4-
The
ews
Journal
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www.dicksonpre55.com
No. 46 Vol. 92
happened, it's news to
50 cents
Wednesday, February 16, 2000
No conflict,
state elections
lawyer says
Employee will keep her job
n> VlCIOKhWA SUMMh.RS
Staff writer
Pamela Lewis will remain
employed part-time by Hoke
Counts Board of Elections’ of-
I ice. That's the verd ict f rom elec-
lions Board Chairman Willie
McCaskill. He sent a formal let
ter to I ,ew is on February 9, con-
firming she will still be able to
work in the elections'office while
a relative runs for public office.
Lewis is the aunt of Democrat
candidate Kristy McMillan New
ton, candidate for District Attor
ney.
MCaskill was advised by Zee
Lamb, legal counsel for the N.C.
Board of Elections, Lewis’ em
ployment would not be in viola
tion of election laws. Lewis, ad
ministrative assistant to BOE
DirectorCarolina Shook, said she
was warned by McCaskill last
(See EMPLOYEE, page 12A)
Emergency medical personnel tend to Helen Oxendine after she was thrown from her vehicle in an accident yesterday on Shannon Road. (Photo
by Pat Wilson)
Woman killed in Tuesday accident
Gunmen rob
business, home
Six victims terrorized in west Hoke
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Helen Ann Oxendine, 26, died
in surgery after she was taken to
This week
State urges
awareness of severe
weather
page 4A
Cape Fear Valley Medical Cen
ter with head injuries. She was
thrown from her automobile as it
rolled over several times at the
intersection of Shannon and
Balfour roads.
The accident occurred shortly
after 4 p.m. yesterday. State
Trooper F.K. Crumpler said
Oxendine, a Shannon Road resi
dent, was not wearing a seat belt.
Neither was the unidentified girl
riding in the aulomobi le with her.
A man who arrived at the scene
shortly after the accident said the
child did not appear to be hurt
badly and was trying to get out of
the overturned car when he ar
rived. She, too, was taken to Cape
Fear Valley. Oxendine was driv
ing a late model Ford Escort north
west on Shannon Road when she
apparently lost control of the car
and veered off the highway to the
left. The vehicle went into a ditch,
and indications are it dipped se\
eral times before landing upside
down in Balfour Road,
Crumpler said the \ chicle w as
traveling at a high rati' 'l spccil
when it left the road.
An ambulance en route to the
scene was sidelined when it
struck a cow, according to re
ports. No injuries in that mishap
were reported.
B'l Vl( lORI \N \ St \IMt RS
Staff writer
Deicctiees at Ikrkc Cttunty
ShcriH's IDcpartmcnt are inves-
t'gaiin>i a ntajni heist that oc-
i.nned l ist Ihuistlay evening in
the Ashlet Heights community,
lca\ ing six people held hostage
in an ordeal of terror.
■•\Ve're just ble.ssed there were
not six homicide.s,” said Captain
Thomas Carlton. Hoke’s chief
deputy and detective. “We're
very thankful that did not hap
pen. The victims were afraid,
faced with the circumstances of
this robbery,” he said.
“We consider this a random
act of violence,” he said.
AccordingtoCarlton, no inju
ries resulted from the one-hour
rampage involving two robbers,
who broke into Ashley Heights
Transport. Carlton said the gun-
(See ROBBERY, page 9A)
ool makeup
lys are set
page 8B
Index
Births 2B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 10-11B
Deaths 11A
Editorials 2-3A
Engagements 3B
Legals 9B
Public Record 4A
Religion 7A
Schools 3,8B
Socials 3B
Sports 8A
TV Listings 4-5B
Around Town
Planning Commission takes look at ‘smart growth’
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
HokeCounty PlanningCom-
mission covered ground on
Thursday night, discussing how
plans for a 5-lot maximum on
road frontage property within
one ycarcould be expanded into
“smart growth.” Board mem
bers also recommended ap
proval of a conditional use per
mit for “Bradford Lane Farm
Inc.” located in Quewhiffle
Township. If approved by
Hoke’s commissioners, it will
enable a veterinarian clinic to
operate in a RA-20 zoned area
complemented by a horse train
ing facility.
Subdivision changes
“The Planning Commission
asked me to look at ways to en
hance the five-lot maximum that
was added to our subdivision
ordinance,” Hoke County Plan
ner Linda Revels said. “If we’re
going to look at exceeding the
five-lot maximum allowed inone
year, I would like to sec .some
thing in the regulations that lets
people, who want to build above
the five lots, be approved if
they’re planning greater setbacks
on larger lots over 1/2 acre,” she
said.
“A perfect example arc some
of the double-wide mobile homes
on Army Road situated on large,
spacious lots that front the road
and the “River Bluff” subdivi
sion on Arabia Road, designed
with large homes on greater acre
age,” Revels said. “'Fhese areas
are ab.solutely gorgeous.”
At the Board’s request, Rev
els will formulate ideas to keep
(See PLANNING, page I2A)
Revels pressured by some,
says her job not ‘on the line’
B'l Vn’ioRi.w \ Summers
Staff writer
Count} Planner Linda Rev
els' job is to guard agaimst un
planned growth in Hoke County,
sharing her visions and recom
mendations with the Planning
Commission, an board appointed
by County Commissioners.
However, Planning member
Donald Louya is worried that
some of the board may not ap
preciate Revels’ efforts.
“Mrs. Revels was told by cer-
(See PRESSURED, page I2A)
Legislative breakfast draws
100 to honor elected officials
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The snow has vanished ex
cept for some of t he I arge p i les
that were cleared from the
roads. With the 70-degree tem
peratures and the rain, it left in
a hurry. Most of the people
have resumed their daily rou
tine after a few days of getting
cabin fever. Ben Haddon lelt
an article on my desk last week
and it gave daily reports for
many who were snow bound.
Thanks, Ben! With the major
league going south tor spring
baseball training, maybe we
can look forward to an early
spring. Let’s hope so!
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls tor the
highs Wednesday to be in the
7()sand the low 4()s. Thursday
(Sec AROUND, page II A)
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Politics was served up with
scrambled eggs and biscuits at
the Raeford/Hoke Chamber of
Commerce’sannual Legislative
Appreciation Breakfast on Sat
urday.
Approximately 100 people
attended the breakfast — up
about 20 from last year’s atten
dance. Lawanna Hayes, execu
tive secretary of the Chamber,
said she attributed the larger
attendance to this being an elec
tion year.
The breakfast “went well,”
she said.
Republican Representative
(8th District) Robert “Robin”
Hayes expressed his own ap
preciation by saying, “It’s not
too often we get appreciated.”
Also in attendance were N.C.
General Assembly members
Senators Aaron Plylcr, Will
iam Purcell and David
Weinstein tind Representatives
Donald Bonner, Ron Sutton and
Doug Yongue.
Representatives from Judi
cial District 16-A were District
Attorney Jean Powell and Judge
William Mcllwain.
Most of Hoke’s local elected
officials plus some candidates
attended the breakfast.
Hayes and General Assem
bly members addressed mat
ters of concern to Hoke County
residents to include issues re
lating to education; impact aid,
low wealth, teachers’ salaries
and student safety. They also
spoke of efforts to bringjobs to
rural areas such as Hoke, and
of health care.
This year— unlike in the
past— no questions came from
the floor after elected officials
spoke.
Senator Tony Rand of
Cumberland County was also
in attendance. “Hoke County is
not in my district but you’re in
my heart,” he said.
Co-sponsored by Sprint, the
breakfast was hosted by
Burlington PerformanceWear
and was held in their confer
ence room. A.K. “Dooie”
Leach, chairman of the
Ract'ord-Hokc Economic De
vclopmcnt Board, served as
master of ceremonies. “We’re
all after the same thing— good
government,” Leach said.
r
--
jean MePhatter greets customer Pam Frederick at Howell’s fountain. (Photo by Victoriana Summers)
Howell’s pharmacy moves from downtown
B'l' VlCIOlU \N V SUMMI Us
Staff writer
Histt)iic HowlII Diug t uni
pany, a family phaimac} in
downtown Raeford, is moving
its pharmacy and drug gifts divi
sion to the new medical ails mall
at I irstHealth of the Carolinas
on leal Drive. Saturday signi
fied niovingdav toi Howell after
iiiou than a halt century rrt ser
vice to the community. Howell
is leasing a .I,!)!)!) square-foot
facility, opening on Monday at
its new F'irstI lealth location.
‘It’s nostalgic to leave because
we’ve enjoyed the personal hos
pitality of helping local custom
ers and knowing them on a lirst-
namc basis,” said pharmacist-
ownerThomas Howell. “It’sbeen
a trademark to operate down-
(See HOWELL’S, page 6A)