r
The
ews
J ournal
If it happened, it's news to
50(^
No. 22 Vol. 95
Raeford & Moke CcLf.\'
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
' ■
This week
Children learn
bike safety
page IB
Rush suspended
without pay
page 10A
Everyone has
an opinion
page 2 "5A
Index
Births
3B
Calendar
2B
Classifieds
5-6B
Deaths
lOA
Editorials
.... 2-5A
Legals
3-4B
Religion
7A
Socials
3B
Sports
6)A
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1
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Sheriff seeks
federal help
in Brittany case
Accusation against Byrd raises ire
Ftv VkTOKIANA SliMMI^KS
Staff writer
\
Sheri IT Jim Davis has appealed to Washington for federal intervention in
the investigation of the Brittany Lynn Locklear kidnapping-murder case,
saying a witness now says Robin Byrd, son of former sheriff Wayne Byrd,
was tlie individual seen in the vicinty the day of the kidnapping on January
7,1WS. Davis said Jordache Leach said he saw Robin Byrd driving a “blue
truck" — not a brown truck as widely reported by the original investigators
with an unidentified white or Indian male.
A spokesman from the U.S. Justice Department denied its civil rights
division is conducting any investigation about the Brittany Locklear case.
"Sheriff Jim Davis did meet with assistant attorney general Ralph Boyd
Jr. last Wednesday in Washington, D.C.,’’ said media spokesman Casey
Slavropoulas of the USJD. “The information passed on by Sheriff Davis is
being reviewed.
f See BRITTANY CASE, page 9A)
Ex-county attorney
investigated by SBI
VicTORi ANA Summers
Staff writer
Raeford attorney Harry Southerland has been targeted by the State
Bureau of Investigation in a criminal probe concerning his conduct in
county business. A complaint filed by District Attorney Kristy Newton’s
office has alleged Southerland “misappropriated county funds for his own
Passing the time use.’and that another violation occurred when one of Southerland’schecks
A bit young for politics, Lina Kuezero, 7, plays with her doll “Summer" during the Republicans on written to the county allegedly bounced.
the Move pig pickin’ at the home of Pete Hathaway Saturday. She is the daughter of James and Marian “The al legations are regarding misappropriated moneys that he col lected
Kuezero. (See FORMER ASSISTANT A TTORNEY, page 9A)
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Blue
Bratcher
Cameron
Camp
Cunningham Daniels
Hardaway
Hathaway
Hunt
McPhaul
Powell
Southerland
Hoke commissioner candidates address issues at forum
By VicroRiANA Summers
Staff writer
Amid a chorus of affirmative “amens” and
enthusiastic applause throughout the political
speeches, Hoke citizens welcomed 10 out of 12
candidates for Hoke commissioner to a public
fomm held last evening. Sponsored by the Woman’s
Club of Raeford and the Raeford-Hoke Chamber
of Commerce, the forum was intended to give a
better understanding of county government and
visions for its future.
Republicans and Democrats spoke at the candi
dates’ political night along with one Libertarian
and an unaffiliated, write-in candidate. Only eight
Democratic candidates will be running in the Sep
tember 10 primary. Two Republicans and a Liber
tarian will be listed on the November ballot. An
unaffiliated candidate is running as a write-in.
Bratcher
Incumbent Commissioner Cleo Bratcher Jr., a
Democrat, told the group he was a lifelong resident
of Hoke, graduating from Upchurch High School
in 1961 and the Harris Barber College in 1984.
He is an 18-year veteran of county government,
and the owner of Elwood Barber Shop in Raeford.
Bratcher said his mission since being on the
board of commissioners is “hard work’’ to keep
taxes down, ensuring the county is in good finan
cial shape. He said he continues to strive to help
improve the public school system, and encourage
the county and city to work well together. Bratcher
also said his goal is to see that every citizen in the
county can be connected to the county’s regional
water system.
“Anyone interested in serving this county —
you have to have a love for this county,” Bratcher
said. “Do you love the citizens of this county?
“1 feel like I have that love and sympathy for our
county citizens.”
Bratcher said he hoped citizens would be satis
fied with the job he has done, allowing him to serve
for another four-year term.
Daniels
Incumbent Commissioner Charles V. Daniels,
63, said he has resided in Hoke his entire life. He
is vying for a second term of office. A Democrat,
(See COMMISSIONERS FORUM, page 6A)
MePhatter’s indictment surprises some, not others
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A week after the announcement of
embezzlement and forgery indict
ments against former county man
ager Bernice MePhatter, her eight-
year reign in finance and as Hoke’s
highest-salariedexecutive at $80,000
still remains an enigma to many who
were exposed to her on a daily basis.
MePhatter’s reputation as a “fine”
finance officer who used “creative
financing,” and her ascent to her
county manager in 1998 contrasts
sharply with personal observations
from some staff and commissioners.
Many employees privately com
plained MePhatter was seldom seen
in the office. Some quipped if you
wanted to find MePhatter, she could
be found exercising on the “jogging
trail” in Raeford at 4 p.m. while other
employees were still working.
Linda Revels, clerk to the board of
commissioners, commonly took the
responsibility for public affairs be
cause of MePhatter’s closed door
Revels screened most of MePhatter’s
phone calls, and it was rare that
MePhatter picked up directly on her
own phone.
Revels said when she learned of
MePhatter’s alleged deception in
county business, she “cried and cried.”
“1 remember that the county attor
ney, Neil Yarborough, called me af
ter I had left a planning board meet
ing in October and told me what was
suspected,” Revels said. “Naturally,
I cried. 1 had worked with her on a
day-to-day basis and had developed a
close, personal and professional rela
tionship with her.
“When’she served as finance of
ficer and county manager, the arena
of finance was unknown to me and so
was her involvement in it.”
Revels said she was, in her opin
ion, impacted the most by the inves
tigation, MePhatter’s resignation, and
subsequent indictments against her.
“1 saw her every day, and I was
shocked by what happened,” Revels
.said. “I tried to do the best 1 could to
hold things together through several
managers.
“Through it all, it was a rewarding
experience to know I could help keep
the county running smoothly.”
Commissioner Charles Daniels
found MePhatter to thrive on contro
versial issues, blaming her shortcom
ings on the fact that commissioners
were just “biased” because she was a
woman.
“She wagged her finger at me when
the scandal was going on about her
misappropriating grant money for the
Sheriffs policing grant,” Daniels
said. “She said ‘my only problem
was her gender and her race, and that
she could not help being a black fe
male.’
“She said people were just trying
to persecute her. I told her I had no
• problem with her gender and her race,
but I did expect things to be done
right in county business by her.”
Commissioner Cleo Bratcher Jr.,
MePhatter’s brother and colleague
on the board, admitted he was noti
fied by authorities that MePhatter
(See MCPHATTER, page lOA)
Who are the 14?
Another mystery that surfaced
with the announcement of
MePhatter’s indictment is who are
14 people accused of unjustified
spending with county credit cards.
“Excessive” spending by at least
14 employees and “elected offi
cials” on county credit cards was
announced by District Attorney
Kristy M. Newton last week during
a press conference regarding
MePhatter.
From Applebee’s to the Outback
Steakhouse, many employees en
joyed spending sprees at the tax
payers’ expense, records reflected.
From the beach to the mountains,
employees timed seminars to coin
cide with holiday weekends, finan
cial records showed.
“These people fell through the
cracks and it was, in my opinion, a
license to steal,” Newton said of
(See THE 14, page 6A)
Hoke High SAT
scores up in 2002
Hoke County High School’s SAT scores
went up 10 points in 2002. According to
figures released by the state Department of
Public Instruction, the mean score for Hoke
seniors rose to 860 last year. This reflected
mean scores of 440 on the math portion of the
test - up 10 points from 2001, and 420 - the
same as last year - on the verbal section. (At
presstime, no one was available to comment.)
Hoke’s scores were below the state mean,
however - 505 for the math portion, and 493
for the verbal. The U.S. mean scores were 516
for math and 504 for verbal.
According to the report, 146 - or 52.5
percent of Hoke seniors - took the test, up
from 100 in 2000 and 101 in 2001.
Mean SAT Scores
for Last Three Years
Math Verbal
Total
HCHS 2000
427
427
854
HCHS 2001
430
420
850
HCHS 2002
440
420
860
State
505
493
998
U.S.
516
504
1020