The
ews
Journal
If it happened, it’s news to us
75^
No. 35 Vol.113
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, October 31,2018
Early voting tops 3,900
Already more than all votes in 2014 mid-term
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
INSIDE
the annual
Halloween Costume Contest
Edition
More than 3,900 people have voted in the
early one-stop voting period so far, according
to the Hoke County Board of Elections.
By Friday a total of 3,902 people had cast
ballots in the election, including 2,418 Demo
crats, 793 Unaffiliated, 681 Republicans and
10 Libertarians. The Raeford site saw 2,692
voters and the Rockfish site saw 1,205 voters.
Early voting turnout has been strong across
the state of North Carolina, according to infor
mation from the State Board of Elections.
“With several days of in-person early voting
remaining, ballots cast so far in the 2018 gen
eral election already have exceeded all ballots
cast early during the 2014 midterm election,”
according to a statement from SBOE spokes
man Patrick Gannon.
Two early voting sites are open in Raeford
and Rockfish for citizens to cast their bal
lots ahead of the 2018 General Election. The
Raeford early voting site is located in the
commissioners’ room in the Pratt Building at
227 Main Street, while the Rockfish early vot
ing site is located at the Rockfish Community
Building at 2749 Lindsay Road.
Early one-stop voting runs this week
(See EARLY VOTING, page 5)
Grabs you
Robert and Monic Russell and their grandson CJ
started collecting Halloween decorations years ago,
and display them at their home on Harris Avenue.
Animatronic trees reach out to grab the unwary,
skeletons roar and the Reaper revs its bike. (Catharin
Shepard photos)
No 401 access
for shopping center
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
The owner of Stonegate Pla
za shopping center told occu
pants that the state Department
of Transportation “shot down”
a plan to add U.S. 401 access to
the center, according to busi
ness owners who lease space
in Stonegate, but DOT officials
report they’re waiting on the
developer to pay for required
roadway improvements first.
There isn’t a way to turn
from U.S. 401 directly into the
parking lot of the shopping
center. Customers reach Stone
gate Plaza by turning down
nearby Flagstone Lane, which
also provides road access to
Stone Gables Apartments, the
Lumber River EMC offices and
an assisted living facility. There
is also access off of Pittman
Grove Church Road.
Several business owners
who rent space in Stonegate
Plaza have expressed concerns
that the arrangement makes it
harder to get customers in their
stores.
Charles Allen, who owns
and operates Rockfish Pharma
cy, said that after months of not
(See ACCESS, page 7)
Fall Festival offerings
begin with parade
By Melissa Pittman
N.C. Fall Festival director
Each year there are memo
rial events that happen with
the Festival, whether you call it
Turkey, Poultry or Fall Festival.
Everyone who has ever been
to the festival has memories—
some good, some bad.
The 2018 N.C. Fall Festival
will ever be remembered as
“the Never-Ending Festival.”
The first event was held on
Monday, September 10 and the
last event will be held on Satur
day, November 10. Of course,
the events are all geared for the
enjoyment of those attending.
So, here are a few that are still
to come with the Festival:
Parade
Thursday, November 1 - The
ever-popular parade—because
everyone loves a parade—^will
(See FESTIVAL, page 7)
Raeford native to head Edgecombe Community College
By Amelia Harper
Rocky Mount Telegram
Dr.Gregory McLeod is a Raeford native.(Sarah Louya,
Rocky Mount Telegram photo)
Dr. Gregory McLeod feels right at
home in his new post as president of
Edgecombe Community College.
“My wife and I are both from North
Carolina and we wanted to get back
home,” McLeod said. “We feel that we
have come home here in Tarboro.”
McLeod, 47, originally hails from
Raeford, a town near Fayetteville that is
about half the size of Tarboro.
“At heart, I am a country boy,”
McLeod said.
McLeod and his family have settled
nicely into the community. His son,
Jordan, 15, attends Tarboro High and his
daughter, Kyla, 13, attends Martin Mil
lennium Academy.
McLeod attended the N.C. School of
Science and Math when he was in high
school.
“I had a math teacher, a white woman.
who saw something in me, pulled me
aside and said T think you have what it
takes to make it to go to the School of
Science and Math.’ At first, my parents
were a little reluctant, because I would
have to live at the school, but they knew
it was a way to help me be able to get
a scholarship to attend college, so they
encouraged me to apply” McLeod said.
McLeod earned an N.C. Teaching Fel
lows Scholarship and attended
(See MCLEOD, page 8)
Republican chair, voter question partisan material left in voting area
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
A voter and the chairman of the
Hoke County Republican Party
raised concerns last week about a
piece of partisan campaign mate
rial that was reportedly left on a
sign-in table at the polls during
early one-stop voting.
Hoke resident Kelby Glass sent
an email to county elections direc
tor Towanna Jackson Thursday,
October 25.
“I wanted to bring to your
attention an observation I made
last night while voting. Last night,
10/24/2018, at approximately 6:45
p.m. my wife and I went to vote at
the Board of Elections in Raeford.
As we walked in my wife went
to the first attendant and I went to
the second. As the lady was sign
ing me in I noticed laying on the
table in front of her was a blue in
color ‘sample’ ballot,” Glass wrote
in the email. “I looked over the
‘sample’ ballot and noticed it was
provided by an organization to
reelect Tony Hunt, Harry South
erland, and others I can not recall.
As I looked over the ‘sample’
ballot I noticed all of the demo
cratic candidates were highlighted
in bold, in a larger font, and the
circles next to their names filled
m.'
“I certainly support an individ
uals right to bring whatever
(See COMPLAINT, page 10)
^0^ fhrnll^mmw^BpSatunayrNovemoem
Parade Nov. 1 • Stuffin' & Stompin' Dinner Nov. 2 • Main Event Nov. 3
MAIN EVENT on Main Street ~ Vendors, Music, Food, Entertainment
Call 9W-90a-2a2a for more aetalls ana Information.