The News Record
'* i. ,
SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY
On thm Insldm . . . ?
What's going on
at ARBEE Company? See
photo feature on page 3!
78th Year, No. 9
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE COUNTY SEAT AT MARSHALL. N C
THURSDAY, March 1, 1979
15' Per Copy
$2.5 Million School Loan Approved
ARCHITECT'S version of the new French
Broad EMC office building which will be
located on N.C. 213 between Marshall and
Mars Hill. In addition to the headquarters
office, there will also be the meter shop and
warehouse.
French Broad EMC Contract
For New Building Approved
By CHARLES R. TOLLEY
Manager
We were shocked when we
opened bids for the new office
facilities. Every bid that we
received was above the budget
set up for the project.
However, the building has
been in the planning stages for
many months, and the budget
was made up in preparation
for a loan application more
than a year ago. During this
time lapse building coats
continued to increase as in
flation went higher and
higher, and the result was
high bids.
The first thing the board did
was ask me to go back over
our plans and specifications
with the architect to see if any
deletions could be made. Now,
the plans and specifications
can for a very conservative
building with no frills at all. In
going over those plans, we felt
that everything that had been
put in them was needed, and if
anything was deferred now it
would have to be added at a
later date and at a higher cost.
After careful consideration
of all these things, the board
voted unanimously to accept
the bid of Hickory Con
struction Co. of Hickory in the
amount of tl.437.53S for the
construction of these
facilities.
It was announced Monday
that the REA has approved
the contract.
The new facilities, to be
located on N.C. 213 between
Marshall and Mars Hill, will
house the headquarters office,
the Marshall district office,
the meter shop and
warehouse. It will also include
a drive- ip window for the
convenience of the members.
Aging Needs
Hearing
Here Monday
A public hearing on the
needs of the Madison County
aging will be held next
Monday morning at 10:90 at
the HUD building on Skyway
Drive here. This bearing has
been postponed twice due to
inclement weather.
The meeting will be con
ducted by Mrs. Lucille Bur
nette, chairperson of the
Madison County Council on
Aging; and Mrs. Joan Tuttle,
Land-of-Sky Region B Council
Aging program ad
ministrator.
All county citizens in
terested in programs to aid
the aging are urged to attend
and make suggestions for
improvement of services or
initiate ideas for new
programs to aid the 3,000 plus
citizens in this age group in
Madison County.
Jury Finds Buckner Insane
At Time Of Fatal Shooting
BULLETIN
An order of commitment
signed by Judge Clifton E.
Johnson in Bakeraville
Monday is that John Kenneth
Buckner be confined to
B rough ton Hospital in
Morganton for a period not to
exceedMdays.
? ? ?
In the second degree
murder case of John Kenneth
Buckner, 45, of Route i,
(Woriey Cove), the Jury
returned a verdict Friday
afternoon that the defendant
had killed hit brother and
sister last Oct SI but that he
was insane at the time.
The case consumed the
entire one-week term of
Superior Court here with
Judge Clifton Johnson
presiding.
The victims of the shooting
were Arthur Buckner, 41, and
Hope Caldwell Buckner, 41.
The shooting occurred at the
farm home in the Worley Cove
section.
District Attorney Clyde
Roberts said Buckner, for
whom he sought a conviction
of second degree murder, will
be taken before Judge
Johnson in Bakersville
Monday.
The judge will have
authority to order Buckner's
confinement in a mental
hospital for not more than 90
days. Confinement can be
continued at subsequent
hearings for similar 90-day
periods, it was stated.
A sister of the defendant.
Pansy Watkins; her husband,
John Watkins; and a cousin,
Carl Walker; were among the
state witnesses Wednesday.
D.M. Branch Jr., SBI
ballistics expert; Dr. George
Lacy, pathologist; and Dr.
Otis Duck presented
testimony as to the 30-30 rifle
used and the cause of death of
the two victims.
Testimony pointed to the
defendant being awakened in
his bedroom and firing the
rifle unexpectedly at his
brother and sister.
The defense sought a verdict
of innocent by a reason of
insanity.
The defendant had been a
mental hospital patient.
The prosecution rested its
' case Wednesday after
presenting a battery of wit
' (Continued on Page 2)
Medical F acility
Fund Drive Will Begin Thursday
The building committee of
the new Laurel Medical
Facility announced plans
today for a door-to-door fund
raising campaign. According
to Dennis Tweed, chairman of
the group, the campaign will
begin March I, and extend
through March 4. The purpose
of the drive win be to collect at
least ttO,WO toward the 10
needed for the conduction of
the >144,000 family medical
Tweed stated that every
family in the Laurel com
the name of the donor's
choice. Door plaques win be
used to denote these con
tributions. A large plaque will
also be placed In the facility
with the names of each con
tributor of $100 or mora.
Individuals and families living
outside the area are also in
vited to contribute.
An donattana are tax
?old by H.W. Cook; thia site ia
at the junction of N.C. High
way* **, J1J, and 1319 If the
(Und raising ia aucceaafUl, the
funda will be combined with
fuoda Cram a pending $1)0,000
Appalachian Regional
Caaunlaaton conatractlon
Ervin Adams, chairman of the Madison
County Board of Commissioners, has been
notified by the Farmer's Home Administration of
its approval of a loan to Madison County in the
amount of $2,500,000 to be used for the con
struction of a new school to house the Marshall
Walnut elementary schools and for certain other
needed capital improvements to the other existing
elementary schools in the county.
Although the county commissioners have
been successful in securing the approval of this
$2,500,000 loan from the Farmer's Home Ad
ministration, the actual making of such loan is
dependent upon the voters of the county passing a
bond referendum authorizing the county com
missioners to borrow such funds.
Unless the voters pass the bond referendum,
the county will not borrow the funds from the
Farmer's Home Administration.
The bond referendum will be held this spring
and further details with regard to the exact date
of the bond referendum will be announced next
week. The loan, if approved by the voters, will be 4
repaid over a period of 40 years at an interest rate
of 5 percent. This means that the county will be
able to repay the money borrowed over a 40-year
period instead of the normal 20-year period and
will be borrowing the funds at a greatly reduced
interest rate, and thus the amount by which taxes
would have to be raised to repay the loan would be
greatly reduced. Further details with regard to
the exact amount of the tax increase which would
be necessary will be announced in the immediate
future.
fcOGAR? ISRAEL
Israel
Succeeds
Mallonee
Edgar P. Israel, Tran
sylvania County manager, has
been named llth
Congressional District field
representative by
Congressman Lamar Gudger.
His appointment Thursday by
Gudger followed the an
nouncement that Thomas L.
Mallonee, district assistant
for over 19 years, will retire at
the end of March.
Israel's appointment is
effective April 1.
Prior to being named
manager of Transylvania
County in March 1977, he had
served as director of the
Haywood County Department
( Continued on Page 2)
Sharon Ray Resigns
Election Board Post
Sharon Ray of Route 3,
Marshall, officially resigned
as supervisor, Madison
County Board of Elections,
last Friday at a meeting of the
board in the election offices
here.
Miss Ray has served for the
past seven years under both
Democratic and Republican
administrations and has been
comrnendad for her out
standing ability in carrying
out the duties in this
responsible position.
In a previous letter of
resignation to Alex K. Brock,
director, State Board of
Elections, Raleigh, Miss Ray
stated that her resignation
would become effective May
I.
She further stated that she
had been considering retur
ning to school for some
months and "fed that my
resignation at this point will
provide adequate time for my
replacement to become
Mrs. Anderson
Recommended
Mrs. Carol Anderson of Hot
Springs was recommended by
the Madison County Board of
Elections (two votes to one) at
its meeting last Friday to
serve as depnty supervisor
until May 1 under the
supervision of the Board of
Elections.
familiar with the respon
sibilities and duties of this
position. I will fully cooperate
with your office and the
members of this board in the
matter of training my suc
cessor."
Miss Ray also stated in her
letter to Brock, "May I take
this opportunity to extend my
personal thanks and gratitude
to you far the guidance and
support you gave me over the
last seven years. I fed sure
that the depth and perspective
I- have gained from the ex
perience of these seven years
will be of direct benefit to me
in my studies."
Mrs. Pat Franklin, chair
man; Oscar McDevitt,
member; and William B. Zink
Jr., member, commended
Miss Ray at the meeting
Friday for her service as
supervisor of elections.
Following are excerpts from
a letter from Brock in regard
to Miss Ray's resignation:
"This decision on your part
does not come as a great
surprise to us since you have
discussed such a probability
with us previously.
"Nevertheless, we accept
the decision with a sense of
anticipated loss. You have
served for some seven years
and have participated during
years of the most constructive
changes ever achieved in our
elections processes.
Therefore, you can feel proud
of the service rendered to
Madison County even though
you, like many others, have
MISS SHARON RAY
encountered challenges not
easily dealt with.
"We appreciate your years
of service as supervisor of
elections in Madison County
and assure you that you have
been an asset to the state of
North Carolina and Madison
County.
"It is easier to lose you
knowing that you intend to
pursue higher education to
equip you to accomplish
greater tasks. We commend
your decision because your
reel potential will more
quickly be realised."
NOT THE DEEPEST, but
perhaps the most beautiful now
of the year fell here Sunday night.
Every branch a ad limb of trees
and all shrubbery was
rtct r sque. Above it a photo
on Sfcyway Drive I
Ponder Appointed
Representative
To Regional Forum
development of policies and
suggestions for appropriate
regional activities throughout
In the past year, the Joint
( Continued or Page 2 )