Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Dec. 29, 2004, edition 1 / Page 1
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I ews J oumal If it hapi>ened, ifs news to us Na41VoL99 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. 50t Wednesday, December 29,2004 Sleet storm transforms Hoke into wonderiand Storm misses Christmas by an hour, holiday credited with lessening impact B> Vi( i()Ki\N\ Si mmi rs Staff writer Hoke County was translbriried into a winter wonderland on Sunday morning as two-to- Rush trial moved to Robeson By Vi roRi WA Summers Staff writer The pending trial of former Hoke finance director Shirley Rush has been transferred from Hoke to Robeson County, ac cording to a court order issued by SuperiorCourt Judge B. Craig Ellis last week. This, after two-and-one-half years elapsed since Rush was indicted bj a I loke grand jury on the felony charge ol'assessory after the fact in connection with embez/.lcmenl. Her arrest in Au gust 2002 came after a lO-month investigation by the Slate Bureau of Investigation. District Attorney Kristy M. Newton presented the evidence to the grand Jury. Because of the six-month rota tion cycle of areajudges, Superior Court Judge Robert Floyd Jr. of District 16 B in Robeson County (See RUSH, puf>e 4A) 2004 reviewed l>.u',c IU Dr. Rouse to speak at MLK service page 2H Paralyzed dog runs with new wheels Anniversaries 3B Business/Parm 3 A Classifieds 7-8B Deaths 6A Editorials 2A Engagements 3B Legals 5-6B Religion 2B Socials 3B Sports 4A Vle’re on the web at www.thenews-journal.com three inches of sleet blanketed the county from remnants of a Texas snow storm sweeping up the eastern seaboard. However, the hazardouscond it ions wreaked havoc on some rural roads. causing 15 wrecks related to the ice storm between Sunday and Monday night. Mixed sleet and snow began falling across the county around I a.m. on Sunday — missing Christmas Day by barely one hour. Left over cotton plants in the licldsand trees glistened with ice after the sun reapi^eared on Monday. Freezing temiieratures on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights prevented many kids from enjoying winter sledding and snowball lights but that changed with a warm up Monday after noon. A Ithough major highways sucli asU.S.4()l andN.C.2l 1 Ix'tween Aberdeen and Raeford v\ere substantially cleared by the N.('. Department of Transpoi tation by Sunday or Monday morning, (See 1C I' STORM, pen’e 5A) P /i , 1 Counterclockwise from top left:Tom McGirr,2,is supposed to be helping dad Mike McGirr shovel snow, but finds the icicles on his truck more interesting; Sarah Wood and Cory Thomas stroll down Harris Avenue Sunday afternoon; a tree in McLauchlin Park early Monday; walking in a winter wonderland. Christmas Eve fire razes Z.V. Pate warehouses By Vktoriana Summkrs Staff writer A ft re suspected as arson destroyed the commercial warehouses owned by the Z.V. Pate Corporation on St. Pauls Road early on Christmas Eve morning. Major Freddy Johnson, Hoke’s lire marshal, said yesterday. “The buildings burned to the ground as the lire con tinued burning in the dark before sunrise,” Johnson said. ‘There is no doubt that this fire was deliber ately set. “We are Just thankful that no one was injured while lighting this fire.” Johnson said the build ings were unoccupied at the time of the blaze, and no firelighters were injured during their attempts to ex tinguish it.The originof the fi re appeared to have started between two buildings on the property, but details on the cause of the lire have not yet been released. “This was a massive structure fire and a tre mendous loss to the Hoke community,” Johnson said. “The fire, which began around one in the morning, was reported by a motor ist who passed by. The blaze quickly devastated the buildings in spite of attempts to save the struc tures. “We are urging anyone in the community who may have seen someone suspicious arou nd the ware houses, or who knows of anything relating to the crime, to plea.se contact the fire marshal or the Hoke Sheriff s office.” Damage Preliminary estimates of damages at Z.V. Pate, according toauthorities, has reached more than $6(),(X)() so far. Johnson said a farm tractor and ot her equ ipment stored in one building were also destroyed. “There was also a silo that was filled with some sort of beans, and that was ruined,” Johnson said. Located at North Old Wire Rtxid and 11 ighway 20, the commercial warehouse fi re was pri mari ly fought by (See TIRE, pa^e 4A) By Kkn MacDonald Publisher During Christmas dinner, I glanced out the plate glass window and saw the Russell family trying to take a group picture on the front steps of the house across Main Street. Figuring they’d like to have everyone in the photo, 1 walked across the road and volun teered my .services as a photographer. When 1 returned to our dining room my brother John was .standing just inside the door with a stance like a preacher issuing a benediction. It wasn’t the alarmed look on his face that got my attention next so much as the dark red stain that extended from his beltline to his knees. It seems while I was away, our dining room table collapsed in his lap and deposited there a glass of wine. (And I mi.s.sed it!) His look of alarm morphed to accusation and he said, “I’m goi ng to need some of your pants. You’re lucky 1 don’t sue you.” (See OTHER STUFF, page 3A) Smoking wood, charred metal and a tractor frame are all that remain after several farm buildings owned by Z.V. Pate, Inc. burned Christmas Eve. A family’s Christmas is stolen Woman awakes to find car loaded with presents stolen presents were al ready u rider the t ree at her grandparent.s’ home. In the trunk were presents for her parents, her sibl i ngs and their children and for her 17-month-old daughter Hailey. Later, Jacobs added a basket of wet laundry to be taken to her mother’s dryer and a gallon of milk for Hailey. She did not lock the car dtxir and forgot she had spare keys in the console. When she got up the following morn ing and looked out the window, the car, (Seee STOLEN, page 6A) By Pat Allkn Wilson Editor It was Albert Currie Road resident Teffanie Jacobs’ plan that she and her two daughters spend Christmas day with her parents. James and Peggy Jacobs, who live around the comer on Shannon Road. On Chri.stmas Eve, Teffanie loaded up in the tmnk of her car all the gifts she had wrapped that night except for those for nine-year-old Denise, whose s ^
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Dec. 29, 2004, edition 1
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