The
ews
J oumal
If it hai>i:>ened, it 's iims to us
No.07VoLl01
Raeford & Hoke Countit n,
Wednesday, May 3,2006
Powell tops primary, Hunt, McNeill next
Victorious over 6 others, they’ll face a Repubhcan challenger in November
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke County commissioner
Jean Powell squeaked ahead of the
pack of nine to claim victory in the
Democratic Primary Tuesday.
The vice-chairwoman will be
Peterkin
returns
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Sheriff Hubert Peterkin
yesterday triumphed over
three challengers, receiving
almost 85 percent of the
votes to become the first
African American to win
a second term as sheriff of
Hoke County. Not since the
late sheriff Dave Barrington
has another sheriff won a
second term.
The 44-year-old Peterkin
faces no opposition in the
November general election.
He received 3,404 votes
soundly defeating Charles
V. Daniels who received
548 votes. Daniels, who is
currently serving as a Hoke
commissioner, relinquishes
his seat in December. Plac
ing third in the sheriffs
race was retired Raeford as-
(See PETERKIN, page 4A)
joined in November by second place
chal lengerTony Hunt and Ellen Mc
Neill in third place as they square off
against Republican challenger Tim
D’Annunzio.
Powell received 1,733 votes. Hunt,
a former commissioner, placed sec
ond with 1,685 votes, and newcomer
Ellen McNeill, followed with 1,638
votes.
A Raeford resident, D’Annunzio
is owner of Paraclete Body Armor
in St. Pauls, supplying equipment to
the military and private sector.
Incumbent commissioner Bill
Cameron lost his bid for re-election,
but earned the fourth highest vote
of 1,557. Other challengers for the
three commissioners seats available
were Ray Owens in fifth at 1,286,
Jim Davis in sixth with 1,118, Jean
Hodges with 1,117, Clyde Shepley
with 529 votes, and Charles Patter
son, trailing with 277 votes.
Reaction
Powell, retired Hoke-Scotland
district attorney, was distinguished
(See PRIMARY, page 4A)
This Week
Kershaw signs
with Kansas
page6A
House of Raeford
not boycotted
pages 4A
Board joins
annexation foes
page3A
Cemetery’s origin
unknown
page 1B
Index
Anniversary 3B
Births 2B
Calendar 4B
Classifieds 7B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2A
Engagements 3B
Legals 5-6B
Religion 2B
Socials 3B
Sports 6A
We're on the web at
wunv. thenews-joumaI.com
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Elected: Hoke Sheriff Hubert Peterkin (left) joins Ellen McNeill andTony Hunt in a celebration of victory following Tuesday night’s Democratic Primary.
Proposed city budget holds line on taxes
Water, sewer rates would increase under plan presented to Raeford City Council
By Pat Allen
Editor
The proposed city budget
holds the tax rate steady but
water and sewer will cost
citizens more.
City council members are
studying the budget for fiscal
year 2006-07 presented to
them Monday night.
Presented by City Manager
Richard Douglas, the budget
adheres to the current ad
valorem tax rate of 48 cents
per $100.
Speaking of “pretty tough
budget preparation,” Douglas
said the proposed general
fund budget is $3,621 million
— approximately 10 percent
more than the $3,283 million
budget for the current FY.
The proposed $2,450 mil
lion budget for the water and
sewer fund is approximately
10 percent more than the
$2.219million budget the city
currently operates under.
Douglas pointed out that,
from the recent county-wide
property revaluation, the city
will realize only a $147,851
increase based on the exist
ing property tax rate. “The
value of real property has
increased from $171,833,810
to $212,401,480 but the
value of personal property
has decreased this year from
$59,628,275 to $50,815,554,”
he said in a memo to the
council.
The proposed general fund
budget provides for a 3.4 per
cent cost-of-living increa.se
for employees, longevity pay
and potential 5 percent merit
raises for all employees.
To balanced the general
fund budget, almost $200,(XX)
would have to be appropriated
from the city’s fund balance.
“The proposed fund bal-
(See BUDGET, page 5A)
City hopes grant will attract downtown business
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A small city grant re
cently awarded to the Raeford
Hoke Economic Develop
ment Commission may soon
become a catalyst, attracting
national chains to open up re
tail stores in greater Raeford,
according to Hoke Economic
developer Don Porter.
Not limited solely todown-
town Raeford, a $12,500grant
from Advancement Inc., a
regional non-profit organiza
tion forbusiness advancement
based in Lumberton, will
help the RHED to identify
suitable retailers. Porter said
efforts would be concentrated
to lure retailers most likely to
be interested in operating in
Raeford’s entire downtown
area.
Porter, who received unan
imous support last week from
RHED’s board to proceed with
the request for the grant, said
it would be a “win-win” situ-
(See GRANT, page 7Aj
Antioch church calls home flock
to celebrate 173rd anniversary
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
In its 173 years of his
tory Antioch Presbyterian
Church survived unscathed
a camp-out by Union tnxtps
on the church grounds during
the Civil war. It has seen 16
ministers. Now it's calling its
flock of primarily Scottish
descendants home.
From across America,
current and former members
of the church are returning
for Homecoming 2006 this
Sunday, May 7 at 11 a.m.
In commemoration of
the south Hoke church’s an
niversary, the Rev. Leighton
McKeithen, retired senior
pa.stor of Highland Presbyte
rian Church in Fayetteville,
will deliver a sermon titled
“Heaven.” McKeithen’s ser
mon will follow a welcome
by the Rev. Ian Rankine, of
ficiating minister at Antioch
Presbyterian.
“I think he has probably
preached in every Presby
terian church in the area,”
Rankine said. “He is dearly
loved by our congregation,
and he knows the Bible from
memory.
“He knows every song so
he does not even need to open
a hymn book.”
Sarah Leach, elder and
member of the session gov
erning body of Antioch Pres
byterian, said more than 250
invitations have been .sent to
guests. A special cookbook
dedicated to a revered mem
ber, Sara Currie Watson, who
died four years ago, will also
be on sale. Some of the recifx^s
are Irom "way back when,"
Leach added.
With the morning worship
service brimming with the
(See ANTIOCH, page 7A)
Little jingle girl
Kristen Renee Oxendine,8,of Pembroke,with hundreds of bells
sewn to her regdiia,dances the sacred healing dance at Saturday’s
Hawkeye Indian Cultural Center’s spring pow wow.