ews
Journal
If it happened, it’s news to us
No.37VoLlOO
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
50t
Wednesday, November 30,2005
Mock disaster tests local emeigency workers
Government workers, leaders learned, did well during staged tornado, FEMA says
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
When a string of simulated tornadoes
devastated Hoke County in a mock
disaster staged two weeks ago, Hoke
and City of Raeford personnel pulled
together in the three-hour and forty-five
minute exercise.
If the disaster had been authentic, it
would really have covered a 24-hour
period, according to Phillip Moore,
FEMA expert and instructor with the
U.S. Homeland Security.
“These local people are the ‘doers,’”
Moore said of their roles. “They shared
information and communicated wel 1 with
each branch of the operation.
“The non-emergency county and city
employees did well in an emergency
atmosphere. All of you deserved an acad
emy award for your presentations.”
In the middle of severe weather sce
narios as part of simulated exercises in
the Emergency Management Institute,
local, state and federal officials held the
weeklong course at McCain’s former
Sandhills Youth Center. Moore said
that by learning to minimize loss of life
by re.scue efforts and speed up recovery
operations, everyone passed the test in
the simulated disaster exercises.
“We wanted to see if there are any
problem areas in Hoke if adisaster would
(See MOCK DISASTER, page 4A)
So what did officials learn?
Local shelters are inadequate, for starters
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
It could have been i eal, but the
disaster exercise that unfolded
on November 16 and 17 at the
former Sandhills Youth Center
in McCain served as a test situa
tion for Hoke and City of Raeford
emergency personnel, according
to Major Freddy Johnson, Hoke
emergency management direc
tor.
As the event exercise began,
a news media center, control
(See LESSONS, page 3A)
Three tailed by car,
shot in east Hoke
Men had argued earlier at restaurant
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A barrage of gunfire broke the
early morning quiet of a residen
tial neighborhood on Stoney Point
Road in eastern Hoke, and sent
three Hoke men to the hospital
- one in critical shape, according
to Chief Deputy Troy McDuffie
of the Hoke Sheriffs Office.
This Week
Im, ^
Community turns out
for Allen’s retirement
page IB
Organic boot camp
opens
pi^5e3A
Schools get money
from drug busts
page6A
Raeford native
up for Disney teacher
page 3 A
1 Index ]
Births
3B
Calendar
2B
Classifieds
7B
Deaths
6A
Editorials
2A
Legals
,..5-6B
Religion
4B
School menus
3B
Socials
3B
Sports
5A
Weddings
3B
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Listed in critical condition at
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
is John Peterson, 24. Kenyonta
Evans, 23, of 375 Stoney Point
Road, and Lamont Hines, 21, are
also listed in serious condition,
according to McDuffie.
“We do not have any news on
how the victims are doing yet,”
McDuffie said.
“An argument that broke out
at the Waffle House in the Wal-
Mart shopping center at U.S. 401
South and Gillis Hill Road in
Cumberland County led to the
shooting of the three friends at
375 Stoney Point Road north of
Raeford today,” McDuffie said. “It
appears that the men did not know
the suspect who began arguing
with them earlier this morning
at the restaurant,” McDuffie
said. ‘Two of the friends were
in the process of dropping off
(See SHOOTING, page 6A)
The wreck scene (above); Linda Harris consoles her injured son, 20-year-old Sentaiel Harris.
Bus-car wreck injures man
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A north Raeford motorist was
slightly injured after the female
driver of a Four-County Com
munity Services mini-school bus
apparently attempted to turn in
front of his vehicle’s path on West
Palmer Street yestenJay.
“I was driving across West
Palmer from Highway 211 on my
way around to U.S. 401 when the
bus driver turned right in front
of my car,” motorist Sentaiel
Harris, complaining of hip and
head pains, said. “She could not
clear my car and ran right into
the front of it.
“I could not believe it.”
Harris, of Herron Drive, was
limping after being extricated
from his smashed four-door Kia.
He was transported to FirstHealth
Moore Regional Hospital by
FirstHealth medics. The N.C.
Highway Patrol, Raeford Police
Department, Raeford Fire De
partment, North Raeford Fire
Department and other fire and
rescue units responded to assist
at the wreck scene. Traffic was
backed up on West Palmer for
more than 30 minutes after the
collision. The wreck occurred in
a bend in the road not far from
West Hoke Middle School.
The privately owned school
bus, which is operated by a non-
(See BUS WRECK, page 6A)
I f -
Hoke grand jury indicts mobile home dealer for scams
Circle G Mobile Homes’ owner, two others accused of bilking customers of more than $ 134,000
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A seizure of bank records belonging to
the former Circle G Mobile Home Sales
south of Raeford and an investigation of
its transactions has led to the arrests of
three alleged swindlers—two of Robeson
County and one from Florence, South
Carolina.
Hoke District Attorney Kristy M.
Newton obtained 15 indictments handed
down by a Hoke grand jury on Monday
in the massive mobile home scam uncov
ered by the DA and Hoke Sheriff s Office
with assistance from the State Bureau of
Investigation.
Gerald Dixon Graham Jr., ex-Circle G
dealer, operated his business at 752 U.S. 401
South and formerly resided off Calloway
Road. Graham and agenLs/co-owners Billy
Emanuel and Tim Velasquez Cortez are
accused of bilking customers out of more
than $134,0(K) between 2(X)2 and 2003.
“Preying on unsuspecting homebuyers.
Circle G co-owners victimized innocent
people who could least afford to lose their
moneys,” John Joseph, special investiga
tor for the Hoke district attorney’s office,
said. “By never delivering the mobile
homes these people purchased. Circle G
hurt senior citizens and predominantly
Hispanic families.”
Joseph said Graham, Emanuel and
Cortez are accused of defrauding 11 cus
tomers, but more existed who declined
to prosecute because of public expo
sure. Graham received 12 indictments,
Emanuel one and Cortez three with
(See INDICTMENTS, page 4A)
Llie News-! Journal 1
News Othfr stuff
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
Had a chance to see the new Lumber
River Park over the weekend - up close
and personal as we walked the four miles
back to it after somebody forgot the keys
to the vehicle at the takeout spot.
My daughter brought her kayak home
for the Thanksgiving break - what, your
daughter doesn’t keep a kayak in her dorm
room? - and suggested we paddle down
the Lumber. Of course, that’s every dad’s
dream: instead of “Dad, will give me some
money so I can go to the mall with my
friends and you can stay here by yourself?”
she actually wanted to take a boat down a
river. I looked around to see if there were
any hidden cameras and tried to hide my
enthusiasm. “Well, if you reeeeally want
to, okay, I guess we could..I said. 1 knew
her interest in things outdoors has more to
do with a boy she met at school and less
with my interest in it all these years, but
nevermind, we were going down a river.
Being somewhat responsible 1 suggested
we each take a change of clothes in a dry
bag because one time when my son and 1
didn’t - it was a winter day that time too
(See OTHER STUFF, page 6A)
Christmas home
tour is Sunday
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
It is already beginning to look a lot
like Christmas at the Raeford home of
Homer and Ruby Thttle, whose home is
one of those premiering in the Christmas
Home Tour on Sunday.
The Tlittles say they feel like they are
already home for the holidays. Festive
d^cor is displayed from the bedrooms
to the baths, dining room to den and
outdoor verandah, with garlands that
beckon carolers and visitors alike.
“1 just like sharing Christmas with
people, our friends and famih,” Mrs.
Tuttle, clad in a holiday .sweater, said.
“1 love to collect angels. The religious
symbolism of Christmas particularly
means a lot to us.
(See HOME TOUR, page 5A)
A white Christmas is more than a dream in
Ruby Tuttle’s living room.