TheN
ews
-Journal
Volume LXXIX Number 31
RAEFOm NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Thursday, November 19,1987
Board considers
landfill , straw
The Hoke County Board of
Commissioners is considering
restricting use of the city/county
landfill by those who don’t live in
the county. The board voted
unanimously to have County At
torney Duncan McFadyen draw up
an ordinance that would forbid
non-residents to use the landfill.
Concern about the issue was raised
in a letter to the board of commis
sioners from City Clerk Betty
Smith on behalf of City Manager
Tom Phillips. The city operates the
landfill while the county owns it.
In discussing the matter, the com
missioners indicated some people
from other counties, particularly
Cumberland County, have been
traveling to Hoke County because
of tipping fees charged in their
own counties. There is expected to
be a provision for out of town con
tractors working on behalf of
Hoke citizens, allowing them to
use the landfill with written per
mission from a Hoke resident. In
other action, the board adopted an
ordinance requiring those who
purchase pine straw to keep
records of their transactions. The
ordinance is an attempt to curb the
theft of straw from area farms for
use in nurseries, florists, and other
commercial operations. It was
modeled after a Moore County or
dinance. The ordinance requires
those who purchase straw to
record the quantity purchased, the
amount paid, the name of the
seller, and his license number.
Sellers must also provide two
forms of identification. The books
must be kept by the buyer and
displayed on request to any law en
forcement officer.
Board says no
to health job
Hoke County Commissioners
Monday night voted 3-2 against a
request by Health Director Bobby
Rogers to approve the hiring of a
social worker for the Health
Department.
The social worker would have
provided care coordination ser
vices to pregnant women and
children under two who became
eligible for medical care under an
expanded Medicaid program
which went into effect October 1.
Monday night’s appearance by
Rogers was the second time this
month he has taken his request to
the commissioners. At the
November 2 meeting commis
sioners told Rogers to get the en
dorsement of the Health Depart
ment board before they would act
ori his request.
In a letter to commissioners,
Rogers said the Board of Health
met on November 9 and voted
unanimously to make the request.
Although the social worker’s
salary would have been largely
reimbursed by the state and federal
governments, commissioners were
still concerned the program would
have proved costly to the county.
Rogers contends the program,
designed to reduce the infant mor
tality rate, would be cost effective
in the long run because “anytime
you have a healthy baby it’s much
better for everybody.’’
In a recent interview Rogers said
of the expanded Medicaid pro
gram, “This is a breakthrough that
1 think is quite significant because
never before have the federal and
state governments paid for this
kind of service.’’
(see POSITION, page 2a)
Residency policy
debated by board
By June Lancaster
News-Journal Staff H riter
A policy which would require
key personnel in the Hoke County
School system to reside in the
county was considered by the
Board of Education at its
November 10 meeting but no ac
tion was taken. The meeting was
attended by several administrators
and other school employees.
The first draft of the proposed
policy states that principals, head
coaches of major varsity sports,
directors of band and/or chorus
and supervisory and adminfistrative
personnel in the central office
would be required to live in Hoke
County.
Whether or not the draft should
be expanded to include assistant
principals was discussed. At least
two board members think it
should.
The draft included a grandfather
clause which would permit persons
holding a position in one of the
above categories at the time of
policy adoption and not living in
Hoke County to continue to reside
outside the county.
If a person in one of the above
categories were to move out of the
county after adoption of the policy
he could appeal to the board for an
exemption. Exemptions could also
be granted to applicants for one of
(see SCHOOL, page 2a)
Pedestrian hit
8 year-old Cedrick McNair, a student at McLauchlin School is com
forted by rescue personnel after he darted into the path of a car driven
by Joyce Brown of Raeford and was hit. The accident occurred at the
intersection of E. Central and S. Highland last Thursday afternoon.
McNair sustained minor injuries and no charges were filed. Sgt. Steve
Coughlin of the Raeford Police Department said children should be
reminded to cross at Central and Stewart where there is a crossing
guard from 2:30-3 p.m.
Rest home fire
drills pay off
By June Lancaster
News-Journal Staff Writer
The frequent and thorough fire
drills practiced at the Open Arms
Rest Home paid off on Friday
morning when a fire broke out in a
resident’s bedroom.
It was just after 8 a.m. and most
of the residents were at breakfast
in the dining room when
United Way check
Burlington employee James O. Cunningham presents
a check for $19,300 to IPilUe Featherstone, president
of the United fVay board of directors, on behalf of
the two Burlington Industries Plants, Burlington
Menswear Dyeing Plant and the Burlington Raeford
Plant. Pictured left to right are Curtis McLean,
Mamie Leggett, Sue Hytne, f eatherstone, L ib lEebb,
Laretha Payton, Linda Hinson, Cunningham and
United Way Campaign Chairman George King. The
campaign continues until December /. Individuals
who wish to make a contribution may call George
King at 875-3731.
supervisor-in-charge Pearl
Ferguson who called the fire sta
tion. Meanwhile, Ann Davis,
another supervisor, and Mackie
Locklear of the maintenance staff
quickly doused the flames and
threw the mattress out of the win
dow.
Firemen and rescue personnel
quickly converged on the building.
However, all that had to be done
was to bring in fans to rid the room
of smoke.
Just the day before the fire, the
rest home staff had practiced one
of their periodic fire drills,
(see FIRE, page 2a)
Holiday
changes
released
The City of Raeford has an
nounced that all city offices will
be closed November 26 and 27
for the Thanksgiving holiday.
There will be no garbage pick
up either day. The landfill will
be closed Thanksgiving but will
re-open the 27th.
All News-Journal deadlines
for next week’s paper will be
one day earlier than usual.
School Board
debates middle
school issue
By June Lancaster
News-Journal Staff Writer
A decision made two years ago
by the Hoke County Board of
Education to adopt a middle
school plan of grade organization
in 1988 is running into some pro
blems because of uncertainties
about finances and facilities.
At a work session two weeks ago
the board discussed the middle
school organization with the two
principals most involved in the
restructuring.
Emma Mims of Turlington
Elementary School and Allen Ed
wards of Upchurch Junior High
School are the principals whose
schools will undergo the most
dramatic changes when the middle
school plan is implemented.
The plan calls for the approx
imately 1200 students in grades six,
seven and eight to be assigned to
either Turlington or Upchurch
which will become middle schools
with programs as identical as
possible.
Currently Turlington has all the
fifth and sixth graders in the coun
ty and Upchurch all the seventh
and eighth graders. Under the new
plan, fifth graders will be assigned
to the four elementary schools in
the county, McLauchlin, Scurlock,
South Hoke and West Hoke.
In order to accomodate the fifth
graders, the elementary schools
will have classroom additions
financed by the successful 1986
school bond vote. Construction on
those projects is expected to begin
by the end of this year.
Turlington School will have
some remodeling to offices and
restrooms. That work is expected
to be done during the summer
vacation.
The extensive classroom addi
tions planned for Upchurch have
been put on hold. The board decid
ed to delay the additions and other
remodeling planned for Upchurch
when it was learned Hoke County
schools were placed high on the
priority list for critical needs fund
ing.
The board believes Hoke Coun
ty will get a substantial amount of
money-maybe enough to build a
new school which could house all
the middle school students-but
will not know until April at the
earliest how much money that will
be.
The uncertainties involving
money and space are not the only
challenges facing the school board.
The question of how to assign
students to the two schools was
debated. Various methods, rang-
(see MIDDLE, page 8a)
housekeeper Annette Bratcher
heard the smoke alarm. Upon in
vestigation she discovered a
smoke-filled room where a mat
tress had burned.
Bratcher quickly alerted the
17 year old charged
in area break-ins
Michael Lamont Buie, 17, of Rt.
1, Red Springs has been arrested in
connection with a series of break-
ins and larcenies over the last year.
Charges have been preferred
against Buie by both the Raeford
Police Department and the Hoke
County Sheriff’s Department.
Raeford Police have charged
Buie with three counts of breaking
and entering and larceny; one
count of first degree burglary; five
counts of felonious larceny; two
counts of felony breaking and
entering; two counts of breaking
and entering a motor vehicle; four
counts of misdemeanor larceny
and one count of injury to per
sonal property.
In addition, Buie has been
charged by the Hoke County
Sheriff’s Department with break
ing and entering and larceny in
connection with a break-in at Up
church Junior High School on
November 6. Also arrested in that
case was Herman Lamont
Douglas, 19, of Rt. 3, Raeford.
Buie was also charged by the
sheriff’s department with two
counts of breaking and entering a
motor vehicle and larceny, and one
count of larceny.
Police Chief V. L. Wiggins said,
“We hope it will slow down some
of the breaking and entering and
vehicle larcenies we’ve experienced
recently.’’
Wiggins said police have
recovered some of the merchandise
taken in the break-ins.
Buie is in Hoke County jail
under bond.
Mattress fire
This mattress caught fire as a result of a resident smoking in his room at
the Open Arms Rest Home last Friday morning. Quick action by rest
home employees prevented serious damage.
ArouiKi Town
By Sam Morris
Once again we had perfect
weather for the weekend. The
temperatures were in the low 70s
and there wasn’t any rain to
dampen outdoor activities. It is a
little warm for November, but
most folks I talk to like this kind of
weather. Of course we shouldn’t
expect it to stay this way too long.
The forecast is for rain on Tues
day and maybe on Wednesday
morning and then it should get
somewhat cooler, but not cold.
Anyway we can use the rain
because the water table is low for
this time of year after the dry
weather in October.
« * ♦
The News-Journal will be
printed on Tuesday next week
because of the Thanksgiving holi
day. This has always been the
custom so as to give all employees
the holiday. Also the post office
will be closed and by coming out a
day early most subscribers in the
county will receive their paper
before the holiday.
So this action will mean that the
schedule for all ads, news and col
umns will move up a day. In most
instances this hasn’t worked any
hardship on folks when they know
ahead of time. So get your ads and
news in early for next week’s
paper.
* * *
The Thanksgiving Eve Com
munity Service will be held in the
Raeford Presbyterian Church on
Wednesday starting at 7:30 p.m.
The Rev. Max Evington, pastor of
the First Baptist Church will bring
the message this year.
So make your plans now to at
tend. If you have friends and
relatives who are visiting you,
bring them along. This is what
Thanksgiving is meant to be
-thanking God for what He has
done for us during the past year.
* * •
Have you bought your ticket for
the 4th Annual Mullet Roast that
will be held at the Hoke Civic
Center? It will be held on Friday
night, December 4 starting at 6:30
p.m. If you haven’t purchased a
ticket, go by the Raeford-Hoke
Chamber of Commerce and pick
up one today. It may be too late
since only 150 will be sold.
* * «
Also don’t forget the date of the
Raeford Kiwanis Club Annual
Pancake Supper. It will be held on
Thursday night, December 17 at
the Gibson School Cafeteria. Serv
ing will begin at five o’clock.
* * *
The Street Department and Gar
bage Collection Department of the
City of Raeford should be com
mended for the super work they do
(see AROUND, page 8a)