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The
ews
Journal
No.32VoLl01
If it happened, it’s news to us
Raeford & Hoke County n.c,
75t
Wednesday, October 25,2006
Annexation foes again protest to council
60 county residents fill city hall to demand area west of city not be annexed
Citizens line up to address Raeford City Council Monday.
Early voting
turnout strong
More than 100 voted on first day
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
An impassive Raeford city
council listened as foes of
forced annexation on College
Drive/Palmer Street sent a
resounding message on Mon
day evening they did not want
“taxation” or “representation”
from the City of Raeford.
“Abandon it,” one anti-an
nexation resident requested.
No one spoke in favor of an
nexation at the public hearing.
Sixteen people spoke against
annexation.
“Speak now or forever hold
your peace,” Raeford Mayor
John K. McNeill Jr. told one
anti-annexation speaker after
the city council adopted for
the meeting, a policy of al
lotting five minutes speaking
time per person.
In an overflowing city
hall, more than 60 county
residents - many senior
citizens - offered support
to speakers at the emotion
ally charged public hearing,
which formally served as the
prelude to a vote by the city
council on November 6 on
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke Board of Elections
opened the doors at the county
commissioners assembly
room on October 19, mark
ing the beginning of one stop
voting prior to the November
7 Election Day.
Political supporters are
dispersing everything from
long-stemmed flowers to cam
paign fliers to entice potential
voters as candidates vie for
local positions. Political signs
flank the parking lot outside
the Hoke elections boards’
headquarters, and candidates
are still holding barbeques
and fundraisers, hoping for a
share of early votes before the
final day of election.
This Week
tes compete
in Special Olympics
page IB
Soccer team
eyes playoffs
page7A
WWIl convoys
remembered
pt^e 2B
Index
Calendar IB
Classifieds 6B
Deaths lOA
Editorials 2A
Legals 3-5B
Religion 6A
Socials 3B
Sports 7A
Weddings 3B
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“We have our AutoMark
voting machine set up also
for disabled voters,” Hoke
Board of Elections supervi
sor Caroline Shook said. “A
few people have used it. It is
a special machine that assists
challenged citizens.
“It is available inside.”
Shook said during the first
four days 400 people voted in.
the one-stop process, with 112
voting on the first day alone.
“We seem to be averaging
more early voters than during
the one stop voting prior to the
May Democratic primary,”
Shook said yesterday before
a Hoke Board of Elections
meeting. “We are going over
the absentee ballots by mail
each Tuesday with our elec
tions board, but those absen
tees will not be counted until
after Election Day.”
Located at the Pratt Build
ing on North Main Street, the
one stop voting area offers
ample paricing, but even curb-
side service is available, when
requested, for disabled voters
who opt not to go inside the
building. Shook indicated.
Open from 8 am. until 5
p.m. Monday through Friday
and on the last day (Saturday,
November 4) from 8 a.m. until
1 p.m., the Board of Elections
office is welcoming citizens
who come to vote. Precinct
officials, Hoke elections
{See VOTING, page
Got milk?
A roll of paper towels? That would complete the experience of the perfect cupcake for
Carson Edison, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the treat at Parks and Rec.’s dedication
of a new building, held Tuesday.
whether to proceed with an
involuntary annexation. The
council’s plan calls for adding
131 residences, encompassi ng
133 acres, into the city limits.
The increase in tax revenues
is estimated at $176,000 for
the city.
Presenting a petition with
the signatures of property
(See FOES, page 6A}
Gunman
sought
in
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Detectives at the Hoke
Sheriffs Office are working
steadily to “crack the case”
in the murder of an Ashley
Heights man last Tuesday
evening. Two gunmen are
sought in the slaying, accord
ing to Hoke Sheriff Hubert
Peterkin.
Anthony Brewinglon, in
his early 30s, of 148 Ashmonl
Road, was hit with a single
gunshot durtng the twihghv
hours, killing him in.stantly
after two ma.sked men ap
parently barged through the
unlocked door of his home
near Aberdeen.
Details are still sketchy, but
six other people were in the
home, which is located near
the Moore County line, at the
timeofthekillingat6:38p.m.
on October 17.
“We have several solid
leads, and we do anticipate
arrests in this homicide,” Pe
terkin said. “There appeared
to be no forced entry so we
are not ruling out the pos
sibility that Mr. Brewington
was killed by somebody he
was acquainted with among
his circle of friends.
“Mr. Brewington was the
first to see the two men as
they walked into the front
door so he may possibly have
(See GUNMAN, page 3A)
Former rec director pleads to embezzlement charge
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke Superior Court spe
cial chief judge Thomas
Haigwood accepted a plea
of “guilty” from ex-Hoke
athletic director Jose Yepez
on Friday for embezzlement
of county funds by a county
officer and obtaining property
by false pretenses.
In the sentencing, Haig
wood granted a 16-month
minimum to 20-month maxi
mum suspended sentence to
Yepez, who misappropriated
Hoke County funds last year.
Yepez served as the supervi
sor of Parks and Recreation
for seven months. He was fired
by County Manager Mike
Wood in August 2005.
Commissioner Charles V.
Daniels was credited with re
porting the initial allegations
against Yepez to Hoke district
attorney Kristy M. Newton.
A local business owner came
forward with information.
Yepez, represented by
Fayetteville-Raeford attorney
David Courie, pleaded guilty
in a plea arrangement rather
than face a Jury trial that was
scheduled in November, ac
cording to Hoke assistant dis
trict attorney Byron Beasley,
lead prosecutor for the case.
Beasley indicated Yepez
did not proffer any statement
during his sentencing. After
Yepez fled the state last year,
the Hoke Sheriff’s Office
and DA’s office located him
(See YEPEZ, page 6A)
le^iXews-l journal
News Other stuff
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
TWo words sure to strike terror into
the hearts of anyone in any household:
“family conference.” Yes, the reckon
ing of relatives, the domestic summit,
the “conferencia de familia.”
Unless you’re the caller of the
warn you and your siblings for the
final-time-and-l-mean-it, that when
you use the last sheet of toilet paper
it is mandatory that you replace the
roll, or next time you will use the
facilities outdoors and your toilet
paper will be leaves, preferably
poison ivy ones.
Or “From now on,” the mother might
r
Raleigh attorney cites new evidence
in renewed request to D.A. for probe
conference, say, if you’re the child, say to the teenagers, “ifyou leave you
it’s as dreaded as your turn to do the clothes in a pile at the foot of the bed,
Sunday dishes. they will be gathered up while you’re at
If you’re lucky the FC is called to (See OTHER STUFF, page 3A)
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Raleigh attorney Christopher
Brook sent a second request on Mon
day to Hoke District Attorney Kristy
M. Newton, urging her to reconsider
her denial to investigate Hoke Sheriff
Hubert Peterkin on allegations of
misconduct.
Supporters of Peterkin, including
Hoke commissioners James Leach
and Jean Powell, commission vice
chairwoman, have indicated the
allegations may be politically mo
tivated.
Almost one month ago, Newton
said after Brook’s initial request that
there was “no investigation” against
Peterkin. As the Democratic nominee
for Hoke sheriff, Peterkin is seeking
a second term of office.
His accuser, former Sheriff’s em
ployee Lissa Jones, resigned on good
terms as his administrative assistant
in July, according to Hoke’s person-
(See ALLEGATIONS, page 3A)