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Wednesday, November 24,2004
Written threat targets 20 at middle school
Anonymous note found on floor in 8th grade class names teachers, students who will die
By Vktoriana Sdmmi-rs
Staff writer
Hoke Sch(X)l Superintendent Allen
Strickland stCKxl like a guardian in the
rain at the side entrance to West Hoke
Middle School early yesterday morning
wh i le a score of Hoke deput ies pat rol led
the campus. Their aim - to ensure stu
dents were safely escorted inside without
creating a panic.
This, after several students discovered
an anonymous death threat note on Fri
day afternoon, warning that 17 students
and three teachers would be killed on
November 23. By the end of the school
day yesterday - the date when the group
was to be killed - no attempt had been
made to carry out the death threats on
those targeted, accord! ng to law enforce-
ment and school officials.
According to school officials, nearly
half of the students of the 705 enrolled
at West Hoke Middle apparently did
not attend school yesterday due to the
sinister contents in the threatening note.
A number of parents questioned why the
incident wiis kept quiet bccausethey were
not notilied of the potential danger until
Monday when a letter was sent home
to them.
“It appeal's the note may have been
written by a student,” Strickland said.
“It was handwritten ~ not typed by
someone who misspelled some words.
The note was unsigned and on plain
pajicr.
“Only the students’ first names were
used and only the teachers' last names
(St c THRlAi: pa^v 5A)
Bad week atWHMS
Teacher hurt
stopping fight
By ViriY)RIAN\ Sl'MMKRS
Staff writer
A West Hoke Middle School
female teacher is recovering
from injuries after being caught
in theniiddleofa brawl between
two seventh grade students
that disrupted her class last
Tuesday.
Asmall knife that was found
allegedly fell from the pocket
of one of the male students
involved in the fray, according
to other students.
West Hoke M iddle Pri ncipal
Sam Queen said both students
have been suspended for 10
days. The incident occurred on
campus during regular school
hours, he added.
“We still do not know how
(See FIGHT, page 5A)
Clockwise from above:
Hoke School Superinten
dent Allen Strickland dis
cusses safety issues with a
middle school student. • A
deputy uses a metal detec
tor to search a student.*
Hoke Sheriff’s vehicles are
parked in front of West
Hoke Middle School while
deputies protect students
on campus.
h
Clerk of court
earns state
certification
page 3A
Committee urges
planned development
page3A
Men face B&E
charges
pageSA
Bucks destroy
Wolverines
page6A
fi- ^
Births 3B
Business/Fann 4A
Calendar 3B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2A
Legals 5-6B
Fhjblic Record 8A
Religion 4B
Schools 2B
Socials 3B
Sports 6-7A
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www.thenews-journal.com
Downtown development gets $150,000 grant
Federal money will go toward $1.1 million first phase of downtown reconstruction
By Pat Allhn Wilson
Editor
Congressman Robin Hayes (R-8) an
nounced Monday he has successfully
.secured $150,000 in federal funding for
Raeford downtown redevelopment.
The funding was included with the fis
cal year 2005 Appropriations Conference
Report, an announcement from Hayes’
of fice stated.
The money will go toward the first of
three phases of a streetscape project ap
proved by the Raeford City Council earlier
this year. The street.scape plan was present
ed to councilnien by the Redevelopment
Commission of the City of Raeford.
Mary Archie McNeill, a committee
member who works at fund-raising, said,
“This is such a signilicant gift and we are
so grateful. This has made our Thanksgiv
ing ... and our Christmas.”
The three street.scape phases would
encompass Main Street from Campbell to
Donaldson avenues at a cost of $2 million.
The design calls for new sidewalks, new
street lighting, new landscaping, benches,
new traffic signals and crosswalks. The
N.C. Dept, of TransjxYrtation will also
re-pave Main Street, a project that was
put on hold because DOT d(x;s not want
newly resurfaced streets dug up for util
ity lines to be relocated from overhead to
underground.
The first phase is to cost $1.1 million
and will entail renovations from Harris
to Hdinborough avenues. Pha.se II would
renovate Campbell to Harris at an esti
mated cost of $3()5,5()(). Phase III, from
Eidinborough to Donald.son, is estimated
to cost $420,775.
Councilnien have committed to half a
million in funding with short-term financ-
i ng/1 i ne-of-cred it bidd i ng ta ken from loca I
tinaneial agencies followed by application
for long-term financing from USDA Rural
Development. Some grants have already
been obtai ned to pay for t he work to i nclude
a previous federal grant obtained by t tayes
about two years ago. DOT has pledged
$4()(),()()() for four signal lights.
“The downtown improvements will
make the area more pedest rian friendly and
enhance the draw of Raeford for visitors
and busines.ses,” Hayes said.
Hayes said he contacted New York
Rep. James T. Walsh, chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee on VA,
HUD and Independent Agencies, to
(See GRANT, page RA)
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SheriiF’s department seizes counterfeit
goods from Hardaway’s Herb Garden
Sheriff acts after national investigators conduct undercover buys
representing the International
A nt i-Cou nterfeit i ng Coal it ion.
They confiscated $ KMMMK) worth
of fake National Ftxitball League
(NFL) football jerseys. National
Basketball Asswiation (NBA)
basketball jerseys, and imita
tions of internationally famous
Louis Vuitton designer puises.
The illegal items completely
(See SEIZED, page 5A)
National expert’s ideas on subdivison planning
well neceiv^ by officials at presentation here
By Victoriana Summi-rs
Staff writer
In a crackdown on merchants
selling “kntKk-offs” — illegal
copies of designer merchandise
— for high prices, Evangelist
Betty Hardaway, owner of Hard
away’s Herb Garden, was ordered
to stop .selling fake merchandise
in her store. She avoided bei ng ar
rested on state and federal charges
for criminal use of counterfeit
trademarks by cix)perating with
officers, according to Sheriff
Hubert Peterkin.
In the surprise raid conducted
yesterday afternoon at Hard
away’s retail store on U.S. 401,
Hoke Sheri ffs Office undercover
detectives assisted a national
team of private investigators
By Victoriana Summi-;rs
Staff writer
What do M&M’s candy have
in common with land use plan-
rcpresent proposed homes.
Arendt — seriously — said
he uses M&Ms he distributes to
officials across the country at his
Icetuies because it captures their
ning? ‘They melt in your mouth attention in illustrating potential
and noton your plans,” according placement of homes in what he
Captain Gary Hammond of the Hoke Sheriff’s Office hauls away a bag
of fake merchandise of NFL and NBA jerseys.
to nationally acclaimed planner,
Randall Arendt, who uses the
small candies on preliminary
architectural plans to temporarily
calls conservation .subdivisions.
Arendt delivered a presentation
on land use concepts to Hoke
commissioners and citizens last
evening.
In divvying up land for resi
dential subdivisions, Arendt told
the board it does not cost anv
more to plan the same number
of homes on smaller lots while
conserving more wtxxl lands or
farmland in subdivision plans.
He said frequently developers
might even save money by de
(See PLANNING, page 8A)