Z-h e - journal
The Hoke County Nows- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOL. LXV1 NO. 13 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $4 PER YEAR 10c PER COPY THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 1970
Around Town
By SAM MORRIS
Th? article in last week's paper about
Mri. Flora McLauchlin brought to mind
an incident that occurred in World War II
days. Now Mr*. McLauchlin lived in
Raeford for many yean and her husband,
the late Will McLauchlin, was mayor of
Raeford for a number of years. They
lived in the houae now occupied by Mr.
and Mrs. Dewey Howell on Central
Avenue. Mrs. McLauchlin is also an aunt
of William Lamont.
During the early years of World War 11
the housing situation around these
parts was a major problem. Before the
invasion of Africa General George S.
Patton, Jr. had his Armor Division in the
reservation for training. Also Ft. Bragg
wu a large recruiting center and the area
was filled with young men that had just
entered the service. Now the two local
National Guard units had taken almost all
the young men when they were called to
active duty. So the feeling for young
soldiers in Raeford was at a high pitch.
Nearly every home in Raeford was
filled with soldiers and their wives before
they went overseas. This also included the
home of Mrs. Flora McLauchlin.
About a year ago we went to Ft. Bragg
to a meeting of the Braxton-Bragg
Chapter of the AUSA. This is an
army-civilian organization to promote
good will. We were introduced to
Col. Wan en Rock who is in charge of the
Court Martial of Capt. Jeffrey McDonald
now going on at Ft. Bragg.
Col. Rock asked us how long we had
lived in Raeford and we replied since
birth except for the World War II years.
He asked us if we knew Mrs. Flora
McLauchlin, and we replied yes. Col.
Rock said he was a 2nd Lt. in 1941 and
was sent to Ft. Bragg before going
overseas. His wife was with him and it
was impossible to find a place to stay. He
related of going to a number of home and
finally coming to Mrs. Flora's house. She
told him her house was filled, but a small
room or house behind her home was
vacant. Col. Rock said he and his wife
stayed in the small house for a few
mpnths and that he would never forget
Mrs. McLauchlin or the other (>eofJli; of
Raeford that did so much for .the
servicemen during that time.
Col. Rock said he was coming over to
Raeford again just to see the changes that
have occurred during the years he had
been away. We don't know if he ever got
over, but if you mention Raeford to him
he will ask about Mrs. Flora McLauchlin.
The apples from the trees of H.R.
McLean always make the best pies. W?
want to thank him for the bag of appra
he left at the house recently.
? ? *
The softball tournament is still in
progress and if the weather continues,
should end on Friday night. As of
Tuesday three Raeford teams were still in
the fight for a place in the area
tournament. The area tournament will
also be played here and will begin
Tuesday night August 1 1.
If you haven't been out to the
tournament, make a special effort and see
softball at its best.
? ? ?
The Back-to-School promotion of the
local merchants will start next week. Be
sure to check your local stores for your
back to school needs. Most of the time
you can find what you need in Raeford.
See and let's keep the money in Hoke
County.
City Plans $140,000 Bond Issue Vote
For Utilities To New Knitting Plant
Council
Discusses
New Plant
Knit-Away, Inc., the new textile
knitting plant coming to Raeford, and the
extension of witer and aewer lines to
serve the industry were the main topics at
the city council meeting Monday night.
The city is seeking approval to extend the
debt limitation beyond the 8 per cent
level in order to issue bonds to help
finance the S270.000 cost of the new
lines. A bond issue election is expected to
be called in October.
The council approved an agreement to
pay $5,602.50 to J .A. Singleton, Jr. for a
4.6 acre strip of land on South Main
Street that is planned as the site for a new
water station. The council had given
approval to purchase the land at the July
council meeting.
A resolution for the creation of a
regional council of local officials was
adopted by the council as a preliminary
step to forming an organization that
would conform to the boundaries of the
state planning regions. The council, if it is
formed, will indude local officials from
Hoke, Scotland, Robeson and Bladen
counties.
In other business, the council approved
a permit for James W. McRae to operate a
taxi in the city and adopted new building
permit fees.
The previous /building permit
established fees for buildings with an
esttflWed cost of ?>5,000 or letslnd the
new* portion of the ordinance set Monday
ftiglfnfct fees for buildings costing more
than $25,000.
Uncjer the new fee schedule, a permit
for a building with an estimated cost of
between $25,000 and $50,000 will be
530 plus $.75 per thousand; $50,000 to
$100,000 is $48.75 plus $.50 per
thousand and the permit for buildings
costing more than $100,000 will be
$73.75 plus $.25 per thousand.
Man Arrested
For Shooting
Glen Gibson was arrested Friday and
charged with assault with a deadly
weapon following the shooting of William
E. Nelson on West Edinborough Street
July 27.
Gibson was released on $750 bond and
a hearing is scheduled in District Court on
Aug. 14.
Danny Chason, Ronnie Chason, Bobby
Davis and William Nelson were also
charged with engaging in a affray and
disturbing the peace, Police Chief L.W.
Stanton said. They were released on bond
pending a trial on Aug. 14.
Rockfish Area Is Hit By Storm
Much Damage To Crops, Homes
A violent itorm, with wind, rain, hail
and possible imall tornados, hit the
Rocknsh community Wednesday night,
injuring one person and leaving behind
ruined crops, overturned trees and
damaged homes.
James Allen Kelly, 11, was struck by
lightning about 7 p.m. in his home near
Davii Bridge .He was treated for burns on
his left side at Cape Fear Valley Hospital
and was released. The Kelly home was
damaged in the storm when lightning set
the electrical wiring on fire.
The storm hit first near Davis's Bridge
at about 7 and then moved toward the
Rockfish area. I\)wer was disrupted
throughout much of the community at
7:25 Wednesday night.
As much as five inches of rain were
reported to have fallen during the worst
part of the storm, which lasted about an
hour. Fields and yards throughout a four
mile area around Rockfish were flooded.
A dam burst on a pond on the Bill Wright
place there Mrs. Wright reported.
Scott Poole, who surveyed the crops in
the area with an insurance adjuster,
reported that the crops near Rockfish
were a total loss and that those within a
two mile area were about a 60 per cent
Joss.
"The tobacco is a total loss in Rockfish
and cotton is at least 60 per cent," lie
said.'"Com and beans both look like f
100 per cent loss. As you travel away
from Rockfish for about two miles on
any side, there is about a 60 per cent
over-all loss."
Homes were damaged by the water and
by winds that roared through the
community, uprooting hugh trees and
toppling chimneys. Helicopter pilots
flying for an ROTC demonstration th|t
night at Ft. Bragg reported seeing several
tornado formations in the area.
Robert Brooks at the Rockfish Store
said the wind, which seemed to come
from every direction made two circular
sweeps through the community. A tree
was blown over in his yard, narrowly
missing his house trailer.
Perhaps the hardest hit home in
Rockfish was the parsonage at Tabernacle
Baptist Church, occupied by the Rev. Carl
Strickland and his family. Two large trees
at the back of the houstwere toppled in
the wind and fell across the root of two
bedrooms, smashing windows and ripping
through the ceiling. No one was in either
of the bedrooms, which are the
children's, at the time. A twin bed in one
of the bedrooms was torn up, and water
damage in the home was extensive. Poole,
who insures the house, estimated the
damage amounted to $3,000 ? S5.000.
The church was also damaged in the
storm, with broken windows and damage
to the electrical system caused by
lightning, Poole said.
Many other buildings in the
community were damaged to a lesser
extent. Power lines were blown down or
broken by falling trees and electrical
service was out in many home until
Thursday afternoon. Several crews
worked Thursday cutting trees away and
restringing fallen lines to restore power to
See STORM, Page 9
Reading Club
Flans Party
The Aerospace Reading Club will end
its summer reading program next week
with a party Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 11
a jn. at the Hoke County Library.
Everyone who registered for the
reading program is urged to come to the
party.
Love Charged
With Murder
James Earl Love has been charged with
murder and is being held without bond
following the death last Wednesday of
Willie James McGougan
McGougan was hit on the head with a
soft drink bottle during a fight that took
place in the Arabia section of the county
July 19.
Love was arrested the next day,
charged with asaault with a deadly
weaoon with Intent to kill and has been
held on a 525,000 bond until Wednesday
when McGougan died at Cape Fear Valley
Hospital. A preliminary hearing is
sdwdubd in DiMfict Court for Aug. 14.
Alfred Cole Dies Tues;
Funeral Thurs 3 P.M.
Altred Cole, former Raeford mayor
and director of (he county Civil Defense
office, died Tuesday night. He was 68.
Cole was born Dec. 25, 1901 in Moore
County but his parents moved to western
Cumberland County, which is now a part
of Hoke, when he was a small boy and he
hat taken an active part in the
community throughout his life.
He served as mayor of Raeford for
eight years during the 1950's and early
60's. Before that,he was a member of the
city council for two years.
As director of Civil Defense, he helped
organize the unit here and served for
eight years without pay. He was paid by
the county as part-time director during
the laat six years he served and on his
retirtfQifnt in 1968, he was commended
North Carolina Civil Defense
of Directors for "outstanding
ins to civil defense work in the
[nation."
was a member of the regular
the National Guard for 24'/4
served in the Army a* a First
?I an anti-aircraft school during
II. He was alio dedicated to
of the Boy Scoots and led a
troop #e esabtant scoutmaster and
soautmeUr from 1928 to 1940. As a
yowifNrt M wm an outstanding athlete,
aetlve member or civic
ha airved two term as
Of the American Legion, was
lUwanls Club, a member
ALFRED COLE
ot (he Raeford Volunteer Fire
Department and president of the Hoke
County Farm Bureau. He wai a life-long
member of Raeford United Methodist
Church and served at president of the
Men's Club there and president of the
Men's Bible Class.
Funeral services will be held Thursday
at 3 p.m. at Raeford United Methodist
i?COLE,r??9
AFTER THE STORM - Two large trees fell across the roof at the home of the Rev.
Carl Strickland by Tabernacle Baptist Church in Rockfish ripping through the roof
into the two chiUlrens'bedrooms, and burvine the car in a tnmrlp uf Hmh*
Knit-A way Officials
Hold Groundbreaking
A ground breaking ceremony Tuesday
morning at the Knit-Away site officially
began construction of the New textile
plant.
Richard P Bruce, president of the
corporation, manned the shovel in the
ceremony attended by officials from the
state highway department, city and
county governments and the chamber of
commerce.
Charles Dawkins, state highway
commissioner, promised Bruce tliat a
road would be cut into the site
immediately and that it would be
assigned a high priority for paving. Roads
to new industries are provided under a
special category, he explained.
Dawkins also got in a good word for
the gasoline tax as he told the group that
the tax was essential for financing new
roads in the state.
City councilman J.D. McMillian
represented the city government as mayor
pro tempore at the ceremony. T. B.
Lester, county manager, attended from
the county and Palmer Willcox, Chamber
president, represented the Chamber of
Commerce.
Also attending were John Gaddy,, city
manager; Harold Cillis, Chamber manager
and Graham Clark, city councilman.
Construction will begin Monday, Bruce
said. Trailers are to be set up on the site
this week for offices and applications for
employment will be taken then, he said.
Several clerical workers have been hired
already this week.
McNeill Asks County
For Utilities Funds
Mayor John K McNeill, Jr. appeared
before the County Commissioners
Monday to request funds from the
county to be used in the extension of
water and sewer lines to the new textile
plant under construction on Highway
211.
The city requested an allocation of a
minimum of 55,000 a year from non ? tax
revenues on anticipation of tax revenue
froih the new industry.
Ill a statement to the commissioners at
the regular August meeting this week, the
mayot said
"As you know, Hoke County and the
City of Raeford are hopeful of acquiring
a new industry to locate here in the near
future.
"We fee this operation will be a
definite economic asset to our
community, but we also realize the
problem! involved when more people are
brought into a community. The new
retidwits may tend to crowd the school
system and there will be an addition of
servicer required, but our pressing
problem it this time is financing the
required utilities to the industrial site.
"Since you are familiar with our bond
indebtedness and our borrowing power,
you realize that the City of Raeford
cannot continue to borrow money lor
extending the utility system at this time
"The City does intend to submit a
bond referendum to the public with
hopes that the public will see fit to
approve the issue which will allow
extending a 12 inch water line and an 18
inch sewer line to the industrial site.
Incidentally, this tract is large enough to
allow other industries to locate, which
these extended lines will be able to serve
adequately.
"Since this industry will mean a great
deal to the County of Hoke, the City
Council is requesting the County to
participate in the financing of this
project.
'The preliminary report submitted by
the City's engineers show a total
construction cots of S60.000 to extend
adequate water lines to the industrial site,
and S210.000 for sewer out ? fall lines. If
the County would allocate a minimum of
S5.000 per year from non ? tax revenues
on anticipation of tax revenues from the
new Industry, it will be more than greatly
appreciated."
T.C. Jones, chairman of the
commissioners, told McNeill that the
board was sympathetic to the city's
See McNEILL, Page 9
City officials w,U ask for a bond issue
election sometime in October to extend
J!- 7h,Cr a" 5eW.Cr lin" ,0 Kn''-Away,
in lH0,ICf 0f in,ention to ask the state
to approve an extension of the 8 per cent
this weTk'i'n Ti fM the ,Ci,y was Publis,?d
"li week in The News-Journal.
eiUmwid ?Sbv?f it ex,endin8 the lines is
$270 000 A h C"y e??in?rs at
i^/U,U00 A bond issue ot SI 40,000 will
be needed to finance the expansion, city
manager John Caddy said. Y
the n^VeVhe an,ic'Pated utilities from
the new industry are expected to olT-set
the debt service costs of the bonds and
urfliPi?? 'fUe WL" not increase Hk water
utilities rate or the tax rate, lie said.
I he debt service payments ar*
estimated to be $23,660 a year and
$433S fThnUe, 'S estimaIed to be
m^nfh V on tl,ar8es of $1,000 a
month for water and $2,027 93 for
sewers, Gaddy said. tor
An 18 inch sewer line will be laid
rS h't l exis,m8 lines that run near
Raeford Turkey Plant. The new line will
wrrect the over How of sewaie in
Rockfish Creek that now occurs besides
Gaddy e*p'a'ned.
!!.a . ? . be adequate for other
industrial expansion in that section, he
i * |2 inch "ne will extend from the 18
feet^ofTsmt?i 'r6 ,ndus,rial s'te. 7,700
teet of 18 inch line and 1,500 feet of 12
'ioSo1rr'Vr s?{"> r?<
new w.lt 1' I'ine and two
irvicT L k ,0 Provide water
service to the site. The water line will
connec. w?h the =x,?jng |il]e on ? ?;?
Besides the $140,000 bond issue, the
Ii finnS 3 grant of S?.000 from the
S40 nnn 'rrcS0Urces board and a
r?m Advancement to be
hnnrl ? ^ " gra"tS Wl11 be ? * the
bond issue doen t pass. Gaddy said
fnr C,ty also has 529,000 remaining
for sewer contruction from the last bond
issue held in 1967. This money can on"J
be used for sewer construction *
In addition to these sources, the city
for an?aa|l 'T"5' comm,ssioners
Cyclist Dies
From Crash
jjS& vrsjsi
sixth ??!3yr?LeroyuLock,ear This was the
atality in the county this year
towaardnH!.HWcaS ,raVelmg SOU,h on 211
from fhe wher Locklear drove
An,?. .t Parkmg lot of McNeill's Store at
Antioch onto the highway. Maynor
struck the tail-gate of the truck.
Locklear was chargcd with failure to
yield right-of-way.
at 'm."tM3' seurv,ces wcrc held Wednesday
at Ml-tien Baptist Church by the Rev
cemeteryyn0r ^ bUr'a' m ,hc church
Maynor is survived bv his wife Audrev
Audrev'Vb* S?n' trn'C and (,ne daughter
sus
Strickland and Mrs. Ilene Jarnh* FranC,S
Two-Car Crash
On Dickson
Two cars collided on Dickson Street
Sunday morning causing about S200
damage to each.
A car driven by Clayton Biggs of
Raeford struck the side of a car driven by
Mrs. Roland Furr as Biggs turned from
Prospect Avenue onto Dickson.
Biggs was charged with careless and
rcckless driving.
Rescue Squad
Aids Rock fish
The Hoke County Rescue Squad went
to work in the Rockfish area after the
storm last Wednesday night to remove
trees from the roads there. It took about
in hour and a half of cutting to clear tha
roads, Squad officials said.