The
ews
Journal
appeiied, it"s news ta us
No. 29 Vol. 96
Raeford & Hoke County n.c,
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
State threatens to close jail
Sheriff says four jailers needed to comply with rules
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke commissioners are planning a
special meetingtodiscuss improvements
needed at the Hoke Detention Center
after Sheriff Hubert Peterkin told the
board on Monday evening the county
jail isin jeopardy of being shut down by
the state.
“On September 16, we had an unan
nounced visit by Donnie Byrd from the
state,” Peterkin said. He found the con
trol room was out of compliance at the
jail.
“He said he would shut the annex
down if we do not man it.”
Peterkin said it was not the first time
the Hoke Sheriff’s office had been cited
for noncompliance with an un-staffed
surveillance booth that is located in the
rear of the jail, but the situation had
never been corrected. Peterkin said the
booth is supposed to be manned by a
jailer, but there were not enough per
sonnel on staff to do so.
“If we do not man it, 40 inmates
would have to be housed elsewhere,”
Peterkin said. “We are asking for addi
tional personnel — a total of four — to
be in compliance.
“There are only three jailers per pla
toon right now, but some time we may
only be staffed with two on a shift.
“This will be a liability if we get into
an emergency situation without it being
manned. That extra detention officer
would have to remain in the back at all
times on the shift to be in compliance.”
“I am concerned about the jail be
cause as sheriff the job of this office is to
oversee the health, safety, and welfare
of all inmates who are housed in our
facility,” Peterkin said. “Even though
nocommitments have been made at this
time, I am confident we have a board of
commissioners who have the vision for
(See JAIL, page 6A)
Hoke’s effort to fond schools
ranks second highest in state
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke County commissioners’ efforts
to fund the local school system with
limited resources has improved even
more — ranked the second highest of
counties in the state.
This isbased on 2001-2002 figures in
a study released by the Public School
Forum of North Carolina on October 6.
Climbingfrom third place in 2000-2001
to No. 2 in the most recent findings,
Hoke’s ranking is derived from a for
mula that compares the actual effort and
ability to pay for education in the state’s
100 counties.
Yet since Hoke and four low wealth
counties initiated a school finance law
suit against the state in 1994, the gap
between capabilities of the wealthiest
and poorest counties to fund local edu
cation has grown by 130 percent, ac
cording to Forum officials.
“The Forum found the gap in school
spending between the wealthiest and
poorest counties is the largest it has
been in the history of the study,” John
Dornan, executive director of PSF, said
of its 16-year accumulation of findings.
“Schools in our most affluent counties
are now spending $77,324 more per
class of students than are our poorest
counties.
“At the same time, students in the
state’s poorest counties are twice as
likely to be at-risk than are students in
our richest counties.”
Hoke School Superintendent Allen
Strickland and local school officials are
waiting for a ruling from the N.C. Su
preme Court on their 10-year legal battle.
They contended without extra resources
and financial assistance from the state
that at-risk studentscould not receive an
equal, quality education as students in
wealthier counties.
The state appealed a lower court rul
ing in 2003 that agreed the state was not
providing a sound basic education for
students in Hoke and other low wealth
counties. A similar ruling in 1997 by the
N.C. Supreme Court in the Leandro
(See SCHOOL FUNDING, page 4A)
■ H
Fishmonger
Grady Peeler prepares fish for frying at the Hospice Fish Fry held last week. The
Raeford United Methodist Men sponsored the event and are donating the
proceeds to Liberty Hospice, which cares for terminally ill patients. The event has
so far grossed over $4,500.
Raeford Police Chief announces retirement plans
Brothers together
to pin on new rank
pagelB
Governor honors
Hoke volunteers
page .3A
Bucks shut out
Patriots 48-0
page 6A
Sheriff's Office
makes more
drug arrests
[)age 7 A
Births 3B
Calendar 4B
Classifieds 6B
Deaths 4A
Editorials 2A
Legals 5B
Religion 5A
Schools 2B
Socials 3B
Sports 6A
Weddings 3B
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web;
send us stories,
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www.thenews-journal.com
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Mayor Bob Gentry announced at Mon
day night’s city council meeting that Po
lice Chief Mack High will retire at the end
of the year.
“We don’t get many complaints about
the police department,” Gentry told High,
who was in the audience. “We are going
to miss you.”
City Manager Mike McNeill said, “I
appreciate everything you have done.”
High told TheNews-Journal,“[\e had
some health
problems, and
I just figured
now is the
time to leave
the depart
ment.
“I’ve got
mytimeinand
1 figure now is
the best time
to do it. It’s
justthat simple.
Mack High
High joined the Raeford
PD in 1989, serving first as a patrolman.
L^ter he was promoted to detective and
was named chief in 1997.
High came to the Raeford PD from the
Hoke County Sheriff’s Office, where he
had attained the rank of lieutenant. He
began his career in law enforcement in
Randolph County, where he was a deputy
sheriff. At one time he served as a magis
trate, he said.
High and his wife, Amanda, plan to
stay in Raeford, High said. “I made a lot
of friends here. This town has been good
to me. I don’t have any complaints about
Raeford or Hoke County. They have
treated me great.”
High’s retirement target date is Janu
ary 1.
‘Good audit’
In other business, the city’s annual
audit report for fiscal year 2003-2004 was
given by Frank Baker CPA PA.
Baker reported his audit found “no
instances of noncompliance,” as required
to be reported under Government Audit
ing Standards.
Under material violations of finance-
related legal and contractual provisions,
(See CITY COUNCIL, page 8A)
Dignitaries gather for Guard sendoff |
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
More than 100 family, friends,
and dignitaries attended a spir
ited send-off at Hoke County
High School last week for the
N.C. National Guard’s Headquar
ters and Headquarters Company
105th Engineer Battalion from
Raeford, Rockingham, Laurin-
burg and St. Pauls.
During the deployment cer
emony held last Wednesday in
Raz Autry Stadium, Lt. Col. Tom
Harris commended the troops for
their commitment.
“Today, we honor Americans
as selfless heroes,” Harris, sta
tioned at the National Guard head
quarters in Raleigh, said. “We
gather here as a world class mili
tary force, protecting America
and guarding our freedom.”
Leaving behind husbands,
wives, children and jobs, the
105th Engineer’s combat battal
ion joined Operation Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom to
fight “global terrorism.” They
represent part of the largest mo
bilization of the National Guard
in North Carolina since the Viet
nam War.
Raeford Mayor Bob Gentry,
guest speaker at the event, greeted
the “full brass” in an emotionally
charged speech.
“To the young men and women
standing in front of me today:
You are cou rageous and aware of
your responsibilities,” Gentry, a
military veteran, said. “Thank you
for what you are doing for our
(See GUARD, page 7A)
Captain David Heilman, a national guardsman being deployed
Hillsborough, plays with Kali McClain. Kali is the daughter of Megan
McClain (left) and SPC Mitch McClain, being deployed from Mooresville.
le news
News
4 Journal
By Ken MacDonald
General Manager
The “Big Guy,” Arthur
Carlson, has died. Just a few
days after 1 recounted the TV
show WKRP’s famous Thanks
giving episode, Gordon Jump,
the man who played Carlson,
died of pulmonary fibrosis. In
the show, Carlson was a
bumbling manager, and in the
most famous episode, to prove
he could make a valuable contri
bution to the station, he staged a
surprise promotion in which he
dropped 20 live turkeys from a
helicopter over Cincinnati.
Though Mr. Carlson was my
favorite character, 1 had to pre
tend it was the newsman, Les
Nessman. That’s because at the
time, 1 was a radio news reporter
just like him.
(See OTHER STUFF, page 6A)
Raeford man shot to death in robbery
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A 26-year-old Raeford man
was slain in a brutal shooting
near the edge of town on Friday
night. The shooting: occurred
around 8:30 during a robbery.
Two to three assailants, de
scribed as black males, appar
ently confronted Feliciano
Torres Tolentino at St. Pauls
Dri VC and Reaves Street.
Tolentinowaswalkingwithfour
friends to a convenience store
on Central Avenue to purchase
beer, according to Detective
Greg Thomas of the Raeford
Police Department.
Witnesses said the shooter,
accompanied by his accom
plices, pointed a long-barreled
gun - possibly a shotgun - at
them. Two of the men, un
harmed, ran to safety along High
way 20 as they heard shots be
hind them. Fortino Rodriquez,
38, was bashed in the head by
the gun, and Marcial Calisto, 32,
was struck in the mouth by the
weapon because they were un
able to evade the robbers, Tho
mas added.
Tolentino, also known as
Guadalupe De l.a Garza 111, re
sided in the 200 block of Lamont
Street in a mobile home park.
Tolentino, who was shot in the
chest, was pronounced dead at
the scene, according to Thomas,
lead investigator in the case.
“We are asking for the help of
the community in identifying
these suspects,” Thomas said.
“The State Bureau of Investiga
tion has also entered into the
murder invcstigJtion.”
(See MURDER, page 8A)