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The ews Journal If it happened, it’s news to us 75^ No.36 Vol.113 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, November 6,2018 Clockwise from above: William Beeson finds the parade Thursday is too loud (but his mom doesn’t); girls enjoy the parade; a crowd jammed Main Street Saturday to visit ven- dors;That Nation Band’s Al Buie tunes up. (Ken MacDonald and Catharin Shepard photos) Fall day treats festival goers Parade’s weather not so great but crowd undeterred By Catharin Shepard Staff writer A rainy, windy Thursday had festival attendees huddling under umbrellas at the annual North Caro lina Fall Festival parade, but by Saturday the skies cleared and thousands turned out to welcome the long-delayed arrival of autumn. The board of directors of the North Carolina Fall Festival - previously known as the Turkey Festival - had to move the event from its usual September schedule this year. With Hurricane Florence threaten ing the area, organizers were concerned for people’s safety. At first it looked like the reschedule had unin tentionally landed the festival in the middle of a rainstorm Thursday, with grey skies, drizzling rain and windy conditions blowing up just as parade entries were lining up. But it didn’t stop the crowds from claiming their spots on Main Street to watch the annual parade, many holding umbrellas or duck ing under storefront awnings to escape the rain. The number of entries in the parade was far higher than in previous years, too, organizers said. By the time the Hoke County High School Mighty Marching Bucks closed out the parade with their performance, the umbrellas were put away and (See FESTIVAL, page 3) Local incumbents return 40 percent turn out By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Incumbents in local, state and federal races will go back into office after the midterm General Election this week. Democrat incumbents Tony Hunt, Harry Southerland and Allen Thomas were reelected to serve four-year terms on the Hoke County Board of Com missioners, winning more votes than Republican candidates Da vid Frump and Clifford Overby. Hunt will serve his fifth term on the board, while Southerland and Thomas will both be serv ing their second consecutive terms in office. Thomas carried the vote with 8,376 ballots cast in his favor while Southerland received 7,295 votes. Hunt 7,208 votes. Frump 5,043 votes and Overby 4,582 votes. Nonpartisan Hoke County Board of Education incumbents Barbara Buie, Della Maynor and Irish Pickett were also re elected to serve four-year terms on the school board, defeating candidates Deborah Branson and Willie McCaskill. Buie received 7,207 votes, Pickett 6,842 votes, Maynor 6,243 votes, McCaskill 5,395 votes and Branson 3,884 votes. There were also 225 write-in votes. Voters also chose incum bents in federal and state races. The race between Republi can incumbent Rep. Richard Hudson and Democrat candi date Frank McNeill for United States Congress District 8 ended with Hudson declaring victory with 138,487 votes to McNeill’s 112,679 votes. Mc Neill carried the vote in Hoke County with 8,047 votes to Hudson’s 5,116. In the race for North Caro lina Senate District 21, incum bent Democrat state Sen. Ben Clark received 33,161 votes to Republican candidate Timothy Leever’s 13,512 votes. In the race for North Caro lina House District 48, incum bent state Rep. Garland Pierce, a Democrat, defeated candidate Russell Walker with 14,709 votes to Walker’s 8,588 votes. Walker, an openly anti-Semitic white supremacist, was on the ballot as a Republican but was disavowed by the state and local GOP as well as banned from Republican events and party-operated property. In the race for several judge seats, Democrat incumbent Judge Regina Joe won election to N.C. District Court Judge District 19D Seat 2, receiving 22,689 votes to Republican candidates Steve Bibey’s 20,581 votes and Brian Godfrey’s 8,747 votes. Republican incumbent Judge Michael Stone won election to the N.C. Superior Court Judge District 19D Seat 1 with 30,340 votes over Democrat candidate Gregory Thompson’s 21,874 (See ELECTION, page 10) Owners plan to repair storm-damaged Page Trust Building By Ken MacDonald Owners of the storm-damaged Page Trust Building at Elwood and Main say they plan to repair it and open apartments or retail stores or some combination of both. Paul and Jaqui Raymond told Ra eford City Council Monday night at its regular meeting that they’re waiting on a structural engineer to pronounce the building fit, a determination they hope to get in the next couple of weeks. The Page Trust company, which opened in 1928 to primarily offer loans, didn’t survive the Great De pression, according to News-Journal records, and the building it left has hosted mainly retail stores and offices since, though for a period it housed apartments. When Hurricane Florence came through in September, winds ravished the building sending debris onto other nearby structures. It left Page Trust heavily water-damaged. “The main issue was that when the storm came, it peeled back, I would say, the skin of the roof, water came in, the majority of the ceilings were sheetrock, so when the sheetrock got wet it swelled, and it collapsed,” Paul Raymond said. “The actual struc ture, though, the building is perfectly fine, and once the structural engineer comes in and gives his report we’ll pass it along,” he said. City building and fire inspectors were surprised the building wasn’t worse off, City Manager Dennis Baxley told council. “They were (See PAGE TRUST, page 4) The Page Trust Building. (Ken MacDonald photo) Commissioners approve shopping center for Bedford community By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The Hoke County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved a conditional use per mit for a new shopping center in the Bedford community on US. 401. The board voted unani mously to approve granting a permit to Moorman, Kizer and Reitzel Inc. to build a shopping center on a 1.3-acre parcel of land located at the corner of U.S. 401 and Bedford Drive. The property is currently zoned Highway Commercial. Jimmy Kizer appeared be fore the board to speak in favor of the shopping center. The roughly 10,400 square-foot center will have five spaces for businesses. The company is in talks with several potential tenants, including at least one restaurant, Kizer said. According to the permit request, the lease space on the right side of the building will include the ability to install a drive-through window. As stated on the permit request, the facility will only have driveway access through Great Lane. The developers have allowed access to adjoining commercial property. In other real estate related matters, the board approved the sale of surplus property located at 3426 Ashemont Road, 4303 Blue Springs Road, and two undeveloped lots off of Blue Springs Road and Army Road. The property was advertised for bids. The commissioners heard from a delegation of residents (See SHOPPING, page 4) r SUBSCRIBE :#T
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