ews
Journal
If it happened, it’s news to us
No.29VoLl01
Raeford & Hoke County n.c,
75t
Wednesday, October4,2006
City may help to get 65 Burlington jobs
$4.2 million project would increase water capacity for plant, rest of city
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Raeford is taking one more step
in joint efforts by the city, county
and state to bring 65 more jobs to
Burlington Industries starting in
2007.
Along with an incentive plan
approved by the council on August
21, the city is looking into plans to
provide the Raeford industry with
additional untreated water that will
also upgrade overall water capac
ity.
John Grey of The Wooten
Company, Raeford’s contracted
engineering firm, presented a plan
at the council’s October 2 meeting.
He included a preliminary cost
projection of $3.1 million to meet
immediate needs for the industry
and $ 1.1 million for a future project
that would provide additional flow to
Burlington and the city. “I’m hoping
these numbers are high,” he said.
City officials are meeting today
with the Local Government Com
mission to discuss financing of the
project.
Douglas said the proposed water
project gives the city the ability to
provide 500,000 more gallons per
day to customers. City officials are
also looking at providing water
to a planned 300-unit residential
subdivision.
International Textile Group, of
which Burlington is a division,
announced in August that Raeford
would get 65 positions after a plant
closing in Virginia. The dye and
finishing portion that makes military
dress uniforms is being moved to
Raeford, adding the 65 jobs over a
three-year period. The firm, based
in Greenslx)ro, said Monday it is
investing $7 million in the move,
according to the office of Governor
Mike Easley.
(See BURLINGTON, page 3A)
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Homecoming royalty
All homecoming royalty candidates were introduced prior to the Hoke High Bucks vs.Westover
Wolverines game Friday night. Winners were announced at halftime. Pictured clockwise, from the
top, are Queen Jeliana Rainey, Jocelyn Hunt, first runner-up. King James Robinson Sr. and Rainey, and
first runner-up Molly Griffie.The Bucks won 33-6. (Photos by Dan Magid)
Ml
DA quashes complaint against sheriif
Says allegations by former employee, Hoke commissioner may be political
By ViCTORiANA Summers
Staff writer
Determining allegations of election
violations against Sheriff Hubert Petericin
to be unfounded and “frivolous,” District
Attorney Kristy Newton even declined to
meet with the accuser.
Raleigh attorney Christopher Brook
filed the criminal complaint on behalf of
Lisa Jones, a former sheriffs office em
ployee and Bill Cameron, a Hoke County
commissioner.
Jones alleged she was “ordered” to
reproduce a facsimile of the official pri
mary election ballot for Peterkin’s election
campaign on “county time with county
supplies.”
Peterkin, Hoke Democratic nominee
for sheriff, flatly denied Jones’s complaint,
saying the allegations were “absolutely not
true.” “I understand it is election time and
that desperate candidates some time resort
to desperate measures,” Peterkin said of
what he deemed preposterous allegations.
“I will not be distracted by this.
“I will continue to focus on the safety
and security of the citizens of Hoke
County.”
Jones, the former administrative assis-
(See COMPLAINT, page 9A)
Newton
Gas leak forces
evacuation
page3A
School board
pushes referendum
page3A
Hoke students
picked for state
science, math school
pf^eSA
Index
Business/Farm 4A
Calendar 8A
Qassifieds 7-8B
Deaths lOA
Editorials 2 A
Legals 4-6B
Religion 2B
Schools 3,5 A
Socials 3B
Sprts 6A
Weddings 3B
IVe’re on the web at
ivMov. thenews-joumal. com
Read by 3,000 each week
Jail bids approved, Wood
gets contract in 4-1 vote
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke’s county commissioners
unanimously approved on Monday
night the lowest of three bids to con
struct the future 152-bed Hoke County
Detention Center. Plus, the board signed
a somewhat controversial employment
contract with County Manager Mike
Wood, who had been serving without
an agreement.
Estimated at $7.7 million, the jail
project loan needed increased to $8.5
million and will come from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Based on
a recommendation from architect Dan
Mace of Moseley Architects, the board
accepted a bid from Bordeaux Construc
tion, Inc. of Durham. Bordeaux built the
(See JAIL, CONTRACT, page 4A)
the news
News
^ Journal
Oth^T stuff
By Ken MacDaonald
Publisher
No offense, but after awhile, walk
ing around Raeford just ain’t enough
.scenery for me. So Thursday found
me talking to this muscle-ey, ranger
looking outdrw type at a guide shack
in Estes Park, Colorado.
While my wife was attending a
yoga conference (cough), my children,
sister and 1 planned to do some hiking.
The 14,256 foot Long’s Peak, just two
ridges away, beckoned from the view
of our cabin, but 1 knew better than
to answer that call; I had been there
before, and even I am not that crazy.
In fact, by my count some 49 people
are documented to have died on the
mountain succumbing to every terror
from 1,250-feet falls and avalanches
to lightning strikes and exposure. One
guy was even shot to death. No, 1 just
wanted a short, challenging hike to
get us started.
(See OTHER STUFF, page lOA)
State NAACP president
stirs crowd to persevere
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A rousing welcome and final
standing ovation were bestowed
on keynote speaker, the Rev. Dr.
William J. Barber II, president of
the North (Carolina branch of the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People, at
the second Freedom Fund banquet
held at East Hoke Middle School
on Saturday evening.
Hoke’s NAACP chapter trea-
(See NAACP, page 9A)
Barber, state president.
Board buys land for ethanol plant
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke’s board of commissioners
accelerated plans to acquire land
for the first phase of the Hoke
County Regional Industrial Park
in a special meeting la.st week,
offering the property to “first
choice” recipient Clean Burn
Fuels. The Cary-based firm has
pledged to build a $65 million
ethanol plant, bringing 100 jobs
to Hoke.
Agreeing to exercise an op
tion on 630 acres of the Z.V.
Pate tract on N.C. 20, the board
paid $3.6 million, averaging
approximately $6,000 per acre.
If the option had not been exer
cised, the price of land at the site
would have increased to $8,000
(See ETHANOL, page 7A)