• •
The
ews
Journal
If it happened, it s news to ii$
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No. 21 Vol. 95
itAEFOI^3 & HokL CC-U-»MT¥ IM,
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
Lighthouses
show up
in Hoke
page 1B
Horse park hosts
2003 championships
page 5 A
Arts Council
appoints officers
page 5A
Index
Births
2B
Calendar
3B
Classifieds
5-6B
Deaths
3A
Editorials
2,4A
Engagements
2B
Legals
3-4B
Religion
7A
Schools
6A
Socials
2B
Sports
8A
Weddings
2B
McPhatter indicted
Former county manager allegedly stole $269,000
Bernice McPhatter
By Vici'oriana Summers
Staff writer
Following a 10-month State
Bureau of Investigation probe, a
grand jury on Monday handed
down indictmentsagainst former
county manager Bernice
McPhatter for two counts of
embezzlement and 64 counts of
forgery. In a case that has
“shaken” Hoke government and
taxpayers, Shirley Rush, former
finance director and Hoke’s current assistant transporta
tion director, was also indicted on one felony count of
“assessory after the fact” in the embezzlement, said
District Attorney Kristy M. Newton.
“The total amount of money for which Mrs. McPhatter
has been charged with embezzling is $269,347.90,”
Newton said. “For what I would call straight theft, we
have an amount of $246,247.90.
“For amounts she obtained through unauthorized
travel stipends, it would be $23,100. At this point, there
s no indication that anyone else was working with her.
If they were, they did not leave a paper trail.
“There is always a possibility that more people were
involved, but the proof does not show she acted with
anyone else.”
McPhatter, of 1242 Phillipi Church Road, was re
leased on a $100,000 bond during a bail hearing. She
reportedly surrendered after the State Bureau of Inves
tigation obtained a warrant for her arrest in connection
with the allegations on Monday.
However, she was arrested again Tuesday by the N .C.
Department of Revenue. In separate state accusations,
McPhatter was charged with four felony counts of
evading state income taxes for 1997-2000, according to
spokesman Kim Brooks. McPhatter appeared before a
Hoke magistrate, and.was released after paying a $5,000
secured bond. She is scheduled to make her first court
appearance on August 23 in Wake County District
Court.
Rush surrendered to authorities on Tuesday. Her
bond was set at $15,000, and she used her home for
collateral. County commissioners met behind closed
doors Monday evening but so far have taken no action
regarding Rush. Although not active in the department,
Rush still officially carries the title of Hoke’s finance
director, an official said.
During the massive investigation, Newton said, a
paper trai 1 was uncovered of 76 checks allegedly written
by McPhatter “to herself.” The amount of the largest
check exceeded $25,000, which was written on Decem
ber 10, 1999. One check was for $10,000; six checks
ranged between $7,000 to $ 1(),000; four checks varied
between $5,()0()-$7,()00; 37 checks were between $2,000
and $5,()()(); 10 checks were from $1,00()-$2,000; and
eight checks were each under $1,000,
Forgery
McPhatter reportedly wrote some checks out to ven
dors used by the county, leaving two attached carbon
copies with the names of the firms tor account i ng records.
On the top check that could be deposited or cashed, she
reportedly erased the vendor's name and substituted her
own name, according to another official. It was unclear
if matching invoices existed to back up the disburse
ments, a county official said.
In another surprise disclosure at the press conference,
Newton said McPhatter had allegedly forged the signa
tures of several prominent former and current county
(See INDICTED, page 9/f)
•T
From left: John Joseph, district attorney investigator;
Janie Pinkston, assistant SBI special agent in charge; Kristy
M. Newton, district attorney.
District Attorney Kristy Newton explains potential levels
of sentencing for embezzlement and forgery offenses.
Judge sets Monday for state to address Hoke education
Manning calls state ‘arrogant’ and orders immediate plan, Hoke’s Strickland says it’s money that’s needed
By Ken MacDonald
A judge has given the state until Monday to
“fish or cut bait” in the latest development of the
eight-year battle by Hoke and other low-wealth
counties for equal education funding.
Wake Superior Court Judge Howard Manning
wrote the state is giving “lip service” to complying
with his order to take steps to provide a basic.
sound education for at-risk students, but has elected
to “hunker down and hope that the Court will
choose to do nothing while the State continues to
‘do nothing.’”
Manning ordered the state to deliver by Monday
in “plain English” the plan it proposes to provide
Hoke with “leadership and guidance” so it can
“reallocate and focus its existing resources.”
His latest order came in an 18-page letter writ
ten Thursday to State Superintendent Michael
Ward, State Board of Education Chairman Philip
Kirk and Deputy Attorney General Thomas Ziko.
It followed a complaint by Hoke’s counsel,
Robert Spearman, that the state apparently has no
intentions of complying with Manning’s previous
orders to take responsibility for educating at-risk
children. Spearman contended the state has re
sponded by proposing new studies and suggesting
that programs already in place meet its obligations.
“The State is simply repeating arguments it
made at trial in 1999,” Spearman wrote on August
7. “The Official Response looks more like an
effort to defer a remedy indefinitely.”
Manning agreed. He called the state’s conten
tion, for example, that existing workshops and
conferences available to teachers and administra-
(See MANNING ORDER, page 10A)
’•&J
A storm on Saturday brought lightning and heavy damage to the home of Ivery
and Ruth McNair.
lightning sets McNair home on fire
Mrs. McNair said Sparky was in
the laundry room when the lightning
struck. “That’s where all the smoke
was coming from,” she said.
The couple and their pet got out
safely prior to the arrival of the fire
department, which was dispatched at
2:50 p.m.,Tapp said.
The house was “about 60 or 70
percent involved” in flames when
firefighters arrived, Tapp said. No
injuries were reported. “Everyone was
(See LIGHTNING, page 8A)
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Retired businesspersons Ivery and
Ruth McNair and their dog, Sparky,
escaped from their home at 511
Oakwood Avenue Saturday afternoon
after a lightning strike caused it to go
up in flames.
Lightning struck two trees in the
back yard, said Raeford Fire Marshal
Terry Tapp. He said it is not known if
the house took a direct hit.
Board votes to pay sheriff’s auto bills
Sheriff accuses board of ‘bad leadership’, threatens to take case to Washington
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke commissioners decided on Mon
day to pay a repair bill for sheriff’s de
partment cars even though they had been
serviced in violation of county policy.
During a lively debate between Sheriff
Jim Davis, Commissioner Cleo Bratcher
Jr. and Commissioner Bobby Wright,
deputies positioned themselves at every
entrance to the county assembly room.
Davis demanded that commissioners pay
an outside vendor, A&J Service of
Raeford, for bills he submitted recently
for repairs.
The board relented in a 4-1 vote to pay
the approximate $911 in repair bills that
should have been repaired by the county’s
own maintenance garage. Commission
ers will also evaluate the county’s ve
hicle maintenance policy in the future.
The policy stipulates that county-owned
vehicles be repaired primarily at the
county garage.
“Even Ray Charles can see through all
these bills,” Davis protested as he showed
a lists of bills previously paid to outside
repair services in addition to A&J. He
questioned why bills were paid to other
vendors in the past — including A&J —
but not now.
“Mr. (Bobby) Wright, Bratcher and
(Charles) Daniels, you can keep your
eyes closed,” Davis told the board. “Yes,
this county is poor, but it is poor because
of the leadership it has had.
“It is poor because of the blindfold
(See A UTO BILLS, page 8A)
Sheriff candidates focus
on qualifications, issues
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Eight of the nine candidates for
Hoke Board of Education and five
candidates for sheriff spoke at a
public forum sponsored by the
Woman’s Club of Raeford and the
Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Com
merce last night.
Another forum is scheduled for
this coming Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
at Turlington School that will fea
ture commissioner candidates and
those seeking the office of clerk of
court.
The school board election will
not take place until the general elec
tion in November. In the nonparti
san race, three seats are available.
Both Republicans and Demo
crats will be on the ballot for Sep
tember lO’sprimary. Robert Colson
and Robert Crull are running as
Republicans, and incumbent Jim
(See FORUM, page 6A)
Hardaway says sheriff
tried to ‘railroad’ her
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Evangelist Betty Hardaway, formerly a
staunch supporter of Sheriff J im Davis in his bid
for reelection, said Davis invited her to a meet
ing of commissioner candidates at his campaign
headquarters on August 13 under what she calls
“false pretenses.” She accused Davis of trying to
“railroad” her into quitting the board of commis
sioners’ race, but Davis has emphatically denied
the allegation.
When she arrived at the alleged meeting,
(See HARDAWAY, page 7A)