The
ews
Journal
'If it happened, it's news to us'
No. 26 Vol. 91
50 cents
Wednesday, September 30,1998
See us at t ^ •
Bucks victonous
in impressive 1st
conference game
New pastor
welcomed
Page 5A
Fire Prevention
Week is Oct 4-10
Page 1B
Index
Births 3B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 9-1 OB
Deaths 4A
Editorials 2A
Legals 7-8B
Public Record 4A
Religion 5 A
School 6A
Socials 3B
Sports 7-8A
TV Listings 5-6B
Weddings 3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
Fall came in last week and
most of us were looking for
cooler weather. Saturday and
Sunday felt like summer days
with the temperatures in the
9()s. On top of that we haven’t
had but about one-tenth of an
inch ofrain in two weeks. With
the sun closer to the earth, the
heat seems hotter. Let’s hope
that the winter weather is not
as cold as the summer was
hot.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday,callslorthe
highs Wednesday and Thurs
day to be in the 8()s and the
lows in the 60s. The highs
Friday and Saturday will be in
the 7()s and the lows in the
50s. There is a chance for rain
on Wednesday and Thursday.
HurricaneGeorgesisonthe
coast of Mississippi and its
path will determine if we will
get more rain.
* » * * »
Recently a Mr. Spainour, a
retired law\er from High
Point, came by the house. He
said that he had been a law
partner of the late Rufus
Dickson, also of High Point.
(See AROUND, page 9A)
By Jeremy Price
Staff writer
The Varsity Bucks proved to
be impressive in their first con
ference game of the year Friday
by defeating the RamsofPurnell
Swett (58,16). The Bucks posted
a banner before they entered the
field that read “Rams are Dead.”
Hoke had three players who
scored two touchdowns apiece,
laying the Rams to rest.
Derrick McLaughlin(#35)had
two 1st quarter touchdowns, and
115 yards rushing. Quarterback
Aaron Lx)cklear(#8) had a touch
down in the second, third and
fourth quarter. Otis Ray (#11)
had an outstanding game scoring
touchdowns on three occasions
(See BUCKS, page 9A)
Still time to register
From staff reports
If you are an unregistered voter
and want to vote in the general
election, you’ve got a few days
to do so. Registration books for
the November 3 election close
October 9, according to the N.C.
Board of Elections.
Absentee ballots for the gen
eral election will be issued be
ginning Friday, October 2. Octo
ber 27 is the last day absentee
ballots can be requested by mail.
gins October 12 and ends at 5
p.m. on October 30.
In Hoke County, five men
are seeking three seats on the
school board in an unaffiliated
race. John F. Harry, Teddy
Locklear, Tom Pilkington, Leo
K. Salzer III and Russell C.
Smith are running.
In the sheriff’s race, Wayne
Gardner, an unaffiliated candi
date, is challenging James A.
“Jim” Davis, the Democratic
Quarterback Aaron Locklear is on his way! The Bucks won by 42 points. (Jeremy Price photo)
Teens return after jail break
One-stop absentee voting be- nominee.
VA
Un(jerwood enters
not guilty pleas
By Pat Ali en Wilson
Staff writer
After less than two days of
freedom, two teenagers who had
broken out of the Hoke County
Jail turned themselves in to of
ficers at the Sheriff's Depart
ment.
Cornelius McDuffie. 17, and
Mario Dockery, 17, escaped from
the cell they were in at approxi
mately 2 a.m. on Friday. They
made their escape by taking a
grate loose from over a window
and breaking the window, ac
cording to Wayne Gardner, chief
of deputies. The inmates were
housed in the older section of the
jail in the juvenile section, he
said.
The Sheriff’s Department re
ceived a call that the \oung men
were seen “running through the
woods” behind Scurlock El
ementary School on Rockfish
Road late Friday morning. Re
sponding officers "chased them
around for about four hours” in
the Scurlock area, Gardner said.
A tracking team from the N.C.
Department of Correction was
also brought in.
The following afternoon, at
about 3:15 p.m.. an aunt of one of
the teens drove Dockery and
McDuffie to the Sheriff’s De-
partment,Gardnersaid.They had
changed from their prison wear
to civilian clothing.
The two prisoners were in the
(See BREAK, page lOA)
Hoke volunteers are recognized
From staff reports
Raeford Police Detective
Mike Underwood entered not
guilty pleas in Hoke County Su
perior Court last week to four
charges of sexual misconduct.
Underwood, 39, is charged
with contributing to the delin
quency of a minor, committing a
statutory sex offense, commit
ting a crime against nature, and
taking indecent liberties with a
child. The charges were filed
against him in April, and he was
suspended without pay from the
police, department when Chief
Mack High learned the FBI
would be filing charges. The
charges came approximately a
year after the alleged crimes
against teenagers.
Underwood, of Route 1, Lum
ber Bridge, has been with the
police department for more than
two years. Prior to that, he served
with the Hoke County Sheriff
Department but was asked to re
sign by Sheriff Wayne Byrd.
By Pat An fn Wii.son
Staff writer
Six people, a business and a
school group were selected as
Hoke County recipients of the
1998 Governor’s Awards for
Outstanding Volunteer Service
in Southeast North Carolina.
To be honored by Governor
and Mrs. Jim Hunt on Monday,
October 12 in an afternoon cer
emony in Hamlet are Tricia
Booker, Mark Gaver, Rodney
Lee, Pedrito Mitchell, Roderick
Virgil, Chuck Wade, Unilever
HPC USA and the West floke
Middle School PTO Executive
Board.
“These award recipients rep
resent the best North Carolina
has to offer,” Hunt said. “I com
mend them for dedicating their
time and talents to creating a
brighter future forall NorthCari'-
linians."
This is the 20th consecutive
year that individuals, groups and
businesses have been honored
for providing outstanding ser
vice to their communities on a
volunteer basis. Hunt began the
program in 1979.
Honorees are:
•BiKiker, involved with the Hoke
Reading/Literacy Council, is a
one-on-one tutor. She was hon
ored as Tutor of the Year with
the Council and won a county
award.
•Gaver serves as president of
the Rockfish-Hoke Elementary
School PTO and used his com
puter programming skills to de-
(See VOL' NTEERS.page lOA)
Saturday’s harvest in West Hoke was a sweet one
By Pat Allen Wilson
Staff writer
Gold is found in the freshly
plowed fields of Hoke County.
Some farmers have turned from
growing the golden leaves of to
bacco to the golden flesh of the
sweet potato.
Lifetime farmer Danny
Walters planted 51 of the 800
acres he leases in sweet potatoes
this year for the first time. On
Saturday, migrant Mexican
workers and some locals were
picking up by hand the sweet
potatoes that had been turned
over by the potato plow. They
began work at 7 a.m. and fin
ished at about 3 p.m. on 43 acres
of the sprawling Blue Farm on
Montrose Road in West Hoke.
Making $1 per bushel, the
pickers earn $1(M)-$125 daily.
Walters says. On Friday, one in
dustrious worker netted $ 180. “It
is super tough work, about as
tough as it gets,” Walter says,
"but these are young men; they
can stand it.”
At quitting time, pickers had
picked up between four and five
.. ,'..4
Migrant workers pick up sweet potatoes in West Hoke. (Pat Allen Wilson photo)
thousand bushels.
Pickers select the “number
ones” and "jumbos.” Walters says.
The “canners. " the smaller pota
toes, are left behind. "It'snot worth
it financially to pick up the can
ners.” Walters .says.
Workers start the day “running
1 ike rabbits, ■' Walters says, but slow
down as the day goes by. In the
field, he provides lunch, twice-a-
day snacks aid for some of the
workers, homcsandutilitieswhen
they have finished their labors.
The ptitalties picked up by la
borers are large. Walters says he
planted Ekauregards, the variety
most North Carolinians choose. It
is a high y ielder.gixxl shipper, and
stores well. He also grew some
Hernandez, a svseeter variety that
doesn't store as well.
Some of the potatoes are large
due to "lots of fertilize,” Walters
says. 'Fhe large.st one found in the
field Saturday weighed eight
pounds.
Walters' ptitatoes are shipped
to a produce brokerage, Burch
Brothers farms in Faison.
Sweet potat(K*s have been cal led
"the perfect I'ckkI "— no fat, no
chole.sierol and lots ot nutrients.
And, unlike tobacco, sweet potato
growers aren’t told their produce
causes cancer and other illnesses.