The
ews
Journal
ppened, it's news
50^
No. 45 Vol. 96
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Double ice storms bring Hoke to frozen halt
Roads treacherous, schools close for three days, businesses run on skeleton crews if at all
Bv VkTORIANA Sl'MMI RS
Staff writer
Some Hoke motorists inched along in their
vehicles on Monday and Tuesday in the groo\ ed
paths formed on primary roads already partially
cleared by the N.C Department of Transportation.
Others stayed at home rather than venture out in the
ice storm that swept through Hoke on Sunday.
After crippling snow and sleet gripped the central
North Carolina and Sandhills regions over the
weekend, rural roads in Hoke remained “close to
impassable” without any thaw in sight, according to
Rov Pittman, county maintenance supervisor for the
DOT.
Temperatures plummeted from 64 degrees on
Saturday to a low of 21 on Sunday. Today the major
arteries appear to relatively clear, except patches of
black ice remain as well as ice on shoulders of the
highways.
Most workers stayed home from their Jobs, many
businesses closed, and Hoke students were not
required to attend school, preventing many potential
accidents.
Pittman said no roads were closed in Hoke.
However, Interstate-95 North in Johnston County
was closed down because of disabled tractor-trailers
and several collisions.
“We have fought a tough battle,” Pittman said
yesterday. “By dark, the primary roads should be in
pretty good shape.
“We are still concerned because there arc some
roads like just one sheet of ice in the country. The
ice has just bonded solid.
“In my more than .40 years of working for the
DOT, 1 have never seen our rural roads in such
dangerous shape,” he said.
“This is an extreme, extreme situation. If folks do
not really need to stay on the highways, they need to
slay at home.”
DOT crews on Sunday began salting down major
(See ICE STORM, page 3A)
%
1 —
IS ^
■
Aubrey Mayhew pushes her friend Jordan Oliphant along Elwood Avenue Monday. The girls, both 14, found the quarter-inch layer of ice on the road perfect
for sledding, if not for walking.
Sunday 'cool'
at Raeford UMC
page IB
Hoke man dies
in fiery crash
page 3A
Raeford Kiwanis
mark 80 years
page 5 A
Births 3B
Calendar 8B
Classifieds 6-7B
Deaths 3A
Editorials 2A
Engagements 2B
Legals 3-5B
Public Record 3A
Religion 8A
Schools 4A
Socials 2,3B
Sports 6A
Weddings 2B
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www.thenews-journal.com
City reins in operation of treatment plant
Fines House of Raeford $8,(XX) and places plant under supervision of public works director
B") P\l Al I I N Wll SON
Editor
City Council members are keeping a
close eye on operations at the city's waste-
water treatment plant, speeifieally con
cerning discharge from the House of
Raeford turkey processing plant.
In most recent developments, the city
levied a fine of $8,000 against the I louse
of Raeford for failing to install a required
monitor and $100 for \ itrlations of a dis
charge permit. The plant hasappealed the
$8,000 fine, according to City Attorney
William I'ields.
House of Raeford discharges 800,(K)0
gallons of sewage daily and uses one
million gallons of city water each day.
At a special meeting called last Thurs
day at 2 p.m., a closed session was held,
eiling pending litigation against 1 louse of
Raeford as well as personnel and attor
ney-client privilege.
Councilmen met in closed session for
approximately a half hour and returned to
open session to vote unanimously to place
Ihe sewage plant operation in the hands of
the public works director. No action was
taken regarding the city vs. House of
Raeford mattcror the attorncy-cllent privi
lege, Mayor Pro Tern John Jordan said.
PWC Director Mike Lucas will report
on the sewage operation to Interim City
Manager Betty Smith, who was assistant
city manager until the resignation on Janu
ary 5 of Mike McNeill, who had beencily
manager for seven years.
The city’s wastewater treatment plant
is operated by Hydro Management, which
came under fire from Commissioner
Wayne Mills at the January 5 meeting.
Mills questioned unpaid bills, wells that
(See TREATMENT PLANT, page 7A)
State: plant improves compliance
Wagram minister eyes 48th House District
Bv P\i Ai 11 N
Wll SON
Editor
A minister
from Wagram
who worked in
Hoke C'ountv for
iTiFrce—
announced he
will run for the 48th House District scat
held by Donald A. Bonner. The Rev.
Garland Pierce, pastor of Bright Hopewell
Missionary Baptist Church and president
of the Scotland County Branch of the
N AACP, says he wants to make a differ
ence.
Parts of Hoke are in the 48th District,
which also includes Scotland and
Robe.son.
Bonner has publicly stated he will not
seek election for the 2()05-2(X)6 legisla
tive term, citing health problems he and
(See PIERCE, page 6A)
By Vicioriana Summi rs
Staff writer
In spite of repeated violations levied
against the City of Raeford for industrial
wastewater treatment violations in 200.4,
the sewer plant has made significant strides
toward improving itscompliance, accord
ing to Paul Rawls, director of the water
quality division for the N.C. Department
of Environment and Natural Resources.
“There have been a number of viola
tions they have been working on during
the last year,” Rawls said. “They have
been working not only with the waste
treatment plant, but local industries.”
According to Rawls, Raeford has
moved toward almost “total compliance.”
He said Mike McNeill, former city man
ager who resigned two weeks ago, was
always “extremely communicative” in
rc.sponding to any questions from his
agency. He said the outside contractor.
Hydro Management Services hired by
Raeford, has also worked closely with
him.
Rawls, researched the total amount of
fines Raeford paid during the past two
years. To his knowledge, Raeford offi
cials have “paid up” all of its penalties
that were assessed. Nine penalties were
levied between August 2002-2(K)3. The
five penalties charged to Raeford in 2002
totaled $14,766. Four other fines totaled
approximately $17,0(K) in 2003. Since
August 2003, Rawls has issued other no
tices of violations to Raeford officials.
In February,2000 when Hydro Man
agement Services entered into a contract
(See COMPLIANCE, page 7A)
he News-I Journal
News Other stuff
— —-^P'
, 1111/
Bv Ki N M \( Donai I)
General Manager
the holidays are over, and I’ve had some
time to do some reflecting on those mo
ments and on a couple of stories from
Because of an error last week, most of others. I’d like to pass on for younger
thiscolumn vanished intocomputer-land.
This terribly upset regular readers, who
jammed up our phone system when they
holh called at the same time lo see what
happened So I'm g('ing to start «vvcr.
[U, hum] Like I was saying, everyone
knows one of the nicest things about the
holidays is the opportunity to sit around
as a family and recount stories. Now that
families my suggested Family Statute of
Limitations - the time that should pass
before it’s safe for children to confess to
various misdeeds;
Using homemade (is there any other
kind?) potato guns to fire spuds - and
other debris-into the neighbors’ yards. 3
years
(See OTHER STUFF (Really!), page 7A)
Frigid frosting
A trio of tobacco barns make a lonely but lovely picture just outside of Raeford.