The
ews
J oumal
If it happened, it's news to
No. 23 Vol. 95
50
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
^ - r
Fire department
serves spaghetti,
politics
page 1B
Hollingsworth,
Hawkes vie for clerk
of court
page
Tony Hunt named
to Lumbee Supreme
Court
page 4A
Index
Births...
3B
Calendar...
2B
Classifieds...
7B
Deaths...
...10,12A
Editorials...
2A
Legals...
5-6B
Public Record...
5,12A
Religion...
6A
Schools...
8B
Socials...
3B
Sports...
7A
Get election results
TheNews-JournalwWl post
election results precinct-by
precinct as they become avail
able Tuesday beginning after
the polls close at 7:30. As is
our tradition, we will host the
public in our office at 119West
Elwood Avenue, across from
the post office. We will also
post the results on our website
at www.ihenews-journal.com
Record turnout
expected at polls
‘One-stop’ voting draws 650 so far
\
By VicroRiANA Summi rs
Staff writer
With just six days remaining until tlic
primary on September U), it’s beginning
to look like turnout will be near record
levels.
Caroline Shook, director of Hoke’s
Board of Elections, says she’s ready to
shake the hand of voter number 18,325.
the one who completes 100 percent turn
out. “We have never experienced a 100
percent turnout, but we would probably
be making history statewide if we did
have all 18,325 voters come to the polls
next Tuesday,” Shook said. “I would
record the results and just smile.”
Shook said the number of registered
voters has increased by about 1.500 since
the 2000 election.
“in 2000, there were about 17,800
registered voters, including those on the
inactive list, but we have removed well
over 1,000 voters from the state’s dupli
cate list and the 20-year death report.”
Shook said. “We are ready for the prima
ries for the Republican and Democratic
parties. “Everything is going smoothly."
There will be a total of 15 local candi
dates vying in the primary. Included are
five sheriff’s candidates, eight commis
sioner contenders, and two clerk of court
competitors on the ballots.
(See TURNOUT, page IDA)
Davis’ press conference
angers Brittany’s family
Mother says sheriff is using case for election
By Victoriana Si'\im[-.rs
Staff writer
An angry Connie Chavis, mother of
five-year-old Brittany Lynn Locklear,
who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted
and drowned in a ditch, said Sheriff Jim
Davis is using her daughter to receive
media attention prior to the election “for
himself’ instead of finding the murderer.
The Chavis family walked out of a press
conference held by Davis at Heritage
Village last Thursday, protesting Davis’
“blaming them” for any involvement in
their daughter’s murder.
Chavis said Davis is trying to tarnish
the memory of Brittany for “political
gain” to get reelected instead of solving
the case that is more than four years old.
“Sheriff Davis cares more about being
sheriff than really finding the killerof my
daughter,” Chavis said after the press
event.
Davis said witness Jordachc Leach
changed his original story that the pickup
truck of the abductor was brown. He said
Leach now swears that he saw a blue truck
driven by Robin Byrd, son of former Sher
iff Wayne Byrd, in the vicinity on the
morning Brittany was kidnapped on Janu
ary 7, 1998.
District Attorney Kristy M. Newton
denied last week that Leach is considered
a “credible” witness, or that there is any
evidence that Robin Byrd was ever in
volved. Family members said Byrd had an
alibi at the time of Brittany’s kidnapping/
murder, but Davis still circulated Byrd’s
name in a press release.
“1 do not like what Sheriff Davis is
doing,” Chavis said. “Sheriff Davis has
ignored the pain of my family. He is trying
to make my daughter’s murder a racial
(See PRESS CONFERENCE, page SA)
Barbara Moseby of Electronics Systems and Software Tabulators demonstrates a one-
stop voting machine to Director Caroline Shook of Hoke’s Board of Elections.
County seeks customers
for sewer line on US 401
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The Board of Commissioners is seek
ing new sewer customers along U.S. 401.
The new lines along the corridor to the
Federal Express corporate building are
ready for service, and customers could be
hooked up by the end of September. Hoke
commissioners last night discussed fu
ture user fees and costs for connecting
potential customers to the main line, but
postponed a decision.
“We are not requiring people to tap on
to the sewer lines.” County Manager Neil
Yarborough said. “It is voluntary — not
mandatory.”
The Raeford Hoke Economic Develop
ment Board has been asked to review a
proposed schedule of user fees.
Itwill alsoconsidercapacity ofthe line
and how to balance the need for service to
residential customers with that of service
(See SEWER, page 11 A)
Firefighters, veterans, churches mark 9-11 anniversary
By Tom Squier
Hoke Veterans Service Officer
When the tragic attacks of September 11 took
place last year, 270 ninth graders at Hoke High
School were in the media center participating in
the Young Writer’s Conferente that was a part of
last year’s North Carolina Turkey Festival. Many
of those students wrote about the terrorist attacks
as their writing assignment. None of them nor the
rest of Hoke County has been able to forget about
the attacks on America since then.
The victims and heroes of 9-11 will be remem
bered and honored in the coming week in several
ceremonies. “It’s a time when we need to appreci-
I
ate those who serve
us with their lives,”
says Dr. Gene
Schuyler, pastor of
Hillcrest Baptist
Church. “Everyone
of them do — whether it’s military, law enforce
ment, our firefighters, and EMS. They put their
lives on the line every minute for us.”
Hillcrest is planning a special program this
coming Sunday and will join churches across the
county and the nation in marking the anniversary
of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Firefighters remember
Firefighters in Hoke will join others nationwide
in an observance on Wedne.sday. Somber recogni
tion will begin at 9:45 a.m. when fire engines will
pull out of their stations. All available firefighters
will assemble in front of their flag poles and stand
silently at attention. At 10:05 a.m., at the time the
South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed,
church bells are to be rung and sirens will sound.
This is to be followed by the lowering of the U.S.
flag to half mast. At 10:28 a.m., when the North
Tower collapsed, the bells and sirens will sound
again before flags are returned to full mast.
Veterans remember
On Saturday, September 7, Raeford’s Ellis B.
Williamson American Legion Post 20 will hold a
ceremony with the assistance of the other veterans
organizations in the county. At 11 a.m. at the Hoke
County courthouse there will be a remembrance
ceremony. In this celebration of heroes and vic
tims, Judy Strother will sing the National Anthem
accompanied by Hoke High’s band. The City of
Raeford and the County of Hoke have signed
resolutions in support of the event. In case of rain
the ceremony will be held in Raeford City Hall.
Bells will be rung and a rifle volley fired. Other
participants include the National Guard, the Hoke
County Emergency Service, Hoke High Junior
ROTC, Mayor Bob Gentry, Police Chief Mack
High, and several churches. A special event,
weather permitting, will be a flyover of civilian
(See OBSERVANCE, page 4A)
Davis asks feds to observe election
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
In yet another appeal for fed
eral assistance. Sheriff Jim Davis
said he has requested the civil
rights division of the U.S. De
partment of Justice to assist in
social intervention during next
week’s primary, and in studying
the “pattern of violence” in Hoke.
However, Davis’ four chal
lengers said race is not an issue in
the September 10 primary, but
only who is the “right man” for
the job.
With racial concerns publi
cized at his recent press confer
ence, Davis, a Democrat, said he
has asked for representatives
from the federal voters’ rights
section to be present for the elec
tion Tuesday. A Hoke Board of
Elections official had no knowl
edge of any federal observers
who would be present.
Davis has also asked for mem
bers of the community relations
division at the Justice Depart-
(See ASKS FEDS, page I IA)
County manager nixes bus trips for election day
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Signs advertising 50-cent fares
to take a county van to the polls
on election day were spotted in
the county last week. However,
the signs were removed from
public places by Hoke’s Trans
portation Director Frances Jack-
son almost as quickly as they
appeared.
It was not legal to advertise
that the county buses would pro
vide transportation to a statewide
election, according to Hoke
County Manager Mike Wood.
He applied brakes to Jackson’s
promotion on Thursday.
“I did not know anything about
it, and Ms. Jackson never con
sulted me about it,” Wood said.
“Some of the commissioners con
tacted me and told me about it. I
called the state and realized it
was not something allowed by
the state’s transportation board.
“I requested Ms. Jackson to
remove the signs, and I believe
she has done so.”
Jackson, puzzled over the con
troversy, said she came up with
(See BUS TRIPS, page 8A)
A
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'4 I ;;
Where the faeries dance
From left. Max, Lizzie and Elena Brewer stand in a “fairy ring” created by recent excessive humidity
behind Hoke County High School. Folklore has it a fairy ring is the dancing court of fairies — and woe
unto those who would trod upon the mushrooms for they would be visited by blindness or sickness.