The News-Journal
Established 1928 ? -
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
Volume LXXV Number 27 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
$10 PER YEAR
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
25 CENTS Thursday, October 27, 1983
Housing Units OK'd
By Sherry Matthews
A third federally subsidized
housing project has been approved
for the Raeford area by the
| Farmer's Home Administration
(FmHA) in Raleigh, state officials
said last week.
"We have approved the con
struction of a new 28 unit apart
ment complex that will be located
just off South Main Street," FHA
official James McNeill said.
The 28 new units will be housed
on a 5.0 acre tract of land and will
feature one and two bedroom
| houses for low income families.
According to McNeill, 14 of the
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The rain came Saturday and
Sunday and it was too late for
fc some of the crops, but the water
level was getting low, so it was
needed. From all reports this sec
tion of the state received from two
to three inches of rain. This is not
official as we haven't received a
report from Robert Gatlin as this is
being written.
The forecast is for the
temperature to be in the 70s for the
remainder of the week during the
day and in the 50s at night. This is
^ good fall weather.
? * *
Don't forget the Halloween Car
nival at Upchurch School on
Saturday night from 5 to 10. The
festivities will benefit the TMH
classes in the schools. Wear a
costume.
?
The North Carolina State Fair
had perfect weather until Saturday
and then the rains came and cut
down on the attendance. They
should have had approximately
600,000 to attend the fair and this
would be below the attendance last
year.
Many from Hoke County at
tended and from all reports it was
) worth the trip to Raleigh.
The Ingathering at Antioch was
well attended as is always ex
pected. The weather was on the
cool side and eating outside was
pleasant, without the gnats and
flies.
We went early this year and
Q missed seeing some of the folks we
usually see at the ingathering but
the fellowship and food was tops
as it always is at the county in
gatherings.
Usually at the ingatherings you
run into politicians, but as this is
an off year they were not in atten
dance, or at least were not looking
you up like they do in an election
year.
Q We hope they continue to have
ingatherings, because it is a good
time to see people you miss seeing
during the year.
? ? ?
All veterans of World War II,
the Korean War and the war in
Vietnam don't forget about the
_ parade on Armistice Day,
? November 11th. This is being
sponsored by the local American
Legion Post and they want all
' veterans to march in the parade.
Get in touch with Earl McDuffie
if you haven't done so at this time.
I had a little surgery last Friday
morning. Nothing serious, but had
^ to stay in the house until Monday
" afternoon. It happened at a good
time because during the weekend
there were plenty of football games
to keep me entertained. If it had
been during the week, I guess the
wails would be scarred with me try
ing to crawl them. Soap operas are
not for my viewing.
Friday afternoon Lester Seals of
" Austin, Texas came by the house
_ with Graham Clark. Lester and I
m were in the army together and
B (See AROUND, page 10A)
28 units will involve rental
assistance programs that help pro
vide low income families with
housing.
Proposed rents for the new units
will range from $180 a month for
one bedroom apartments to $199 a
month for two bedroom units.
These rates are "adjusted
down" according to the future te
nant's income, McNeill said.
The five acres of land, bought
for the project, were purchased by
the developer for $42,000, or
$8,400 per acre, and an additional
$844,600 will be tagged to the units
for development costs, McNeill in
dicated.
At the prices described by
McNeill, each unit under construc
tion will cost $30,253.
Construction of the new project,
presently billed as the Lantern
Lanes Apartments, will begin
around the "first of the year," ac
cording to developer Shelton
Weeks.
"We have not gotten our com
plete package laid out yet. 1 will
not know for two or three weeks
when I can expect construction to
begin," Weeks said.
Although Weeks isn't quite sure
Ghostly walk
Monica Collins (left) appears to have a strange companion during this
Halloween outing. However, the ghostly figure wasn't in a mood to
walk, and chose to remain hanging around a Hoke County
neighborhood. Monica is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney ( ol
lins of Raeford. ( Photo and Skeleton by Roland Fulk).
Grand Jury Indicts
Ten area men were indicted
Monday by the Hoke County
Grand Jury on charges ranging
from breaking, entering and
larceny to robbery with a
dangerous weapon.
Kaseen Geonti Sterling, 18, of
Raeford was indicted on two
seperate charges of robbery with a
dangerous weapon.
In the first indictment, Sterling
has been charged with the July 18
robbery at gunpoint of Huffman's
Grocery located at Rt. 3, Raeford.
During the robbery, between
$40-550 was taken from the
register.
Also indicted in connection with
the Huffman robbery was Willie
Tyrone McPhatter, 19, of Rt. 4,
Raeford.
McPhatter was also charged and
indicted on two counts of robbery
with a dangerous weapon.
Sterling and McPhatter were
also involved with a second rob
bery for which they were indicted
Monday.
Both men were indicted in con
nection with the July 12 robbery of
The Pantry located on East Cen
tral Avenue.
In The Pantry robbery only a
clerk's pocketbook was stolen.
Both robberies were similar in
that a small caliber pistol was used,
and the men were wearing tobog
gans over their faces during the
crimes.
Samuel David Faulkner of Hoke
County was also indicted Monday
by the Grand Jury for the break
ing, entering and larceny of Parks
Grocery Store at Rt. 1, Aberdeen.
The indictment shows that
Faulkner is being charged with tak
ing a case of assorted cigarettes, a
battery charger, 30 cans of beer
and 22 blank checks valued at over
S500.
Two Hoke residents were in
dicted Monday for the August 20
breaking, entering and larceny at
Jackson Tire Service at Rt. 2,
Raeford.
The indictment indicates that
Bernard Wendell Tabit and Marvis
Tvrone Montgomery were involv
For Raeford
when the project will get "off its
feet," plans are to have the new
units completed by next spring.
"We can't be sure this early
when they will be ready, but 1 am
hoping the units can be completed
by April or May," McNeill said.
Although the newest project
won't be ready for tenants until
next spring, one Raeford housing
project is complete with tenants
and another is getting the finishing
touches applied before applica
tions are distributed next month.
The Yadkin Trail Homes,
located on Wooley Street, are near
completion and will be ready for
occupants Novermber 1.
Within the 14.86 acres of land is
48 one, two and three bedroom
units. Rents range from $292 for a
one bedroom unit to $430 for a
three bedroom apartment.
Those rents will be adjusted to
fit the income levels of the tenants
with the federal Department of
Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) picking up the remaining
tab.
The developers of the project
have paid $124,000, or $8,344 per
acre, for the 14.86 tract with con
struction costs of $1.25 million.
According to those figures, each
of the 48 units in the Yadkin Trail
site, was constructed for $26,041.
A third housing project, located
on North Fulton Drive in Raeford,
is completed and housing tenants.
The Meadows Apartments were
completed during the summer and
became Raeford's first subsidized
housing project to be approved by
the Raeford Housing Authority.
Various other projects have been
proposed in the past 11 years, but
were scrapped or delayed because
of adverse public reactions and
other factors.
(See HOUSING, page 14A)
Testimony Continues
In Stabbing Trial
By Sherry Matthews
Jurors were expected to begin
hearing defense testimony
Wednesday as the trial of a Fayet
teville woman, charged with the
February stabbing death of her
stepfather, entered its third day.
The jury of eight women and
four men could begin deliberations
by the end of the day, court of
ficers say.
Victoria S. Burnette, 21, who is
charged with the second degree
murder of her step-father Roger
Keith Shannon, expected to base
her defense on sexual harrassment.
Shannon's body was found stab
bed to death February 8 in a wood
ed area between Rockfish and
Arabia.
Burnette was arrested and charg
ed in connection with the stabbing
two weeks later on February 23 by
Hoke County Sheriff's Deputies.
In opening remarks Monday,
Assistant District Attorney Jean
Powell painted a seamy picture for
the jury of the events leading up to
and after the murder of Shannon.
According to Powell, Burnette
denied any knowledge of her step
father's death during initial ques
tioning by Hoke Sheriff Dave Bar
rington, but later confessed to the
stabbing of Shannon.
Powell told the jurors that Shan
non had received 11 stab wounds,
six to the chest, two in the ab
domen, one in the back, one in the
left arm and one in the left leg.
Powell also told jurors that
Shannon had been "handcuffed"
prior to the stabbing, and that the
victim had received head lacera
tions "consistent with someone
kicking the body."
Powell also explained to the jury
that Burnette was charged with
"unlawfully" killing her step
father, and that the defendant had
commited the act "with malice."
Defense attorney Bobby Deaver
told jurors that Burnette's admit
ted action of killing her step-father
was an "act of self-defense."
"Every killing is not unlawful.
A person has a right to defend
themselves," Deaver said in open
ing remarks.
According to Deaver, Shannon's
murder "culminated" in Hoke
County, but it did not "originate"
here.
Burnette had been "sexually
assualted" by her step-father at an
"early age," Deaver said.
The defense will prove that
Burnette was forced to leave home
because of the sexual assualt and
later threats on her life, Deaver
told the jury.
Defense attorneys Deaver and
Willis Brown are also expected to
show that the "trauma" developed
after the assuait forced Burnette
into a life of drugs and homosex
uality.
"She was forced to leave. She
was trying to escape the horrible
nightmare," Deaver told the jury.
Prior to the incident. Shannon
had displayed "masochistic"
tendencies that Burnette was sub
jected to during her stay in the his
Ft. Bragg home, Deaver said.
"She had to do it," Deaver said.
According to Deaver, Burnette
had agreed to take Shannon to
meet some friends on the night of
the stabbing.
Deaver informed the jurors that
Shannon later took over the
driver's position and eventually
headed his light blue truck down
Rockfish road towards a "wooded
area."
"She went with him that night
because she wanted to make peace
with her step-father for her
mother's sake," Deaver said.
Shannon made advances toward
Burnette while out in the woods
and even said he was going to rape
her again, the defense attorney
said.
Burnette began stabbing at
(See MURDER, page 14A)
Man Dies In Hoke C
ounty Jail
A Moore County man, con
victed Friday on Driving While Im
paired (DWI) charges, died early
Saturday morning in the Hoke
County Jail.
According to Hoke Sheriff Dave
Barrington, this was the first in
mate death to occur in the county
jail.
Eddie Hubert McCrimmon, 48,
of West End, apparently died in
his sleep, after being tried Friday
in Hoke District Court on four
separate misdemeanor charges.
McCrimmon's body has been
sent to the Chief Medical Ex
aminer's Office in Chapel Hill
where an autopsy will be perform
ed, the sheriff said.
Although the cause of death has
not been determined, local law of
ficials are speculating that Mc
Crimmon died from natural
causes.
McCrimmon was given a 90-day
jail sentence by Hoke District
Court Judge Joe Dupree on four
separate charges.
The defendant had been charged
with driving without a license,
Suspects
ed with the theft of 16 tires valued
at SI, 000 from the tire service
store.
In unrelated charges, Michael
Todd Foster was indicted for the
apparent August 13 escape from
Sandhills Youth Center
Foster had been convicted by a
Durham Superior Court July 29
and ordered confined at the San
dhills Center.
Joseph Anthony Weatherford
was indicted on possession of
stolen goods charges.
The indictment shows that
Weatherford was apparently in
possession of items stolen during
the Parks Grocery Store robbery,
Arthur Lee Thomas was indicted
on breaking and entering charges.
According to the indictment,
Thomas allegedly broke into the
home of Neill McFadyen with the
intent of committing a larceny.
The men indicted Monday are
expected to appear in the next ses
sion of Hoke Superior Court
scheduled for November 14.
Inside Today
At the JRA Industry plant,
formerly the Tex-Elastic Cor
poration. this employee
secures one of the many spools
of yarn that is prepared each
day for use in women's sup
port hose. The machines
within the plant run seven days
a week with three shifts keep
ing the lines of yarn moving.
According to one JRA
spokesman, the machines are
only shut down three times a
year. We take a look at JRA
and Burlington Industries on
page one, Section B of today 's
News-Journal.
transporting open liquor, and
possessing non-tax paid liquor.
McCrimmon had also been
charged under the new DW1 law.
He was found guilty on all four
charges and was instructed to
spend 90 consecutive days in the
Hoke Jail. McCrimmon was given
credit for the nine days he had
already spent confined.
After the sentencing, McCrim
mon was escorted back to the jail
His body was found by Chief
Jailer Everett Bowen early Satur
day morning when the jailer could
not wake the inmate for breakfast.
City Garners
4th Award
By Sherry Matthews
For the fourth consecutive year,
the City of Raeford was presented
the Governor's Community of Ex
cellence Award.
The ceremonies, held Wednes
day in Raleigh's Civic Center,
marked the sixth year that North
Carolina cities were awarded for
their "hard work and devotion" to
bringing industrial growth to the
state.
"We have won this award for
the past four years, and we are
very proud of it," City Manager
Ron Matthews said,
Matthews, along with Mayor
John K. McNeill, City Councilman
Vardell Hedgpeth, County Com
mission Chairman John Balfour,
County Manager James Martin,
Chamber of Commerce Director
Earl Fowler and Chamber Presi
dent Steve Parker were on hand
Wednesday to accept the award
and attend the industrial develop
ment conference.
(See CITY, page 13A)