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The Hoke County News- Established 1928
journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXII NUMBER 8
RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
•4 PER YEAR KH PER COPY
THURSDAY. A>LY 4. 1447
Unanimous Choice
/
y
G. R. Autry Named
Hoke High Principal
- 5’
Workmen Are Shown Putting Bonded Roof On Bethel Road School
New Bethel Road School
May Be Ready By F all
Raeford Mediodlst and First Baptist
churches probably will go out of the public
school business come Scpiett.uer. ■*
Tlie two churches, along with RaefordPres
byterian Church, allowea tfie classrooms of
their educational departments to be used by
elementary school pupils after a disastrous
fire destroyed the main building of J. W. Mc-
Lauchlln School on the night of October 31,
1964.
Taxpayers of the county subsequently ap
proved a $650,000 school bond issue to provide
classrooms to replace the burned-out school.
The bond Issue and other funds also provided
some badly-needed classroom space In addi
tion to diat lost In the fire.
The first emergency construction project
added six classrooms and a library at the un
burned portion of J. W. McLauchlln School.
It Is now devoted to the education of first and
second graders.
Third and fourth graders continued to attend
classes in the Baptist and Methodist churches.
When the new classrooms were completed,
students vacated Raeford Presbyterian Church.
This week, W. T. Gibson Jr., superintendent
of schools, told county commissioners that the
new Bethel Road Elementary School — being
i i
built with bond money — Is scheduled for com
pletion In November, 1967.
Ten cikl.slooms, however, have bieen
promised by the beginning of the fall term.
They will enable school officials to recall stu
dents from the church classrooms.
School and county officials have been high
In their praise of the cooperative attitude of
the churches.
At the time of the fire, several hundred stu
dents were left without classrooms and the
county had no means of providing them.
Portable classrooms to accomodate that
many students would have cost a fortune. Too,
there was the necessity of conducting a bond
referendum before new facilities could be
planned, and that proved to be a lengthy pro
cess.
When the main building at McLauchlin went
up in flames. It robbed the school system of
15 classrooms, a library, and an auditorium.
Insurance money helped build die additional
classrooms at McLauchlln. Together with
nine classrooms and a cafeteria which were
undamaged by the fire, they provided enough
room for the first two grades.
When the new school on Bethel Road Is
See NEW BETHEL, Page 9
I
Hoke Crash
Takes Life
Of Woman
A Hoke County women was
killed Tuesday afternoon In what
officers described as the only
serious July Fourth accident In
the county.
She was Mrs. Annie Ruth
Lowery, 40, of Raeford Rt. 1.
Her husband, Jpseph Lowery,
driver of the statlonwagon, and
Mrs. Mary Neal McMillan of
Aberdeen Rt. 1, were Injured
In the accident.
State Trooper E. W. Coen
slad the Lowery car was struck
head-on on a gentle curve by
a car operated by Willie June
McKoy, 26, of Duffle’s Station.
The accident occurred at
about 3 p. m. on a rural paved
road which runs between Duf
fle’s Station and Wagram.
Coen said the McKoy car
was going southwest toward
Wagram and was on the wrong
side of the road when It rammed
the Lowery vehicle.
”Skld marks and tire tracks
Indicated the Lowery vehicle
ran off the road to avoid col-
See CRASH, Page 9
Booster Club
Meeting Set
Hoke High Booster Club will
meet Friday night at 8 o’clock
at the high school, according to
CJ). Bounds, president.
“We especlallyurge all mem
bers of the club to attend, be
cause we will make preliminary
plans for the annual football
camp,’’ Bounds said.
Bethel Road
Post Goes
To Bledsoe
George Raz Autry, principal
of EastMontgomery High School
In Montgomery County,has been
employed as principal of Hoke
County High School.
Autry, 40, was the unanimous
selection of the board of educa
tion which met Monday night
to consider several applicants
for the post.
The school board also an
nounced the appointment of Lon
nie Bledsoe, principal of J. W.
McLauchlin Elementary School
for the past several years, as
principal of the new Bethel Road
School. It is expected that 10
classrooms of the new school
will be ready for occupancy In
September, with die entire
school to be available In No
vember.
James Turlington, principal
of Raeford Elementary School,
wPl remain at diat post. Rae-
*ford Elementary will house
third, fourth and fifth graders.
Bethel Road School will accom
modate the sixth, seventh and
eighth grades and first and
second graders will be housed
at J. W. McLauchlln Elemen-
ury.
The new Hoke High principal
will succeed Donald D. Aber-
nethy, who resigned at the end
of the put school year to take
a Job at Pembroke State Col
lege. He will be director of
student teaching at the four-
year college.
Autry, a World Warn Marine
Teen-Dems
To Organize
Teenage Democrats In Hoke
County will organize a Teen-
Dem Club here Monday night
at Hoke County Courthouse.
Jimmy Sinclair, president of
the Young Democrats Club of
Hoke County and Sam C. Mor
ris, chairman of the county
Democratic Executive Com
mittee, will be on hand for the
meeting, set for 7:30 p. m.
Marlon Person, clerk of court
In Cumberland County, also will
be present to uslst In the or
ganizational meeting.
“The state Teen-Dem con
vention will be held In Fay
etteville on July 22,’* Morris
said, “and we are particularly
anxious to have Hoke County
teenagers represented at the
convention.’’
The organization Is open to
both boys and girls from ages
13 through 19.
a tew more Kennedy half-dollars
County last week and 44
SHE LOVES KITTENS—One of the tiniest borrowers at Hoke County Library this summer is
Fran Buoyer, ^ree-year-oid daugiiter of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Buoyer. She is not old enough
to Join the readlnf club with her brother, Duncan, right, but she makes the weekly visit there
with him. Holding two of tfiem in her hand while she waits for the third to be assigned to her,
Fran borrows only kitten books. It doesn’t matter If sht runs through the library’s list. Tots
hdr age enjoy a book the second, tlilrd and fourth times hatter than the hrsu
There probably will be
floating around now.
A robbery took place In Hoke
of the coins were stolen and ^lent.
After experiencing such a loss, the CJl. Doves of Rock-
fish will probably advise you to keep your coin collection
locked ig)—preferably in a salt) deposit box.
The Doves had three $2 bUki (seldom seen In circulation)
five silver dollars (also rare), 44 Kennedy half-dollars, and
seven old quarters. All of It has been put into circulation,
according to Sheriff Dave Barrington.
Sheriff Barrington reported that thieves first entered the
home after daylight on Thursday, June 22, but while the older
couple was still asleep. They ransacked drawers In a beck
bedroom and made off with the two-dollar bills and the five
silver dollars. They left the halves and the quarters but
returned at dawn W^eaday of last week and stole those.
The thieves allegedly walked Into the houae through un
locked doors sack tlmeb None of the money was missed until
after the second robbery,
Fairley Jones Jr., 17„ and a IS-year-old accomplice, both
Negro, have been arrested and place under $1,000 bond each
charged with taking the on two separate occasiona.
Hoke Wins Battle
To Stay In 7th
Hoke County has survived General Assembly maneuvering
which would have switched it from the Seventh Congressional
District to the Eighth District and will remain aligned with
counties to the east.
The Legislature, nearing the end of Its longest session In
state history, enacted a compromise redlstrlctlng bill Monday.
A committee amendment returning Hoke to the Seventh Dis
trict was allowed.
The Senate originally passed a redlstrlctlng bill which would
have aligned Hoke with Scotland, Richmond, Moore, Lee,
Montgomery, Anson, Union, Stanley, Cabarrus and Rowan
counties. An amendment to return Hoke to the Seventh was
defeated In the Senate by 22-24.
The House committee amended the Senate bill to return Hoke
to the Seventh, but when It also tacked on two amendments
affecting the Fifth and Sixth Districts, as well as the Eighth
and Ninth, the Senate rejected the amended bill.
It then went to a committee of conferees, who were assigned
to resolve differences between the House and Senate.
The Senate conferees agreed to accept a House modification
pitting Incumbent Rep. Basil Whltener against Republican
Rep. James Broyhlll in the new 10th District. The bill passed
by the House would have pitted Whltener against GOP Rep.
Charles R. Jonas.
House conferees. In turn, agreed to drop an amendment
which would have changed the positioning of Rockingham,
Caswell and Davidson counties.
The Seventh District now consists of Hoke, Cumberland,
Robeson, Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick and New Hanover
counties. Rep. Alton A. Lennon of Wilmington represents
the district In Washington.
The redlstrlctlng had been ordered by a three-judge fed
eral court.
See map on page 9.
RAZ AUTRY
who fought at Iwo Jlma and
Okinawa, Is a graduate of East
Carolina College, where he
earned a master of arts degree
in education. He also attended
the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, earning an ad
vanced principal’s certificate.
A native of Dunn, Autry was
captain of the ECC football
team In 1949. A trim 2(X)-
pounder, he played guard for
the Pirates.
“I think the Job at Hoke High
School is a real challenge,’’
Autry told members of the
school board. “I look forward
to working with the young peo
ple here and I am sure we
will get along Just fine."
Autry comes to Raeford with
See AUTRY, Page 9
Hoke Jail
Is Still
Problem
Hoke County Jail problems
were not solved for once and
for all when the bond issue
passed, nor when the bids were
let for a new one. Headaches
still seem to be popping ig)
from this side and that.
At the July meeting Monday
of the Hoke County Board of
Commissioners, It was brought
to light that Grant E. Key, low
bidder on the new Jail's kitchen
equipment, is unhappy over the
situation he finds himself In
since signing his contract. He
claims that he made his bid
without complete knowledge of
state requirements and he wants
his contract amended to read
something like $565 more than
the original figure.
Board members were in a-
greement that the architect Is
at fault for not making the
See HOKE JAIL, Page 9
Welfare Department
Asks For More Cash
Although the Hoke County
Board of Commissioners met
Monday for the first lime in
the new fiscal year under a
newly balanced budget, it was
met with a request for an In
crease by one of Its agencies.
The welfare department
asked that Its aid to dependent
children budget be boosted by
$356.74 to bring the total for
the coming year to $12,262 and
to bring the Old Age Assistance
budget up to $14,782, an In
crease of $424.99.
It was not explained by Coun
ty Manager T. B. Lester why
tne request came so closely
behind the presentation of the
departmnet’s annual budget.
The request was granted.
T. F. McBryde presided over
the meeting In the absence of
Chairman T. C. Jones, who
was IIL Other commissioners
present were John Balfour, J
A. Webb and Ralph Barnhart.
Rock fish Community De
velopment Club requested by
letter that the county assist
the citizens In remodeling their
community house. The request
was for ’*$500 to pay for ma
terials.” It was pointed out
that $300 had been set previous
ly as a standard amount al
lotted for all clubhouse repairs.
The Issue was tabled, however,
until a later meeting.
W. T. Gibson, superintend
ent of schools, reported that,
“The school's currect expenae
budget Is In good shape and
tennis courts at the hi^ school
have been completed.’^ He said
the courts are for public use
but the gates will remain locked
when not in use. The key cae
be obtained from Coach Jolsi
See WELFARE, Page 9
Two-Dollar Bills,
Rare Coins Stolen
Commissioners Inspect Footing For New Jftll