Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Aug. 25, 2004, edition 1 / Page 1
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ews Journal If it iwpiKiieil, it’s news's to P 2 Na23 Vol.97 RAcroRstS; HoktCount'' 50t Wednesday, August 25,2004 County ponders building treatment plant Century of growth prompts Hoke and Raeford officials to seek new capacity By Vk'ioki ana Summi ks Staff writer Hit with a nearly $200,()()()sewer bill from the city, Hoke County is exploring the construction of its own wastewater treatment plant. Since its creation in 1911, Hoke has had no treatment plant, but a population increase of 46 percent during the last century, more capacity needs for sewer in the city, and almost 100 percent of development in the county completed by installingseptictanks have County Man ager Mike Wtxxl and Raeford interim city manager Helen Huffman seeking solutions to mutual sewer needs. Wood submitted a ret|uest to the N.('. Division of Natural Rest)urces to request "speculative limits" for a proposed wastewater treatment facility for Hoke (ounty on August 5. ■■ I f we use someone else'scapacit Y, we have to pa\ for it," Wooil said yesterday. “We would cxrntrol our own destiny rather than other entities controlling it if we support ourown sewage treatment facility." Precxiding Wood's request, Huffman also .sent a request to the state on July 26 inquiring if permission might be granted for Raeford loexpand its existing waste water treatment plant. Wood and Huffman said the) are merely askingthe state for separate opin ions on the likelihiK)d of either project being apprised. 'I’hese recjuests coi ncided closely w ith 1 luffmansendinga bill to I lokeCounty (See TREATMENT, IDA) ■M m / / If -4 -^4 ‘-'ll. Cool iammin’ Youngsters cool off in the Jammin’ for Jesus event held Saturday at the Field of Dreams on Turnpike Road in western Hoke. Saturday’s event, sponsored by Manna of Life, also featured entertainment, drug education and food. Health center groundbreaking set for tomorrow My Vk ioriany Summi us Staff writer Imagine a ncYv health facility Yvith room to accommodate the needs of all county residents, ample parking, and more staff to provide medical and health services for years to come. That is the concept behind the construc tion of the upcoming 19,(K)() square-foot 1 loke County 1 lealth Center — a dream that is shaping into a real it\, according to Cynthia Oxendine. interim Hoke health director. More than 100 local and state leaders are expected to attend the ground breaking ceremony tomorrow at 3 p.m. for the new health building at the liast Palmer Street site. Congressman Robin I layes, representing the Sth Congressional district of North Carolina, will be traveling from Washington, D.C. for the event as a special guest. "1 am very pleased that we were succes.sful in obtaining this funding f5cc HEAI TH CENT/ R, page 7A) Young equestrians compete tgclH Crowley feted on 90th birthday ij;- .n> County attorney marks 11 years IA Bucks win opener Births 4B Calendar 4B Classifieds 7-8B Deaths 9A Editorials 2-3A Legals 5-6B Religion 2B Schools 4B S(Ycials 3B Sports 5-6 Hoke’s top stories are on the web; send us stories, subscribe www.thenews-journal.com Board applies for loan to expand jail, rethinks timetable By Victoriana Summi-rs Staff writer Hoke commissioners unani mously authorized CommLssion Chairman Bobby Wright to sign resolutions on Monday morning, applying for a $7 million loan to fund the expansion for the Hoke County Detention Center. Du ri ng t he publ ic hear i ng, on I y one citizen showed up to hear about the jail expansion. 1 lowever, no one spoke in opposition or in favor of priK'ceding Yvith the project.T'hc largerjail facility w ill include 152 new beds, and keep the current annex that provides beds for 41 inmates. The board secured a 40-year loan at a lixeci interest rate of 4.75 percent from the U.S. De partment of Agricultural Rural Development. Irma McPherson, an executive Yvith USDA, told the board it would needtouse interim financing for construction until the project is completed. "That docs not alleviate the responsibility of tlie Rural De- Y’elopment to fund this project." McPIierson said. “At the end of your project, the Rural DcY’clop- ment pays out everything." County Manager Mike WcK)d told McPherson the current timetable requires 52 months to complete the project, Yvhich in cluded demolition of the old jail, but preserving the current Hoke jail annex.The USDAyvIII notif) the board within 15 to 20 days if they have been approved for the jail project. “It is with great pleasure that I present Irma McPlierst)n who is here Yvith the paperwork that will obligate us for the funds for the jail." I lokegrant writer Linda Teal said. “1 think it is a great ac complishment for the board and for this county." Tea I told t he board I hat t he state funds were running out rapidly for the "pot” of funds, but the national USDA still had funds. which could be allocated. "Our national people are tal lying to make decisions on what they will not fund," MePherstm said. “T here seems to be ample money to fund this project, how ever. “If we were to have waited until next year, the chances are this would not have happened out of this pot,” she said. “This la.st ye:ir we had more funds because of security issues (See JAIL, page 7A) Parks and Rec meeting held to hear parents ends in chaos Suspended coach defended by most, but board took no action to recommend his reinstatement By Pat Allcn Wilson Editor More than 20 parents attended a special meeting called by the Hoke County Parks and Recre ation advisory board tospeak out for the man they want to coach their children during this fall's soccer season. The meeting dis solved into chaos, however, and it is still unclear ifCharles Crowder, whohascoachedchildren’ssports in Hoke County for more than 30 years, will be coaching this fall. The irony is that Crowder had not ofticia 1 ly been suspended a nd had also not signed up to coach soccer this season. He was not at Monday n ight's meet i ng, caI led to give parents a chance to speak to the board. Parents said they had no prob- lemsYvith a two-game .sus[iension CroYvder was given by Parks & Rec interim director I lolly Laun der for unsportsmanlike conduct during the Little Leagueba.seball season. I lowever, liiunder’srepri mand was overridden by Q)unly Manager Mike Wood. Some two months later, the Parks & Rec board voted to suspend Crowder from coach- i ng socce r, somet h i ng t he boa rd — as an advisory Iwdy — is not authorized to do. wasn’t followed.” McC'a.skill also said it doesn't help that no permanent director has been hired since the former director resigned seven months “There ain’t a coach out there who hasn’t broken that code of conduct.’’ - Parent Said Willie McCaskill Jr., a member of the advisory board who did not vote to suspend Crowder from coaching soccer, “Some sort of action should have been taken but proper procedure ago. blunder applied for the po sition but a Cumberland County man was hired, and he declined to ta ke t he job a fter lea r n i ng Hoke County residency was required. Parentswhospokeatthe meet ing s;i id t he ch i Id re n wou Id su f fe r the loss of Crowder as a coach whoena)urages children. “Every parent has personal examples of good conduct and gotxl things he has done w it h t he i r ch i Id ren,” sa id one. “Charles Crowder doesn’t care about winning. He cared about children playing and made a team where children helped each other." “Issues need to be addressed but don’t take him away from the children,” said another. Parents asked for a reading (See PARKS & REC, page lOA) News By Kkn MacDonald General Manager When I was in the seventh grade, I figured learning to play the guitar would attract chicks. I was wrong. That same year, I tried squ ishi ng a pack of ketchup into a girl’s hair to get her attention. That worked, but 1 realized getting her attention was not the right objective. Since those days 1 have observed •1 Journal Oth^r Stuff S’ III? as other boys, and later men, made .similar gaffes. There was the time, for example, that Don Foster sent his wife, Pam, on a scaveni’er hunt to find her birthday present. One of the stops was I looter’s, where, in order to get the next clue, she had to request an employment application. Then there was the time when I lived in Asheville that my boss saw one of those commercials: “It slices, it dices...” and bought the New year brings changes in school administration thing for his wife for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, just before m id- n ight, as t hey s;it toget he r watch i ng TV, the commercial came on, and she looked at him and said, “If you ci’t’/ buy me one of those thing.s. I’ll kill you while you sleep.” He had to call around to find someone to open a store so he could mend his ways before she found out. And just this week, Bobby Mc Neill nominated his wife, &tsy, (See OTHER STUIE, page 8A) By Vk'iokiana Summi rs Staff writer Personnel changes in Hoke’s schotil district lu\c brought a cast of 10 new educators as signed to six of the 11 county public schtHils for 2004-05, according to Hoke School Superintendent Allen Strick land. “I feel gtKxi that we have a great administrative team, and we are growing future leaders in our schools by promoting some teachers to administra tive posit ions,” St r ick la nd sa id. “We have .some new folks, and they are ours—paimoted from within. “We are trying to instruct and fiK'uson these people. We are in goixi shape because all are participating on a monthly basis in leadership develop- (See SCHOOLS, page HA)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Aug. 25, 2004, edition 1
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