The N
ews
-Journal
Volume LXXIX Number 25
RAEFORD. NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Thursday, October 8,1987
City-County dispute almost resolved
By Ken MacDonald
News-Journal Associate Editor
Members of the Hoke County
Commission and Raeford City
Council met Monday night to hash
out details of a proposed joint city
county central communication
system.
'|['he system would cost an
estimated $137,300 for installation
of new radio equipment and opera
tion during the first year. But it
would reduce the total number of
dispatchers needed by the Raeford
Police Department and Hoke
County Sheriff’s Department and
more importantly, free up jailers
who now have duties split between
tending prisoners and dispatching
for over 13 fire departments, the
ambulance service, the rescue
squad, highway patrol and wildlife
and forestry services.
City councilmen and county
commissioners thought they had
reached an agreement earlier, but
Junk ordinance
again tabled
The Hoke County Commission
again delayed passage of the county's
proposed junkyard ordinance after
several commissioners expressed
concerns that measures in the
ordinance designed to clean up
junkyards are too harsh.
The meeting, which was attended
by about thirty proponents and
opponents of the ordinance, got a
little disorderly. After one man
spoke out of turn, Commission
Chairman Wyatt Upchurch called for
a sheriffs deputy to help maintain
order.
Upchurch began the discussion by
saying forcing junkyards to locate at
least 300 feet from the center of a
road is unreasonable. Other
commissioners agreed and suggested
100 feet might be a more reasonable
distance. Upchurch also said
requiring an eight foot fence around
the perimeter of junkyards would l)c
too costly and suggested a six foot
fence. And he said requiring a fence
or shrubs to hide the yard from
adjacent homes and roads might be
sufficient instead of requiring the
yards to be disguised around their
complete perimeters.
The suggested weakening of the
ordinance didn't sit well with some
members of the audience. Joyce
Thompson of Quewhiffle, who has
addressed the commission a number
of times supporting a strict
ordinance submitted photos of rats
killed in her house. She said they
came from the adjacent junkyard and
urged the commission for a strict
ordinance. She said she asked for
help from the yard owner but that
didn't get her anywhere. "He told me
to carry a gun and shoot them," she
said, "but 1 told him I'm not Annie
Oakley."
Commissioner Cleo Bratcher
suggested a committee be formed
comprised of junkyard owners and
others who aren't, to work out
(see JUNK, page 11)
By Ken MacDonald
News-Journal Associate Editor
Fire deaths aren’t common in
Raeford and Hoke County, and
local firemen are trying to keep it
that way by encouraging citizens to
plan escape routes from their
homes. The effort coincides with
“Fire Prevention Week.”
Terry Tapp, secretary of the
Hoke County Firefighters Associa
tion and a captain in the Raeford
Fire Department says thousands of
people die in fires each year in the
U.S. “Most of those people -more
than 80 percent - die in their own
homes. 'That’s why it’s important
to spend some time to plan how
they would escape in case a fire
strikes,” he said.
To get the word out, the
Raeford Fire Department is
holding an open house this
weekend (Sunday, Oct. 11) from 1
to 4 p.m. to allow citizens an op
portunity to ask questions, get help
in preparing an escape plan, and
even purchase a few basics of fire
prevention - smoke detectors and
fire extinguishers.
there was a misunderstanding con
cerning the county’s intentions.
Both groups were able to iron
out a few difficulties. Most
notably, was the controversy over
who will supervise the new pool of
dispatchers. City council had been
concerned that placing the new
department under either Hoke
Sheriff Dave Barrington or any
other law enforcement officer
would expose dispatchers to undue
pressure to please their superior at
the expense of others for whom
they’re dispatching.
Commissioner Mabel Riley
began the discussion. “First, I
want to know why after all these
years city council doesn’t want the
sheriff over the department,” she
said.
City Councilman Gentry
countered, “we don’t have
criticism of Dave Barrington, we
don’t want it under law enforce
ment period. Dave Barrington is
the best sheriff in N.C.”
Another sticking point was a
concern by Raeford Police Chief
Zeke Wiggins that the proposal
would make it impossible for him
to continue to staff the office
around the clock. City leaders told
the commission that the objection
could be overcome.
Still another problem is access to
what used to be known as PIN
machines which provide computer
access to criminal records in
1
- Il
Work session
Members of Raeford City Council and the Hoke
County Board of Commissioners try to work out dif
ferences concerning a proposed central communica
tions system for law enforcement and emergency agen
cies in Raeford and Hoke County.
Unemployment rate up
Hose class
Instructor Alan Cain of Fayetteville shows firemen the correct way to use
a new larger capacity fire hose. The class coincided with Fire Prevention
Week.
Firemen encourage
escape route plans
“We’re pushing smoke detectors
and fire extinguishers,” Tapp says,
“as inexpensive, but very
beneficial items.” The department
is selling detectors for $12 and ex
tinguishers for $18.
In addition, Raeford firemen
and those from county depart
ments which held open houses last
weekend, will go to a citizens
house on request and assist with
escape plans.
But helping plan escape routes is
only part of what area firemen are
doing this week - they’re also hon
ing their skills and demonstrating
them as well. On Saturday at the
Edinborough Shopping Center,
firemen and rescue squad
volunteers will display equipment
and compete in firefighting techni
ques.
Earlier, firefighters association
members took part in a class to
learn how to safely and effectively
use new hoses Raeford firemen
have added to their firefighting
arsenal.
Tapp says the 4-inch hoses,
(see SAFETY, page 9)
Recently released figures from
the Employment Security Commis
sion indicate a slight increase in the
unemployment rate in Hoke Coun-
‘y-
From a low of 5.7 percent in
June the rate climbed slightly in
July to 5.8. Figures for August
show a 6.2 percent unemployment
rate.
According to Burnest Graham
with the ESC office in Laurinburg
the rise in unemployment in Hoke
County is “not that significant.”
He said a 6.2 percent unemploy
ment rate is pretty good for this
area.
Water rates
low here
By June Lancaster
News-Journal Staff Writer
Statistics released recently by the
Lumber River Council of Govern
ments (LRCOG) show residents of
the City of Raeford are getting
water and sewer service at lower
rates than other region towns.
The LRCOG includes Bladen,
Hoke, Robeson and Scotland
Counties.
Raeford customers pay .96 cents
per 1,000 gallons for water. The
rate applies to both residential and
commercial customers. The
average residential customer uses
approximately 2,800 gallons of
water per month, according to
Tom Phillips, Raeford city
manager.
Raeford residents pay the .96
cents rate for the first 3,000 gallons
of water. The cost decreases
according to the amount of water
used to a low of .59 cents for more
than a million gallons.
Currently four customers use
more than a million gallons of
water a month. The four are the
major industries, Burlington,
Faberge and House of Raeford
and the Hoke County Board of
Education.
Water rates charged by other
towns in the LRCOG include
Clarkton which charges $6.50 per
3,750 gallons; Dublin $4.00 per
2,000 gallons; Elizabethtown $5.41
per 2,000 gallons; Fairmont $4.00
per 1,000 gallons.
Laurinburg charges $3.50 per
2,000 gallons; Lumberton $4.40
per 3,(XX) gallons; Maxton $4.00
per 2,000 gallons; Bladenboro
$5.00 for the first 2,500 gallons.
Parkton charges $6.93 for the
first 3,000 gallons; Pembroke
(see WATER, page 14)
Graham said at this time of year
there are seasonal factors to con
sider. He said a rise in unemploy
ment is often seen at the end of the
harvest season.
Unemployment figures for
August for neighboring counties
show Cumberland had 5.2 percent,
Moore 3.4 percent, Robeson 7.0
and Scotland 7.1 percent
unemployment rates.
The trend earlier this year
toward lower unemployment rates
in Hoke County can’t be viewed
with too much optimism, Graham
said.
Growth of existing industries
could well be the reason for that
earlier decrease in unemployment
in the county. However, without
new industry in the county those
decreases will not be dramatic.
Graham said new regulations af
fecting Social Services clients
which became effective October 1
will require more people to register
with the ESC. He said the addi
tional people registering may have
some effect on the unemployment
rate. Unemployment would rise as
more people are added to the
potential workforce.
S!
Friendly service
Bar-B-Que Hut owner Raymond Bedsole greets drive-through
customers at his restaurant, now open across from the old National
Guard Armory.
2 restaurants open
Raeford is getting two new fast-
food restaurants. One has already
opened and the other will open in
three to four weeks.
The Bar-B-Que Hut on Central
Raleigh. Law enforcement uses
them to check driving and criminal
records of suspects. Earlier it was
believed that only those in law en
forcement could have access to the
information, but a check with state
authorities revealed dispatchers
could see most information but
would be restricted from informa
tion typically used for investigative
work.
The meeting ended without any
decisive action taken, but both
boards agreed to take up the issue
again. Apparently there are a few
remaining questions however
about who will supervise the new
system.
Discussion indicated it may be
put under the jurisdiction of Coun
ty Manager William Cowan.
Neither board wants to offend
Sheriff Barrington who has over
seen dispatching for most local
emergency agencies for years.
Barrington says he has no pro
blem turning the operation over to
someone else. He says, “in the
beginning, double duties were not
a problem, but as it has developed,
it’s a serious problem. My people
are doing it (supervising the jail
and dispatching), but it is not as ef
fective as it should be.” Barr
ington says, “we’ve been lucky in
the past that we’ve not had a
serious problem.”
As work continues on resolving
remaining issues another problem
has cropped up. Radio traffic in
Hoke County is being interrupted
by transmissions in Scotland
County and visa versa. City Coun
cil and the commission want to see
if changes in Hoke County’s
dispatching system can correct the
interference problem as well.
Both boards agreed to consider
the system again to see if an agree
ment can be reached. The commis
sion discussed it at their regular
meetings following the joint ses
sion but tabled it for further
discussion on a supervisor’s pay
rate.
Drug cases
go to court
The people arrested in last
week’s drug round-up in Hoke
County had their first appearance
in District Court on October 1.
Their probable cause hearings were
set for October 16. The Honorable
Warren L. Pate presided.
In other cases Troy La Bom
bard, 18, of Rt. 2, Raeford, plead
ed guilty to assault with a deadly
weapon (ADW). He was sentenced
to two years in the Hoke County
Jail. His sentence is to begin at the
expiration of any sentence he is
now serving.
In another case. La Bombard
pleaded guilty to attempted
larceny. He was sentenced to two
years to begin at expiration of the
sentence imposed in the previous
case.
Malcolm Kelly Carver, 49, of
Lumber Bridge, pleaded guilty to
driving while impaired (DWI) and
to having no operator’s license
(NOL). He was given a one-year
suspended sentence and placed on
(See COURT, page 7)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Avenue directly across from the
old Armory opened for business
on September 14.
Owned and operated by Ray-
(see RESTAURANT, page 9)
The cold weather came over the
weekend. It didn’t frost in Hoke
County, but the thermometer was
down into the 30s Monday morn
ing. It warmed up to the 70s and
the same is expected for Tuesday
and Wednesday. Some rain could
move in Tuesday night.
The forecast for the remainder
of the week is for the temperatures
to be in the 60s during the day and
dropping down into the 40s and
30s at night. No rain is in the
forecast after Wednesday.
Once again - perfect football
weather.
* ' * * •
Many people have been talking
about the gravel placed on N.C.
211 West or better known to some
folks as West Prospect Avenue,
(see AROUND, page 14)