The Hoke County News - Established 1928
The News-Journal
Established 1928 ^ ? - -
Program underway to raise Hoke CAT scores
By Ed Miller
Administrators of the Hoke
County School system realize
California Achievement Test
(CAT) scores of Hoke County
students were low last year and
have adopted a plan to raise the
quality of classroom instruction
for students.
Last year in Hoke County,
reading scores were well below the
national norm at all grade levels
tested and mathematics scores
were below the national percentage
in grades three, six and nine, ac
cording to the statewide statistics.
CAT scores are reported in two
ways. Tests reflect the grade level a
student is working on during the
test. As an example, a first grader
who scores 2.1 is working on the
level of a first month second
grader.
Scores also reflect how well a
student performs compared to his
competitors nationwide.
A student who scored in the 75th
percentile did as well or better than
75% of the students his age and on
his grade level.
The national norm is 50' %, ac
cording to CAT calculations.
The average reading scores for
first graders in the county was in
the 49th percentile, for second
graders-46^0, third grade-43V?,
sixth grade-417?, and ninth
grade-42^t, results say.
All are below the national
average.
Mathematics scores were a bit
better for students of the county.
First and second grades were
above the national average with
average scores being in the 65th
percentile for both grade levels.
Third, sixth and ninth grade
were again below the national
norm at 499?, 48V? and 45Vo
respectively.
While Hoke County students ap
pear to be below the national
average in some areas, grade
equivalencies, or where the
students should be at the time of
testing are higher.
Most scores reflect students to
be on or slightly above grade level;
however, many of the state's
school systems consistently have
student scores well above grade
level, sometimes even performing a
grade ahead of where they should
be.
Hoke County has just adopted a
plan for the entire school system
that is expected to raise the level of
teacher awareness to the problem
here as well as improve CAT scores
through improved instruction,
school Director of Instruction
Marilyn Semones said.
The attitude in Hoke County,
about student and teacher abilities,
is one of the first things that must
be changed to improve perfor
mance of the schools, Semones
said.
"For years, residents in the
county thought that local students
could not learn, and the teachers
could not teach," she said.
Such assumptions are not true,
and they must be done away with,
Semones said.
The new plan will start at the
"leadership" level, which are prin
cipals and their assistants, and will
train them to be positive in both
action and attitude.
The leadership training combin
ed with a push to raise attitudes are
the first steps in the new policy.
The next step is to create a
classroom atmosphere conducive
to learning, that is caring and
"loving" with firm assertive
discipline incorporating positive
reinforcement for students,
Semones said.
Further, the plan puts an em
phasis on basic skills of reading
and math especially in the early
education years.
Phonics, or learning to look at a
word that one has never seen and
sounding it out thus pronouncing
(See CAT, page 13 A)
State witnesses miss court ,
new trial date set for Hunt
By Ed Miller
A new trial date was set Tuesday
in Red Springs District Court for
Hoke County Commission Vice
Chairman James Albert Hunt,
who is accused of trying to outrun
a Robeson County deputy sheriff
during an early morning chase.
The case, which was delayed
Tuesday after prosecution
witnesses failed to appear in court,
will be heard on September 25.
The Tuesday's trial was con
tinued after a motion by Assistant
District Attorney Bill Hough
because witnesses for the state fail
ed to show up to court.
Hunt and his attorney Phil Diehl
were prepared to go ahead with the
trial and had two Hoke County
deputy sheriffs under subpoena to
testify on behalf of the commis
sioner.
Hunt has been charged with
speeding in excess of 100 miles per
hour in a 55 zone, careless and
reckless driving, failure to stop for
a blue light and siren, a stop sign
violation and driving left of center
in Robeson County.
The charges, which were filed by
Robeson Deputy Sheriff Mitchell
Norris, have been denied by Hunt
and a plea of not guilty has been
entered by the commissioner in the
case, Diehl said after Tuesday's
continuance was granted.
Judge Adelaide G. Behan
granted state's motion to continue
amid protests from Diehl.
"We were ready to try the
case," Hunt said.
In his argument against a conti
nuance, Diehl said: "It looks as if
they (the state) are looking for
witnesses. We have ours."
Diehl contended that the trial
should go ahead as scheduled
because of publicity received from
the case, and the fact that Norris
had talked to newspapers telling
them of it.
Judge Behan set the new trial
date, but ordered witnesses for the
state to be subpoenaed and be in
Robeson County Criminal District
Court on September 25.
In an earlier statement Hunt said
the Robeson deputy did not have
the right car, and had chased a dif
ferent make, model and color vehi
cle than the one the commissioner
owns.
Hunt, who has stayed clear of
difficulties with the law for almost
a year, said Monday he hoped to
win the case in Robeson County to
prove he was "heading in the right
direction."
"I'm innocent," the commis
sioner said. "The facts will come
out in the trial."
During 1983, Hunt was plagued
with financial woes and was ar
, rested and jailed in at least four
counties for writing "bad" checks
totalling more than $30,000.
Charges were dropped in those
cases after the commissioner paid
off the debts.
Hoke resident set on fire
after failing to find hat
By Ed Miller
A squabble over a hat has caus
ed a 44-year-old Hoke County man
to be placed in Cape Fear Medical
Center with second and third
degree burns over his neck and
back after his cousin allegedly
poured gasoline on him and set
him afire, sheriff's reports say.
Herman L. Brown was admitted
to the hospital on Sunday, August
19.
Brown had been arguing with a
cousin, Lawrence Campbell, who
was living with him before the inci
dent occurred.
The victim said that Campbell
had threatened to burn down the
house, reports say.
The argument started when
Campbell asked Brown the loca
tion of a hat, and Brown could not
answer him, reports say.
Campbell, 53, became violent
and he exclaimed that he could
never find anything in the house,
the reports say.
According to reports, Campbell
proceeded to the rear of the
building where he came back with
some burned oil and a can of
gasoline and diesel fuel mixed.
Campbell then allegedly poured
the mixture on Brown and ap
parently set him on fire, reports
say.
Brown ran from the house and
rolled in some dirt to put out the
fire, according to reports.
A local magistrate found pro
bable cause to issue a warrant for
the arrest of Campbell. The
suspect turned himself in and paid
his $5,000 bond on the spot.
Campbell, 53, is charged with
assault with a deadly weapon with
intent to kill, inflicting serious in
jury, reports say.
Campbell had been drinking just
before the incident occurred,
reports say.
In other unrelated matters, five
break-ins plagued Hoke residents
last week.
The Hungry Jack Restaurant fell
victim to apparent thieves last
Monday night.
Reports were sketchy as to how
the building was entered, but 35
cases of beer, 40 cartons of cigaret
tes, five cases of soft drinks, 15
pounds of bar-b-que, a case of
wine, and some food was taken in
the robbery, reports say.
There was a total of over $2,070
in merchandise taken, reports say.
Sheriff's deputies had no
(See MAN, page 1 1 A)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The fall weather for the past
week has been what most folks like
to put up with in August. In talk
ing to Robert Gatlin of the Na
tional Weather Service he com
mented on the difference from a
year ago. The third week in August
last year had the temperatures in
the day time from 100? to 110?. So
the 70 and 80? weather of this year
is much better. I don't believe it
will stay this way, so look for
warmer days ahead.
A reporter of the weather on a
state TV station stated Sunday that
July was the second wettest month
for July on record and that August
1984 was the second dryest for an
August. I don't think this would
hold true in Hoke County for
August. I believe we had two in
ches of rain last week. Maybe
Gatlin can give me some figures
for next week. .
(See AROUND, page 11 A)
Near miss
When a spark Ignited the dust In the top of this grain dryer at Farm
Chemical, Inc. just outside of Dundarrach on Monday, there was fear
of a major disaster but quick reactions on the parts of workers and
Stonewall Fire Department saved the firm from losing a valuable
plant. The fire was out just minutes after It started, witnesses said.
"Give me your answer "
Although the song may not have been written about
this flower , it is the time of year for daisies.
Heautiful and yellow, the flowers wave in the after
noon breezes as if it were no one's business. This
Photo by Rebecca Jones
particular vision was captured in the wild. Soon it
will spread seeds and about this time next year,
there may he a whole field full of wild daises for
young lovers to run through.
Fall college classes unhampered
by county's delay on space use
By Ed Miller
The delay by Hoke County
Commissioners to approve the use
of vacated space in the old County
Office Building by Sandhills Com
munity College will not jeopardize
this fall's courses; however, if the
commission chooses to give the
space to the college, it will alleviate
previous problems with cramped
classes, a spokesperson for the
school said Tuesday.
The college is asking to be able
to use an office recently vacated by
the Hoke County Literacy Coun
cil.
"If we get the space, students
will be able to go in and out of the
classroom area without having to
walk through classes," said Betty
High, Coordinator of classes in
Hoke and Moore counties.
As the situation stands now,
students have to enter and exit
through a classroom, or they must
disrupt a class to find a teacher in
another part of the building, High
said.
The office has a door right onto
the street, she said.
"The use of the office will cut
down on traffic in the rooms
especially since we have expanded
both day and evening classes/'
High said.
Hoke County is presently work
ing to get a satellite branch of the
college established in Raeford.
About $1,500 in grant money
has been spent researching two
possible locations of the college
satellite.
From architectural studies, by a
Southern Pines firm, it has been
determined that the old National
Guard Armory will need about
$150,000 worth of renovations in
itially to make the structure
suitable for classroom occupancy.
The old Bank of Raeford
building will probably need about
$180,000 in repair and renovations
before it can be used for classes by
the college.
There is little doubt that a col
lege satellite would be put to good
use in Hoke County.
In a survey last -spring asking
county residents if they would be
interested in having a satellite
locally, about 1,300 residents
responded with about 70^o of the
responses favorable.
The survey also showed that
about 100 high school students had
an interest in attending a com
munity college with over 70% of
them saying they would rather at
tend classes locally.
Still, college officials say that
enrollment in classes now being of
fered will determine whether or not
a full satellite may be down the
road.
In classrooms that are located all
over Raeford, Sandhills is noyr of
fering over 23 classes dealing in
subject matter from accounting to
waiter- waitress training.
Some of the classes are in the old
County Office Building, others are
in classrooms at Hoke County
High School, Wayside Community
Building, Open Arms Rest Home
and the Hoke County Public
Library.
Inside Today
Returning home
Cheyanna Wright returns
home after a week at 4-H
camp. The camp provided
Hoke County youngsters with
more than just summer fun.
We take a look at the activities
on page I of section B In to
day's News- Journal.