Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Dec. 12, 1974, edition 1 / Page 1
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> 15( The ^TL eu??) - journal The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 Around Town By Sam C. Morris A good way for one to know that old man winter is here is getting car windows in shape to drive to work. Tuesday morning my car was covered with ice and frost and it didn't take me long to find out it was really cold outside. The forecasters had predicted that this would be a rough winter and from the way it has started out they seem to be correct. I hope that the weather will change because with the shortage and price of fuel oil it will be hard for everyone to keep warm. Time will tell! I mentioned in this column a few weeks ago about anyone that was going to contribute to a needy family this year, should clear it through the Dept. of Social Services so that everyone would be taken care of during Christmas season. I still ask you to do this. In talking with a case worker from the department this week she said it would be a good idea for people to take the gifts to the families and see for themselves who and why they are helping. 1 think this is a good suggestion and know that you will come away with the true Christmas spirit in your heart. Give it a try. From all the news we hear on television or read in the papers it seems "thai the energy crisis is just around the I corner. It is going to be harder to convince the public this winter than last winter that a crisis is with us. Last year after the price of gasoline jumped up it was possible to get all the gas you needed. The people will believe that this is another deal to raise the prices again. If a shortage is really with us I hope that gas will be rationed rather than forming the lines that was experienced lasl year. It was almost impossible for a working man to get gas because he did not have time to wait in line for an hour or so. It also worked a hardship on the service station operators who wanted to service the cars of customers who had been trading with them for years. Some that were in line or lines last year haven't been back to the stations since gas is plentiful again. If the shortage contcs. then the experiences of last year should be taken into consideration when the plan for this year is put into effect. ? Of course if all of us had and would ' try to conserve gas this situation would nol be with us. So tighten your belts for another gas line if the experts are correct. . Mrs. Betty Morgan, chairman of the Garden Dept. thanks all donors and members who contributed items for sale at the Christmas Bazaar. A sizeable check will be presented to the Library soon. Mrs. Doris Austin was the lucky winner of the card table and chairs. Commissioners Meet - Briefly A special meeting of the county commissioners Tuesday was adjourned when only two commissioners -- one short of a quorum ~ attended. Chairman Ralph Barnhart and vice ? chairman Tom McBryde were there but efforts by telephone to round up a third member failed. James A. Hunt and John Balfour could not be located and J.A. Webb was ill. The meeting was rescheduled for Dec. lb at 7 p.m. On the agenda will be landfill equipment bids, compliance with fair labor standards, inspection of heating, plumbing and air conditioning, renovation of old board of education building, schedule of the sale of school bonds and employee insurance benefits. Rose's Office Visits Dec. 20 The mobile office of Congressman Charlie Rose will be at the Raeford post office parking lot Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rip Collins. Rose's administrative assistant, will man the office. State Claims Hoke Owes Money For Prison Care By Marty Vega The Slate of North Carolina would like to collect some money fiotn Hoke County for unpaid bills, hut officials here indicate they are reluctant to part with the money. Invoices from the Department of Social Rehabilitation and Control havfe been sent to Sheriff D.M. Barrington listing various safekeeping charges for inmates who are in prison and I continuing an appeal, r The bills vary from a modest S56.25 for 25 days safekeeping, or room and board, to a whopping SI.885.08 lot a prisoner who required extensive medical and dental treatment. Barrington said he is unconcerned that the bills are made out to him. "I don't pay them. I send them over to (County Manager) T.B. Lester and forget them," he said. Barrington said counties all over the state have resisted paying and the disagreement lies in the interpretation of "commitment" to prison. "It is my duty, under the orders of Superior Court, to commit any convicted person who receives an active sentence. My instructions are to deliver that person to the N.C. Department of Corrections and I am bound by statute to carry out the orders of the court," he said. "Now, apparently, they're saying if the person is on appeal, he's not committed, and the county has to pay to keep him there." Barrington was not certain why the bills are not made out to the county, instead of in his name. "The only thing I can figure is that they (prisoners) are being committed in my name," the sheriff said. T.B. Lester said he had five invoices, dating from last year, in his files. "The sheriff said don't pay them," Lester shrugged. Lester said the state has not yet pressed him for the money and the only collection effort thus far was a second notice. The second notice was dated March 22 of this year and began by noting there has been "confusion" concerning the charges, and ended by requesting these invoices be "processed" as soon as possible. More to the point, however, are the enclosures which came with the letter. Sections of General Statutes 15-183 and 15-184 are liberally quoted, and references made to a few others, in a copy of an opinion rendered by former Attorney General Robert Morgan, dated July 16. 1970. According to Morgan, the conclusions reached were a prisoner is not a committed prisoner while an appeal is pendhtg, but rather is committed for custody. In other words, the message to the county is "pay up". Barrington made it clear he is not in agreement with the attorney general. "My personal opinion is the state should absorb this cost, because it is the taxpayers who are ultimately paying for it." the sheriff said. "This is really double taxation, if it's taken out of the county general fund, because the taxpayers of N.C. are already paying for the confinement of prisoners. We're paying twice." County Attorney Charles A. Hostetler said he was aware of the unpaid bills, but had not been asked officially to render an opinion. "I haven't made any great study of it," Hostetler said. "This is a fairly universal problem with the counties and 1 don't believe there has been any firm conclusion on it." Hostetler said he did not know what the outcome will be. "What will come of it. 1 don't know. I assume if the Attorney General'i office wanted lo make an issue of it, they would initiate a suit. The counties then might band together, possibly through the association, to fight it," he continued. Hostetler did offer a note of optimism. "You know, sometimes if you leave these things alone, they'll just go away." BETTER BATTER - Bob Gentry measures with care at the Kiwanis pancake supper. Many Problems Endanger Training For Handicapped The program to bus mentally and physically handicapped workers to a sheltered workshop near laurinhurg is in danger of closing if more funds aren't soon found. The Hoke County Association for the Developmentally Disabled had only S8.85 in the treasury last week for the sheltered workshop program. A fish fry held at Hillcrest fire station Saturday netted S48 and a $25 donation from the South Freedom AMF. Zion Sunday School. But, according to treasurer Mrs. Juanita Edmund, the association owes $488 to Scottish Crafts. Gasoline is the only expense involved in the program, she explained, because the two vans the association owns are paid for and the driver is paid from state mental health funds. However, soaring gas costs have nearly ended the sheltered workshop program for county residents. Mrs. Catharin Brown, secretary of the association, praised the program. "It's just a wonderful thing for the people," she said. "They're happy. They feel productive." Some workers have been placed in jobs from the workshop, she said, and one Hoke C'ountian averaged S85 at the Workshop by making gauae pads for hospitals. Leroy Horsley. association president, said the number of persons transported to the workshop daily varied from one to five. "We're at the point now, where if we don't get some more money, the van won't run next week." he said. "It's the gas costs that are just killing us." The program now receives regular donations from two Sunday school classes at Raeford United Methodist Church. In the beginning, there was a government grant, Mrs. Kdmund said. "But the government money ran out and the donations mostly ran out about the same time," she said. "Now most of the donations go to the day care center." The day care center, housed in the education building of First Baptist Church, has been open since January. It is equipped to care for 10 ? 12 youngsters and presently has nine children, aged 3 to 11, enrolled. According to Mrs. Edmund, the center is in slightly better financial condition. It is funded by state and federal grants and donations. Parents of the youngsters are not charged. The center receives S3.473.75 every three months in federal grants and $875 monthly from the state. Salaries at the center each month take $1,796 for the director and two aides and another S100 is paid for rent. Supplies must also be purchased. On hand in the center fund right now is SI ,679.48, Mrs. Edmund said. Mrs. Dorothy Johnson, director, explained the program at the center. "Our goal is (o try to prepare these children to enter the trainable retarded class or the educable class at the school," she said. "We teach them to help themselves." The oenter serves youngsters with moderate to severe retardation or physical handicaps. There are four boys and five girls. A speech therapist from the county school system comes four times a week. Activities are planned to improve the children's coordination and skills. In addition to Mrs. Johnson, the staff includes Mrs. Irina Coins and Mrs. Woodie Morrison. Hoke Unemployment Hits 10.7% During November Coroner Cleared Of Check Larceny County coroner G. Franklin Crumpler was cleared of larceny and assault charges in District Court Friday. Crumpler had been accused of stealing a check for $113 from Bud Brown, of Raeford, and assault by pointing a gun, in a dispute Nov. 12 at Crumpler's Handy Mart in Raeford. Brown, a former Knit-Away employee, testified he had gone to Crumpler's store to get his paycheck, which Crumpler had obtained from Knit-Away, and pay $10 on his account at the store. Brown, who cannot read or write, told the court Crumpler put the check face down on the counter and Brown signed his "X". Brown continued that Crumpler then pocketed the check and when Brown asked for his change, Crumpler drew a gun and told him to get out. Assistant district attorney Leighton McFarland did not introduce the check as evidence, or call Raeford Police Officer Charles Campbell, who investigated the incident and served Crumpler with the warrant. McFarland's questioning of Brown Unemployment in Hoke County has risen almost eight per cent during the past year, according to figures compiled hy the state Bureau of Employment Research. The rate has jumped more than two per cent in the last two months. Unemployment in November totaled 10.7 of the work force. A year ago, November figures were 2.8 per cent. In actual numbers, this is an increase of only 450 workers, a spokesman at the state bureau explained. Last November there were 210 persons listed as unemployed in the county and 7,300 employed. The total work force was listed at 7,510. This November the number of employed persons had dropped to 7,180 and the unemployment rolls had climbed to 860. During the past two months, unemployment took a sharp climb from 8.4 per cent in September to the November high of 10.7. Layoffs at local textile mills contributed heavily to the rise. According to Ray Partin, a statistician at the state Bureau of Employment Research, figures are not kept on small counties such as Hoke on a regular basis. Thus, it is difficult to plot a monthly rise or fall of employment. The November figures were compiled from a survey sent to major employers by the Fayetteville office of the Employment Security Commission. was interrupted three times by Judge Dupree, who corrected McFarland on key parts of testimony which were not understood by the state's attorney. Following Brown's testimony, the only prosectuion witness called, Crumpler made a motion of non ? suit of the larceny case after some prodding from Judge Dupree. The motion was granted and the case dismissed. Crumpler. representing himself, called three witnesses who identified themselves as employees of the store and testified they were present. Charles Ward testified he wasn't paying much attention, but did remember Brown enter and leave the store. Ward said he saw no gun. Harry Jones, another employee, tesitfied he remembered Brown come in the store and told the court "the next thing I knew he was gone". Jones stated he was standing a few feet from Brown at the time and never saw a gun. Stafford Gibson, the third witness called, testified he was watching gas pumps from a window. Gibson said he did not see a gun. Crumpler, who did not take the stand, made a motion for a directed verdict of not guilty at the suggestion of Judge Dupree, and he was pronounced not guilty . Staggered Terms Taken By County School Board The school board, all recently re-elected, began new terms Monday night after being sworn in. D.R. Huff, Jr., was named chairman and Dr. Riley Jordan was chosen vice-chairman. The members returned to a staggered term with Jordan, Robert Gibson and William Howell being sworn in for four year ierms. Huff and Wilton Wood will hold office for two years. The board approved several new teachers to begin at the second semester. Included were Dona Britt, who will replace Jewel Hudson in the Mcl-auchlin kindergarten and Hanna Revels, replacing Cynthia Crawford at the West Hoke kindergarten. Also approved were Clyde Parsons, who will replace Upchurch history and science teacher Brenda Smith, who is on maternity leave. Sammy Wilson will replace Sophia Bowman at Scurlock fifth grade and Dora Kennedy will replace Mary Hornaday teaching math at Upchurch. Betsy Sloan and Rlienda Cameron See STAGGERhD TERM. Page 15 Fireman Injured At Blaze A city volunteer fireman was injured Sunday afternoon fighting a blaze that gutted a frame house on Maxwell Street. Randall Ashburn was hospitalized with a cut tendon in his hand, according to Raeford fire chief Crawford Thomas Jr. Ashburn was expected to be released Tuesday. Thomas said Ashburn was hurt when his hand went through a window at the home. The fire started about 5:30 at the home of Edmond Jones at 233 Maxwell. No one was home at the time. Thomas said. Most of the interior of the home was destroyed and nearly all of the household goods were lost. The cause of \he fire has not been determined. Vacation Pay, Gifts Ready For Burlington Employees Burlington Industries employees will receive SI 2.5 million in vacation pay this calendar year, company officials reported this week. Half the amount was distributed to employees during summer vacation periods; the remaining half will be paid in mid ? December, to coincide with manufacturing plant vacation schedules. Jack Bradford and Gib Bernhardt, local plant managers, said the Burlington facilities will distribute the children's gifts on December 16. 1974. More than 74,000 Christmas gifts will be distributed to children age 12 and under throughout Burlington Industries. Late Hours For Stores Raeford stores will stay open until 9 most nights from now until Christmas. Downtown merchants agreed to the longer hours at a meeting Tuesday of the Merchants' Association. Stores will remain open until 9 p.m. today and tomorrow night and all next week. They will close at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Christmas Eve. The Christmas tree on the court house lawn is sponsored this year by the Merchants' Association.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Dec. 12, 1974, edition 1
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