The
ews
J oumal
‘J
Hoke County's newspaper since
No. 17 Vol. 92
50 cents
Wednesday, July 28,1999
See us at
www.dicksonpress.com
Sheriff seeks citizens
for advisory group
6A
HO
Sandy Grove
School opens
IB
Index
Births 2B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 8-91B
Deaths 10A
Engagements 3B
Editorials 2-3A
Legals 6-7B
Public Record 4-6A
Religion 10B
TV Listings 4-5B
Weddings 3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
It seems that summer is here
to stay. Last week my ther
mometer registered 102 de
grees on Saturday before the
thunder and lightning started.
We had more noise than we
did rain. Just a little over a half
inch of rain fell during the
storm. Julian Johnson said that
an inch and a quarter of rain
fell at his home. There was a
report that between three and
six inches fell in Robeson
County. The heat index was
over 100 degrees most of last
week.
The forecast calls for the
same type of weather for the
remainder of the week. The
highs will be in the 90s and the
lows in the 70s. There is a
chance of rain on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
*****
There were three deaths last
week that I will mention. Phil
Johnson, a native of Raeford,
died in Western North Caro
lina last week. He was the son
of the late Fred and Adeline
Roberts Johnson. Phil finished
high school here and gradu
ated from N.C. State. He was
a farm agent in a western
county. He has many relatives
here in Hoke County.
(See AROUND, page 11 A)
Record teacher shortage ‘major problem’
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
Minor bumps and bruises al
ways accompany the beginning
of another school year, but this
time Hoke County isexperienc-
Four now
in race for
Council
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
With just a week and a few
days left to file for one of the
three seats available on the City
Council, Gregory Johnson is the
only new candidate to file since
last Tuesday. Other candidates
in the race include current Coun-
cilmen John Jordan and Earl
McDuffie and other newcomer
Eddie Jim White. Clyde Tho
mas, whose seat is also up for
grabs during this November elec
tion said he does not plan to run
again.
Johnson, 34, lives on East
Sixth Avenue and is originally
from Virginia.
As for the other candidates,
McDuffie, 67, claims the most
City Council experience of all
four candidates. His service in
cludes three terms as a City Coun-
cil member.
McDuffie, a Raeford citizen
for 30 plus years, lives on
Covington Street, and works as a
partner in the Edinborough Res
taurant, a family business since
1981. His wife of 46 years is
Willarce, and they have five chil
dren and nine grandchildren.
Fidelity Bank Branch Man
ager John Jordan, 36, and a na
tive of Raeford, lives on
Donaldson Avenue with his wife
Polly.
He comes to the race with a
partial term as a Council mem
ber. Jordan finished out the late
Joe Upchurch’s position begin
ning a little less than two years
ago.
Newcomer Eddie Jim White,
58, wants to do his civic duty and
serve the community. Living on
West Prospect for three years
now, White said Raeford has
known his family for a much
longer time through his wife’s
Raeford Dance Arts business.
White’s wife is Sara, and they
have three children and seven
grandchildren.
Retiring as a colonel after 28
years in the Army, White said he
spent most of his days in the
service stationed at Fort Bragg,
but is originally from Georgia.
Anyone else interested in fil
ing has until the first Friday in
August to sign up.
For a minimal fee of $5, any
one can run if they are at least 21
years old, a registered voter and
a Raeford resident.
Those interested in taking part
in electing the next City Council,
must be registered to vote by
October 8.
The Board of Elections office
in the County Offices Building
will register any interested
Raeford citizen.
If stopping by the Board of
Elections office is inconvenient,
voters may also register by mail-
ingin the registration form, avail
able at the Hoke County Public
Library and Hoke County High
School.
ing teacher shortages unlike any
other year in the recent past.
Personnel Director Sharmaine
Butler said, after a long pause,
“We have a major problem....
We are definitely experiencing a
teacher shortage in Hoke
County.”
As of the close of last week,
Butler said Hoke County is short
a staggering 40 classroom teach
ers.
“This number of vacancies is
not unusual over the course of
« •*
.ioiL-'
A water main is moved to make way for a new parking lot.
Sch(X)ls under
construction thanks
to bond money
By Jessica S. McDaniel
Staff writer
The Hoke County school sys
tem is making the most of the
$21 million in bond money ap
propriated for school construc
tion and renovation in Hoke
County, according to Brown
Hendrix, director of facilities for
Hoke County Schools. The com
bination of construction projects
is the largest number of projects
at one time, Hendrix said.
The state legislature appropri
ated $1.75 billion to be distrib
uted throughout the state based
on student need and financial
need of school districts; $21 mil
lion of this was designated for
Hoke County. “The Board of
Education and the superinten
dent have a strong desire to do all
they can enhancing the school
Fire destroys man’s home
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
A disabled veteran who is an
outpatient at the Veterans Af
fairs Medical Center in
Fayetteville was able to get out
of his house safely before it was
destroyed by flames late Sunday
night.
Libby Wilson, 451 North
Parker Church Road, said he saw
fire around the air conditioning
the year,” Butler said. “The issue
is, the unfilled positions came all
at once,” she said.
Between June 18 and July 12,
Butler said, “All of a sudden, it
happened. We definitely did not
expect this shortage,” she said.
Butler attributes most of this
sudden shortage to the $1,500
signing bonus being offered in
neighboring Cumberland
County.
Cumberland County, begin
See TEACHERS, page 12A)
Bereaved mother
By Jessica S. McDaniel
Staff writer
When Crystal Harrelson was
murdered just over a month ago
on June 19, her mother,
Constance Maroney, was devas
tated. When she realized that Jer
emy Beatty, the man charged with
the murder, was out on bond for
another murder charge, she be
came angry.
At the end of June, Maroney
initiated a letter-writing campaign
to every government official in
thisdistrict. “I want them tochange
the laws because I think the people
ought to be protected from some
thing like this,” she said.
She got the addresses from the
“Write Raleigh” and “Write
Washington” sections in The
News-Journal. Soon she plans to
send the letter to every senator
and representative in the state of
"Vu
Crystal Harrelson
NC and
send an
E-mail to
every
senator
and repre
sentative
in the
country.
S h e
found these addresses on-line.
“It’s something I have to do
for my daughter, and for the rest
of the people so that other people
can’t get hurt,” she said.
Maroney checked with the
District Attorney’s Office before
sending the letters. “I don’t want
to do anything to jeopardize the
case,” she said. After being as
sured that it would not harm the
case, she sent the following let
ter;
/ am writing on behalf of my
(See BEREA VED, page 11 A)
Commission okays
$1.2 million for sewer
system with this money,” said
Hendrix.
With the bond money, the
Hoke County school system has
constructed Sandy Grove El
ementary School (See related
story, page IB). Additions of
approximately 10,000 square feet
each were recently completed at
both East Hoke and West Hoke
middle schools. These were
worth one million and one hun
dred thousand dollars each.
Scurlock and West Hoke elemen
tary schools both recently opened
identical multipurpose buildings
worth $250,000 each. Restroom
renovationswhich cost $185,000
were completed at South Hoke
Elementary in the spring. Roof
ing renovations were completed
at West Hoke Elementary and
Hoke High, and more are
(See SCHOOLS, page I lA)
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
After learning that Hoke
County was eliminated from the
first round of consideration for
state grant money for sewer con
struction, Commissioners ap
proved $1.2 million in County
money for a sewer line that will
hook onto Fayetteville Public
Words Commission in
Cumberland County. The funds
were allocated in a the 98-99
fiscal year budget for infrastruc
ture projects to help encourage
industry development in three
areas of Hoke.
The County will re-apply for
money under the state-voter ap
proved Clean Water Bond refer
endum before a Septemberdead-
line. The application will again
ask for $3 million in sewer money
with $1.2 million earmarked for
sewer lines to replace failingsep-
tic tanks in Silver City, where a
hook-up would be made to the
Raeford waste water treatment
plant. This hook-up would also
allow for sewer line extension to
other areas, according to Hoke
County Manager Bernice
MePhatter.
MePhatter explained that the
(See SEWER, page 12A)
\'
V.
/
.ill
unit in the den window while he
was in an adjoining room at about
11:30. He lived alone.
Responding firefighters found
the home “fully involved” upon
arrival, they reported.
Hoke County Fire Marshal A1
Schwarcbher said the fire is un
der investigation as a possible
electric fire. He said the five-
room frame home and a vehicle
in the garage arc destroyed.
(See FIRE, page 12A)
What appears to be a Barred Owl patiently posed for the camera
Sunday night in downtown Raeford. The bird was slightly taller than
one and one-half feet. (We went back and measured its perch.)