The
ews
J oumal
oke County's nowsp.iiicr since 1907 ;
No. 24 Vol. 92
50 cents
Wednesday, September 15,1999
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This week
News-Journal
may attempt
special edition
If Hurricane Floyd
causes extensive dam
age to Hoke County,
The News-Journal will
attempt to print a spe
cial edition on Friday to
disseminate informa
tion on cleanup efforts.
If electrical power to
run our press is unavail
able, we plan to print
the paper in a newslet
ter form using a genera
tor.
We will attempt to
distribute the papers
free of charge at our
usual rack locations.
Index
Births 2B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 8-9B
Deaths 5A
Editorials 2A
Legals 7B
Public Record 6A
Religion lOB
School 6B
Socials 3B
Sports 7A
TV Listings 4-5B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The weather for the past
week has been about normal
for this time of year. The highs
have been in the 80s and the
lows at night have been in the
high 50s. We finally got rid of
Dennis, but Hurricane Floyd
is approaching the east coast.
As this is being written Mon
day, it is a category four hurri
cane with winds up to 150
miles per hour. Of course the
path the hurricane will lake
will control our weather for
the remainder of the week.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for the
highs to be in the 70s and the
lows in the 60s. There is a
chance of rain for Wednesday
and Thursday.
The Turkey Festival is
scheduledforlhisweek. Many
events are planned for the
week. Of course many plans
will have to be changed if
Hurricane Floyd comes in on
the North Carolina coast.
The Shriners fish fry is also
held during the festival. It will
be held on Saturday in the
Edenborough Shopping Cen
ter.
The following item was left
out of this column last week:
Mary Alice and I were sur
prised Monday when Joe and
Sue Hancock of Salisbury
came by the house for a visit.
Joe is the son of my late sister,
(See AROUND, page 8A)
Hurricane Floyd aims for Hoke
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
“It’s going to be the worst
storm Hoke County has faced,”
Hoke County Emergency Ser
vices Coordinator A1 come from a conference call with
Schwarcbher said at a called
meeting last night of governmen
tal department heads and emer
gency, safety personnel and oth
ers.
Schwarcbher said he had just
state Emergency Management
officials. “When they mention
Hoke County, it’s serious. Hoke
County popped up along with
Robeson County.
“We are looking at hurricane
force winds beginning at 8 a.m.
Thursday,” he said. “It’s going
to be extremely bad from 8
o’clock on.”
Floyd is expected to arrive at
Charleston, South Carolina to
night (Wednesday) with winds
at 138 mph. “Affecting winds”
are expected at 9 p.m. The winds
are expected to be 80 mph sus
tained with gusts above 100 mph.
Tropical force winds are expected
by 11 p.m. tonight with gale force
winds coming in between 2 and 3
(See STORM, page 9A)
* V
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
The 15th Annual N.C. Turkey
Festival events have been put on
hold or postponed due to Hurri
cane Floyd’s expected arrival.
Origi nal plans were for the events
to be September 16-18.
Festival planners have post-
(See FESTIVAL, page 8A)
Top: Hoke Emergency Services Coordinator At Schwarcbher: “By predictions, this is the worst hurricane to hit Hoke County." Right: Clara
Hines contemplates empty shelves at Bo’s Food Store last night: "Where’s the bread?” she asked. Bottom: Hoke ties in the projected path.
SBI sheriff probe alters purchase policy
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Is it over yet?
District Attorney Jean Eliza
beth Powell, Judicial District 16A
for Hoke and Scotland counties,
still has no final word from the
SBI on the status of the investi
gation surrounding Hoke’s Sher
iff Jim Davis.
On the county front. County
Manager Bernice MePhatter con
firmed she’s finished her seg
ment of the inquiry with the SBI.
However, the SBI office in
Fayetteville was “mum” on Mon
day, directing any questions to
the Attorney General’s office in
Raleigh, who subsequently said
they had no information. Investi
gating SBI Agent Eric Hooks in
Raleigh didn’t return a phone
call to The News-Journal either.
In the interim, Davis is con
ducting daily operations with
Hoke deputies as usual, protect
ing the county.
One governmental source
claims a “stalemate” exists over
gathering any substantial evi
dence or information to impli
cate Davis in any sort of criminal
wrongdoing.
Powell said former Hoke
deputy Gary Hammond filed a
complaint with the DA’s office
regarding Davis’ alleged misuse
of funds.
It was reported by other
sources Hammond reportedly
alleged Davis used funds from
the Sheriff’s budget to equip a
police car belonging to his
brother, Wagram Chief of Police
William Davis. The vehicle was
allegedly installed with emer-
(See PROBE, page lOA)
Don Porter
Resort may hold up w(X)dpecker preserve
By Victoriana Summers
staff writer
The recent announcement by
the North Carolina Department
of Transportation it plans to pur
chase 2,504 acres of land in south
west Hoke County as a preserve
for the red-cockaded woodpecker
has elicited mixed responses.
County officials have ex
pressed concern over tax loss,
and County Manager Bernice
MePhatter verified the County
has requested a public hearing be
United Way sets
goal of $60,000
held. Thus far, no date has been
set.
One member of the Hoke
County Planning Commission is
doubtful about the acquisition
and a local Raeford man wants to
see the land turned into a resort.
Carl Goode, head of Citizens
participation Unit in Raleigh said
he’s received a letter from John
Pope of St. Pauls Road in
Raeford, expressing dissent
about converting the pine forest
into a preserve for the endan
gered woodpecker species.
“Mr. Pope has said he would
like to see the land used as a golf
course,” Goode said.
In Pope’s letter to Goode, he
said, “We had hoped Mr. Wood
would develop the Callaway tract
into one of the finest resorts in
the state.”
Goode said no explanation is
given in Pope’s letter if he
planned to purchase the land, too.
“Mr. Pope has just asked for a
public hearing on the matter and
said he would like to see it used
for something other than a pre-
(See PRESERVE, page 8A)
Economic
developer
picked
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The County Commissioners
debated in executive session for
45 minutes in a special meeting
called on SeptemberlO in
Raeford, and named Retired
(See DEVELOPER, page 5A)
Historic hotel donated to City,
possible anchor for revitalization
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Hoke County United Way
kicked off its 1999-2000 cam
paign at a breakfast last week
and set a goal of $60,000.
This year’s Campaign Chair
man Don Koonce told those gath
ered, “We look forward to ex
ceeding the goal.”
Last year’s goal of $58,500
was surpassed.
Among its projects. United
Way plans to provide funds for
the Hoke County Chapter Ameri
can Red Cross, Bethesda Inc.
(alcoholic/addict recovery pro
gram), Cape Fear Council Boy
Scouts of America, Golden Gate
CDC (educational activities for
at-risk youth), Hoke County 4-H
Council, Hoke County Reading/
Literacy
Council,
Hoke -■ f
County
Rescue “
Squad,
Hoke
County
Associa
tion for
the De- Don Koonce
velop-
mentally Handicapped, Pines of
the Carolina Girl Scouts Coun
cil, Senior Citizens, H.E.L.P./
Share Your Christmas, and S.E.
North Carolina Radio Reading
Service (for the visually im
paired).
Representatives of some of the
agencies that will benefit from
United Way services were in at-
(See UNITED WAY, page 9A)
gi
^.11
%
^1
An aerial view of the envisioned Downtown Raeford
Redevelopment Plan is premiered by Shuller Ferris
Lindstrom & Associates of Fayetteville.
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A Fayetteville bank bestowed the old Raeford
hotel as a gift to the City of Raeford on Monday
night with no ribbons and no strings.
Raeford officials expressed gratitude to become
the beneficiary of the vacant hotel.
“We’re looking forward to seeing downtown
Raeford rejuvenated,” Raeford Mayor Bob Gentry
said. “We’ve been concerned and for years Kay
Thomas, who unfortunately passed away, was the
force behind downtown revitalization. She was so
outgoing and full of ideas. The revitalization sort
of died with her.
“This downtown redevelopment is becoming
the thing in small towns across the state now.”
Gentry envisions a Raeford historic district with
renovated store fronts on each building with un
derground electrical cables “with no more criss
crossing across the streets.” He hopes the Raeford
hotel will be feasible to restore.
Originally known as the Hotel Bluemont back
in 1939, Hotel Raeford has remained boarded up
since 1996. It recently underwent a foreclosing
procedure.
Now City officials predict the empty shell,
designed original ly w i th marble floors and opulent
dark wood fixtures, could be revived to its former
(See HOTEL, page lOA)