25 ^ ? e ~i ew*
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLIJMF. IA1X NUMBER 40 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 197B
Violent Windstorm Strikes Hoke
, ?
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The wind that hit Hoke County
last Wednesday night and stayed
around until Thursday night did
right much damage. It would be
impossible to count the number of
trees that were blown over or the
? amount of damage that was in
curred by shingles being blown off
houses or the damage that hit many
mobile homes.
The good news of all this was
that no one, as far as we can
1 determine, was hurt during the
wind storm.
Since the wind has died down, a
low pressure area has settled over
the state, and the weather has been
cold. According to forecast, it will
be with us the remainder of the
week.
? ? *
A comment about one tree that
was uprooted. The pine that fell in
Ed Brown's yard is approximately
50 years old. This writer lived in a
house that burned a few years ago
on that property and can remember
when that group of pines were
seeded or planted. 1 moved into a
house there when 1 was about three
or four years old and remember the
trees being planted in the front
yard.
So maybe 1 am getting along in
years when you look at the trunk of
that pine.
* * *
Another incident that came out
of the wind storm, which 1 will pass
along, concerns one of the reporters
here at the paper.
Either last Thursday or Friday,
as Charles Blackburn was going
? around the county taking pictures
of the damage that the storm had
done, when a man came up to him
at a mobile home that had been
overturned, and the man was all
smiles.
Charles said he didn't know what
to do for a minute or two. but he
stood his ground and w aited to hear
what the man had to say.
The man was the owner of the
mobile home and when he saw
Charles with a camera he thought
he was the insurance adjustor. Of
course the smile left his face when
he found out it was only a
newspaper man taking pictures.
(He knew they wouldn't be giving
out money)
? * *
If you have been watching the
news on television in the past few
days you w ill realize that other folks
are having more trouble with
weather than we in Hoke County.
But from most adversities comes
good. The folks that were snow
bound and had to stay over in
strange places, all commented on
how everyone wanted to do some
thing for them. Yes. when you are
in real need, the American people
will come to your aid.
? ? ?
^ Two things that you should
^remember:
The date for filing for office ends
Monday. February 6. So if you
intend to file, be sure and check
with the clerk at the Board of
Elections office before the hour for
filing closes.
The other deadline is closer than
you think. That is getting your
license tags. The deadline is Feb
ruary 15. but the lines will form,
starting about February 10th. So
beat the rush and get your tags this
week.
* * *
Bill Moses was in charge of the
program last Thursday night at the
Raet'ord Kiwanis Club meeting.
Bill had Lester Simpson, county tax
supervisor, who talked about the
tax structure in Hoke County and
how values and tax rates were
fixed. The program was very
informative and after Les talked,
he was asked many questions
concerning the county and things
that pertained to taxes.
* * *
Last week we mentioned some
thing about that it was the time for
folks to start thinking about class
reunions. This has brought forth
the following from Mrs. Harriett S.
^McDonald.
^ The Hoke County High School
Class of I960 is planning a reunion
for May. 13. Anyone in the class
during 1958-1960 is urged to
attend.
Mail your name and address to
Mrs. Harriett S. McDonald. P.O.
Box 36, Raeford. or call 875-4209
(See AROUND TOWN. Page II)
- ? ?
OVERTURNED -- Kip Muroney poses with his mobile home Thursday morning after it was blown over during the
night. The home is behind the Hillcrest Fire Department east of Raeford. Maroney said the home went over
around midnight and that he jumped out of the door as it rolled. The windstorm had gusts of up to HO miles an
hour and caused property damage in the county estimated in the thousands of dollars.
Sheriff Harrington Files
Four more local candidates,
including incumbent Sheriff D.M.
Barrington. filed for office here this
week, according to the Hoke
County Board of Elections.
G. Franklin Crumpler filed for
county coroner; Robert L. Doby
filed for the county board of
commissioners; and Dr. Riley Jor
dan filed for re-election to the local
school board.
Barrington
In making his announcement.
Sheriff Barrington said:
"Today I paid my filing fee
seeking a fifth term of office as
Sheriff of Hoke County. I feel that
at 44 years of age. with 22 years of
experience as a law enforcement
officer, all with the Hoke County
Sheriffs Department, along with
the various training schools at
tended throughout the years. 1 am
well qualified to continue to serve
as Sheriff of Hoke County.
"During my four terms of office,
the department has grown from a
sheriff and two deputies, one of
which also served as a jailer, to a
modern professional operation con
sisting of: 1 1 deputies, including a
three-man Detective Division; four
radio operators, who also serve as
jailers; two matrons: one office
clerk: and the sheriff, for a total of
14 people in the department, which
now provides 24-hour service.
"We have a modern communica
tions system including the Police
Information Network, which gives
us contact with every county in
North Carolina and every state in
the Union. We also provide com
munications for the various rural
fire departments, the Hoke County
Rescue Squad, the Hoke County
Ambulance Service, the Dog War
den. and the Hoke County ABC
Officer.
"In 1%8. we moved into a new
jail, which is still one of the most
modern facilities in the state. None
of these things could have been
accomplished without the coopera
Young Not
Paid With
LEAA Funds
A local police detective who filed
as a candidate for Hoke County
SheritYis not being paid through a
federal program, according to city
officials.
It was reported earlier in the
week that Harvey Young, who has
been a Raeford police officer for
the past two years, might be in
violation of the federal Hatch Act
in running for the office because a
portion of his salary was paid
through a grant from the Law
Enforcement Assistance Adminis
tration (LEAA).
Raeford City Manager Robert
Drumwright said Tuesday that
Young's salary is not being paid
with LEAA funds. Drumwright
said the city's entitlement under
LEAA ran out last October when it
drew its final grant of SI. 30.
Dave M. Barrington
tion of the citizens of Hoke County
and the various county commis
sioners I have had the opportunity
to serve with during the last lb
years.
"If nominated as your Democra
tic candidate for Sheriff in the May
2 primary. I pledge continued good
and progressive law enforcement,
and 1 promise to serve all the
citizens of Hoke County fairly,
impartially, and to the best of my
ability, at the least possible expense
to the taxpayers of this county."
Barrington. a lifelong resident of
Hoke County, is married to the
former Billie Skinner of Hertford.
They have four children.
So far he faces two challengers
in the May primary. Raeford police
detective Harvev Young and J.
(Sec FILING. Page II)
Robert L. Doby
Dr. Rilev At. Jon/an
Coy Brewer Files
For Judge's Race
Coy E. Brewer. Jr., Superior
Court Judge for the 12th Judicial
District, announced his intention to
file for election for that office this
week. Brewer was appointed Supe
rior Court Judge by Gov. James
Hunt in November.
In making his announcement.
Brewer stated. "This is a period of
important new directions in the
court system, particularly the
criminal justice process. There is a
movement toward speedier trials,
greater consistency in sentencing,
restitution for victims of crimes and
more emphasis on prosecution of
career criminals. It is my committ
ment to continue to participate
meaningfully in these new direc
tions that leads me to seek election
to this important office. "
Brewer, a native of Cumberland
County, received his undergraduate
degree from Wake Forest Univer
sity and a J.D. degree with honors
from the University of North
Carolina Law School. Prior to his
appointment as Superior Court
Judge. Brewer served as District
Court Judge and Assistant District
Coy b~. Brewer, Jr.
Attorney tor the Twelfth Judical
District.
He is a former research assistant
lor Justice Dan Moore of the N.C.
Supreme Court, and was in private
law practice with the firm of
Murcnison, Fox and Newton in
(Sec BREWER. Page II)
Hurricane force winds clocked at up to 80 miles an hour whipped
through Hoke County last Wednesday night ripping the roore off
mobile homes, uprooting trees, downing power lines and peeling the
tin off barns and sheds.
Shingles were blown off houses, and TV antennas were twisted. At
least one mobile home in the county overturned. A sawmill suffered
extensive wind damage, as did a shed at the city garage. The wind
also tore off a portion of the roof at McCain Hospital.
Although property damage was estimated in the thousands of
dollars, no injuries were reported.
Midnight Blast
It appears that the most violent gust came around midnight last
Wednesday. That was when the roof of Barbara Kershaw's mobile
home was ripped off. The home is on a dirt road in an area behind
Upchurch Junior High School.
She said that the roof made quite a racket when it was blown off.
Peeled off the trailer like the lid of a sardine can, the roof came to
rest in the front yard, wrapped around a tree. Insulation was
scattered down the road.
The Kershaw home was anchored and that may have saved it from
being blown over. She said she and her four children would be
staying with her mother temporarily until they could make other
arrangements.
Overturned
Kip Maroney, who lived in a mobile home behind the Hillcrest
Fire Department, just managed to get out of his trailer as it was
blown over about midnight Wednesday.
"1 looked out the door and noticed that the trailer was about a foot
from the steps," he said Thursday. "Then it started to shake, and I
jumped out the front door as it was going over."
Maroney was sitting in his car in front of the overturned home
Thursday when The News-Journal reporter drove up. When
Maroney saw the camera, he began to smile.
"Are you the claims adjustor?" he asked.
The home was testing on cinder blocks and would have rolled over
completely if not for an oil drum that wedged under one side.
Maroney said he went through the home Wednesday night and
turned off the electricity to prevent a fire. Inside, his belongings were
topsy-turvy.
Sawmill
The wind was still kicking up a fuss Thursday morning as Bob
Williams surveyed the damage to a sawmill at Williams Lumber Co.
and Sawmill in the Puppy Creek area off Highway 401.
"It will cost us about $3,000 to replace the wiring and repair the
shed where it collapsed," he said.
It appeared that the wind had lifted one end of the shed, causing
the supports to buckle. Williams said the sawmill was not insured.
Trees Downed
Quite a few trees were uprooted by the windstorm. The public
library on Main Street in Raeford had a close call as a tall pine was
fairly twisted to the breaking point by the wind. It came crashing
down dangerously close to the building.
Another pine fell across East Prospect Avenue not far from the
city limits. A crew cut it up and moved it early Thursday morning. A
tree was uprooted in a yard on Harris Avenue. Elsewhere in town
lawns were cluttered by tree limbs and sprigs of pine littered the
streets.
Power Outages
According to the Lumbee River Electric Membership Corpora
tion. which serves rural areas of Hoke. Scotland, Cumberland and
Robeson counties, the wind caused interruptions in electric service to
7.000 of its 17,000 customers.
General Manager Berl Hinson said line crews for the cooperative
began answering power outage reports at about 10 p.m. Wednesday
and worked continually throughout the night and all day Thursday
until about 8 p.m.
"Most of the main lines were back in service at that time," Hinson
said. "However, some consumers were without power through the
night. It was a bad storm that caused tremendous damage and left
many people without power."
Carolina Power and Light reported comparatively light damage in
Raeford and surrounding rural areas. Ed Klingenschmidt, line and
service supervisor in Raeford, said Tuesday that electric service was
interrupted for an hour, at most. Wednesday night for some of the
company's rural users.
"The damage was real light in comparison to other areas in the
Sandhills," he said. "We spent two days in the Southern Pines area
helping crews restore service."
He said about the only interruption CP&L had here was from
11:30 to 12:30 Wednesday night. The damage was minimized in
Raeford because of the good job done by the company's
tree-trimmers, he said.
McCain Hospital
This week officials at McCain Hospital were keeping an eye out for
rain clouds. The wind took part of the roof off one wing of the main
building, and area roofing companies have been so swamped with
work in the wake of the storm that, as of Tuesday, the hospital roof
had gone unrepaired.
Assistant Administrator Charles Pullen said Tuesday morning
that he was expecting a crew from Sanford to put down some tar
paper as a temporary measure until repairs can be made. He said no
monetary estimate of the damage had been made.
The roof was a composite of tar paper, shingle and gravel and so
much of it blew off that the main driveway at the hospital was
blocked by the debris Thursday morning. Two vents from the root
and a lot of gravel were scattered on the lawn. Pullen said workmen
were unable to go on the roof Thursday because of high winds.
He took a News-Journal reporter on an inspection of the damage
Friday morning, holding the ladder so the reporter could climb up
and have a look.
The reporter gave little thought to scaling the steep slate roof, but
the trip down gave him a different perspective on the two-story
buildings. Pullen, gazing up trom below, seemed to be wonering if
the hospital had sufficient insurance coverage.
Insurance
Speaking of insurance, when insured property is damaged, as in
the windstorm, property owners should make temporary repairs
promptly to protect against further damage. Their insurance will
cover the expense, an insurance spokesman said.
(See WINDSTORM. PaBc ll>