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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
Volume LXXIV Number 41 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLIN A
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S10 PER YEAR Thursday, February 3, 1983
FOG ON 401 SOUTH - These two Coke trucks collided in the thick fog
on U.S. 401 some 4.2 miles south of Raeford about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. /45
a result, two separate accidents happened on the same stretch of highway
by 8 a.m., the investigating officer. State Trooper Scott Burgess, reported.
He said no charges were filed in any of the collisions because of the driving
conditions created by the fog. A Ford Pinto, a Ford Van, and an
Oldsmobile Cutlass also were involved in this accident, and two cars in
each of the others. Hoke County Tax Supervisor Larry Holt, en route to
his office, said he had stopped at the truck wreck, then was hit in the rear
by another vehicle. Holt was not hurt, but two other people in two other
Unemployment Rolls
Add 100 Residents
During December, while 70 Hoke County residents who had not worked
the previous month, found jobs, 100 workers here joined the ranks of the
unemployed.
Hoke County was among 43 other counties in the state which had in
creases in the jobless rate during December.
The increases have been pegged by state officials to temporary seasonal
layoffs, Hoke-Scotland counties Employment Security Commission
manager Burnis Graham said.
Other than those layoffs, Graham said he was unsure why the number of
unemployed persons here increased from 860 in November to 960 in
December.
The local employment security officials are also unsure what the jobless
rate will do here during January. Graham added.
In December. 7.020 persons were working in Hoke County out of a job
force of 7.980 for an unemployment rate of 12^o.
During November there were 7,050 persons working out of a smaller job
force of 7,910, or 10.9^0 unemployed.
The rate see-sawed throughout 1982, peaking in January with a rate of
13. 4^0 and reaching a low in June of 9.2?io.
The December rate was the third highest of the year.
It was the second straight month the jobless had increased here.
Statewide, the total unemployment rate declined from 9.5% in November
to 9.00?o in December, figures released from the state Employment Security
Commission show.
The December rate represented 262,700 unemployed persons, which was
a decrease of 16.000 from the previous month.
In December, the national unemployment rate climbed to 10. 5% or 11.6
million jobless.
During the month, 52 countics in North Carolina recorded double digit
unemployment. In December, a year ago, 19 counties had unemployment of
10?7o or more.
Dare County registered the highest unemployment at a rate of 29. 6% and
Orange County the lowest at 3.3?7o.
Unemployment also decreased in nine of the state's 10 standard
metropolitan statistical areas, including Fayetteville which moved down
from S^o to 8. 5^0 during December.
Around Town
by Um M?rit
We mentioned in this column
some months ago that the new ar
mory would be dedicated in the
near future. Since that time we
haven't heard much about the ar
mory or anything about a dedica
tion date.
Since the item appeared in the
column many old guardsmen have
asked when the date would be,
because they wanted to attend. If
anyone can furnish me any infor
mation on this subject I would cer
tainly appreciate it.
? * *
The weather over the weekend
was about as nice as one could ask
for in the last week of January.
Monday the temperature got up in
the (Ob and it was almost like a
summer day.
We know that this can not con
tinue for long, but it is nice while it
is here.
? ? ?
The Super Bowl Sunday was
about everything anyone could
want if they were pulling for the
Washington Redskins. The
weather for the game was fine and
even after the hard rains that had
been in California all week, the
field was in good condition. There
may have been one or two wet
spots, but nothing like the condi
tion of the field a week ago in
Miami.
The bookmakers missed the call,
but most of the experts said that if
(See AROUND TOWN, page 3)
cars were. Fog also figured in a car-truck collision on SR II 66 and 8.4
miles southeast of Raeford, State Trooper R. V. Lee, the investigating of
ficer, reported. He said no one was hurt, and damages vxere comparatively
slight. The driver of the car, Patricia Hunt Locklear, 28, of Rt. I, Red
Springs, was charged with driving left of center, Lee said. Her car struck
the rear wheels of the 1964 GMC truck, being driven by Gus Sturdivant,
28, of Rt. I, Radford. The truck is owned by County Commissioner James
Albert Hunt, who said he was driving a pickup truck behind the GMC
when the collision occurred. Hunt and his vehicle were not involved in the
accident. (Photo by Pam Frederick J.
WINTER SCENE -- Old mill spillway near Little W hale restaurant north
of Raeford is shown in this photo taken recent ly by Lktle Dees.
School Board Sustains
Suspension Of Teacher
Members of the Hoke County
Board of Education decided Tues
day to follow the advice of their at
torney and take no action on the
employment of a veteran high
school driving instructor, who was
arrested last week on gambling
charges.
"I've talked with our atlornev
and he advises to let it stay like it
is," Superintendent Raz Autry
told board members Tuesday
night.
Hoke High instructor Winford
Rogers, 46, of Rt. 2 Red Springs,
was suspended with pay from his
teaching duties January 25 by
Autry following the arrest three
days before.
Rogers is scheduled for trial
February 18, and the board decid
ed not to take any further action
on the matter until after the court
rules on the charges.
The veteran instructor was
charged with operating and play
ing a game of chance (poker) on
January 22, following a raid by the
Hoke County Sheriff's Depart
ment, Sheriff Dave Barrington
said.
Seven other men were charged
with playing a game of chance, the
sheriff said, identifying them as
Howard Lock tear, Rt. 1, Red
Springs; Nolan Bryant, Rt. 2.
Maxton; Tony Jacobs, Pinebluff;
Jimmy Hunt, Red Springs, Johnnv
Lee Jones, Rt. 1, Shannon; and
Paul Ransom. 419 W. Fifth Ave.,
Raet'ord.
Autry Naid if Rogers is acquitted
of the charges, he will be reinstated
in his job of driving education in
structor, but if he is convicted, the
board would have to decide on
starting dismissal proceedings.
The sheriff reported the eight
defendants were arrested when
Hoke deputies raided a poker
game being held in a pool hall
w hich Rogers allegedly operates on
Rt. 2. Red Springs.
He said the officers confiscated
$2,400 in cash in the raid.
The defendants are free on bond
for their appearance for trials.
Autry said he had received at
least four letters -- one last summer
and the others before then and all
anonymous complaining about
Rogers' alleged gambling ac
tivities. Autry said he made no of
ficial recommendation because the
letters were unsigned. He said
he talked with Rogers about them,
however, and also talked with
Rogers about two years ago, warn
ing htm about his alleged gambl
ing.
Autry expressed regret over the
situation, saying Rogers was an ex
cellent teacher.
Rogers has been with the Hoke
County school system since
September 1959, serving as a
classroom teacher at South Hoke
School until 1975 when he was ap
pointed a driving-education in
structor at Hoke County High
School.
Turkey Plant
Sets Sewer Pact
By Wirrta Johnston
The House of Raeford will have completed construction of a discharge
pre-treatment facility by March 31 and will be in compliance with the
municipal sewer ordinance, members of the Raeford City Council were tokl
Monday night.
If the turkey processing plant lives up to its promise, a charge levied by
the council in January will be waived.
However, if the plant does not meet the deadline, approximately S3 ,000
per month will be added to the $30,000 in surcharges already levied against
the House of Raeford.
Monday's agreement could end a 10-year struggle between the city and
the Firm, and could set the groundwork for the lifting of a state ban on new
industry here.
The city officials were told Monday during a specially called meeting that
the House of Raeford was going to spend in excess of $100,000 to construct
a pre-treatment facility, and the S 30, 000 in fines would make the project in
feasible.
Under the plan, the House of Raeford has agreed to:
?Provide the city with plans and specifications of the proposed pre
treatment plant.
?Give the city a timetable of construction and a letter outlining the hiring
of a Florida Firm to build the facility.
?Construct a pre-treatment facility which would meet the city's
discharge requirement of 400 milligrams Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
per liter of effluent by March 31. The agreement does relax the deadline if
the Firm is prohibited from working because of bad weather.
?Pay all Fines if levied on the city by the North Carolina Department of
Natural Resources and Community Development (NRCD) because of the
House of Raeford discharge.
?Pay a surcharge of approximately $5,000 per month plus $30,000 in
previously levied charges if the deadline is not met.
House of Raeford representatives George Kitchens and Tom Greer
assured council members during the "round table" meeting that all of the
conditions could be met and the work could be completed within 30 work
ing days.
The House of Raeford would sign a contract for the construction of the
facility with the Keystone, Florida Firm Royal Jones & Assoc. Inc. follow
ing the council meeting, Greer said.
According to the plans presented at the meeting. Royal Jones and Greer
said the firm intended to construct a pre-treatment facility which would
work on a gravity feed method and would not use pumps.
tSec TRKATMFNT PLANT, page 12)
Commission Stalls
On Ambulance Bid
by Bill Lindau
The Hoke County commis
sioners early Monday afternoon
heard requests for increases in
financial support for the Hoke
County Ambulance Service,
discussed items, then scheduled a
special meeting for Friday at 9
a.m. to consider a new contract.
Jim Henley, Ambulance Service
director and co-owner, explained
to the commissioners the service
needed a total $96,000 from the
county of a total potential
revenues of $129,475.29 for 1983
operation expenses. The remainder
would be provided by the $33,000
Henley estimates would be col
lected from patients. Henley also
wants the commissioners to allow
him to increase fees to help meet
costs.
The service receives $64,553 in
county funds.
During the discussion. Commis
sioner Wyatt Upchurch, chairman
of the Ambulance Committee
which has been studying the ser
vice's financial difficulties, asked
County Manager James Martin
whether a place for $86,000 (rather
than $96,000) could be found in
the county budget.
Earlier, the lower figure would
be considered if the county provid
ed a building and paid utilities ex
penses for the Ambulance Service,
which now operates from a former
private home on East Central
Avenue.
Henley also asked that if the
commissioners renewed the con
tract that it run to June 30, 1984,
as he didn't want to go into a
longterm contract because of
possible changes in the economic
situation which would effect
operating expenses.
The county commissioners de
Pilot Building
Southern National Bank ac
cepted the Hoke County commis
sioners' offer to pay $128,062 for
the Pilot Building and adjoining
lot in downtown Raeford.
Tuesday morning following a
discussion of the matter in a closed
meeting, the commission adopted
a motion approving the deal.
The motion provided that the
building be acquired "as is," and
the purchase include the lot at the
*
cided to hold another discussion
with Ambulance Service Director
Jim Henley at 1 p.m. Tuesday
following a lunch recess during
their regular meeting for February.
The commissioners agreed on
the additional session after hearing
Commissioner Wyatt Upchurch's
report of the recommendations
adopted by the Ambulance Com
mittee.
The recommendations, adopted
by majority or unanimous vote of
the five committee members, in
cluding Upchurch as chairman are:
--An ambulance service is need
ed in Hoke County.
-It's best operated as a private
enterprise (the present organiza
tion has given good service).
-The service should be con
tinued to be offered by the present
organization.
-The county staff should work
with the Ambulance Service.
--The service should be operated
at its present level -- neither higher
nor lower. This means it should
not be raised to paramedic but
should be no less than the present
intermediate Emergency Medical
Technician operation.
The Ambulance Service also
provides an advanced life support
system, installed last year, to in
creases the chances of an emergen
cy patient to survive en route to a
hospital.
Upchurch said most committee
members objected to raising to
paramedic, as Henley hopes to,
because the upgrading would
necessitate buying $15,000 worth
of additional equipment for each
of the service's three ambulances.
The vote was 3-2 against.
The study made by the Am
bulance Committee was requested
by the commissioners to find a
(See COUNTY MULLS, p*ge 12)
Deal Inked
rear of the building and extending
to Edinborough Avenue beside
Raeford Auto Co.
The commissioners have been
considering the acquisition for
several months, to provide needed
additional office space for county
government agencies.
The executive session was held at
the end of the morning portion of
the commissioners* regular
meeting for February.
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