Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / July 15, 1992, edition 1 / Page 1
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ews J ournal The 14th issue of our 84th year RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA 25 CENTS Wednesday, July 15,1992 Schools get break from threat of takeover until 1995 The state will grant the Hoke County school system clemency until 1995 to meet accreditation standards. The Board of Education recently presented its improvement plan, a state-mandated proposal to improve the school system which, along with all others in the state, will be reviewed for accredita tion in 1995. “The Hoke County system has a number of disadvantages,” said Bill McMillan of the South west Technical Assistance Center (TAC), a branch of the state office of public instruction. “This past year we have to be very proud and pleased with the progress. It’s better than we expected, and we need to keep that trend mov ing.” Board of Education Chairwoman Shirley Gibson said the TAC assists schools in numerous areas. Based on census and other data for 1990 and 1991, Hoke needs all the help it can get. McMillan said Hoke had a chronic problem with its educational system. According to the Report Card issued by the State Board of Education for 1991, Hoke failed to meet state accreditation standards for the past three years, and this year’s most recent scores reflect little improvement. Hoke County ranked the third worst in the state for dropout rates for 1991 according to the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute’s annual report. (See IMPROVEMENT, page 4) Med center ' % ^ W j >. 'iOi: ; Mountain climbers Jennifer, Willie and Jerry climb a mountain of sand donated to the Children’s Developmental Center. 401 Sand Company delivered the sand for use by the children on the center’s playground. Thacker renews bid to buy airport Gene Paul Thacker, president of Raeford Aviation Inc., moved one step closer to real izing his dream of owning an airport. At their July 7 meeting Hoke County Commissioners agreed to research the sale of the Raeford airport. The Commission’s decision falls in line with the apparent wish of the Raeford City Council; the City co-owns the facility with the county. “We anticipated this would take place,” City Manager Tom Phillips said. “The news is certainly pleasing to us.” According to County Commissioners, only expansion would enhance its commercial appeal. The inter-governmental group does not own enough land to lengthen the runway, a necessity to attract industrial clients. “From the aspect of growth, we are boxed in,” Commissioner L.E. McLaughlin said. “Since we’re boxed in and we can’t grow out there, we’re losing money on it. My recom mendation is that we ought to pursue selling it.” Primaril y, the airport is used for small craft and as a recreational facility. After investing several thousand dollars in appraisals and attorney’s fees, Thacker said they should end the rumors and take action to sell the facility. “We’ve been pursuing it for about two years now,” Thacker said. “Before I pursue it any more I need to know whether you want to sell it.” The sale would involve more than a mere exchange of funds for property. The County Commissioners expressed concern over Federal Aviation Administra tion regulations of access and also payment of FAA debts on the airport. (See AIRPORT, page 5) Arabia brothers rescue troubled swinuners What started as just a relaxing day at the beach for two Arabia brothers turned sud denly exciting when they noticed a girl and her father nearly drowning. By day’s end the two were heroes. On June 27, Dwight and Greg Jackson, with their families, sat on the northern end of Holden Beach, and noticed a group of people staring at the sea. “Basically we were just kind of sitting on the beach,” Greg said. “We noticed a few people were congregating at the water’s edge. They were pointing at a raft.” But what the Jackson brothers saw was more than an abandoned raft. They saw a little girl in trouble. “We noticed to our left a lot of people pointing to the surf,” Dwight said. “Something like a little rubber boat was on the surf. A few moments later 1 saw a person outside of the boat,” he said. “The first thing that popped in my mind was that they’re in trouble.” “We watched them for ^ few minutes, and just out of impulse I grabbed a styrofoam surfboard,” Greg said. Ironically, the brothers said the surfboard is old and they usually “leave it at home in a closet.” He then made his way to the girl. “When I got to her she was really in a panic,” he said. “She was pretty much hys terical.” “I didn’t have a floatation device,” said his (See RESCUE, page 5) Doctor says new clinic will provide family care While conuoversy stalls the de velopment of a county-sponsored medical center, doctors from Cumberland County prepare to open a private family clinic in the area. The private clinic, dubbed the Raeford-Hoke Family Care Cen ter, nears completion on U.S. 401 business in Raeford. Owner Dr. D.P.Chaudjuri slated the opening of the facility for mid- August, bringing one full-time phy sician and several part-time physi cians to the area. Chaudjuri said the clinic will provide primarily family care, an unattractive field in rural areas, accordingto membersofthe North Carolina Medical Society Foun dation and the North Carolina Of fice of Rural Health. “I think this is a universal prob lem,” he said. “In residency train ing doctors get used to a big-city environment and so they don’t go back to the rural areas. But I think that trend is changing. I think a lot of young doctors want to give back to the place they came from." To respond to patients’ needs in Hoke County he, along with other physicians, developed the center. (See DOCTOR, page 5) Sheriff hires 4 denuties HokeSheriff Wayne Byrd selected two women and two men to fill the newly allocated deputy positions. The four full-time deputies — Judy Cain, Tonya Gamby, Cecil McLamb and Joey Blackburn — started the first week in July. The recruits came from the Sher iff Department’s auxiliary program, Byrd’s brainchild. “1 said in 1988 that Hoke County couldn’t afford all the goods and services we need,” he said. “1 prom ised myself if I was ever given the opportunity, I would set up an auxil iary program for road officers, the court system and the jail.” And that’s exactly what he did. In fact by June 25 the auxiliary program boasted more positions than the Sheriffs Department. “These people give to this county compromise in the works T he stalemate between old and new broke as members of the Hoke County Medical Complex Inc. and a proposed medical center prepare for a meeting Thursday night. Sources from both organizations said compromise appears in sight in the long-awaited plan to bring family practitioners to Hoke County. “Last night we voted to put a proposal to the other committee that would be beneficial to them and Raeford and Hoke County,” Younger Snead said this morning. He said the most recent proposal of his committee received unani mous approval at the HCMC board meeting last night as the organi zation prepares for the bargaining table. Although Snead declined to release the specifics of the proposal, he said it did involve an agreement that “will totally do what the community and our board and the other board want.” Snead, president of the HCMC, met last week in an impromptu gathering of Wyatt Upchurch, chairman of the Hoke County (Commis sioners, and Dr. Bob Townsend, who currently occupies the contro versial building. The three began a new round of discussions. Then Snead called last night’s meeting after reaching some accord with Dr. Harvey Estes earlier in the day. Estes, of the North Carolina Medical Society, coordinated the new plan. He said he thinks this recent meeting swayed Snead and his board toward compromise. “He said he’d been thinking about the project and found out some details from Dr. Townsend that he didn’t know before. “I think the expectation is that he will bring some type of proposal to the meeting Thursday. Ijustfeel there is a little more understanding now.” Although there may be understanding in general terms, the details of how far compromise extends remain in question. “I think things are looking up,” Estes said, “but the details of the proposal are to be worked out between now and Thursday’s meeting. But I think it will involve a leasing of the building.” One of the key issues for HCMC was the involvement of Cape Fear Valley Medical Center (CFVMC) and the Fayetteville Area Health Education Center (FAHEC). In past meetings, the HCMC board members, with the exception of Walter Coley, expressed concern over turning the HCMC into a satellite for CFVMC and a training ground for FAHEC. The use of CFVMC and FAHEC or Moore Regional Hospital remains in question. The proposal that started the controversy would bring three pemia- nent family practitioners and a physician’s assistant to Hoke County, as well as filtering several residents from FAHEC through the clinic. Hoke planner picked The search ended for a new plan ning director this week. The county hired Karen Burd of Salter Path, N.C. to fill the position. Burd, who studied at East Caro lina University, Appalachian State University and UNC, will begin July 27. The new planner formerly worked withCarteretand Yorkcountiesplan- ning and zoning boards and the Lenoir Downtown Association Inc. Around Town approximately 600 hoursof non-paid labor per month,” Byrd said. He said the auxiliary officers save the county at least $2,550 month. That sum is no small chunk of change to an already-strained county budget. Volunteers from the community comprise the au xiliary organization, which supplemen ts the duties of paid officers. The state requires essentially the same training standards be met for auxiliary staff as the paid staff, Byrd said. “An auxiliary has to be certified with a firearm, and within twelve months of beginning, must be en rolled as a full-time student in a basic law enforcement training program.” A full-time BLET usually lasts (See DEPUTIES, page 5) By Sam C. Morris For a month or so many people have been asking when summer was coming? Well, it came last week. For the past week the temperatures have been in the high 90s or 100 degrees. The lows at night have been in the high 70s. The rainfall that came several days ago has dried up and the ground is hard and dry. The tractors that are disking and plowing in the fields leave a trail of dust. The forecast calls for temperatures to drop as the week progresses. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday calls for the highs to be in the 90s and the lows in the 70s. Saturday the high will be in the 80s and the lows will be in the 60s. Friday and Saturday we could get some rain. Of course any day we could have a thundershower. Last week in the article and letter about Earl Yarborough, I stated that the whereabouts of Fred, a brother, was unknown to me. Sunday night at Grumpier Funeral Home, Fred came up to me and stated that he had been living in Fayetteville for the past 20 years with his sister. It was good to see and talk with Fred and 1 was glad to see thathe was in good health. + ♦ * Clayton Buoycr was telling me Monday that he attended the Howell reunion in Robeson County Sunday. He said that Walter Howell of Co lumbia, S. C. was in attendance and that Walter told him that his brother, Dan Howell, had died in Tennessee in June. Dan Howell was bom in Hoke (See AROUND, page 10)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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July 15, 1992, edition 1
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