The
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No. 37 Vol. 91
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Page 1B
Index
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 4A
Editorials 2-3A
Engagements 3B
Legals 6B
Public Record 4A
Religion 10A
School 6-7A
Socials 3B
Sports 8-9A
TV listings 4-5B
Weddings 3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The weather over the week
end felt more like December.
One day last week we had the
biggest frost of the year. We
also got a little rain on Satur
day night and Sunday. My rain
gauge registered four tenths
for the two days. One place in
the state had one and a half
inchesofrain. It isstilldry and
we need more rain.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Kriday, calls for the
highs to be in the 50s and the
lows in the 30s. There isn’t
any rain in the forecast.
It is less than two weeks
until Christmas and I can’t
remember the weather being
this warm for so many days
before Christmas.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Last week Jim Guy came
by the office and he said that
he was going to Hamlet to
attend a funeral for someone
he had known for many years.
I asked him who had died. I le
replied, Bill Williamson.
Over the years I have re
ceived many letters from Bill
when he renewed his subscrip
tion to The News-Journal. He
(See AROUND, pageQA)
Journal
'If it happened, it's news to us'
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Wednesday, Decembet 16, 1998
www.dicksonpres5.com
Davis wins go ahead to take oath
By Pat Allen Wil.son
Staff writer
The state Board of Elections
voted unanimously yesterday to
notify the Hoke County Board of
Elections to certify Jim Davis as
sheriff.
Davis will be sworn in as soon
as the county issues certifica
tion.
Davis defeated incumbent
Wayne Byrd in May’s Demo
cratic primary then won again in
the November general election,
defeating Byrd’s chief of depu
ties, Wayne Gardner, who ran as
an unaffiliated candidate.
Davis’ certification was held
up because 18 complaints were
filedalleging heentered 12of 13
polling places during the general
election. The county board voted
to certify Davis last month, but
the state board told them they
would have to withdraw the cer
tification and investigate the
)
■N
The local board of elections will
certify Davis’ election today at 4.
complaints. At an informal hear
ing earlier this month, the county
board voted for certification, but
five of the complainants filed
appeals with the state board.
The complainants will have
their opportunity to be heard at
the state board’s regular meeting
on January 5. Yesterday’s meet-
(See State B.O.F., [nige 12A)
Jim Davis, surrounded by reporters recently, will take office as early as late this week.
J
New school board members in
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
At last week’s Board of Edu
cation meeting. Judge Warren
Pate swore in the Board’s new
members, Teddy Locklear, Tom
Pilkington and Russell Smith.
Being elected Just last month,
these three members will each
serve on the board fora four-year
term.
Ten-year board veteran, John
McAllister, will again serve as
the board’s chairman. McAllister
logs six years as chairman, now
beginning his seventh term. Be
fore being elected chariman, he
spent two years as vice-chair and
one year as a member.
McAllister’s work for the Board
of Education began a decade ago,
but his service to the county’s
schools began long before then.
He claims 37 years employment
with the school system, working
as a teacher, principal, assistant
superintendent, interim-superin
tendent and a variety of other
leadership roles.
Shootings escalate
tensions in Hoke
Tom Pilkington, Teddy Locklear and Russell Smith are sworn in at the
Board of Education meeting. (Linda Richards photo)
In addition to his work on the
board, the reitred McAllistershares
himself with several other boards
and civic groups in the commu
nity. The McAllister’s have four
of their own children and one
adopted child, all of whom all
attended I loke County schools.
Six-year board member
Leland Strother was again elected
vice-chair. Beginning his third
term as vice-chair, Strother has
two more years left as a board
member before his term expires
in the year 2000.
Well e.stablished in the com
munity. Strother owns and works
diligently at Strother Land Sur
veying, a business in operation
since 1981. He and his wife have
twochildren.asixth-graderat West
I loke Middle and a tenth-grader at
Hoke County High School. They
attend Ashley Heights Baptist
Church and live in the Ashley
1 leights Community.
By Pat Allen Wilson
Staff writer
A rifle from the Vietnam war
era rests on the print couch in the
comfortable living roomofSher-
iff Wayne Byrd. The sheriff went
to get a haircut and left it with his
wife. Frances, on Sunday after
noon.
The night before, the Byrds
returned from a visit with their
son in Greensboro and found 28
bullet holesintheirhou.se. Some
one had fired 11 shots through
the window of the front room
used bv the familv as a com
puter guest room.
Later that same night, some
one shot through the door that
leads to the campaign headquar
ters of Jim Davis, who defeated
Byrd in the May primary, and to
the office of his campaign man
ager, attorney Greg Thompson.
And. shots were fired into the
office of Thompson s brother.
Dr. Mark Thompson, a dentist
whose office is on Campus Av
enue.
Mrs. Byrd said the shots in
their home went into the area
where her husband sits at the
(5et- SHOOTINGS page 11 A)
Mediator seeks
to ease tensions
42 Hoke children enrolled
in state insurance program
From stai f reports
It’s going to be a brighter New
Year for 42 Hoke County chil
dren who have enrolled in the
state’s new insurance program
for the children of working fami
lies.
“These children are going to
get the ongoing, preventive
health care they need,” said Tom
Vitaglione, chief of the Children
and Youth Section. “That means
kids who are healthy and ready
to succeed in life.
“This is a good start,” he
added. “There are 413 Hoke
County children eligible for the
program, and we want to enroll
every one of them. Hoke County
parents who can’t afford health
insurance for their children
should contact the Hoke County
Social Services department to .see
if they are eligible for North Caro
lina I lealth Choice for Children.”
North Carolina Health Choice
for Children was launched Octo
ber 1 by Governor Jim Hunt to
provide health insurance to the
children of the state’s working
families.
North (’arolina Health Choice
for children isdesigned forwork-
ing parents I ike contract employ
ees; day care and nursing home
workers and providers; state
employees and entrepreneurs
who work hard, but who can’t
afford private insurance. The
amount of money families can
earn and still qualify to partici
pate in North Carolina Health
Choice for Children depends
upon the number of people in
each family.
For example, a family of two
can earn up to $21,700 while a
family of six can have household
income up to $44,100. Families
with incomes near the maximum
for their family si/e will pay an
annual enrollment fee of $50 for
one child and $100 for two or
more children. They will also
make small co-payments lor ser
vices ranging from $5 for a
doctor s visit and $6 for pre
scription drugs, to $20 for a non
emergency visit to the emergency
room.
The program is comprehen
sive, covering well and sick child
doctor’s visits; hospitalization;
dental care including x-rays and
fillings; vision care including
glasses; hearing care including
hearing aids; care for children
w iih special needs and prescrip
tions.
/Xpplying for North Carolina
Health Choice for Children is
simple, all parents have to do is
fill in a two-page application
form. Your child is eligible for
the program if yourfamily meets
the income test and your chil
dren have not had health insur
ance for six months prior to your
application to the program. Chil
dren enrolled in Blue Cros.s/Blue
Shield’s C’aring program those
who have graduated from the
Medicaid program and children
(See HFAL TH, page I2/\}
By Pat Ailen Wiison
Staff writer
Ernie Stallworth, mediator
with the Community Relations
Service of the U.S. Justice De
partment, said he received a
phone call to come to Hoke
County and was told. “We need
help... Tensions are high and
getting higher.”
Stallworth met with more than
200 residents at Leach Springs
Missionary Baptist Church on
Arabia Road Thursday night.
Most were there to complain
about the fact that the sheriff’s
candidate who garnered 265
votes more than his opponent in
the November 3 general election
was not yet sworn in.
Jim Davis’sw'earing in was to
be December 7 but was delayed
because of complaints that he
violated elections laws by visit
ing 12 of 13 polling places on
election day. Davis denied the
allegations, and a preliminary
hearing by the Hoke County
Board of Electionsdismissed the
complaintson December3. How
ever, five of the complainants
appealed to the state Board of
Elections, and, according to state
elections law, a candidate cannot
be certified until all appeals are
heard or the 24-hour period al
lowed for appeals passes. In the
sheriff s election. North Caro
lina law .says there is no w inner,
according to Johnnie McLean,
deputy director of the state BOE.
At the request of the state .\t-
torney General's office. Sheriff
Wayne Byrd, whom Dav is de
feated in the May primary, has
stayed in office until the matter is
resolved.
Stallworth said he is not play
ing down tensions. "We re very
serious about keeping the peace, ”
he stated.
Supporters of Davis have said
his swearing in was denied be-
cau.se he was elected to he 1 loke
County’s first black sheriff, a
belief expressed by some at
Thursday night’s meeting with
Stallworth.
It is the mission of the (’on-
flict Prevention and Resolution
Program to assist communities
to reduce tensions and prevent
and resolve conflicts based on
race, color or national origin.
Stallworth .said he would be
talking to “a lot of people." in
cluding community leaders and
oil ice holders, and would stop
(See MEDIA TOR, page 11 A)