The
ews
Journal
If It happened, it's news to us
No. 49 Vol. 94
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
Former sheriff
Alex Norton dies
page 5A
City tables
request from
County
page 6A
Hoke wrestlers
place in tournament
page 7 A
Our readers write
page 4A
index
Births 3B
Business/Farm 6A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 5A
Editorials 2-4A
Engagements 3B
Legals 4-6 B
Public Record 5A
Religion 11A
School 4B, 9A
Socials 3B
Sports 7A
Weddings IB
Around Town
Contributing Editor
The weathcrstill can’t make
up its mind. One day it will be
hot and then it will turn cold.
We haven’t had any extremely
cold weather, but the change
makes it feel more than the
thermometer registers. We did
get some much needed rain
that helped, but it is still dry.
My gauge registered about 1/
2 inches.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week Wednesday
through Saturday, calisfor the
high Wednesday to be in the
6()s and the low in the 30s.
Thursday and Friday the highs
will be in the 60s and the lows
in the 40s. Saturday the high
could reach 70 degrees and
the lows in the 40s or 50s.
There is no rain in the fore
cast.
*****
Last week I had an item
about a mistake in my bank
statement. When I wrote this
column last week, I hadn’t
heard anything from the bank.
When I didn’t receive a call, I
called again and asked tospeak
to the manager. This time in a
very polite way the man lis
tened to me and then got all
the facts. He said that I would
get an answer. In a few min
utes i received a call that put
everything in order.
To get anything done or
corrected, you only have to
reach the right person. It isn’t
{See AROUND, page 5A)
50 cents
Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Tyler’s sudden death stuns region
Hoke Schools superintendent beloved
By Pat Ali.i;n Wii son
Editor
ViCTOklANA SUMMLKS
Staff writer
Education was not a career to Mitch
Tyler, Hoke County School superinten
dent, it was a way of life that he balanced
with his commitment to his family, said
friend and colleague Allen Strickland in
tribute to the life of the energetic Tyler,
who died on Saturday.
“Both were so important to him,”
Strickland said.
“Itisdevastating
that we have lost
him. He was a
man of high stat
ure who cared \
for this commu
nity.
“Hisgoal was
always to be a.su
perintendent.
His love was to also come back and work
in the area where he had some of his roots
in Shannon,” he said.
“Mitch Tyler fulfilled all of his goals
and helped with the dreams of many stu
dents.”
Thousands of mourners overflowed the
church where I'yler served as assistant
minister, deacon, pianist and Sunday
school teacher, paying tribute to him dur
ing memorial services on Monday night
and Tuesday afternoon at Shannon As
sembly of God. Hoke’s superintendent
since July 2()()(), and former tcacher/su-
pcrvi.sor in Cumberland and Robeson
countie.s, Tyler was laid to rest in the
church’s cemetery.
“There is nobody left in Pembroke.”
Robot Makers
ot to
said one mourner who said everybody left
town to attend the wake and funeral of the
respected educator.
Tyler collapsed on Saturday morning
of an apparent heart attack while in the
company of his son Brent, a 15-year-old
student at Hoke High. They were running
their dogs at The Raeford Hunt Club lo
cated on Doc Brown Road.
“There appeared to be no warning —
he just collapsed,” a colleague said. “His
.son turned around and noticed his father’s
dog was not on the leash, which seemed
odd. His son rushed back, spotting Tyler
lying face-down on the ground.
{See TYLER MOURNED, page lOA)
TT
if
flv
k
4ore than a thousand gathered at Shannon Assembly of God for Tyler’s funeral Tuesday
Strickland named interim
1*^ rr
i
These students at
West Hoke Elemen
tary School made ro
bots for a project last
month. Some robots
had moving parts and
flashing lights. Shown
left to right: Mitzi
Bonfil,Joseph Walters,
Eathan Jackson, T angle
Harris, Cain Oxendine
and Chrystal Graham.
By ViriOKiANA Summi;ks
Staff writer
A somber Hoke Board of Education
appeared overvY helmed on Monday night,
facing what some consider the “impos
sible” challenge of replacing Mitch Tyler,
superintendent of Hoke Schools.
Saddened by Tyler’s death two days
earlier, the school board unanimously
voted to name assistant school superin
tendent Allen Strickland as interim super
intendent. The board
mourned the loss of
Tyler in prayer, keep
ing the emergency
meeting brief. They
continued on directly
to Tyler’s memorial
service, which was
held at the Shannon
Assembly of God.
{See INTERIM,
Page lOA)
Mien Strickland
State demands 'corrective’
action after county’s audit
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
State auditors wrote Hoke officials in
February scolding them for being seven
month late in submitting the county’s
annual audit, and for incorrectly reporting
its reserve fund balance.
Commission Chairman Tony Hunt re
ceived the letter Feb. 19 concerning the
audit for Hoke’s fiscal year ending June
30, 2001.
Hoke must take “corrective” action in
numerous problem areas, but is still in
satisfactory financial shape, said Tom
Romocki, assistant director t)f the fiscal
management section.
“A report received by the governing
body (commissioners) seven months af
ter year-end identifies financial and op
erational problems after it is too late for-
the board to take any effective action,”
(See A UDIT, page 8A)
Filing ends, the race is on for local May primaries
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A whole lot of hand-shakin’ was going
on during the two-week election filing
period in Hoke ascandidatesmanuevered
I iy
Pete Camp
for state and local positions. Filing ended
last Friday with 20 candidates signed up
to run in local elections. There will be
Democratic and Republican primaries
scheduled only for the sheriff’s race, said
Carolina Shook, supervisor of the Board
of Elections.
“I hope the next time we will have more
candidates file for each party so we can
have representation in the primary from
both parties for every position,” Shook
said. “It has been an exciting two weeks.
v
Tony Hunt
Charles Daniels Harry Southerland Cleo Bratcher Pete Hathaway
Scholarship estabUshed for twins
of deceased Raeford police officer
An education scholarship has been
created for Holly and Megan Stauffer,
six-year-old twin daughters of Raeford
Police Sgt. Clifford Stauffer Jr., who
died in a vehicle accident February 4.
The News-Journal and Dickson
Press began the scholarship fund with
a contribution of $500. Stauffer’s
widow, Susan, formerly worked as an
advertising representative for The
News-Journal.
“We’re startingthis fund to not only
honor the memory of Cliff, but also to
make sure Holly and Megan will be
able to have the education he would
have wanted them to have,” said pub
lisher Robert Dickson. “We want to
help Susan, our friend and former col
league, with the formidable task of
educating her twins. We hope the com
munity will join with us in this effort.”
The Stauffer girls are students at
McLauchlin Elementary School.
Donations may be made to: Holly
and Megan Stauffer Scholarship Fund,
c/o The Fidelity Bank, P.O. Box 416,
Raeford, NC 28376. Donations will be
placed in an interest-bearing account.
A
Bill Cameron
Jean Powell
Freddie McPhaul
Buddy Blue
and we have kept really busy with pro
cessing paperwork and filings.”
The last person to file for office on
Friday prior to the noon deadline was
Hokecattle rancher-farmer William “Bill”
Cameron. He was preceded by two fellow
Democrats, Raeford attorney Harry
Southerland and incumbent Commission
Chairman Tony Hunt, both filing last
Thursday for commissioner. One Repub
lican, real estate broker Buddy Blue, also
entered the commissioners’ race on Thurs
day.
Though there are 10 candidates for
commissioner, only two are Republicans,
so there will not be a Republican primary
for the commissioners’ race. Since three
seats are available, Blue and Pete
Hathaway, a retired N.C. Probation of
ficer who previously filed, will automati
cally be placed on the November ballot.
The candidates who filed in the last week:
Hunt
Hunt, 39, was appointed as chairman in
December afterpreviously serving as vice
chairman for two years. He is seeking
reelection for his second term.
A Native American, Hunt is a member
of the N.C. Health and Human Service
Board and the Sandhills Mental Health
Board. As pastor of Galilee Baptist Church
in Red Springs, Hunt has served as a full
time minister in Hoke for the past 15
years. He also served in the U.S. Army for
eight years.
(See ELECTION, page 8A)