
A young man from Raeford died Sunday
after being shot inside his car in Fayette
ville, and authorities are seeking the public’s
help in finding a person of interest in the
case.
Officers responding to reports of a shoot
ing near the intersection of Cliffdale Road
and South Reilly Road in Fayetteville found
Karon Howard, 18, of Raeford inside his car
suffering from a gunshot wound, according
to a police report from Officer J.K. Breach
of the Fayetteville Police Department. First
responders took Howard to Cape Fear Val
ley Medical Center, where he was admitted
in critical condition and later died of his
injuries.
The case is being handled as a murder in
vestigation, according to Fayetteville police.
Authorities have put out a call to the public
seeking any information about the fatal
shooting, and Crimestoppers is offering a
cash reward of up to $1,000 for information
that leads to an arrest in the case.
The Fayetteville Police Department is
looking a person of interest in the homicide
(See MURDER, page 4)
By Ken MacDonald
Seriously, people. Who keeps church bulletins from
1970?
I received a copy of one in the mail, apparently to
refute my assertion in a previous column that organist
Josef Privette refused to play Amazing Grace on Raeford
Presbyterian Church’s pipe organ, saying the tune wasn’t
befitting of such a magnificent instrument.
The bulletin was from Sunday, March 8,1970, during
Mr. Privette’s tenure. I know what you’re thinking. Why
(See OTHER STUEE, page 16)