The
ews
No. 23 Vol. 93
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This week
4fJ
Cancer survivor
inspired by
family^ friends
page 1B
Books with a past
coexist with
two felines
page 6A
Index
Births...
3B
Calendar...
2B
Classifieds...
...10-12B
Deaths...
5,7A
Editorials....
2A
Legals....
7-9B
Public Record...
4A
Religion...
2,12B
Socials...
3B
Sports...
4A
TV Listings...
5-6B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The small showers that
Raeford has been having for
the past few weeks turned into
a heavy downpour on Satur
day. There were approxi
mately three inches of rain
Saturday afternoon and Satur
day night. In the yard of my
house toward the old
Fayetteville road it looked like
a lake. Monday morning when
1 went by The News-Journal
office, there was water stand
ing under my desk. So the rain
must have come in under the
front door Saturday. The tem
peratures have also been nice
for this time of year.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday,calisforthe
highs to be in the low 80s or
high 70s. The lows will be in
the low 60s or high 50s. Rain
is in the forecast for Wednes
day.
Has fall come early?
3k 4c *
Last Friday afternoon Mary
Alice and I went to the media
room of Hoke High School. A
reception was being held for
Raz Autry before the football
game that night. During the
half time ceremonies at the
game the high school stadium
was dedicated as the Raz Autry
Stadium.
Attending the reception
were former board of educa
tion members, the present
board, school personnel and
friends of '\utry \ table of
goodies was served to the
guests.
(See AROUND, page 7A)
J oumal
ned. It's news t
50 cents
Wednesday, September 6, 2000
DA: no basis for sheriff’s complaint
Determines from SBI probe there is no conspiracy or cormption
By VirroRiANA Summers
Staff writer
District Attorney Jean Powell this
morning said an SBl investigation begun
at the request of Hoke Sheriff Jim Davis
showed allegations of corruption among
local officials were “totally unfounded.”
Powell was candid in her analysis of a
two-month review she conducted on the
“voluminous” SBI dossier .submitted to
her office in June.
“It was routine business,” Powell said.
“The only thing unusual in it was Sheriff
Davis, himself, who spoke about allega
tions of corruption in high places, and
said he suspected two former deputies and
a Raeford Police Department detective of
misconduct,” she said.
“The al legat ions arc total I y u nfounded,”
Powell said.
In February, Davissaid he had requested
the SBI investigate possible public cor
ruption and possible criminal misconduct
on the part of some of his deputies.
“There were issues raised by Sheriff
Davis that when evidence was seized —
in a number of drug cases — that the
money may have been diverted improp
erly by the two former deputies and a
Raeford Police Department detective.”
Powell said.
However, Powell said there isnocredi-
(See INVESTIGATION, page HA)
V
A
Fleeing driver
kills himself
Witnesses say man wasn’t
allowed medical treatment
By Victokiana Summers
Staff writer
Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Authorities say a Raleigh man fleeing from police in a
stolen car shot himself to death in Hoke County yesterday
after a two-county high-speed chase that.at one point pro
ceeded through the Flora Macdonald Academy soccer field.
The 20-ycar-old man died just after 6 p.m. of a gunshot
wound tothc head after bcingstopped on South Hilltop Road
near the Hokc-Scotland-Robcson counties border.
Questions have arisen over whether the man was denied
medical treatment by law enforcement officers.
(See CHASE, page HA)
.)
Hoke Farmer Benny Walters (left) peers at his pumpkin crop with mom Louise Love, and niece Beth Hester, a
student at Flora MacDonald Academy in Red Springs. (Photo by Victoriana Summers)
Hoke’s &st known commercial
pumpkin crop to be harvested soon
•7a
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Plenty of pumpkins are growing
in southwest Hoke County right
now — a “phenomena” that farmer
Louise Love and son Benny Walters
say they’ve never seen before. It all
started with abagof BigMax pump
kin seeds, a little bit of effort. The
rest is likely farming history for the
Sandhills, declares Walters.
“As far as we know, pumpkins
have neverbeen successfully grown
commercially south of Va.ss,N.C.,”
Walters said. “Most Hoke people
even go to Vass to pick up their
(See PUMPKINS, page 7A)
Hoke High School stadium dedicated
Friday to a speechless Raz Autry
”V
X ..
Raz Autry, center, is greeted by well wishers Friday night.
By Arieii Samson
Sports writer
“I am happy that God allowed me to
pass your way,” Raz Autry said to fam
ily, friends and the football fans who
filled Hoke County High School’s sta
dium Friday night.
“Breathtaking” is the word Autry said
fit best when a white cloth was pulled
away, revealing“Raz Autry Stadium”at
the top of the Hoke’s scoreboard during
a half-time ceremony. The athletic field
was officially dedicated in his honor.
The ceremony, although brief, will be
remembered by Hoke High fans for many
years because of Autry’s bold printed
name on Hoke’s scoreboard — clearly
visible from Bethel Road and across
Hoke High’s campus.
To Raz Autry, the years he spent in
(See STADIUM, page 7A)
Silver City’s delayed sewer finally funded
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A sewer system that was delayed
for lack of funds is finally coming
to Silver City —compliments of a
state grant. Last Thursday, Hoke
Commission Chairman James A.
Leach and Commissioner Charles
V. Daniels toured Silver City, a
residential community flankingthe
northern fringe of Raeford. They
began notifying residents of the
good news, as their shoes squished
through raw sewage seeping across
some lawns.
“Folks in Silver City will no
longer have to be burdened with
septic tank problems, and worrying
about theirchildren playing in dan
gerous yards that are overflowing
with raw sewage,” Leach said. “The
nightmare isoverforthese people,”
he said. “We’ve finally received a
long-awaited grant to provide these
folks with sewer.”
After almost two years of wait
ing, Leach and the board of com
missioners were notified on Au
gust 16 by the N.C. Department of
Commerce that Hoke is the recipi
ent of an $850,000 grant to help
implement the project. According
to Leach, the grant money will be
used to install a modern sewer sys
tem in Silver City, eliminating the
need for septic tanks dating back to
the 1970s. Commissioners initiated
the thrust to obtain grants for Silver
City in February 1999.
“It is my pleasure to officially
notify you the County of Hoke has
been awarded an $850,000 prelimi
nary Community Development
Block Grant tor infrastructure,” said
Rick Carl isle. Secretary of the N.C.
Department of Commerce. “I know
(See SILVER CITY, page HA)
The scene on Hilltop Road where a fleeing driver died of a
gunshot wound.
Judge weighs evidence
in Hoke-state lawsuit
on educational funding
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning conducted a final
hearing on August 18 in Raleigh, where he questioned
representatives of Hoke County Schools and the State of
North Carolina, opponents in a battle over educational fund
ing. Hoke is challenging the state in the low wealth lawsuit,
alleging the state is failing to meet the “basic, sound”
educational needs of students in five low wealth counties.
Rob Tiller, a partner with Parker, Poe, Adams and
Bernstein, the Raleigh law firm that represents Hoke, esti
mates Manning will reach a final ruling by October.
What’s at stake?
“The state’s position is reportedly that it has done all it is
required to do under the North Carolina Constitution with
respect to educating children,” Tiller said. “If Judge Man
ning decides in favor of Hoke’s position, the judge will
ultimately decide if the state has violated the constitution,
and also decide upon a remedy to resolve the situation.”
Tiller praised Manning for reviewing 5,000 pages of court
proceedings, including all the evidence that says Hoke
County Schools doesn’t have all the resources it needs.
“This case has been developed and pursued for five
years,” Tiller said. “From our standpoint, it’s hard to sum up
these issues in 25 words or less.”
“1 have great respect for Judge Manning, and he has an
immense task ahead to review all this evidence,” Tiller said.
In the Wake County courtroom hearing that lasted almost
two hours. Manning heard arguments from a team of four
lawyers from the State Attorney’s office, defending the
state’s position, and from Attorney Bob Spearman, senior
partner with Parker, Poe, Adams and Bernstein. Eaeh side
was given an opportunity to clarify questions Manning
posed on summaries of evidence he received in June, after
the trial ended last fall.
(See LAWSUIT, page 7A)
— . 'J j