The
ews
Journal
If it happened, it’s news to us
75t
No.35VoLl01
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, November 15,2006
Raeford fire department gets state grant
By Victoriana Summers front lines, according to State Fire
Staff writer Marshal Jim Long.
The City of Raeford Fire Depart- “The bravery shown by these men
ment is the recipient of a state grant and women should be supported
for more than $40,000 to help local withthebestequipmentandsupplies
firemen and women fight fires on the needed to do their jobs right and do
it safely,” Long said. “I am proud that
we have this grant program in place
to provide departments like this one
with much-needed funds tocontinue
its good work.
“I intend to continue supporting
tui
Taylor Bates (left) and Victoria Trujillo check in voters at the poll.
Students’ election a lot like adults’
While Hoke County adults were going
to the polls last week, students at East
Hoke Middle already knew the winners
- of their own election anyway.
In the eighth grade, says Sue Evans,
a social studies teacher who helped
organize the election along with social
worker Teresa Maxwell, students held
registration, created ballot boxes and
voting booths, and manned the polls on
election day.
In key local elections, the results of
the students’ voting closely approxi
mated that of adults: the $20 million
school bond passed. Sheriff Hubert
Peterkin was reelected, Jean Powell,
Ellen McNeill and Tony Hunt were
elected to the Hoke Board of Commis
sioners and two of the same candidates
picked by adults made it to the Board of
Education. In the eighth grade election
incumbent Tom Pilkington was picked
over Della Maynor-Bowen.
And the students did it with no call
for a recount and no allegations of voting
irregularities.
our fire and rescue organizations assist in the effort. Unilever, although
across this great state.” reliant on Raeford’s fire department.
The grant required a match of also employs its own industrial fire
local fundsof$19,(XK). Unilever Per- suppression team for its facility on
sonal Care USA, a major industry in South Main Street.
Raeford, also contributed $2,000 to (See GRANT, page 7A)
Hargrove
orotests
iiing
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Raeford resident Jackie
Hargrove Rushing has been
ousted from her job as child
care specialist with Child
Care Connections after eight
years of service.
Formerly serving for 35
years as an owner of a child
daycare facility, Hargrove was
instrumental as a task force
member in establishing Smart
Start (Hoke County Partner
ship for Children). She has
also served as president of
the Hoke County Child Care
Association, which she helped
found with assistance from a
Fayetteville organization 25
years ago.
Since her dismissal, Har
grove has been sent a letter by
County ManagerMike Wood,
informing hershe must resign
from the Smart Start board.
Since Hargrove is no longer
president of HCCCA, Jean
Squier, Executive director
of Hoke County Partner
ship for Children notified
(See FIRING, page 4A)
East Hoke Middle School eighth-grader Kela Kennedy casts her vote.
This Week
Raeford celebrates
new downtown
pE^e IB
Man survives
bullet, wreck
page 7A
At-risk Idds
get help
page 7A
Index
Births 3B
Business/Farm 7A
Calendar 4B
Classifieds 6-7B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2-3A
Legals 4-5B
Public Record 7A
Religion 2B
Schools 3B
Socials 3B
Sports 5A
Weddings 3B
We’re on the web at
www.thenews-joumalcom
Read by 3,000 each week
Luke McNeill awarded in comeback
Poor health stopped videographer, but return brought Paul Green Award
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Four years ago, Raeford
videographer Luke McNeill
says he went home to die
after being diagnosed with
an incurable, macro-bacteria
respiratory condition.
In spite of his disability, he
has resumed his career today
as a state award-winning vid
eographer and photographer,
zooming in on the Hoke
community.
The retired grocer affili
ated with the McNeill family’s
Home Food Super Market for
37 years, said he basically
gave up. From 220 pounds.
he dwindled to 154. A his
tory and nature videographer
since 1988 and a former news
reporter stringer for WTVD
TV in Durham, the 80-year-
old McNei 11 said he even gave
away all his cameras. Then,
he said, with the support of
wife Phyllis, his health made
a dramatic comeback and so
did his career.
In October, the North
Carolina Society of Histo
rians honored McNeill with
the prestigious Paul Green
Multimedia Award. The late
Green, playwright of the
outdoor drama, “The Lost
Colony,” also achieved brief
fame as a screenplay writer
in Hollywood.
“I do not know what turned
me around,” McNeill admits.
“I got to feeling better, and I
got the chance to start over.
“Since then, I have been
sleeping in my recliner chair,
and I am doing pretty well.
It is hard to breathe when I
lay down flat in bed, but my
videos keep me going.”
With his recovery and
renewal in videotaping, Mc
Neill indicated the Paul
Green plaudit is special to
him. It is one of three awards
named in honor of Green
(See MCNEILL, page 8A)
/
Luke McNeill with wife Phyllis, and a Sprint phone book cover
he shot
Class of ‘69 gets promised award
Charles Fields, current Hoke High Bucks football player Bryant
Locklear, Barbara Creech Lippard and Billy Jacobs in the sports
stadium the class of ’69 helped to build.
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Black, white and Indian
students went to school to
gether for the first time in
Hoke County in 1968.
That year, blacks from
Upchurch and Indians from
Hawkeye joined the white
students of Hoke High to be
the first to graduate as an
integrated class in 1969.
Raz Autry was the prin
cipal. Billy Jacobs, a student
from Hawkeye, was among
the more than 200 graduates
oftheclassof’69. He said Au
try was strict, and he doesn’t
remember any problems or
fights.
Autry, who became the
principal in 1967, said his
students increased from 633
to 1,750 with the integration
move. He combined the goal
of building a sports stadium
with what he called “goof-
off days” — when students
worked on fundraisers for the
stadium.
At that time, students
(See CLASS ‘69, page 6A)
s’r.
New Phiks and Rec complex
dedication ceremony held
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke board of commissioners recently held a dedica
tion ceremony for a future Parks and Recreation complex
two miles south of Raeford. The venture will ultimately
encompass a Parks and Rec center, nature trails, ball
fields and possibly a separate senior citizens center.
Located on 90 acres acquired on Highway 211 South,
the multi-million dollar project is in the planning phase
at this time, according to Hoke commission chairman
Bobby Wright. Purchased from Raeford residents Fred
and Lewis Holland, the land cost the county $450,0(X),
equaling $5,000 per acre.
Wright said the Parks and Rec building was not placed
in this year’s budget, but it will likely be allocated for
2(K)6-07.
“Right now, we are focusing on trying to get the prop-
(See RECREATION COMPLEX, page 6A)