ews
J oumal
If it happened, it's news to us
50^
No. 47 Vol. 95
RAEFoao & Hokl County w.c.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Retreat revives rapport among commissioners
B'r Vktoriana Summers
Staff wgter
The Hoke commissioners unani-
rnousl) gate County Manager Mike
Wood more authority. During a retreat
held at Camp Rockfish last week, the
hoard agreed that he will directly exer
cise hiring and firing power over county
employees and be delegated more re
sponsibility over citizens’ concerns.
“The only exception to his authority
will be the board’s decisions on the
clerk to the board, finance director and
county manager positions that fall di
rectly under our domain,” said Com
mission Chairman Bobby Wright. “He
will be concerned with the day-to-day
operations of the county personnel, al
lowing things to run more smoothly.
“This also gives him an opportunity
to promote more from within depart
ments to utilize the resources of the
personnel we have on staff already.”
Wright and Commission Vice Chair
man Charles Daniels, members of the
previous board, said the commissioners
had taken on more responsibilities than
they could handle last year. During an
investigation of embezzlement allega
tions against former county manager
Bernice MePhatter, the board accepted
more duties than ordinarily would be
under its authority, members said.
Wood was re-hired in January 2002
as county manager after a hiatus from
his position that was held by MePhatter
until she resigned in October 2001. She
was indicted last August on embezzle-
(See RETREAT, page IIA)
m-
Athletes sign
Three Hoke High seniors last week signed to play college football. La Shawn McLean (left to
right) will play for NC A&T; Quarterback C.J. Gaddis signed with Clemson University (hence
the tiger in the foreground); and Curtis Quick will play at Fayetteville State University. Profiles
of McLean and Gaddis are on page 9A. Quick will be profiled in an upcoming issue.
Precinct official’s trial seL
but election board seeks probe
Did Walker assault Davis campaign manager or thwart him?
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The trial for Hoke precinct official Alvin Walker for
misdemeanor assault is scheduled for February 18, but
Hoke Elections Board members are intervening sepa
rately on his behalf. They have requested the State
Elections Board to investigate the actions of Rashad
Rahmaan, who filed the assault charge against Walker
on Election Day last year, according to Whiteford
Jones, chairman of Hoke’s Elections Board.
“We are confident Mr. Walker did not do anything
improper,” Jones said. “He was simply doing his duty.
He was only enforcing state election laws.”
Rahmaan said he stands behind his November 5
letter sent to Hoke’s Board of Election. He said he was
commissioned by the local coordinator of the N.C.
Operation Big Vote, a sub-organizer of the National
Coalition of Black Civic Participation to get the voting
numbers.
“As I approached the door (Raeford Precinct No. 4),
a man (Walker) locked the door to stop me from
entering,” Rahmaan said. “As 1 made an effort to enter
the doorway, he pushed me backward.
“1 suggested that he not put his hands on me again,
and I tried again to get through,” he said.
“This man pushed me a second time, refusing to
allow me entrance into the voting precinct.”
Rahmaan said other precinct officials finally al
lowed him to enter. He obtained the voting numbers and
left, he added.
The local board has described Walker as “loyal,
dependable and professional” with extensive years of
experience. They said he was appropriately trained
with a film, a judge’s manual and two pre-election
seminars.
“Judge Walker was particularly sensitized to the
issue of unlawful entry into the voting enclosure due to
prior problems at the polls and the training he had
received,” Jones said in his letter to state election
officials. “Judge Walker knew Mr. Rahmaan was not a
Hoke County voter and Mr. Rahmaan gave no legiti
mate explanation of his authority to enter the voting
enclosure.
“In fact, he had none.”
County Attorney Neil Yarborough is representing
Walker. The trial will be prosecuted by the Hoke
(See ELECTION CONTROVERSY, page 8A)
Cartoonist
brings it home
to Raeford-Hoke
ihtge 1B
Museum appeals
to businesses
« O
Dr. Smith to open
private practice
))age 4A
_ 9'
Anniversaries 3B
Births 3B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 12A
Editorials 2-3A
Legals 5-6B
Public Record 12A
Religion 10A
Schools 4-5 B
Socials 3B
Sports 8-9A
Weddings 3B
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
ww’W.thenews-/ournol.cofn
Labor official investigates
ex-deputy’s wage complaint
■ By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The U.S. Department of Labor’s wage and
hour division has just wrapped up a month
longpreliminary investigation intoacompen-
sation claim for unpaid overtime filed by
Thomas Carlton, former chief deputy-major
at the Hoke Sheriff’s Office.
“The county has shorted me at least $35,000
in overtime they delayed paying me over the
past two years,” said Carlton, who filed an
official complaint last year with the federal
agency.
“This represents more than 1,300 of extra
hours I worked that was promised to me under
the administration of former county manager
Bernice MePhatter.”
Carlton said he was a dedicated, 24-7 em
ployee, but no one should have to work extra
hours without getting paid.
“1 was forced to work in dual positions as
the chief of detectives and as the chief deputy
without receivingextrasalary compensation,”
he said. “I kept detailed overtime records, but
the county never responded to my requests to
be paid.”
(See WAGE COMPLAINT, page 11 A)
School board shaves deficit
Trims $500,000 shortfall, seeks county help
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke School Superintendent Allen
Strickland told the county commissioners at
their annual retreat last week that the Board of
Education had done all they could do to tighten
the school system’s 2002-2003 budget, at
tempting to compensate for a half-million
dollar shortfall. After Strickland’s proposal
on cutbacks is heard at the Monday evening
commissioners’ meeting, the commissioners
will decide if they will contribute $100,000
from the county’s general fund to restore a
balanced schcxil system budget.
Strickland presented apian tocommission-
ers at their annual retreat last week, detailing
how the school board could possibly cut up to
$400,000 in expenses to compensate for a
(See SCHOOL DEFICIT, page 11 A)
Sheriff is Kiwanian Citizen of Year
Peterkin
The Raeford Kiwanis
named Sheriff Hubert A.
Peterkin as their Citizen
of the Year at their Anni
versary Night celebration
Thursday.
Peterkin, who took
office as Hoke sher
iff in December,
said he was sur
prised at the honor
of being chosen the
club’s 79th “man
of the year.” His
pastor, the Rev.
Ray P. Owens, of
Freedom A.M.E.
Zion Church, was selected for that honor last
year.
A member of the Raeford Kiwanis Club,
Peterkin is also a member of the Hoke County
Civic League, Raeford-Hoke Chamber of
Commerce, Raeford-Hoke Habitat for Hu
manity, N.C. Turkey Festival board and 100
Black Men of America.
With more than 12 years in law enforce
ment experience, Peterkin was a detective
with the Fayetteville Police Dept, when he ran
forsheriff,defeatingthe incumbent, Jim Davis.
Peterkin also served as Davis’ chief deputy
for just over a year before resigning.
Peterkin ran for sheriff with a pledge to
unite a county that had become divided during
(See CITIZEN, page 8A)
i
—
Officers work to reconstruct the accident that left a 6-year-old dead and a
toddler critically injured.
DA orders reconstruction
of fatal accident scene
Driver faces extra charge in death of 6-year-old
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A Dodge minivan is being named
as the lethal weapon in the alleged
murder of Pembroke child Nicholas
Bullard. Shawn Craig Strickland is
accused of driving the van with its
headlights off in the dark while flee
ing a deputy at high speed Jan. 2.
Strickland was arrested last week
for second-degree murder in the hit-
and-run crash, and is facing addi
tional charges, said Sheriff Hubert
Peterkin.
Strickland has been tested for the
presence of alcohol or drugs by the
Sheriff’s Office because of the fatal
ity he allegedly caused, according to
Chief Deputy Troy McDuffie of the
Hoke Sheriffs Office.
McDuffie said a search warrant
was executed at the jail. It autho
rized them to test Strickland for any
impairing substances that could have
allegedly been in his system.
“We do not have the test results
back yet,” McDuffie said.
“Mr. Strickland has also been
charged with an additional felony
charge of fleeing to elude a law
enforcement officer,” McDuffie
said. “He still remains in the custody
of the Hoke Detention Center on a
$75,000 secured bond. Other charges
may be pending.”
Operations Major Freddy Johnson
of the Sheriff’s Office said a recon
struction of the accident is also be^
ing conducted by the N.C. Highway
Patrol. It was ordered at the request
of District Attorney Kristy M. New
ton, he added.
Tt represents an exceptional case
that led to the instant death ofNicholas
(See RECONSTRUCT, page llA)
— .■t.