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The
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J ournal
If it happened, if s news to us
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Raeford & Hokl County n.c.
Wednesday, December 1,2004
Trial of fired Hoke finance director looms
D. A. files motion to move trial of Shirley Rush, trial date may be set next week
By VirroKiANA SlJMMhKS Dislrirt At- in Aiiaiivt in rnnnPi'linn u/ilh ihp lawvpr filpiin Vlili'hpll h:n; nn»vimn:lv Tli>i
By Vktoriana Summkrs
Staff writer
TVo years and three months alter
former Hoke finance director Shirley
Rush was charged with accessory after
the fact in the embezzlement case of for
mercounty manager Bernice MePhatter,
Rush could finally be going to trial.
The Hoke District Attorney’s office
wants to transfer Rush’s upcoming trial
to another county prior to setting a trial
date. District At
torney Kristy
Newton is re
questing a Hoke
Superior Court
judge consider
this request dur
ing thecourtses-
sion next week.
Shirley Rush Rush was
lired shortly after being indicted on
one count of accessory after the fact
in August 2002 in connection with the
criminal activities of MePhatter. Found
guilty in November 2003 of four counts
of embezzlement of $269,0(K) in county
funds, MePhatter w'as also convicted
on more than 60 counts of forgery and
uttering of signatures, which included
those of several county commis.sioners.
MePhatter is currently .serving up to an
eight-year sentence in state prison without
the possibility of parole.
Rush’s defense attorney, Fayetteville
lawyer Glenn Mitchell, has previously
remarked that Rush is determined to
prove her innocence. Mitchell said he
did not think Rush would accept a plea-
bargain to a lesser charge e\en if it was
offered. Rush is currently serving as the
secretary/bookkeeperolThe I^uri nburg
District Christian School IcKated on Old
Wire Road.
New motion
Newton and Assi.stant District At
torney Chris Rhue filed the change of
venue mot ion ye.sterday. Thei r secondary
request is to require a .special jury be
bused in from another count) if a judge
will not grant switching the trial outside
of Hoke.
“As a result of the nature of these
proceedings and the pretrial publicity
and media co\eragc regarding these
matters, the passions of the population
are .so inflamed as to make a fair trial
within Hoke reasonablv unlikely, if not
(See RUSH TRIAL, RA)
Manufacturer
to open Friday
To bring nearly 100 jobs to Hoke
By VirroRiANA Sommkrs
Staff writer
More jobs are on the way to
HokeCounty with the announce
ment today of the grand opening
scheduled on Friday of Military
Manufacturing Group. A million
dollar firm, MMG is merging a
Florida company with a local
partner, according to Don Porter,
Hoke Economic Developer.
“Things are looking up for
Hoke County,’’ Porter said. ‘This
company will be creating new
jobs — not just bring personnel
from Florida.
From Iraq duty
to firefighting
inTyiertown
page IB
Security tight
at West Hoke Middle
page 3 A
NJwins
press awards
page 3A
Lady Bucks win,
Boys lose
page5A
Births 3B
Calendar 5B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 7A
Editorials 2-3A
Engagements 3B
Legals 6B
Religion 8A
Schools 2B
Socials 3-4B
Sports 4-5A
Weddings 3B
IVeVe on the web at
www.thenews-journalcom
“The company officials recog
nized that Hoke would be a good
corporate supporter even though
the state of Florida was trying to
keep them from leaving the state.
Tlie firm is solid financially,” he
said.
“We were able to attract them
here even with us facing the out-
of-state competition.”
Portersaid MMG is recognized
as a quality company that will
make a significant contribution
to the Hoke and North Carolina
economies. Grand opening fes
tivities will begin at 3 p.m. at the
manufacturingcorporations’ new
facility at 925 Doc Brown Road
northwest of Raeford. MMG
joins Cheerwine bottling firm
and Raeford Aviation on what is
developing as a central corporate
corridor for Hoke businesses, ac
cording to Porter.
Porter .said MMG is a partner-
•sh ip that was formed bet ween 1 i m
D’Annunzio of Paraclete Armor
& Equipment Inc., a large firm
operating in St. Pauls, and Pat
and Derek Thomas of Sun Path.
MMG will manufacture har-
ne.ss and container systems for
parachutes. Sun Path and another
(See PLANT OPENS, page 5A)
f.
Top to bottom: Shown
in happy times are
Steven Stuart with his
wife, Mary (left) and
the late Sadie Holiday,
Mrs. Stuart’s mother;
the store, closed after
the robbery; signs on
the door, one reading,
“Notice, I will not do
business with strang
ers.’’
Hillcrest store clerk
killed in robbery
Robbery was third at store in past year
By VlCIXlRIANA SUMMI RS
Staff writer
The fatal shtxMing of Steven Stuart, a di.sabled convenience store
clerk, in a Hillcrest robbery on Saturday marred the 'rhanksgi\-
ing weekend for members of the family who owned the griK’ery
store.
Stuart, 53, of Beard Road, an amputee using an artificial leg.
was shot by an unknown a,ssailant early Satuiday morning. At the
time of his slaying, Stuart was working alone on the morning shift
at Daniel’s Quick Stop, which is owned by his wife’s relatives.
Maxine Blackburn co-owns the grocery store located at 2743
U.S. 401 Business with daughter Joyee Blackburn. She said they
might never re-open the neighborhood grocery. “I had hoped the
community would have turned around in Hillcrest, but it is riddled
with drugs and break-ins.
“These hocxllums are bold and dangerous and no one is stoppi ng
them,” Blackburn said. “My prayer is that the Sheriffs department
will find the person who killed my bmther-in-law,” she said. “I will
not cea.se praying until they do.”
Major Freddy Johnson, supervisor of the major crimes div ision
for the Hoke Sheriff’s Department, siiid all efforts are King put
forth to solve the crime.
“Because we are trying to catch the killer quickly, very few
details are King released yet,” Johnson said. “We don’t want to
give out too much iiertinent information that might damage the
investigation.”
One customer said Stuart was usually armed, making no attempt
to conceal the weaprm.
“Mr. Stuart showed me a gun that he carried.” the customer,
who asked not to he identified, said. “He .said no one was going to
get away with robbing him.”
(See ROBBERY, page 6A)
Woman dies when car goes out of control
By Pat Alu-;n Wilson
Editor
A woman died Monday when her out-
of-control car backed into a small tree,
and then hit another tree and fence while
moving forward on Health Drive.
The driver, Sally McDuffie Jones, 82,
was dead at the scene and her pa.ssenger,
Nettie McDuffie McQueen, 78, received
an injury to the wrist.
The accident happened as Jones and
McQueen were leaving the parking lot at
Open Arras Retirement Center after visit ing
a friend, who is a resident there.
(See FATAL WRECK. page 7A)
Sally Jones died in this one-car wreck.
le IN ews
News
4 Journal
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
I call on those that call me son.
Grandson, or great-grandson.
On uncles, aunts, great-uncles or great-
aunts.
To judge what I have done.
William Butler Yeats
After the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiv
ing was over at our house, my son was in the
living room typing away on schoolwork.
1 let him type awhile before 1 went into
the r(K)m to K supportive.
“You’ve got a 3()-page senior thesis due
Monday and you’re still not done yet?” I
asked. Actually, 1 was quite plea.sed he’d
started it.
He told me his goal was to complete the
first draft that day, which was Saturday,
and then have a little time to correct it and
ma.s.sage it.
His topic, the “political ambiguity of
the poetry of Yeats,” struck me as inter-
(See OTHER STUFF, page 7A)
Raeford’s Sarah Beth Barnes dances as Clara with Alfred Marenco in the North
Carolina State Ballet production of the “Nutcracker” on December 5, 11 and
12 at the Crown Center in Fayetteville. See related story on page 3B.