^Jte <:Yl&w6 - journal The Hoke County Newt- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 VOL. LXVI NO. 15 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $4 PER YEAR 10c PER COPY THURSDAY. AUGUST 20. 1970 Around Town BY SAM MORRIS Tlie wftball tournaments arc over for this year and the winner is the Pepsi-Cola team from Fayetteville. They defeated Ralph's Mobile Homes, also of Fayetteville, in the finals Saturday night. Complete results and the all-star team are on an inside page. We want to report that our photographer was on hand, but as will happen occasionally the negatives were bad so that is the reason we don't have pictures of the all-stars and most valuable player. But we hit two out of three this year, so maybe we can bat a thousand next year. There is still time to qualify for the Arabia Golf tournament. The last day is Saturday, August 22nd. Raz Autry, tournament chairman, requests anyone that hasn't played the two rounds to do so. The flights will be set and head on play will determine the winner. It will take two losses to be defeated. Talmadge Baker, who left tliis week to start his new job as Moore County Farm Extension agent, will be missed in the county. We arc not farmers, but from all reports he performed his job in an excellent manner. His fellow church workers at Racford United Methodist Church will also miss him. From every report he was tops in his church work. Wc do know that he was a community worker and never failed to answer the call for any drive that was worthwhile. He always got the job done and with little fanfare. We wish him and his family the best of everything and we know that Moore County lias a hard worker. This nukes two people tiiat Hoke County lias lost in the pust two months that will be hard to replacc when you arc looking for aid on a civic project. They are Talmadge Baker and Ash well Harward. Another happy user of our classified section is Mrs. Mary Creech. She was by Monday to insert a want ad and rtated "tfuit the ad she had about i freezer for sale last week brought many phone calls and she sold the freezer. So if you liavc items you want to sell join the liappy group that uses the classified section of ? The News Journal. A letter received this week from Mrs. Frances H. Bowles a local teacher is published bejow: Dear Citizens of Hoke County, Having just returned from a week's workshop for teachers at Atlantic Christian College 1 feel impelled to write this letter. Do you realize how lucky we are in our county? If you don't, then you should have heard some of the frustrations voiced by some of the teachers I met. Situations we could have had if our local School Board had not carried out plans for complete desegregation. 1 have listened to teachers who know not where they will teach next year or what grade they can anticipate liaving. I heard of the students who don't yet ? know which schools they will attend. Some counties have already delayed school opening at least a week, with the possibility of indefinite opening. Can you imagine how many gray hairs ? the lurried school board members must be acquiring trying to work out feasible plans acceptable to the people and the government? Let's be grateful for our local school board for having foresight enough to go ahead with sometlung that was inevitable. Tell your children to study hard, help each other and cooperate with their teachers. Let's make ours the best school system in North Carolina. We're several steps ahead of many other counties. Let's keep moving forward! Yours very sincerely, Frances H. Bowles Huffman Named Bladen Director Social Services Ronald McNeill Huffman lias been appointed director of social services in Bladen County. I The appointment was announced this week bv Rr. C.M. Johnson, chairman of the Bladen County board of commissioners. Huffman is a graduate of Hoke High School and of St. Andrews College. He served on the staff of the Hoke County ? Department of Social Services for five vean before entering the University of North Carolina Graduate School at Chapel Hill. He graduated this past June. Mrs. Huffman Is the former Barbara K. Webb of Raaford. The couple has two children, Ronnie, 4, and Joey, 2. WORK OF NA TURF - This unusual centerpiece, consisting of 17 apples, complete with branch and leaves was pulled all in one piece, from the tree of Mr. and Mrs. Kip Wash of 504 Grant Ave. City. (Photo by J. Peoples) South Hoke Chosen For State Program South Hoke School will participate this year in an innovative program that will use sucl) approaches as team teaching, flexible grouping, nongraded organization and utilization of teacher aides. It is one of the 173 North Carolina schools approved by the State Board of Education for participation in the Comprehcnwvc School improvement Project for the 1970-71 school year. Commonly known as CSIP, the project is designed to improve the total Dawson Resigns Police F orce David Dawson, who lias worked on the city police force for the past six weeks, resigned this week. His resignation became effective Monday, Police Chief L.W. Stanton said. Dawson was hired July 1. He has taken a job with a construction company in Wilmington, Chief Stanton said. educational program in (he elementary schools. Typically, the CSIP program involves three classrooms of elementary students whose tcachcrs function as a team with the three teachers assisted by a tcachcr aide. Financial assistance is provided by the state to pay the salary of the tcachcr aide, to enable the tcachcrs of the team to visit other innovative schools, to purchase additional instructional materials and to employ special consultants. Originally initiated in 1963-64 as a project jointly funded by the Ford Foundation and the State Board of Education, CSIP is now financed entirely front state funds. Yearly, more than 17,000 children and 600 teachers have been employed. Recognising the need for strengthening research in all aspects of curriculum and instruction, the State Department of Public Instruction anticipates that CSIP will be terminated at the close of the 1970-71 school year and replaced by a broader based program of experimentation and development. Police Find Chain Saw A chain saw stolen from a pick-up truck Monday afternoon was recovered by city police shortly alter it was reported missing. Tie saw was reported missing by Sanford Locklcar, who said it was in the back of his truck when he parked in front ol the Racford Salvage Company. Police Chief L.W. Stanton and Pi.rolm* i Leonard Wiggins found the saw hidden in the woods about twenty minutes later. The investigation of the theft is continuing. Smallpox Shots Out Till Oct. 1 No small-pox vaccinations will be given at the Health Department until October I. Due to the high incident of sores and mosquito bites as well as cases of measles and chicken pox in the community, the vaccinations are being deferred until cooler weather, Health Department personnel said. In Superior Court Two Get Jail Terms For Manslaughter School Bus Schedules Announced Bus schedules are now in order for the upcoming school year. According to E.G. Inman who is in charge of the bus routing, everything is ready for the new school district program. Carrying children to Updiurch School will be bus No. 2. Children in grades six, seven and eight will use this bus. The bus will start its rounds at 7 a.m. and will make one minute stops at the following locations. It will arrive at Upchurch shortly after 8 p.m. The bus will make its fust stop at the southern end of Wooley Street. From there the next stop will be at the corner of Harris and Dickson, then it will stop at Dickson and W. Edinborough and continue to its next stop ut Prospect and Dickson. Another stop will be made at Fifth Avenue and Fulton Street. The bus will then stop at the Raeford Elementary School and continue to Fulton and W. Edinbourough. The rest of the stops, in order of their occurrencc arc: Central and Magnolia, E. Central and Stewart, Wilmuth, Oak wood, St. Pauls Drive, St. Pauls Drive and Reaves St., Elwood Avenue and Crawford Street, Crawford and Donaldson, Donaldson Avenue and McRae, E. Prospect, Forrest Street and Grant Avenue, Forrest Street and Sixth Avenue, Sixth Avenue and Saunders Street, Jackson Street and E. Prospect, E. Edinborough and Jackson Street, E. Edinborough and Stewart Street, and Sixth Avenue and N. Main. Two buses will be picking up children for South Hoke School this year. Children in grades four and five in the central district will use these buses. Bus No. 26 first stop will be at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Magnolia Street. From there it will continue to make the following one minute stops. Fifth Avenue and Green Street, Donaldson Avenue and Green Street, Bethune Avenue and Dickson Street, W. Edinborough and Dickson Street, Wright Street and W. Central, Wright and Harris Avenue, Wooley and Maxwell Avenue, Magnolia Street, Harris Avenue and See Schedules, Page 11 SKSSSSSi Darnell McMillan and Sidney Townscnd were sentenced to prison for not less than eight or more than ten years after pleading guilty Tuesday in Superior Court to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Henry G. Monroe last March. They were originally charged with murder but the slate agreed to rcducc the chargcs to voluntary manslaughter. In presenting the evidence, the defense attempted to show that the beating of Monroe took place because Townscnd found Monroe in bed with Geneva Townsend, his wife. Judge Thomas D. Cooper, Jr., who is presiding over the August session of Superior Court, recommended that the men be given the option of serving under the work-release program as soon as they are eligible to do so. Hie court dismissed the case of Joe Randall Holland for insufficient evidence. Holland was appealing a conviction in District Court of careless and reckless driving. After witnesses for the state had testified that Holland liad driven away from the Tasty Freeze at a high rate of speed, skidding onto the highway on two wheels and crossing back into the left lane before regaining control of the vehicle. Judge Cooper sent the jury from the courtroom and said that since Holland did not have an attorney to make the motion, the court would move for non-suit in the case. "Back home, we call that kind of driving scratching off," Judge Cooper said. "If there is no other traffic to be affected -- and the state has testified that there were no other cars on the highway at that time-then it is not careless and reckless driving. A charge of careless and reckless driving is that driving thai is likrly to endanger the property or s. #- / of ithcrs. It is ; ,carel ss indifference ??r rirlits and safety of other persons." After he dismissed the case, Judge Cooper told Holland "If you keep driving like that, youll be right back up here." Lena Mae Locklear McMiUian pleaded guilty to violation of prohibition laws by having 59 bottles of beer and 131k pints of whiskey for re-sale. She was given an 18 to 24 month sentence suspended for three years on the conditions that she pay a fine of S300 and court costs, that she remain on good behavior and not violate any state or federal penal laws and that she expressly waive Iter rights under the Fourth Admendment of the Constitution and allow ABC officers or sheriffs department personnel to search her premises at any time without a scarch See Jail Terms. Pa^e I t Balfour & Lester At State Meeting Medicaid Expensive To Taxpayers An urgent concern over the high cost of providing medical care through the Medicaid program prompted a meeting in Raleigh last week of county commissioners from 82 of the state's 100 counties. John Balfour, county commissioner, and T.B. Lester, county manager, attended the meeting called by the N.C. Association of County Commissioners. State Social Services Commissioner Clifton Craig, John R. Jordan, Jr., chairman of the State Board of Social Services, and Harry McGalliard, deputy attorney general, answered the written questions submitted by the commissioners. 'They told us it was up to the legislature to make any changes in the program," Lester said. "The state board of social services is operating according to the law of the state and there is no way to curtail the operation." Jordan also told the commissioners that it was entirely up to the General Assembly to relieve the counties of some or all of the financial responsibility for welfare programs. According to Lester, the cost of Medicaid to Hoke County is rising and may outrun the amount budgeted for it by the late spring. The Medicaid payments at the first of August totaled $26,790.96. Of that, the county and state each paid S3.S79.68 or 12V4 per cent. The federal government paid 119,631.60 or 75 per cent. The county has included S28.71I in the budget for 1970-71. If each month's payments equal the one for August, the program will requite S42.000 from the county. During the six months the program was in effect last flacal year, the county paid $7,605. Medicaid, which went into effect last Jan. 1, covers hospitalization, doctor'* fees, drum dental work, optical aervices, nursing home care and outpatient care. It is available to all persons who receive public assistance money payments and to persons not on public assistance who meet eligibility requirements for medical assistance. The group who receive medical assistance only is allowed to have a monthly income that is less than a state ? set limit and may have reserve funds that are less than an amount set by the state. Since March I, the state allows a non ? essential automobile valued less than Si ,000 to be included in the reserve. Miss Mabel McDonald, Hoke County director of social services said. The tax levy for social services amounts to 17c for each S100 valuation, Lester said. Of this, 6c goes to Medicaid. According to the Ahoskie Herald, Hertford County spends 41 cents for each S100 valuation on social services. The Medicaid program ther is budgeted at $77,492. The Medicaid bill for Scotland County for July was 587,713, with Scotland's share costing $11/422. The program pays 100 per cent of hospital costs and "reasonable" costs in the other categories, Miss McDonald said. According to public records available at the county auditor's office, of the S3,579 paid by the county in August, SI ,942.22 went to hospitals for inpatient care; $32.84 went to hospitals for out ? patient care; Si34.62 was paid for dental services; S592.97 was paid to pharmacies; $453.18 went to physicians; $41.80 was paid for optical services; $196.75 went to nursing Itomes and $185.30 was used to buy the supplemental medical insurance for those receiving social security. Of the total federal, state and county funds paid in August, 47 participating physicians received $3,480.69. Eight docton were paid more than $100 this month. They are Raeford Medical Group, $777.20; Dr. Jack T. Baverly, S143; Dr. Gua Forbes, $194; Dr. Joaeph Hiatt, SI25; Dr. Robert Townsend, S222.90; Dr. Walter Newton, S193; Dr. Donald Wallace 5411; and Dr. Edwin Womble, S235. Dr. Riley Jordan received S54.80. Pharmacy bills totaled 54,554.32 for August. Of this, which included state, federal and county funds, Hoke Drug Company received SI,849.39; Howell Drug Company was paid SI,793.25 and Wagram Drug Store was paid 5357.51. Four nursing homes received a total of SI 160.14. Gladhaven Nursing Home in Fayetteville received the largest payment of S598.09 for two people admitted there. Anthony's Nursing Home was paid S351 through Medicaid. The total bill for optical services was S321.05 to four providers. The largest payment was made to Dr. Jack T. Beverly for SI60. He also received S143 for physician's services. Fayetteville Optical Company was paid S103.35; Dr. Oscar Burns was paid S27.40 and Dr. Arthur McKeniie was paid $29,90. The total dental bill in August was S1034. Dr. Julius Jordan received S670 in Medicaid payments. Dr. Joseph Johnson received 5364. Total hospital bills to institutions throughout the area amounted to 514,917.21 for inpatient care and 5252.25 for outpatient service. However, the bills paid in August were not til incurred in one month, Miss McDonald explained. Some of them dated as far back as January and most were from May through July. Miss McDonald, who shares the concern of county officials over the cost of the program, has made several reeommodations for changes in the operation of Medicaid. "Recently, Clifton M. Craig, Mate commissioner of social services, has become alarmed at the increasing costs of the program and has aent field representative!) to counties to discuss with directors on how they think costs might be lowered." Miss McDonald recommended to the state board that clients again be required to pay a percentage of the expenses, not only on drugs but on all services. Before Medicaid went into effect, the state included SIO per person for medical expense in each month's welfare payment. Hie individual was then responsible for paying physicians fees. They were required to pay SI on all prescriptions also. Sinch Medicaid, all reasonable lees are paid by the program with no expense to the user. Miss McDonald also suggested that in families where there is more than one person employed, the total income should be considered in determining eligibility. Now, for example, if a person over 65 who is in the aid for the aged program lives with a child who has a good income, the department may count as resources only the amount that the child says he is able and willing to contribute toward the medical care of his parent. Another suggestion applied to the method of computing farm income, which Miss McDonald said is "ridiculous", in it's present form. Previously, when an applicant farmed, the department had to pro - rate the yearly income cn a monthly basis, using the last year's income if the crops had not been sold that year, she said. The new policy says if an applicant applies before his crop is sold, nothing can be shown as income for lite first six months after he applies. In other woids. those who apply between January and June thow no income for those months, those who apply from June through December have their income prorated for those six months only. Eligibility is established on a six ? months basis. Miss McDonald also suggested that the imount allowed ss reserve by the state was entirely too high. Applicants should be required to use up such resources as they have before they become eligible. "These suggestions, I feel, would greatly rcducc the cost of the program." she said. "1 want everybody in Hoke County who needs medical care and cannot afford it, to get that care, but 1 do think that the program is being abused." Miss McDonald added that while she thinks the present policy is too generous in some respects, it is too restrictive in others. For example, she said that she feels that the amount allowed for reserve funds is tar too generous and should be used to help pay medical bills if needed but, on the other hand, the policy lias such provisions that an unemployed father with children is never eligible for medical assistance as long as he is able ? bodied. "We have many seasonal workers in Hoke County who at certain times of the year couldn't raise a dollar for a doctor bill if they had to, but they are not eligible as long as they arc able to work whether the job is there or not." However, the commissioners were told at the meeting, unless the legislature acts to change the counties' responsibility, the counties have no legal choice but to provide the funds required under the program. "As the unit of government closest to the poeple, county government has some obligation to the sick and the aged and the infirm and 12V4 per cent is not a staggering burden, relatively speaking," Craig told the commissioners. Only seven states spend less on welfare than does North Carolina,Craig reported. State welfare costs last year were S6.10 per inhabitant, while the national average was S24.8S per inhabitant. He said the state it alio in the bottom 10 in ill welfare programs in terms of Jhe benefits provided.