Hoke Investigators Checking
Out-Of-T own Drug Suspects
* By Sherry Matthews
Local law enforcement officers
are beginning an "out of state"
probe into the ownership of the
twin engine plane, loaded with an
$800,000 marijuana cargo, that
touched down at the Raeford Air
port two weeks ago, Hoke Sheriff
Dave Barrington said Tuesday.
"We are continuing to follow up
all leads," Barrington said.
According to Barrington. local
P and stale officials are waiting for a
fingerprint analysis and "other
tests" that might lead to the pilot
of the abandoned aircraft.
"Officers are out of town right
now looking into this investiga
tion," Barrington said.
Fayetteville Division State
Bureau of Investigation (SBI)
senior agent Frank Johnson also
agreed that the investigation was
P "very much continuing."
"We have some leads, bat
nothing that we can talk about at
this point," Johnson said.
Although both local and state
officials remain mum as to who the
5100,000 Piper-Aztec plane
belongs to, sources say that the air
craft is owned by a North Carolina
resident.
Aboard the plane, which touch
ed down at the Raeford Airport
two weeks, were 982 pounds of
marijuana, compressed into 26
bales and estimated to be worth
nearly $800,000.
The plane had been spotted in
the Raeford area before the
November 26 seizure, Barrington
said.
Barrington said in an earlier in
terview that the plane had been
spotted in the Raeford area three
months ago and was picked up
again in the Laurinburg area just
three days before it landed in
Raeford.
County law enforcement of
ficers reported the apparently
suspicious plane to U.S. Customs
Service Investigators who were
also tracking the plane.
Customs, who tailed the plane
from the coast of Florida, radioed
sheriff's deputies after they were
forced to land their aircrafts for re
fueling.
When Hoke officers arrived, the
pilot had fled the aircraft and
could not be picked up.
Customs agents are still involved
with the investigation, Johnson
said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) is also pro
viding assistance "if needed,"
Johnson added.
"They are all helping us in any
way they can," Johnson said.
. . Snow Policy Settled
(Continued from page 1A)
auspices of the board.
Nelson will study the present
plan and come up with a recom
k mended system of pay.
First and second grade students
will begin working on learning
"objectives and skills" in order to
prepare for this year's battery of
California Achievement Tests,"
Associate Superintendent Ginny
Hayes told the board.
This will be the first year that the
first and second graders have taken
the tests, and as a result, school
| personnel believe that scores ma>
drop, Hayes said.
Once new study procedures are
implemented, scores should im
prove, she added.
In January, sixth and ninth
graders will be tested on writing
skills.
r
The tests are part of a statewide
program and are designed to deter
mine a student's overall writing
ability, Hayes said.
Sixth grade students will be
tested either on their ability to
write a "descriptive" or a
"clarification" composition, the
associate superintendent said.
Ninth graders will be asked to
write either a "point-of-view" or a
"persuasive" piece.
Hoke County's roving science
demonstration teacher is working
with students at all of the county's
schools to establish science fairs
this year, Hayes said.
The effort will be made 10 set up
inter-school fairs, which could
eventually lead to a districtwide
science fair, she added.
On another matter, board
members were told that all but one
of the schools' food service
systems are making improvements
to curb food costs.
Upchurch School was the only
facility to show an increase in food
costs during the last fiscal year,
school auditor Frank Baker said.
During the year, which ended
June 30, the school system improv
ed its accounting procedure and
got a handle on accounting for
school activity funds, Baker said a
recent audit showed.
"The only thing thai gave us a
small problem was tracing candy
sales," he said.
This was the first year the
schools have sold candy, and
future controls should improve.
Baker said.
Board member Mina Townsend
did not attend the meeting.
FRESH LEAN
GROUND
BEEF
5 lbs. or more
FATBACK
5 lbs. or more
39
lb.
^4
TROPICANA
ORANGE JUICE
gat. ctn.
PUREX
BLEACH
V4 gal.
49<
SWEET POTATOES
?
89
19
lb.
FLORIDA
ORANGES
5 lb. bag
$]29
F.M.A. BREAD
2 - 24 oz. loaves
99
WHITE POTATOES
10 lb. bag
39
2 LITER
PEPSI or COKE
89*
V W (limit 21
JACKSON'S
Mk
ROCKFISH RD. RAEFORD, N.C.
STNf HOURS:
N?.*MS*fciOia.-9p.a.
*n*r *00-7:00
M*
WE RESERVE ALL QUANTITY RIGHTS
WE ACCEPT USDA FOOD STAMPS
Price* Effective D?c 7
thru Ok. 10. 1M3
Post office or jail?
This old building, standing just off High n ay 211 in
Timherland could he the old post office or possibly
an old jail. A It hough no one seems certain of its
origin, speculation is that it is the old post office
that at one time was joined to a general store that
h as across the road. Sources say, the old building
was disconnected from the store and moved across
the road some years ago. If this is the old
Timherland post office, in the late I930's or early
1940's, the U.S. Post Master General stopped by
for a visit, sources say. Although no one is really
sure what the building really used to be, one thing is
for sure, it is still standing and in fairly good condi
tion.
Deaths & Funerals
Alma Strickland
M rs. Alma Strickland died
Saturday evening at her home on
Route 2, Raeford.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m.
Tuesday ai the Raeford f irst Bap
tist Church bv Rev. Bills Beaver.
Burial was in Cross Creek
Cemetery. Fayeueville.
Survivors are three sons: Rev.
Carl Strickland of Rockingham.
Ronald Strickland of Raeford and
Charles Thomas Strickland of
kokomo. Indiana; one daughter:
Mrs. Margaret J. Jarman til
Jacksonville; two sisters: Mrs.
Helen Carroll of Okeechobee.
Florida and Mrs. Virginia Norris
of Cooper Cits . Florida, ^grand
children and six great grand
children.
C'rumplcr Funeral Home
assisted the familv .
Mar> Slew art Mcl ean
Mar> Stewart McLean, 70. of
Rt. I, Raeford died Monday.
Funeral services will he held Fri
day. December 9 at 4 p.m. in the
Silver Grove Baptist Church. The
Rev. W.K. Mitchell will officiate
the service.
Burial will be in the church
cemetery.
Surviving are: one sister. Mrs.
Daisy I.. Stewart of the home; one
aunt, Mrs. Nettie McMillan of
Raeford; four nieces. Miss Willie
Mae Jones of Raeford, Mrs. May
Helen Jones Oliver of Bennett
sville. SC. Mrs. Parthenia J.
Aldrich of Connecticut and Mrs.
Pansy VI. Stewart of New Jersey.
The family will be receiving
friends Thursday night from 7 to 8
p.m. at Buie Funeral Home.
Charles N1. Milbrodt
Charles Michael Milbrodt, 10
weeks, died Saturday in Hoke
County.
Funeral services were at 3 p.m.
Monday at the Crumpler Funeral
Home Chapel.
Burial was to be in Akron City,
Iowa.
Survivors are his parents: SFC &
Mrs. Michael Wayne Milbrodt of
5141 Highview Drive, Fayetteville;
his grandparents: Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Edward Bowers of Buf
falo, N.Y., Wayne Milbrodt of
Sioux City, Iowa and Mrs. Lila
Phillips of Indianapolis, Indiana.
What A Thoughtful Idea
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