The News-Journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 . The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXV Number 48 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, March 22, 1984
College OK's downtown Raeford site
By Sherry Matthews
A college satellite in Hoke
County came one step closer to
becoming reality Monday night
after members of the Sandhills
Community College Board of
Trustees OK'd a downtown
Raeford site to house the proposed
facility.
Board members gave the green
light to pursuing architectural
surveys to determine if the old
United Carolina Bank (UCB)
building on Main Street is suitable
as the satellite branch, a Sandhills
spokesman said Tuesday.
"The board agreed for us to get
architects to take a look at the
Storm
blasts
county
Four people were injured and
one trailer was demolished follow
ing a tornado that touched down in
the western part of Hoke County
Tuesday night.
Linda Gillespie and three
juveniles were slightly injured dur
ing the wind storm that also
damaged several other trailers on
Rural Paved Road 1225 in the
Cameron Village area of the coun
ty.
Gillespie and the youths were
transported to Moore Memorial
Hospital for treatment.
The tornado reportedly touched
down around 11:40 p.m. causing
power failure in western Hoke
County.
Around Town
By Sam Morris
All anyone could write about the
weather on Monday was that it was
great. I just hope that spring is
here to stay.
? ? *
The primary election is still
scheduled for May 8 as far as I can
find out. 1 don't believe the law
suits will affect this county or
district. So there are a couple of
things you should remember. They
are as follows:
The last day to register or
change your precinct registration
for the May 8 primary is April 6.
You can do this by going by the
Hoke County Library, any day, or
by the Board of Elections office on
Monday, Wednesday or Friday.
Just remember if you are not
registered, you can't vote.
The other thing is, if you are
planning to be out of town on
Tuesday, May 8, then go by the
Board of Elections office and file
for an absentee ballot. This will
not take much of your time, but
your vote could decide the out
come of the election.
Also if you have a child that is a
student in college, be sure to apply
for an absentee ballot for them, or
have them go by and get one
before the primary date.
Be a good citizen. Be sure you
vote.
? ? ?
It always makes the staff of The
News-Journal feel good when a let
ter is enclosed with a person's
check for their subscription. We
like to keep folks on the mailing
list, but most times the letters are
positive and not negative. We
received one last week from a
subscriber in Charlotte. It follows:
"The delivery of The News
Journal is one event I look forward
to each week. I enjoy reading
about my friends.
"Have recently bought a condo.
Having fun rixing it up. I'm very
(See AROUND, page 4A)
UCB building," Assistant to the
President George Lewis said.
"We will be checking to see if
the building meets all the fire and
safety codes," he added.
If the building meets architec
tural approval, Lewis believes
chances for a satellite college in
Raeford "could be strong."
"1 think we are steadily moving
toward a final decision on the
satellite," Lewis said.
"If we determine that the
building is safe, and we decide to
take it...we are pretty much saying
that there will be a college," he
added.
The UCB building became va
cant Friday, after the bank con
solidated its operations in the main
branch on South Main Street.
"I think this is just one more
positive step," Hoke-Raeford
Chamber of Commerce Director
Earl Fowler said.
"The fact that their board gave
approval is a good indication of
things to come," he added.
"I really think everyone wants
to see a college here," Fowler said.
Despite optimism and some 300
"positive industrial surveys" that
were completed this week, Fowler
says there are "still some
unanswered questions.
"There are some things that
have not been addressed-yet,"
Fowler said.
"Once the architects have com
pleted their study, we will have; to
see what type of renovations are
needed at the UCB building and
how much those renovations are
going to cost," he added.
"Those things figure into the
final decision," Fowler said.
"There are still a lot of
unknowns," Hoke Chamber of
Commerce President Steve Parker
said.
"Everything looks favorable at
this point, but we still have some
things that need to be looked at,"
he added.
In addition to the Monday night
decision, Sandhills officals are in
the "final stages" of compiling
Studying the accident scene
Highway Patrolman John Glidwell studies a Friday
morning accident scene where an 18-wheeler turned
over on the Highway 401 by-pass near Raeford. Ac
cording to Glidwell, the truck "slammed on
brakes'' to avoid hitting another vehicle and skidd
ed off the right side of the road. Highway
Patrolman and Hoke Rescue Squad members spent
nearly three hours clearing the scene. Glidwell said.
,\o one was injured in the accident. (Photo by Pam
Frederick)
Man charged with scalding child
By Sherry Matthews
A three-year-old Hoke County
youth remained in stable condition
this week after being hospitalized
with second to third degree burns
allegedly inflicted by her babysit
ter.
An investigation into the inci
dent, which was reported to the
Hoke Sheriff's Department by
Department of Social Services
(DSS) personnel, shows that James
Alton Watkins, 24, of Hoke Coun
ty, was apparently babysitting the
youth when the incident occurred.
The child's mother was
reportedly at work.
The investigation further shows
that Watkins allegedly "submerg
ed both of the child's hands, up to
the wrists, in extremely hot
water," causing second to third
degree burns.
Hoke County Detective C.E.
Harris arrested Watkins last Fri
day, "just as he was pulling into a
local trailer park."
In addition to the felony child
abuse charge, Watkins was taken
into custody for a third driving
while license revoked offense,
reports show.
Watkins was released Monday
morning under a $5,500 secured
bond and is scheduled to appear in
Hoke District Court Friday.
Reliable sources say that the
youth, who remains in Cape Fear
Valley Hospital after two weeks of
treatment, will be placed in the
custody of DSS staff members.
This is the second child abuse
case in less than three weeks that
has been reported to law enforce
ment authorities.
In District Court last week, a
Hoke County couple were sentenc
ed to one year suspended after the
completion of seven days in jail for
abusing a three-year-old boy.
Testimony showed that the cou
ple tied the youth to a fence and
allowed a rifle to be discharged
near the child.
Joseph Glover, 33, and
Margaret Glover, 40, of Harmony
Heights Trailer Park, were also
placed on a two-year probation
and instructed to seek mental
health counseling by District Court
Judge Warren Pate.
The child was not the natural
son of the Glovers and has been
placed in a Hoke County foster
home, DSS sources say.
Police investigating slim leads
in Raeford store armed robbery
Raeford Police were working
with few leads this week in an ef
fort to solve Saturday's armed rob
bery of a local convenience store,
Police Chief Leonard Wiggins
said.
There was "no one else in the
store except the owner" when a
"black man armed with a blue
steel revolver" robbed the F&R
Grocery at 201 Stewart Street,
Wiggins said Tuesday.
The owner of the store, Fred W.
Evans, was forced at gunpoint into
a back room by the intruder.
The proprietor was locked in the
room during the robbery, Wiggins
said.
An undetermined amount of
money was taken from the store,
and Wiggins said the stolen cash
included Lumbee River Electric
Membership Cooperation
(LREMC) collections.
FAR Grocery "was a collection
point" for LREMC customers"
who deposited their bills at the
store, the chief said.
A co-op spokesman declined to
comment on how much money was
taken during the incident.
"We are still working on the
case," Wiggins said.
In an unrelated incident, a
Raeford woman remained
hospitalized Tuesday after suffer
ing a knife wound to the head that
was apparently inflicted during a
fight with her sister, Wiggins said.
Shirley Thomas McQueen, 25,
was transported to Cape Fear
Valley Hospital Saturday after her
sister allegedly stabbed her in the
head with a knife.
Police, who were investigating a
"disturbance," at the McQueen
residence on Saunders Street, ar
rested Karen Delores Thomas, 22,
and charged her with assault with a
deadly weapon inflicting serious
injury.
"We are not sure how the fight
started," Wiggins said.
According to Wiggins, Mc
Queen was "not critically injured"
during the incident.
In further unrelated action last
week, a 23-year-old Hoke County
man was arrested for "kicking
down the front door" of a Raeford
apartment belonging to Rita
Alford.
Wayne Bese was arrested and
charged with breaking and enter
ing after he attempted to break
Alford's door around 5:45 a.m.
last Wednesday, Wiggins said.
Ronnie Branch of East Edin
borough Avenue reported that
over $400 in jewelry had been
taken from his home between
March 2 and March 13.
(See ROBBERY, page 5A)
feasibility surveys taken within the
Hoke County school system.
"We are running them through
our computers right now," Lewis
said.
"I would anticipate having the
results within a week or so," he ad
ded.
Although Lewis was unsure of
the results, he was quick to admit
that he "anticipated positive
results" from the surveys.
"I think there is a great desire
for a college in Hoke County,"
Lewis said.
"We will be able to tell more
about that once the surveys are
tallied," he added.
Fowler, who spearheaded the
drive to get the satellite branch
here, is "full of optimism" about
the college extension's chances.
"I think everything is definitely
on the upswing," Fowler said.
"We have not hit a negative
point yet. I would say that is a
good sign," he added.
"To know that Sandhills is look
ing at the building and helping
with the surveys is a positive sign.
It lets us know that they are still
very much interested," Parker
said.
"Everything is going according
to schedule and looking good,"
Fowler said.
"1 am pleased...we all are pleas
ed," he added.
City manager hunt
narrowed to four,
April choice eyed
By Sherry Matthews
Raeford City Council members
are interviewing four hopefuls vy
ing for the city manager's position
and expect to fill the vacancy by
mid-April.
"The councilmen have already
reviewed two applicants. They are
supposed to talk with the others
March 26," Raeford Mayor John
K. McNeill said.
"I can't speak for the board, but
1 believe they will have made a
decision in April," he added.
"They have been taking their
time on this decision. It is a very
important job," McNeill said.
Councilmen have reviewed 15
applications since the January 31
cutoff deadline.
"1 think we will have made a
decision by the first of April,"
Councilman Vardell Hedgpeth
said.
"It may take until May before
we get a city manager here and set
tled," he added.
"Whomever we chose will have
to give notice and move. It will
take some lime," Hedgpeth said.
"I think we have chosen the
ones with the most experience and
best credentials. We have been
pleased with our interviews so
far," Hedgpeth said.
The manager's position has been
vacant since mid-December when
Manager Ron Matthews resigned
to take a position with the
Elizabeth City government.
Bill Sellars, who heads the city's
zoning and public works divisions,
has been acting city manager since
Matthews' departure.
Of the four remaining ap
plicants, none are presently
residing in the Hoke County area,
but according to Hedgpeth, all are
from North Carolina.
"Once we talk to the other two
applicants, 1 don't think it will
take long to make a final
decision," Hedgpeth said.
"The ones we have already in
terviewed look sharp," he added.
"We have not been in any hurry.
We wanted to get the best qualified
person for the job. It is a very im
portant position," he said.
PCB's deemed safe
at Hoke dump sites
By Sherry Matthews
Although high lead levels remain
in concentrated areas of one
Ashley Heights dump site, only
"traces" of Polychorinated
Biphenyls (PCB) can be found in
other once contaminated soil, a
state Department of Natural
Resources and Community
Development (NRCD) spokesman
said.
"We submitted a report to our
Raleigh office recommending that
no further action be taken at these
sites," NRCD Environmental
Engineer Tommy Stevens said.
The tests, conducted by NRCD
in early December, show "ex
tremely low PCB readings," he
added.
A site where a transformer
dismantling operation was ap
parently conducted was the area
where the most PCB concentra
tions were discovered, according to
Stevens.
Although before the cleanup
readings of 30 parts per million
were found in that area, tests now
show readings of 5.2 parts per
million.
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) considers 50 parts
per million or less safe, Stevens
said.
"We did not find any real prob
lems out there," he added.
Samples taken at one other
Ashley Heights site, along U.S.
Highway 211 just west of Raeford,
showed .085 parts per million.
NRCD has agreed that
Goldsboro businessman Woody
Wilson Jr., who operated the
dismantling operation on and near
the sites, will not have to do any
further clean-up.
Although NRCD officials are
not requiring any clean-up activity,
Department of Human Resources
(DHR) authorities have required
Wilson to add an additional 15
tons of lime and to haul some of
the heavily lead contaminated soil
from another site to an in
cinerator.
DHR personnel will conduct
further tests once the clean-up is
completed, DHR spokesman Terry
Dover said.
"We are not seeking any
regulatory action. As far as I can
tell, we are through with our in
vestigation," Stevens said.
Inside Today
This Hoke High varsity
basketball player appears
ready for action during a re
cent practice. We take a look
at the 4-A Conference champs
and their season in this week's
B-section of The Newg
Journal.