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The
ews
Journal
ppened^ it's news to
No. 15 Vol. 94
50 cents
Wednesday, July 11, 2001
On vacation?
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-joumal.com
This week
■■rKtr
Hounds, people
gather for
Fourth of July
page 1B
VFW Post 10
Auxiliary officers
are elected
page 3A
Man is assaulted
in his home
page 4A
Index
Births 3B
Calendar 8B
Classifieds 6,7B
Deaths lOA
Editorials 2A
Engagements 3B
Legals 4,5B
Public Record 4A
Religion 6A
Social News 2,3B
TV Listings 8,9A
Weddings 2,3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The weather has cooled
down some, but the humidity
makes it feel hotter. Sunday
morning as Mary Alice and I
sat in church, 1 looked at the
windows in the church and it
was dark outside. Then you
could hear some thunder. As
we left the church about 12
o’clock the bottom dropped
out. I got soaked when 1 went
for the car and then picked up
Mary Alice who was under
the patio. My rain gauge reg
istered just under a half-inch
of rain. It is cloudy again on
Monday morning as I write
this column.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for the
highs to be in the 90s and the
lows in the 70s for the entire
period. There isn’t any rain
predicted during this time.
*****
How did you spend the
Fourth? As 1 wrote last week,
Mary Alice and I went down
to Raz’s peach orchard and
had peach ice cream. It always
amazes me that there is a
breeze under the trees at the
shed. We ran into many people
who had the same idea. There
were many subjects discussed
by the group while they en
joyed the ice cream.
There weren’t any peaches,
but some people were buying
some vegetables. Maybe a few
peaches will be for sale over
the weekend. Someone told
me Monday morning that he
(See AROUND, page 8A)
Commissioner to request grant spending investigation
Sheriff Davis seeks resignations
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
County CommissionerCharlesV.Danielsannounccd
on Monday he plans to request the board of commission
ers ask Hoke DA Kristy McMillan Newton and the SBl
to conduct a criminal inquiry and “full audit” into the
alleged misuse of federal grant monies for the Hoke
Sheriff’s Office. He also called for the board to consider
disciplinary actions against County Manager Bernice
MePhatter in her financial role as the administrator of the
reported mismanagement of $93,000.
“It is not true Mrs. MePhatter took certain steps to
make sure the county properly handled grants as she
assured other news media last week,” Daniels said.
“Contrary to what she said, we have had a grant writer for
several years and hired a contract grant writer in May of
2000, but that was done before anything ever came up
about problems with misappropriation in a grant.’
In response to other printed statements attributed to
MePhatter, Daniels said, “Commissioners L.E.
McLaughlin was the one who insisted we hire a purchas
ing agent to save the county money. Shirley Rush was
promoted to finance director after the spending occurred
with the sheriff’s grant, and long before we realized
there was any problem.”
Daniels’ call for an investigation coincided with a
separate criticism leveled at MePhatter by Sheriff Jim
Davis. On Friday, Davis alleged MePhatter had commit
ted unethical violations of her oath, and misappropria
tion of more than $93,000 in federal grant funds — an
amount supported by findings of the U.S. Inspector
General’s office.
In a six-page letter sent to Commission Chairman
Cleo Bratcher Jr., brotherof MePhatter, Davisdemanded
MePhatter’s resignation. Davis said he will be request
ing assistance from the U.S. Government Accounting
Office in order for federal officials to audit other federal
grant programs in Hoke that were supervised by
MePhatter.
“For more than a year now, the citizens of this com
munity have been deceived, lied to, and the integrity of
our county has been compromised by our county man
ager, Mrs. Bernice MePhatter, county attorney Neil
Yarborough and other current and former public offi
cials,” Davis said. “There were attempts made to delib
erately undermine the integrity of the Hoke Sheriff’s
Office, restrict law enforcement services to the commu
nity and cause me personal harm in the process. All of
these efforts are alarming.”
Danielssaid, “if Bernice MePhatter is wrong, it should
be known. If Sheriff Jim Davis is wrong in his allega
tions about her, the citizens should be told. If the county
commissioners are wrong, the voters should know.
“We want the facts. This is the only way we can take
the cloud off Hoke’s government.”
Davis said Hoke’s financial condition was a nation
ally reported disgrace. Hoke’s grant mis-spending and
the required return of misused funds for a community
policy grant was publicized in the national newspaper
U.S. Today in regional news events.
MePhatter was serving in a dual capacity as Hoke’s
finance officer and as county manager until July 1,2000
during the period of time questions later arose in January
2001 about one federal C.O.P.S. grant and use of another
state E-911 wireless revenue fund. Daniels said she did
not inform the board about pending state inquiries on
either the grant or wireless monies.
(See GRANT, page 5A)
E-911 cutbacks
may weaken
response calls
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The bank of computers in the
E-911 command post seldom
remain silent as 1.5 emergency
and administrative calls per
minute bombard five telephone
lines operated by only two 911
communicators, said Ron
Fairbanks, communications su
pervisor for E-911. In spite of a
high volume of emergency calls,
Fairbanks said the county
chopped the 911 communica
tions’ budget down to $258,545
(See CUTBACKS, page 7A)
E-911 telecommunicators Nikki Jenkins react to emergency calls in
the Hoke communications command center.
New chief detective takes helm in Hoke
Deputy turnover diminishes
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Sheriff Jim Davis announced
last week he has hired a chief of
detective to command his inves
tigative division. Holding the
rank of captain, Freddy Ludwig
Johnson served as a former cap
tain in the Cumberland County
Sheriff’s office prior to being
recruited in Hoke.
“Captain Johnson brings a
wealth of experience and knowl
edge to his new position,” Davis
said. “We expect great things to
happen now that we have fully
staffed our management team.”
Major Thomas Carlton has
served as chief detective and sec-
A colorful, glorious Fourth
The viewing field at Lafayette Ford on Highway 401 By-Pass was
filled to capacity, and viewers of the company's annual fireworks
show overflowed into Burlington Park, the Upchurch School
parking lot and onto the road sides. Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne
skydivers, beneath red white and blue chutes, jumped into the
scene prior to the fireworks display.
ond in command since his pro
motion on June 14, 2000 until
July 1, 2001 when Johnson ac
cepted the post. Carlton retained
both positions initially as interim
chief deputy and as captain and
chief of detectives. After former
chief deputy Hubert Peterkin re
signed on January 19, 2000 and
accepted a position with the
Fayetteville Police Department,
Davis interviewed for one year
to find an experienced deputy to
step into the responsibilities.
“We are very fortunate to have
Captain Johnson come on board,”
Carlton said. “He will be a tre
mendous plus to us, and investi
gate all the major crimes.
“I knew of his background
before. He is highly qualified
and brings experience and knowl
edge to our office.”
Carlton said top priorities for
Johnson will be solving the Brit
tany Locklear murder case, and
the disappearance of Troy Lee
Jacobs. Johnson will also be as
signed to focus on four other
outstanding murder cases to be
solved that include James
(SeeCHlEF DETECTIVE, page 5A)
County moves
suspect expenses
from E-911 budget
Money transferred
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
While Hoke County officials await a meeting this week with
Richard Taylor, administrator of the N.C. E-911 Wireless Board, to
answer questions about possible irregularities in almost $50,000 of
items already spent from the E-911 wireless fund, questions have
surfaced about other expenditures in the regular 911 fund. The state
currently audits only 911 wireless funds, but legislation is pending
that may call for future audits on 911 funds as well.
In order to eliminate any further doubts that funds may have been
misappropriated, Hoke finance directorShirley Rush said the county
reversed a substantial amount of expenditures at the end of June that
were contained in the E-911 account. She was uncertain of the total
(See BUDGET, page 5A)
Incumbents, another
file for town offices
Gentry
Camp
•1
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
All the incumbents, joined by
another Raeford resident, have
filed for the city offices that will
be available at the end of the
year.
Mayor Bob Gentry filed for
reelection yesterday, and city
councilmen Benny McLeod and
Eddie McNeill filed for reelec
tion for their seats on Monday.
Filing opened at noon Friday
and Patterson Avenue resident
Pete Camp was the first to pay
his $5 to run for a council seat.
Although the race is non-par
tisan, Camp is an outspoken Libertarian. He is 53 and works as a loan
officer.
“I believe that local government is the level of government closest
to the people and should be small in size, be efficient and accessible
and responsive to the people it serves,” Camp said. “Raeford needs
(See CITY FILING, page 5A)
McNeill
\i/
McLeod
3 charged with beating, robbing elderly woman
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Three Ashley Heights residents have been
charged by the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office with
the assault and burglary of an elderly woman of the
same northwest Hoke community.
MarcC. Farnham, 21, Reservation Road; Sarah
A. Hines, 18, Copperas Drive; and Richard G.
Everington, 20, Reservation Road; are all in the
Hoke County Detention Facility, according to
Sheriff Jim Davis.
The victim was 79-year-old Bertha Bosher, a
resident of Strother Road, the sheriff said.
“Mrs. Bosher was brutally assaulted with a
crowbar during the burglary but was able to call 9-
l-I for help,” Davis said. The call was made at
4:12 a.m. Monday morning.
“Deputy sheriffs on duty shortly thereafter ar
rested three suspects in connection with the inci
dent at a nearby trailer and hiding in the bushes,”
Davis said, adding that deputies also recovered
most of the items taken during the break-in.
Bosher was taken to FirstHealth Moore Re
gional Hospital in Pinehurst, where her injuries
were treated. She was released.
Farnham is charged with first degree burglary,
assault with a deadly weapon inflicting injury and
possession of stolen property. He was placed in jail
under a $75,000 secured bond.
Hines, who shares an address with Farnham, is
(See ASSAULT, page 5A)