Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Jan. 5, 1994, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews The 39th issue of our 85th year RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA They’re off iand running As candidates file, surprise is DeVane’s planned resignation The Hoke County elections office was bustling Tuesday, as filing opened for the 1994 elections. Nine candidates filed, including three for Sheriff, two for Clerk of Court, one for the county Board of Education and three for the county Board of Commissioners. But the big surprise is that one candidate is not running again. State Rep. Danny DeVane of the 16th District will step down from his post this year, he said. “It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will not be seeking re-election,” he said in a news release, .. and that I will be resigning my position as of the 17th of January to work with the State Department of Transportation as the department’s Legislative Liaison.” DeVane, a six-term legislator and former Hoke Commis sioner for six years, owns a realty and auction company in Raeford. “1 am excited about this new challenge,” DeVane said, “and look forward to working with the members of the General Assembly, Gov. Hunt, Secretary of Transportation, Sam Hunt, and his staff to help carry out the programs of the department.” The selection of a replacement to serve out the remainder of DeVane’s term will be up to the State House of Represen tatives District Executive Committee, a board composed of two Democrats from each of the five counties DeVane repre sents, says Democratic Party head Jackie Haddon. Onnie Dudley and Grace Kelton serve for Hoke; other counties are Moore, Scotland, Richmond, Robeson and Cumberland. The 10 members will convene and pick a re placement. Meanwhile, several state government officials did file for re-election. For the office of State Senator, the following people filed: •Incumbent Aaron Plyler, for the 17th District. Plyler, a native of Union County who lives in Monroe, has been a Senator for 12 years and served in the State House of Repre sentatives for eight years. Plyler is chairman of the Appropriations Committee, vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and serves on the Agriculture, Marine Resources and Wildlife and Capital Expenditures committees as well. •Incumbent Richard Conder, Senate majority leader, for his sixth term in the 17th district. Conder, who is from Rockingham, is vice chairman of the Finance and Rules and Operation of the Senate committees. He also serves on the Appropriations, Education/Higher Education, and Transporta tion committees among others. •Incumbent David Parnell announced he plans to file for reelection. For a seat in the N.C. House of Representatives, one person filed. •Incumbent Frances Cummings of Lumberton, who had previously announced her candidacy, for her second term in office to represent District 87. Nine file for county posts In Hoke County, the following people filed for the office of Sheriff: •Incumbent Sheriff Wayne Byrd, who has held the post since 1991. Byrd is former owner of Byrd’s Alignment and a former Red Springs constable. •David Barrington Jr., who has been a detective for the Southern Pines Police Department for four years. He worked as special agent for the State Bureau of Investigation for four years and as a probation/parole officer for Adult Probation and Parole for four years. (See ELECTION, page 8) Around Town Danny DeVane Aaron Plyler Richard Conder Frances Cummings Dave Barrington Jimmy Riley ..E. McLaughlin James Albert Hunt 7 ' •* V •' f ’ Jean Hodges Charlotte Kelly Betty Cook Nancy Smith By Sam C. Morris The weather has continued cold for the past week. I don’t helieve that I missed as many days from golf because of bad vseather last year as I base so far this winter. We had appioximately an inch of rain Saturday night, and this v\ as more than most places. Anyway, it is better than snow. The forecast calls lor the temperature to remain cold tor the next few days. Wednesday we will see highs in the 4()s and lows in the 2()s. Thur.sday and Friday highs will be in the 5()s and lows in the 3()s. Saturday the highs will be in the 4()s and the lows in the'^l's There is a nooil chance of rain on Friday. I didn’t attend any tunerals in De cember, but the New Year started oil with two deaths. I attended the service for Jane McKeithan Purcell, daughter of Mrs. Gertrude McKeithan and the late Herbert McKeithan, at the Laurinburg Presbyterian Church in Laurinburg Sat urday. The church was filled and people were standing in the aisles. We read about natives of the county who make good away from here, but then at other times it takes a death and the memories ot a pastor or friend to find out what someone has meant to a community. Phis came out Saturday at the service for Jane Purcell. Sunday, I attended the graveside ser- V ice for Frances Walters Falk in Raeford. Frances lived in Raeford all her life and her family, ihe Wallers and Sinclairs, were earlv seltlers of Ihe county I hope this isn’t a trend for the year 1994. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 'I’uesday, January 4 the election of fice opened for candidates to file for the May Primary. I expect before the filing (See AROUND, page 10) Autry honored as state president of Homemakers Hoke Commissioners and homemakers gathered Tues day to commend the first state President of the N.C. Exten sion Homemakers Associa tion from Hoke County. On Tuesday, Hoke Com missioners greeted Ireni Autry, 1993 state NCEHA president and long-time Hoke County extension home maker, with a plaque and many kind words about her service in the community. “Ireni Toumaras Autry ... (See EXTENSION, page 10) Journal 25 CENTS Wednesday, January 5,1994 House of Raeford $ 15-niiflion facility proposed off NC 20 Company says Duplin also possible site H ow would you like a $15 million plant, several hundred new jobs, and maybe a new industrial park? That’s the question posed last night to Raeford City Council by House of Raeford officials. The company says it plans to build a facility by the end of the year, the question is just where. If things work out, new jobs could be added and maybe even an industrial park created. House of Raeford’s Bob Johnson, Eric Wowra and Alan Asbury say they are posing the same question to officials in Duplin County where the company operates a feed mill, a chicken plant and a chicken and turkey “growout facility.” The proposed plant, an estimated 183,000 square feet, would probably be about the size of House of Raeford’s existing local processing plant, located on Highway 401 Business. The company proposes to build the new one on 21 acres of land which is part of a parcel of more than 130 acres the company owns off Highway 20, behind the current plant. It would be a “further processing” plant (produces cooked turkey products) and distribution center. Some 200 employees would be moved from the old to the new building, freeing up space to in crease volume in the current processing plant. With additional volume would come additional employ ees. Wowra told councilmen the company simply needs additional capacity. Johnson, Wowra and Asbury outlined the plans to Council at a specially called meeting. Before House of Raeford continues, they said, the com pany wants assurances the City will be able to supply additional water and will go easy on them in the area of taxes. “The main thing that concerns me,” Johnson said, “is knowing we need 150,000 gallons per day. ... If 1 get that plant built and spend $15 million or however much it’s going to be — can you handle that?” Johnson’s caution may be traced to the consider able differences over water and wastewater in the late 1980s between House of Raeford and the City. The most recent chapter ended after years in court when the State Court of Appeals last year upheld House of Raeford and set aside $70,000 in fines and costs assessed by the City for wastewater violations. “I want to know the town is going to be able to handle my expansion,” Johnson said. (See EXPANSION, page 3) Hoke may hire engineer Hoke County Commissioners Tuesday debated hiring a county engineer, in great part, to in crease scrutiny of subdivision plans. “1 am strongly convinced that we are in great need of a county engineer,” Commissioner Dr. Riley Jordan told his fellow board members. “I’d like to see it advertised,” he said to see what kind of applicants would be interested in the proposed posi tion. Commissioner Tom Howell said he would like to consider a county engineer’s position at budget time, when all the county’s personnel requests come in. But, Jordan said, “If you’re riding down the road and blow a gasket, you go get it fixed. You don’t wait until budget time.” Commissioners’ Chairman L.E. McLaughlin agreed. “It’ll keep us out of trouble — it will help the county.” Howell responded the county contracts out for engineering services now, and could continue to do so until budget discussions. (See COUNTY, page 4) Detective ends yearlong quest for murdered man’s identity The year 1993 ended with a sound victory for Hoke Chief De tective T.M. Underwood. In late December, the detective placed a few more pieces in the 13- year-old puzzle of a soldier appar ently murdered in 1980. Underwood — who is waiting for positive confirmation of identity of the man through dental records and fingerprints — discovered that a body found shot in the Davis Bridge area of Hoke County is very possi bly that of Fort Bragg soldier Rich ard James West Jr. After checking missing persons listings, contacting television’s (See CRIME, page 10) •' 'T “Anci out of the ruins emerges ...” ... An old gas station. When crews cleaned up the rubble of the old Heilig-Meyers store which burned last year, they uncovered this old Pepsi-Cola sign. What was the building when the sign was painted on its side? Local historian Robert Gatlin says it was Stanton Service Station (in the 1930s) before Lawrence Stanton became Raeford Chief of Police.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Jan. 5, 1994, edition 1
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