The
ews
Journal
If it happened, it's news to us
No. 38 Vol. 94
50 cents
Wednesday, December 19, 2001
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This w eek
Hoke has tree farm
page 1B
Horse runs
into moving car
page 7 A
Athlete excels
up north
6A
The News-Journal
will be closed
Dec. 24-25!
index 1
Births
3B
Calendar
4B
Classifieds
7B
Deaths
10A
Editorials
2A
Legals
6B
Public Record
7A
Religion
8A
Schools
.. 5A,8B
Social News
3B
Sports
. 6A, 2B
TV Listings
4-5 B
Weddings
3B
Around Town
'Pun
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
It doesn’t feel like winter
will come in this week. It is
cool in the early morning but
it warms up during the day.
My wife punched off the reaT
ing on my rain gauge and it
registered .37 of an inch. This
is the amount of rain that fell
in the past week. As I write
this Monday morning, the
forecast calls for rain Monday
night. It would be nice if it
rained all day Tuesday.
The forecast for the remai n-
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for the
high Wednesday to be in the
50s and the low in the 40s.
Thursday the high will be in
the 60s and the low in the 30s.
Friday and Saturday the highs
will be in the low 60s or high
50s and the lows in the low
30s or high 20s. There isn’t
any rain in the forecast.
Each year we’ll send Christ
mas cards to our friends and
relatives. This is the time of
year we expect joy and peace.
This year two cards sent to a
friend of Mary Alice and her
uncle, were returned, as both
had died in the past year.
A card that was sent to an
old Army buddy brought back
a card from his wife, with an
obituary from a newspaper.
The Army buddy was Wade
Taylor of Kannapolis. The
death notice stated that Wade
had died on October 30,2001.
(See AROUND, page 6A)
Land purchase angers local leaders
By VicTORiANA Summers
Staff writer
Hoke leaders are protesting that the
endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpeck
ers have secured a place to nest in Hoke
while Hoke loses $5,000 of annual taxes
plus the potential loss of developing a
residential or golf community that would
have generated more revenue. The N.C.
Department of Transportation purchased
2,400 acres of prime long leaf pine acre
age in Hoke on November 14 for $5.3
million without telling county commis
sioners, or asking for their approval, said
Commission Chairman Tony Hunt.
“We are contacting our county attor
ney to see if the DOT violated any state
statutes by finalizing this sale without
informing us,’’ Hunt said. “1 cannot be
lieve the DOT officials did not say a word
about the deal being completed.
“We need to see what recourse we
have.”
Hunt said commissioners, supported
by the Raeford Hoke Economic Develop
ment Board, are urging citizens and county
(See LAND DEAL, page lOA)
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Top:{}i.n:erf from the Raeford Ballet under the direciiBii of S^ra Whiia p«HermThi
Turl^fton Auditorium. Pictured left to right are Nicok WiIIihh, K^n SoMtil, Ajetoc I
Bi^XKgn. Students at South Hoke Elementary hear how CiriitM
thrWorW presentation in the school’s gyrn. Display* frons*!
or paapl* vWth ties to the countries.
Sheriff candidate Peterkin’s case comes
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer *
The traffic violation case against Hoke
sheriff candidate Hubert Peterkin is sched
uled for trial in Hoke’s district court to
day. On October 16, Peterkin said he was
stopped “unlawfully” by Sheriff Jim
Davis. Hoke District Attorney Kristy
McMillan Newton withdrew from pros
ecuting the case early on because of a
conflict of interest.
According to Newton’s previous as
sessment, she is a “potential and likely”
witness in the case. Peterkin called her at
the District Attorney ’ s office from his cell
phone when Davis initiated the traffic
stop. Newton said she was on the line with
Peterkin during the incident.
The 29th Prosecutorial District has ac
cepted responsibility for prosecuting the
case today. District Attorney Jeff Hunt
has assigned David Norris, assistant dis
trict attorney of the 29th, to proceed with
the case. A source also disclosed that a
district court judge is also being brought
in from another jurisdiction in order to
hear the case at the Hoke County Court
house.
Peterkin was reportedly ticketed by
3 Rush takes
job as probe
continues
Staff changes announced
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
An unperturbed Shirley Rush, Hoke’s finance direc
tor, officially accepted a lesser position as temporary
assistant transportation director on Monday night after
a one-hour closed session with county commissioners.
Rush, previously suspended with pay since October 12,
was supposed to return to work yesterday in her new
capacity.
Rush was placed on administrative leave with pay
shortly after former county manager Bernice McPhatter
resigned on October 11 under suspicion of embezzle
ment. The State Bureau of Investigation is still conduct
ing a criminal inquiry into the allegations of misuse of
county funds regarding McPhatter.
“1 am not concerned,” Rush said. “1 am just taking all
this in stride. I would rather wait until they (the SBI)
have all this cleared up before I return to the finance
department anyway.
“This will give me a fresh start.”
The board’s decision to temporarily remove Rush
came after scrutinizing whether Rush may have been
aware of McPhatter’s alleged involvement in misman
agement of county funds for personal use. Rush re
mained out of work for two months while the SBI has
continued conducting its criminal probe into misappro
priation allegations against McPhatter.
Rush says she does not think there is any conflict on
her part, and repeated she has done nothing improper.
“When you have the Lord on your side, you do not
need to worry,” Rush said. “It was the commissioners’
decision to put me on administrative leave, but now they
apparently want me to return to work until all this is
straightened out.”
Rush, 50, has served the county since 1977, credited
with 14 years of accounting experience working with
Hoke. She said she is well experienced to resume her
role as head of finance.
“I am well qualified,” Rush said. “I hope to retire as
finance director someday. I love working with figures.”
Commission Chairman Tony Hunt announced the
board’s decision publicly in placing Rush in an alternate
job.
‘Thank you Shirley,” Hunt said. “I am sure you will
(See RUSH JOB, page 9A)
to trial tcxiay
former Deputy Robert Schulte at tne re
quest of Davis. Schulte resigned the first
week of November from the Sheriffs
Office. Schulte charged Peterkin with
careless and reckless driving and failing
to stop for blue lights and a siren. Schulte
later dispensed another ticket for speed
ing to Peterkin that was delivered to his
home after the traffic stop.
(See PETERKIN CASE, page lOA)
Raeford weightMer Croft wins world titles
f: li
c;
Croft shows off his word class trophies.
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Some people want to take off a few
pounds, but powerlifter Bill Croft of
Raeford has a goal to add as many pounds
to a bar as he can without injury. An
accomplished athlete, Croft, a 1981 gradu
ate of Hoke County High School, recently
won three world championships in the
Amateur Athletic Union competition held
in Nevada. In spite of a deformity where
one leg is shorter than the other, family
support and deterriunalion have made him
a winner, Croft said.
“Lifting is a part of my life,” Croft said.
“1 could not imagine not being able to do
it. It is a discipline like getting up in the
morning.
“It would be like not eating to me if 1
did not do it.”
Croft was honored as the 2(X)1 AAU
World Champion in a triple win, receiv
ing first-place trophies in the Submaster
Division, Open Division and the Lifetime
Division in deadlifting.
“I lifted 568 pounds of iron weights in
the winning competition for the world,”
Croft said. “You must lift the bar with the
weights and the judges tell us when to
descend with it.
“ Y ou cannot just drop it. The challenge
is you are defying gravity to put 6(X)
pounds in the wrong direction.”
Croft has dedicated his life to his fam
ily, powerlifting and teaching respiratory
therapy as an associate professor at
Sandhills Community College in
Pinehurst.
He said he is particularly proud of his
accomplishments because he has achieved
it in a drug-free athletic association. The
AAU forbids use of steroids, drug en
hancers or over-the-counter medications,
he added.
Croft said he enjoys the exhilarating
thrill of competition, but it is neverenough.
He always believes in giving his best.
Croft competed with other lifters ages 20
to 60 for the world championships.
“1 won the world’s best lifter category
for pound per pound body weight com
pared to the weights 1 lifted,” Croft said.
“It was quite an accomplishment.”
Croft started lifting weights when he
was just 14 years of age. Growing up in
Ashley Heights, his mother learned early
on he had a physical handicap, but never
told him until he was in his 20s.
(See WEIGHTLIFTER, page 9A)