Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / June 9, 1993, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews Journal The 9th issue of our 85th year RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA 25 CENTS Wednesday, June 9,1993 Raeford City Council leaves tax rate at 57 cents Raeford government will be spending more next year, but taxes won’t increase, thanks to growth, City Manager Tom Phillips said. City Council Monday night passed a $4.2 million operating budget that will go into effect July 1. Reflected in the budget is a 10 percent increase in General Fund expenditures, attributed by Phillips to dramatically increased costs for solid v.aste disposal. He said several new buildings will generate tax revenue in the city to offset the increase. Council passed the budget with little discussion though one provision prompted debate. The budget calls for a three percent across-the- board raise for all city employees, and provides for di.scretionary merit rai.ses too. “That’s quite a chunk of change,” Council member Steve Phillips said. “Since we’re giving them across the board raises do we need to give them merit increases?” City Manager Phillips asked for the “llexibility to recognize that employee who’s doing a good job.” In his budget message he estimated 75 percent or less of employees would get merit increases typically amounting to 2.5 percent of their annual pay. Ult i mately, the cost of living increase and merit pay provisions were left in. Other highlights of the budget: (See TAXES, page 14) • n ' puf j / isTir I* % J^_ ^eachiffff Od 91 Cmib Against drugs Representatives of Realistic Ministries, Hoke Against Drugs and Drug Awareness Resistance Education marched Saturday from Hoke High School to the Sheriff’s Department to promote anti-drug awareness. Schools to offer pregnancy tests Hoke School officials unanimously passed a resolution last night to establish a pregnancy testing program in the schools. The program will allow young women in the middle schools or the high school to request a free pregnancy test on campus. School nurse Kathi Ellis and school social worker Linda Queen said the program should not shock Hoke residents: other school systems already offer the program. “Our current proposal is very simple; we would like to make pregnancy testing more available to our students,” a memo to the board read. An added incentive was that the testing kits will be provided to the schools for free by the Hoke Health Department. The two listed for School Board members long-term and immediate reasons to establish the program. Over the past five years teen birth rates grew statewide, according to the Children’s Index of the Child Advocacy Institute. Ellis and Queen said Hoke is no exception to that trend. “In 1988, a needs assessment survey was done...one of the major problems voiced by the public at large was teen pregnancy,” a memo to the Board said. “Our goal is to keep girls in school and healthy,” Ellis said. She said many young girls in Hoke who think they are pregnant often cannot afford the store- bought kits. Although they are eligible for Health Department counseling and testing, many lack the transportation to get to the center. But it they do have transportation, they often must miss class time to check out for the testing. Also, girls without test access often forego prenatal care until well into their pregnancy. “We wind up with girls in their second or third trimester before they admit they’re preg nant,” Ellis said. “They’re just out there with high risk pregnancies. By doing the pregnancy testing by request we can otter assistance.” (See PREGNANCY, page 11) City declines to enact code of ethics Several Raeford City Council members balked at a proposed code of ethics, saying the requirements were too far-reaching. The board voted down the code four to one. The most controversial portion of the code would have required all city officials — the mayor, council members, the city manager, the city attorney, department heads, and all members of city-appointed boards and commissions — to annually disclose the businesses they owned, the names of their employers, the nature of their work, and the loca tion of all theirs or their families’ real property in the City. The code also spelled out what constitutes improper gifts, special treatment and conflicts of interest. “I still have the same problems r Marshals for Hoke High’s 1993 graduation exercises: (left to right, front row) Jan Hughes, Jennifer McClendon, Naja Shareef, Amy Smith, Laura McNeill, Michelle McMillan, Laura Foster. Second row: James Mills, Artis Beatty, Mark McNeill, Latosha Riuka, Bill Cameion and Chris Molrityre. Mike W>od tapped for county manager ^ ^ They just want to be kept informed. 1 never got the impres sion they want to be looking over my shoulder at every step.^ ^ as the first time it was brought up,” Councilman Steve Phillips said. “You’re talking about any person —anybody who has anything to do with the City will have to go over here and register. (See ETHICS, page lb) It’s goodbye to Hoke High More than 250 seniors w ill bid farewell to Hoke High School Fri day. Hoke County High School will hold graduation ceremonies for the Class of 1993 on Friday, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hoke High Stadium. School Principal Randi Bridges is asking for cooperation from par ents and others who attend the event. He says parking will be behind the l)a.seball field, and in the stu dent parking lot. The Gibson park ing lot will not be used. In the event of rain graduation will be Saturday morning,June 12th at 9 a.ni. in the Hoke 1 ligh Stadium. 1 he public IS invitetl. T he Hoke County Commis sioners named Mike Wood as the new county manager yesterday. Wood, who currently serves as the director of the county Health Department, will begin work to day, according to interim man ager Oleta Lopez. They selected him from a pool of 97 applicants. As a long-time Raeford resi dent and county employee — he worked with the Health Department for 17 years — Wood said he feels his local edge helped him beat out the competition. “I think my being local was a big, big factor.” County officials said no replacement was yet named at the Health Department, but Wood said the Health Board will appoint an interim director. He said his decision to leave the Health Department did not come easily, and he will help them through the transition. “I’ll sort of be between the two for both places. I hate to leave them. It was time to move after 17 years there, but I didn’t want to leave Hoke County.” Wood said he could not thank the Health Board enough for all they’ve done for him, even sending him to graduate school. Wood said he doesn’t anticipate the same type of run-ins experi enced by his predecessor and expects a good working relationship with the Commissioners. (See MANAGER, page 13) Indians to march On Saturday area Indians will march through Raeford asking county government to take notice not only of their costumes, but their rights. Organizers circulated a list of 12 greivances, and they say they hope the community will address these issues. The list enumerates requests for more role models in the schools, and Raeford and Hoke government agencies. Topping the list is an accusation of unconstitutional zoning by the Board of Adjustment. Earlier this year the Board denied Lonnie Locklear’s son and daugh ter-in-law a conditional use permit for their class B mobile home. After attempts to point out ambiguities in the zoning ordinance, the couple accused the Board of discrimination. (See MARCH, page 10) Around Town Bv Sam C. Morris l.ast Saturday afternoon as you watched the weather report run across the hottoni of the television screen, it made you want to run for cover; espe cially when they were reporting hail the si/e of tennis balls and baseballs in the area around Charlotte. Very soon the report came oti the screen that Hoke County was under a thutiderstorm warn ing. Then ca.ne the lightning, thunder and hail. 1 did hear that the hailstorm was heavy near Montrose. So far 1 haveti’t heard of any sizeable damage to crops. We did get some much needed rain and if there wasn’t any damage from the hail, then we came out a winner. The thermometer registered in the 9()s last week and should be there again on Tues day. The forecast for the remainder of the week calls for the highs to be in the Ws Wednesday through Friday and the lows in the 7()s. It could cool off for the weekend with the highs in the 8()s and the lows in the 6()s. There is a chance of rain over the weekend. Summer has arrived two weeksahead of schedule. ***** There is nothing better than fresh vegetables. The new potatoes furnished by Raz Autry and the yellow squash given to me by Benny McLeod just makes a meal taste better with fresh vegetables. * * * ♦ * List week an item in this column was about the death of Charles D. Johnson of Red Springs. Someone let the name get printed Jackson instead of Johnson. 1 hope the members of Old Battery “F” figured out who it was from the other (See AROUND, page 14)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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June 9, 1993, edition 1
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