The News-Tournal
Established 1928 ~
Raeford signs flood pact
By Ron Anderson
Members of the Raeford City Council took a further step in
speeding along a storm drainage runoff study Thursday by awar
ding the job to the lowest of three bidders.
The study will be conducted by the Southern Pines firm of
Hobbs, Upchurch and Associates who submitted a bid of $7,900.
City Manager Tom Phillips said the consulting engineers should
begin their work the latter part of December.
Results of the study are expected this spring.
"The study will tell us where the problems are and suggest possi
ble solutions," Phillips said.
Raeford has been experiencing problems with flooding recently.
The city was hit with more than 4.5 inches of rain in a two-hour
period on Sunday, November 3 causing waist-deep water to flow
over Patterson Street and through the E. Donaldson Avenue.
Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates will be analyzing drainage pat
terns and developing necessary calculations to determine the ade
quacy of existing facilities, according to a proposal submitted to the
city. t
They will also be identifying problem areas and making recom
mendations on how to improve the drainage problem as well as
preparing maps and cost estimates for the proposed improvements.
The other two firms to turn in bids were McKim and Creed
Engineers at $8,950 and Finkbeiner, Pettis & Stroud at $8,500.
Both companies had previously submitted higher bids prior to
council's October meeting, but resubmitted their proposals with
lower price tags.
City Manager Phillips said the original proposals were "so high
we couldn't live with them."
During a short discussion before council voted on accepting
Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates' bid, Councilman Bob Gentry ask
ed Phillips if he felt the low bidder was able to do the job as well as
the higher bidders.
"1 don't believe there's any question that any of the three are
capable of the work," Phillips answered.
Also during the meeting, veteran City Councilman, Graham M.
Clark, was presented a plaque in recognition of his 16 years on the
city council.
Clark fell short of a ninth term in office by seven votes during
November's election.
"There have not been many people who have served as long as
you have," said McNeil.
"I've enjoyed serving with you boys-all of you," Clark told the
councilmen.
Death scene
Law enforcement officers and rescue personnel in
vestigate the scehe of fast Friday Y fdtal cralh. A
Lumberton man, who was driving the car on the
right, was killed in the accident which occurred dur
ing heavy rainfTVtday on State RoadI244 just out
side Raeford.
Wrecks leave one dead, one critical
Three automobile accidents
in Hoke County last weekend
left one person dead and several
injured.
Walter Clifford Mitchell was
pronounced dead at the scene
Friday after his 1977 Chrysler
crossed the center line during a
rain storm and hit a 1974
Chevrolet driven by Everline
McByde Hailey.
Mitchell was prononced dead
at the scene by Hoke County
Medical Examiner Dr. Robert
Townsend Jr.
Mitchell, 61 of 505 W. 34th
St. Lumberton was traveling
south on Rural Paved Road
1244, .8 miles west of Raeford
when the accident occurred at
approximately 3:55 p.m., accor
ding to a report by Ben Burr, in
vestigating officer for the NC
Highway Patrol.
Everline McByde Hailey, Rt.
1., Shannon, and passenger
Frances Haymes, Rt. I Shan
non, were traveling north on the
road when the Chrysler hit them
head on.
Records show that both
Hailey and Haymes were
transported to Cape Fear Valley
Hospital, but Monday a
hospital spokesman confirmed
that only Hailey had been
treated and released.
In another incident, Police
Chief Leonard Wiggins said
that Cynthia Murchison, 30. of
106 Bethel Road was taken to
Cape Fear Valley Hospital early
Saturday morning to be treated
for injuries she received in a
single car accident.
At approximately 3:55 a.m.
Murchison was traveling south
on Main Street in her 1977
Chrysler, when she apparently
slammed on her brakes, went
over the median and rammed
into a tree on the opposite side
of the street between 6th and
7th Streets, the chief said.
"From all indications, she
was by herself," Wiggins said.
Murchison was taken to Cape
Fear Valley Hospital.
On Monday, a hospital
spokesman said Murchison was
in critical condition and was in
the intensive care unit.
Wiggins said the Chrysler was
totaled in the accident.
A five-car accident occured in
South Hoke around 12:20
Saturday morning, according to
NC Highway Patrolman Ben
Burr.
A 1978 Ford was totaled after
it went through a fence and
cable at the Nashville Club on
211 East and hit three parked
cars.
According to the report, the
car was being driven by Pamela
Locklear, Rt. 1, Shannon when
a 1970 pickup truck driven by
her husband, Wilbert Locklear
attempted to pass her.
Three people were injured
and transported to Southeastern
General Hospital in Lumber
ton, according to the report.
Damage to the three vehicles
hit amounted to approximately
$1,500.
Both Wilbert and Pamela
Locklear were charged with
careless and reckless driving,
the report indicated.
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Hurricane Kate came up the
coast last Friday and it brought
much rain to Hoke County. It
didn't do any damage, but it was a
miserable day. It cleared Saturday,
but the weather was cold.
The forecast for the coming
week is for cooler weather and the
temperatures being in the 50s and
60s during the day. So maybe
winter will arrive on Thanksgiving.
? ? *
The Downtown Revitalization
Committee and the Raeford-Hoke
Chamber of Commerce will spon
sor a Christmas tree lighting and
caroling on Sunday, December 1 at
5 p.m. The tree that will be lighted
is between the Raeford United
Methodist Church and the Hoke
County Courthouse.
This tree was planted by a Girl
Scout Troop that had used the
church many years ago. It is a
white pine.
(See AROUND, page 2A)
Inside today
It lakes many hands to prepare
a Thanksgiving bird, and The
House of Raeford has some of
the best. We take a look at the
local turkey processing plant on
page one of section B in today's
News-Journal.
Faberge gives
big push for
United Fund
Employees at Faberge set a new
record this year by contributing
$15,000 to the 1985 Hoke County
United Fund Drive.
The figure represents over half
of the local fund drive's goal of
$28,953.
"We had an opportunity to ask
the employees to participate in the
community and they responded.
I'm so proud of them," Don Ham
mes, Faberge vice president of
manufacturing, said.
Of the 510 employees at the local
plant, 87 percent participated in
the fund drive.
A number of employees pledged
over $200 and Hammes said he
believes many of them also con
tributed at home.
Director of Personnel, Bob
Gregory, said that he met with the
various supervisors in the plant
and explained to them the goals of
the Hoke County drive.
(See UNITED, page 2A)
Appreciation service
Raeford City Coupcilman Graham Clark (right) accepts a plaque of ap
preciation from Mayor John K. McNeill during last week 's special coun
cil meeting. Clark, who was defeated in the November 5 election, served
on the board for more than 16 years and served as Mayor Protem.
Three charged for break-in
Three Raeford residents were ar
rested and charged with breaking
into a McCain residence last Fri
day.
The trio was charged with break
ing and entering and larceny in
connection with a break-in Friday
at the residence of Ruth Collins, of
McCain, according to records at
the Hoke County Sheriff's Depart
ment.
Arrested were Jerry McNeill, 30,
of 146 Nevada Road, Raeford, his
wife, Patricia Johnson McNeill, of
the same address, and Horace
(Deno) McAllister, 36, of Scotland
Avenue, Raeford.
The McNeills are both being
held in jail while McAllister has
been released on bond.
The three allegedly took items
valued at $1,879 from Collins*
house including a color TV, a VCR
and a kerosene heater.
According to the report, a man
riding by the Collins residence at
approximately 3:46 p.m. on Friday
noticed a green Chrysler parked in
the driveway, and two black men
and a black woman coming out of
the house.
The witness asked one of the
men (who happened to be carrying
a radio) what he was doing.
"I was checking," the man
allegedly replied.
The sheriff's department was
notified of the incident.
Law enforcement officers found
noone at Collins' residence when
they arrived but did see that some
one had entered the house by
breaking the glass on the kitchen
door.
Later Detective Ed Harris and
Deputy Mack High found a green
Chrysler parked in front of the
residence of Jerry and Patricia
McNeill on Nevada Street in
Raeford.
Noone was home at the
residence so they had the Chrysler
towed away and waited for the
McNeills to return.
At 5:55 p.m. Jerry McNeill, and
Horace McAllister drove up in a
blue Ford.
Inside the car was apparently the
missing VCR.
The two men were taken into
custody, and the law officers
waited at the McNeill residence.
When Patricia McNeill returned
home, the officers allegedly found
the remainder of the stolen proper
ty in the living room of the trailer.
In an unrelated incident, Tony
Lamont McRae, 20, of Rt. 1 Box
309 Shannon, was arrested and
charged with the theft of an
amplifier worth $200.
According to a sheriff's depart
ment report, Lamorit allegedly
took a the amplifier from a car
belonging to William Thomas
Winston, Rt. 1, Box 308, Shan
non.
McRae, 20, allegedly stole the
amplifier from Winston's car
sometime on Saturday, November
1 1 while the vehicle was parked in
the front yard of Winston's yard,
records say.
McRae had allegedly sold the
stolen property to another person.
The stolen amplifier had been
recovered.
In another incident, Fred
English, Rt. 4, Box 388, Raeford
reported a break -in at his residence
sometime Wednesday while he was
at work.
The report says that English left
his home at 6 a.m., returned at
9:15 that evening and discovered a
kerosene heater and color televi
sion set missing from his house.
Raeford Police Chief Leonard
Wiggins reports that an undeter
mined amount of money was
removed from a money bag at
David's Food Store, 103 Main St.,
Raeford on November 17.
The chief also said that two
turkeys and two peacocks were
stolen from the residence of Jack
Ellis, 509 E. Elwood Avenue,
Raeford.
Suspect being sought for rape
Law enforcement officers have
suspects and are' continuing to in
vestigate last week's rape of a
75-year old Hoke County woman,
Sheriff Dave Barrington said Mon
day.
"No arrests have been made,
but we do have several suspects,"
Barrington said.
The sheriff's office received a
call that a 75-year-old white
woman in the Hillcrest area had
been raped at 1:44 a.m. last
Wednesday.
Detective Weaver Patterson and
deputies Ronnie Lowery and
Wayne Gardner arrived at the vic
tim's residence at close to 1:48
a.m., Barrington said.
The officers said the victim told
them she had been asleep on the
couch when she heard someone
knocking on the door.
Thinking it was a neighbor, the
woman opened the door.
The suspect walked into the
residence and hit the victim in the
face with his fist, Barrington said.
Then the suspect dragged the
victim into the bedroom and
allegedly raped her.
After the victim was interviewed
by the law officers, she was taken
to Cape Fear Valley Hospital
where she was treated and releas
ed.
Barrington would not speculate
when an arrest would be made,
and he deferred further comment
about the investigation.
Piles of cash
Ken Witherspoon, president of the 1985 Hoke County United Way Fund
Drive, (center) accepts money and pledges for the local drive from Don
Hammes, vice president of manufacturing, Faberge, (left) and Bob
Gregory, director of personnel, Faberge. Employees at the local plant
managed to raise $ / 5,000 for the drive.
Tree lighting
planned Sun.
A Christmas tree lighting pro
gram has been planned for
Raeford this Sunday afternoon.
The program features carolling
by a community choir composed
of members from various local
church choirs beginning at 5 p.m.
and lasting for approximately 45
minutes.
The choir will be under the
direction of Associate Minister
Ray Harris of the Raeford
Presbyterian Chruch.
At the end of the singing,
Christmas lights will be turned on
throughout downtown Raeford.
Also a large white pine tree be
tween the Raeford United
Methodist Church and the court
house will be lighted with small
white lights.
Residents are urged to decorate
early so they m*y participate in the
lighting.
The program, sponsored by the
Downtown Revitattzation Com
(See TREE, p??e 2A)