The Hoke County News - Established 1 928
VOLUME LXXIIl NUMBER 35 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PKR YEAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24. 1981
Throughout the land, the season spreads a feeling of warmth and good cheer. To all of
you, we wish the very best of everything. Our sincere thanks for your patronage.
From the staff of
^Y\ew& - journal
Around T own
BY SAM C. MORRIS
Someone was by the office
Monday and said that they couldn't
remember a December as cold as
this one has been. It has been cold,
but I don't keep records and the
weatherman is not around at this
time to give me the figures. Of
course, the way the furnace has
k been running for the past week,
maybe the fuel bill will give me an
indication as to how cold it was this
month.
I haven't played golf this month
and can't remember another De
cember I didn't play since I took up
the game.
Anyway winter is now officially
here, so we must put up with the
cold weather.
If you haven't heard, you will be
sorry to hear that Mrs. Dot
Cameron. Hoke librarian fell in
Winston-Salem last week and
broke her hip. She is now in
Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Win
ston-Salem.
Make her Christmas happy by
sending her a get well card.
The address i?:
f Mrs. Dorothy Cameron
Forjyth Memorial Hospital
Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem. N.C. 27102
How many of you has Dot helped
at the library?
* * *
The passing of Joe McAnulty of
Raleigh last week took another of
the men that I serviced in the army
with in World War II.
Joe was a native of Hoke County
and attended school at Hoke High.
He left with us for the army when
the National Guard was inducted in
1940.
His funeral and burial were held
Sunday at Shiloh Presbyterian
Church at Montrose.
? * #
Don't forget that the school
children are out of school and will
be playing during the day and
maybe some of them will be on the
streets.
Also, on Christmas Day they will
be trying out their new bikes,
skates and etc. So watch for them
and let's not spoil someone's
Christmas
Another thing to remember is, if
you must drink while attending a
(Ste AROUND TOWN, page 13)
Hollings worth , 94
Found Dead In Woods
A 94-year-old man, discovered
missing about 2 a.m. December 13
from his daughter's home on Vass
Road, was found dead about 3:12
p.m. December 15 in woods just off
the U.S. 401 bypass near Webb's
Tire Servicc north of Raeford.
Natural cause was believed re
sponsible for the death of the man,
William Hollingsworth, but his
body was sent to the State medical
examiner's office at Chapel Hill for
an autopsy to determine the speci
fic cause. The findings had not
been received before press time.
His body was found about 1 ' 4
miles from the home of his daugh
ter. Mrs. K.C. McNair, where he
had been living. A search by the
Hoke County Rescue Squad, an
Army helicopter crew, law en
forcement officers, and a tracking
dog had failed to find him? His
body was found by Marion Hol
lingsworth of Rt. 2, Raeford,
described as Hollingsworth's
grandson. The Hoke County She
riffs Department reported Marion
Hollingsworth had been hunting
for the older man with Roscoe
McMillian and Spencer Singletary
when William Hollingsworth's
shews were found on the ground at
an entrance to a path. Following
the path, Marion Hollingsworth
found the body.
William Hollingsworth had been
reported lightly dressed when he
left home on foot. The weather had
been extremely cold during the
period he had been missing.
His most recent birthday had
been December II. the birth date
on the sheriffs department report
shows.
The sheriff's department was
notified of his disappearance by his
daughter. She had last seen him
alive on Saturday night ai bedtime.
The funeral for Mr. Hollings
worth was held Sunday afternoon
in Piney Grove Baptist Church.
Burial was in Leach Springs
Church cemetery.
Christmas Party
A Christmas party for senior
citizens was given Tuesday night at
Laurel Hill Church in the South
Hoke community.
For Hoke County People
Christmas, New
Year's Holidays
Hoke County government offices, courts and schools and most
businesses will be closed for varying times for the Christmas and New
Year's holidays.
The holiday for the school students started with the end of classes
for Friday. Classes won't start again till the morning of January 4.
Raeford city government offices will be closed Christmas Day, and
the following Monday, besides the weekend days, and January 1.
The city-Hoke County landfill will be closed Christmas Day and
Saturday but will be open Monday.
District Court will have none of its sessions this week or New
Year's Day. The court's regular business days are Thursday and
Friday.
The Hoke County government offices will be closed Christmas
Eve. Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The county
commissioners were to give a reception at the Lester Building
Wednesday for the county employees.
There will be no story hour this week at the Hoke County Public
Library. The library will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,
Saturday and Sunday. It will be open Monday for business as usual.
The Raeford Post Office will have no mail service, incoming or
outgoing, Christmas and New Year's days.
The federal offices also will be closed Christmas and New Years,
and state offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for Christmas,
and January 1 for New Year's.
The News-Journal office will be closed Thursday and Friday for
Christmas and on New Year's Day.
Dog Warden Hearing
Resumed Wednesday
The Hoke County Advisory Personnel Board planned to resume
Wednesday its hearing of the appeal of William Hales from his firing
as county dog warden, board chairman Hugh Lowe said Monday
afternoon.
The hearing, which began Thursday afternoon, was recessed after
Thursday's session till Monday morning, then continued into the
afternoon.
Lowe said the board will make its report after that, and give Hales
and County Manager James Martin written copies of the
proceedings.
The hearings are closed to the public. Lowe told a reporter in
replying to questions that two witnesses testified before the board
Monday but said he could not disclose their names or whether they
testified for the county or for Hales.
He also said he still could not make public the reason for Hales's
firing November 23.
At Thursday's hearing, the board heard testimony from County
Attorney Duncan McFadyen, Phil Diehl, Hales's attorney, Mrs.
Susan McKenzie of Seven Lakes, Moore County, a former County
Health Department administrative assistant, and M.R. Mills,
county sanitarian when he retired February 28. 1980. Mrs.
McKenzie left her position January 25, 1979, and was replaced by
Lloyd Home, the current administrator.
The dog warden is on the Health Department staff.
Lowe said the board would issue its report between Christmas and
New Year's day. The report will include the board's recommenda
tion whether Hales's firing be rejected or upheld. The county
manager has the final decision on whether to accept or reject the
recommendation. He must make his decision within three working
days after receiving the board's written report.
The SB1 has investigated Hales also but the investigation was
independent of Hales's firing. The reason for the investigation, like
the reason for the firing, have been kept from the public by the
authorities concerned.
The SBI investigation had been requested by Assistant District
Attorney Jean Powell. The Hoke County Sheriffs Department was
not called in and would have declined if it had been called, because,
according to Sheriff David Barrington. the sheriff s deputy or
deputies who would have been investigating Hales are county
employees; hence, a county employee or employees would have been
investigating a county employee.
None of the members of the advisory board are county employees.
As A Condition Of Suspending Sentence
Payment To Victim's
Children Ordered
The driver involved in a fatal
one-ear accident November 18 was
ordered to help support of the
victim's minor children, among
other conditions of suspending a
jail sentence Thursday bv District
Court Judge Joseph E. Dupree.
The defendant. Vernon Scott
Hales. 31. of Rt. 12. Fayetteville,
pleaded guilty to charges of un
intentional death by motor vehicle
and of driving under the influence
of intoxicating liquor.
The charges were filed shortly
after Mrs. Betty Carol Starling. 29,
of Rt. 3. Fayetteville, died No
vember 1 9 shortly after midnight,
of injuries suffered about 11 p.m.
November 18 in the accident on SR
1441 in Hoke County and about
four miles from Parkton.
The car. which was being driven
south by Hales, ran off the right
side of the road when Hales lost
control. It skidded hack across the
road, struck a ditch embankment
and overturned twice, pinning Mrs.
Starling under the vehicle, the
State Highway Patrol reported.
Dupree sentenced Hales to six to
18 months, and suspended the
sentence for 2Vi years on the
conditions Hales pay S100 per
month tor the next 18 months into
the clerk of Superior Court clerk's
office to be turned over to Samuel
Starling of Rt. 1. Roseboro for the
use of Mrs. Starling's minor child
ren. The judge also ordered as
conditions of the suspension that
the defendant pay court costs and
fine of SI 00. and surrender his
operator's liccnse and not drive for
12 months. The judgment also
provides that the funds to be paid
for the benefit of the children be in
addition to any other liability the
defendant might face under law.