I
RAEFOm NORTH CAROLINA
Covering Hoke County
ews - Journal
Bucks fourth
in conference
On pages
Two new
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Ob page 12
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Volume LXXVIII Number 46 Thursday, March 5,1987 2^ CENTS
County commissioners OK subdivision ordinance
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
Members of Hoke County Commissioners unanimously adopted the
subdivision regulation approved by the Planning Board at their regular
meeting Tuesday night.
The action followed a second public hearing held for the purpose of
hearing residents’ comments on proposed changes to the reflations.
Commissioner Tom Howell’s motion to adopt the regulations set an ef
fective date of March 4.
Prior to the 8 p.m. hearings, County Manager William (Bub) Cowan
presented changes to the proposed regulations which were later accepted.
Further changes were presented by Cowan regarding minor subdivision re
quirements.
Chairman Wyatt Upchurch said he thought these changes should go
back to the Planning Board for their input. The board worked for more
than a year in preparing the regulations.
County Attorney Duncan McFadyen advised the commissioners that the
subdivision ordinance could be adopted without the changes and then
amended at a later date.
The general consensus of the commissioners is that procedures and stan
dards set forth in the regulations will be a means of promoting controlled
and orderly growth and development of the county. It presents re
quirements with which landowners must comply when subdividing land.
Upchurch said he thought the regulation will help satisfy “the need to
eliminate serious problems in growth.’’ In addition, he said that “the key
to the ordinance is the variance,’’ and commented on the capacity of the
commissioners to be flexible in allowing for exceptional situations in which
county residents find themselves.
“I think we’ve got a board that understands that,’’ Upchurch said.
The variance section of the subdivision ordinance authorizes the Plan
ning Board in making regulations decisions to grant variances, or depf-
tures from the ordinance, when “undue hardship may result from strict
compliance.”
Residents attending the public hearing expressed concern that low-
income residents would not benefit from the regulations since they could
not afford to develop their land in accordance with requirements.
Upchurch said the variance provision would enable many in this situa
tion to benefit. However, he said, there would also be those who would be
hurt by it.
Commissioner Cleo Bratcher said that many land conditions in the
county, such as drainage problems, will be alleviated by enforcing the sub
division ordinance.
“A lot of these problems could have been solved years ago if the or
dinance was adopted then,” Bratcher said.
During the meeting before the public hearing, questions were answered
which had been presented by residents in the first public hearing. In addi
tion, changes requested by county land surveyors were presented.
During the hour-long hearing, residents raised questions on areas of
concern such as maintenance of streets and septic tanks, deeding land to
children and the amount of land the ordinance would regulate.
(See COUNTY, page 3)
Fraud suspected
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
Two Hoke County men have been indicted on
several felony counts of attempting to defraud the
Farmer’s Home Administration and the Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service, according to a
spokesman from the State Inspector General’s Office.
Glen Parsons, special agent in criminal investiga
tion, said Friday that James Robert Strother of Hoke
County and Billie Lee Williams of Aberdeen were ar
rested on the morning of February 25 by FmHA agents
and U.S. marshals in connection with the charges.
The two men were partners on a farm. Parsons said,
and Strother was a former employee of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
The indictment was handed down February 23 by a
federal grand jury in Greensboro after an investigation
was ordered by Robert Edmonds, U.S. Attorney for
the middle judicial district of North Carolina, Parsons
said.
He said Strother is charged with committing forgery
to defraud FmHA of several thousand dollars in loan
payments and that Williams is charged with making
(See FRAUD, page 3)
Spring in the air
Daffodils basking in the sunlight on Harris A venue Monday re
mind us that spring is just around the corner. The sunny
weather early in the week was a welcome relief from a rainy
weekend. Weathermen are predicting a warming trend this
weekend, coupled with clear skies.
Former Raeford ESC employee charged with fraud
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
A Hoke County woman and
former employee of the Employ
ment Security Commission was in
dicted on charges of fraud after
she allegedly tried to defraud the
ESC of over $66,000, according to
ESC officials.
In addition, eight Robeson
County residents, identified as
friends or family of the employee,
were indicted for receiving falsified
checks. Further charges are pen
ding.
Debra Harvey Brady, 32, a
former part-time clerk with the
ESC was indicted on 18 charges of
computer fraud and four counts of
obtaining property by false
pretenses over a six to seven month
span of time.
ESC Chairman David T. Flaher
ty, in making the announcement
last Wednesday said that a
September 15 random audit of the
agency indicated “irregulartities in
the handling of unemployment in
surance claims in the Raeford of
fice.”
Based on the audit findings,
Flaherty contacted the State
Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the
State Auditor’s Office and the In
spector General’s Office at the
U.S. Department of Labor.
Lisa De Maio Brewer, public in
formation officer, said that she
could not comment on “the exact
procedure” used to discover the
discrepancy in the records. Brewer
said the ESC office had wanted to
go public with this information but
had been advised against doing so
by the prosecuting attorney, Jean
Powell, as the case was still in
litigation.
Assistant District Attorney
Powell said last week that essen
tially checks had been issued to
people who were ineligible for
them at the time, namely 18 of her
family and friends.
In addition, the office said
Brady, of 135 Yadkin Trail,
Raeford, may have diverted funds
to herself in the amount of $3,683.
According to Brewer, there was
a total of $66,804 which Brady
allegedly attempted to obtain and
230 unauthorized checks discover
ed “during the audit and
throughout the investigation.”
Brewer said that $38,467 had
been sent out to individuals.
She said that ESC had taken ac
tion on checks totalling $24,654 by
stopping payment on them or by
pulling them before they were
mailed.
Ten of the 18 people, she said,
who were not yet indicted, have
received part of this $24,654.
Authorities say Brady, whose
last day with the local ESC office
was September 19, has not yet been
found. Powell said that Hoke
County Sheriff’s Department of
ficials had sought Brady at her last
address on Yadkin Trail, but did
not find her.
The department’s part in the in
vestigation leading to Brady’s
whereabouts would be neglible
“unless she comes back here, then
we’d arrest her,” said Sheriff Dave
Barrington.
According to Powell, the eight
Robeson residents indicted for
receiving falsified checks in the
case are Sarah Whitted, Annie G.
Harvey, Margaret Harvey, Mat
thew Harvey, Bertha McCormick,
Eugene McCormick, Gary McCor
mick, Renaldo McCormick and
Regina McMillan.
An order for arrest has been
issued for Whitted and sent to
Robeson County, Powell said. The
seven other defendants appeared in
court Tuesday before Superior
Court Judge J. Milton Read Jr.
with their attorney, Bruce Hug
gins.
They were released on unsecured
$7,500 bonds, court records say.
Powell said the arraignment is
scheduled for the week of March
16.
ESC Public Information Officer
Laurie Green said that steps had
been taken to insure that this type
of incident does not happen again.
Flaherty feels certain that these
steps will “insure the integrity” of
ESC.
A security plan has been in
itiated as of October 10 in which
“checks can no longer be gener
ated from the field (offices), but
only through the central office.
In addition. Green said a “daily
check is made of claims to preclude
the payment of exorbitant
amounts.”
Also, an orientation video ad
dressing security policies was com
pleted for viewing by employees,
she said.
Public inviled
to day of prayer
Chtirdi Womwi United of
Rseford invite the public to
dtcbra^ Wortd Dter of Prayer
Friday m ^ Fellowship Hall of
Raeford Pr«bytcrian CSiurch
between 7t30 a,m. and 12:15
p,in.
Friday marks the centennial
ceis^ratioa of World Day of
F^ycr, a worldwide expre^tw
of mututd prayer and Christian
uioty.
Its uniqueness lies in the fact
that its expression is found In
local communities and its
teadership in laywomcn of the
church.
World Day of Prayer, begun
in the United States in IW as a
day of prayer for mission, has
dei^oped into a movmnent in
which Christians in 170 coun«
tries and regitms of the world
lathier each year to observe a
emmnon day of praymr.
Ti» s«ne dwmie and worsMp
service is ^ared and translated
into hundreds of languages and
dialects. In many cwntrics, the
event serves as a catalyst for
women to come together as they
work to bring about changes in
thrir lives;
Thht year’s theme » “Come
and R«jtrioe,”
--
City Council reviews plans
to upgrade treatment plant
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
Members of the City Council
reviewed plans for improvements
at the wastewater treatment plant
at their regular meeting Monday
night.
The council plans to go ahead
with the installation of a grit
chamber and grease removal facili
ty for the plant after a study is con
ducted to determine which
chamber will be most beneficial to
the operation.
Hi Marziano, engineer with the
firm of Black and Veatch, gave
council members a presentation
reviewing current problems with
the plant and steps the firm has
taken to solve the problems.
Marziano said in his presenta
tion that the grit chamber project
would cost $240,000 which in
cludes the study and installation of
the chamber and related construc
tion services.
Bids for the chamber will be
taken in June and a company will
be chosen by the council.
Marziano referred to two other
studies being conducted for the
plant. One involves sludge treat
ment and another, industrial pre
treatment of wastes.
Council members will plan a
future meeting with Black and
Veatch and area industries to let
them know what plans and studies
are being conducted in the area of
waste treatment.
Methods of sludge treatment are
being considered which will “save
energy, and handle sludge more ef
fectively,” Marziano said.
He said federal regulations
regarding industrial pre-treatment
of wastes will be enforced more in
the future.
Marziano said that the firm had
discovered that funds for water
treatment projects were available
through the Natural Resources and
Community Development Depart
ment’s Division of Environmental
Management.
He said that if “innovative and
alternative” pre-treatment designs
are chosen, there is the possibility
of federal sources funding 75 per
cent of the costs.
If any funding is given at all, 55
percent of the costs will be funded
by the department.
In other business, council
members set a public hearing for
the revised Flood Damage Preven
tion Ordinance to be held at their
next regular meeting on April 6.
Wastewater treatment
Hi Marziano of Black and Veutch engineering firm presents plans for the
wastewater treatment plant to City Council members Monday night.
The ordinance provides for the
elimination of flooding conditions
in the county which result in un
safe situations for residents and
property.
In further business, council
members adopted a resolution re
questing that the local legislative
delegation seek pork barrel fun
ding of $50,000 to assist both city
and county governments in pur
chasing radio equipment for the
communications system.
In additional business, council
members voted to draft a letter to
state Representative Danny De-
Vane for support of the establish
ment of a central utilities office in
Hoke County.
The envisioned office would
handle both service and billing fac
tions.
Currently, county residents must
go to other locations to arrange for
utilities services.
Presently, the natural gas utility
office is in Southern Pines as is the
electric company. The cable televi
sion office is in Red Springs and
the phone company offices are
located in Fayetteville.
Around Town
By Sara Morris
The weather was dry last year,
but 1987 is starting out just the op
posite. I haven’t heard how much
rain fell over the weekend and I
don’t know how much we have
received this year, but the water
table for the county should be
high.
The sleet hung around for over a
week, but the rains over the
weekend and the 70° temperature
on Sunday and Monday cleared it
away. Let’s hope that the cold
weather with its sleet and snow are
over for this winter.
The forecast is for the
temperatures just in the 60s and
high 50s for the remainder of the
week during the day. No hard
freeze is forecast at night with the
thermometer to be in the 30s. Now
this is my kind of weather.
t * * *
A few more hints on “How to
Know You’re Growing Older:”
1. You begin to outline en
thusiasm.
2. You decide to procrastinate,
but never get around to it.
3. A dripping faucet causes un
controllable bladder urge.
4. After painting the town red,
you have to take a long rest before
applying a second coat.
5. You are startled the first time
someone calls you old timer.
* * *
A few weeks ago Elmer Parnell,
manager of the local Heilig-Meyers
here, was in the office and was ask
ing me how my retirement was go
ing. He stated that he was con
sidering retiring, but couldn’t
decide for sure because he didn’t
know what he would do with his
time. I advised him to find a part
time job and to find a hobby like
fishing, golf, etc. He left the office
after a few minutes and thanked
me for the suggestions.
Now I understand that Elmer
retired last Saturday from Heilig-
Meyers. Of course, as most of you
know, he and his family live in
Maxton and are members of the
Centre Presbyterian Church,
where'Elmer is an Elder. Some
other facts that you may not know
are as follows:
He came to Raeford in 1951 as
owner and operator of Home Fur
niture Co. His business was
located on Main Street and it
operated as Home Furniture until
1970 when the business was ac
quired by Heilig-Meyers and
Parnell became manager. He has
remained as manager until his
retirement last week. He has been
in business in Raeford for 36 years.
Most of us who have been
associated with firms in Raeford
and Hoke County will always
remember Elmer Parnell as a per
son who joined in the efforts to
make this community a better
place in which to live and work.
His efforts were always for pro
gress for Hoke County, even
though he never lived in Raeford.
Have a good retirement, Elmer,
and may it be many more fruitful
years. You will be missed in
Raeford.
* « *
When you read an article in a
magazine or paper about the ad
vancement of a man in his business
or in a corporation, you can
always know that there is a strong
woman behind him. If he is mar-
(See AROUND, page 3)