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The ews Journal If it happened, it’s news to UB 75t No. 14VoL 102 RA^roFc .Is ‘f : j' Wednesday, June 27,2007 Firing of 6 sets off accusations, alarm Three commissioners say it’s to save money, two say it’s racially motivated By Victoriana Summers Staff writer Voting 3-2, Hoke County Commissioners abruptly eliminated four positions - two of them department heads - Friday morning, setting off charges of racism, and raising ques tions about the legality of their methods. After the $3.5 million county budget was already balanced for 2007-08 and subse quently passed on Friday, the board came back at the same meeting and suddenly wiped out the positions of the Parks and Recreation director, the Risk Management manager, the code enforcement inspector and the customer service manager in Hoke Utilities. The four employees removed are white, and were fired without reprimands or disci plinary actions on their records, according to commissioner Jean Powell. She voted against the budget recommendation introduced by commission chairman James A. Leach. “It strikes me that the terminated posi tions involved, or those employees let go are white,’’ Powell said. “This is a sad day for Hoke County. “1 do think Hoke has a good representation in its employment from all races,” she said. “It is a shame that this appears racially motivated.” Powell, and commissioner Bobby Wright, {See COUNTY FIRINGS, page 5A) V r' J David Cook stopped at Home Food Super Market Thursday for a banana, before continuing on his walk to Carolina Beach. Man’s journey to health brings him through Hoke County iCi t Jeiuta Walters finalist in talent page 6 A Museum board shows artifacts at Sandy Grove |wge8A Upchurch Class of‘62 prepares for reunion j .ice4A Index Calendar 3B Classifieds 5B Court 3A Deaths 3A Editorials 2A Legals 4B Schools IB We’re on the web at www.thenews-joumal.com Read by 4,000 each week By Ken MacDonald Roughly a year ago, David Cook weighed 427 pounds. He could barely walk 10 feet, let alone take on the adventure that led him through Raeford last week. Thursday, about 185 pounds lighter, he walked up Main Street and reached the approximate Journal, where he took a break for halfway point on his trek from his hometown in Granite Quarry, N.C. to Carolina Beach, a distance of 220 miles. “If you told me a month ago I’d do something like this I’d have laughed at you,” he said upon reaching the office of The News- about 15 minutes. The 51 year-old Baptist min ister, who holds a masters in church music and a doctorate in family ministry, struggled with weight issues all his life. He weighed 98 pounds in the first (See JOURNEY, page 4A) Jackson supporters appear at board meeting. Parks & Rec. emergency meeting held Director among those fired By Victoriana Summers Staff writer Parks and Recreation advisory board members, colleagues, coaches and parents are rallying behind Parks and Rec director David Jackson. Commission chairman James A. Leach, com mission vice chairman Tony Hunt and commis sioner Ellen McNeill, terminated his position unexpectedly on Friday. Hunt said after the board voted on the issue 3-2 on Friday that Jackson’s position would remain vacant for at least one year. Commissioners Jean Powell and Bobby Wright voted against what they deemed was the “firing” by the other three board members of Jackson without provocation or due process. Leach, Hunt and McNeill say the elimination of his position was merely cost cutting in nature. An overflowing impassioned, but orderly, group of supporters spoke of Jackson’s dedica tion at an emergency Parks and Rec meeting last night. The board unanimously voted to “keep” Jackson on board. The advisory board voted to send chair man llissa Epps as a representative for the group to Friday’s budget session meeting and the regular Monday night commissioners’ (See PARKS & REC, page 7A) Woman fighting for her hfe after attack in Scurlock By Victoriana Summers Staff writer A Hispanic woman is fighting for her life at the University of North Carolina- Hospitals at Chapel Hill after being stabbed while in her Scurlock home on Friday. The suspected assailant of Jessica Perez was captured by the Hoke Sheriff’s Office after a countywide dragnet and subsequent chase. Hoke sheriff Hubert Pe- terkin said barely one hour after Perez was apparent 1\' left for dead, Casimiro Solis Pacheco was apprehended while he was driving a get away vehicle. Pacheco is charged with at tempted first-degree murder. He iscurrently being detained r 1 at Hoke County Jail, under a$l million secured bond. Hoke deputies Pacheco responded to the emergency request concerning an assault on Friday. Details were still sketchy if the incident was one moti vated by domestic violence, according to Peterkin. “She is still alive,” Petetkin said today. “Her condition is listed as critical, but we urge our community to pray for her recovery.” Perez was initially trans ported to Cape Fear Valley Hospital, where she received medical care prior to being transferred to Chapel Hill’s facility. Perez and Pacheco resided together at 405 Chadwick Road, site of her stabbing. “I want to thank my depu-, ties and detectives for leaping immediately into action to find this suspect,” Peterkin said. “1 was very plea.sed that the suspect was captured (See STABBING, page 7A) khe N ews-l News By KiiN MacDonald Publisher Milestones usually bring mixed emotions: your car passing 100,0(X) miles (pride, trepi dation), you graduate (relief, apprehension), your first French kiss (joy, disgust). So it was when ouroldest child turned 25 last week: he’s finally grown and, as a teacher has n able job, but then if he’s a quarter of a century old, where does that put us, his parents? Curiously, I found it comforting. 'I'wenty- Othej-stuff * 11, D five is still young, I reasoned, and I’m only 25 times two. You could say 1 have been young twice. Anyway, his twenty-lifth birthday was a milestone and we went out to dinner to celebrate. T'here we were regaled with tales from his latest ad\entute a \isit to the music festival L ulld null Ul Ill.Y plaiLS - 01’ lack thereof for his next adventure, which commences today. (See OTHER STIFF, page HA) Hoke native Claudie Dial is Lumbee parade marshal The Lumbee Homecoming Festival, now more than 30 years old, continues in Robeson County with beauty pageants this weekend, and concludes July 7 with a parade, led by Hoke native and grand marshal Rev. Claudie Dial. Dial, who now lives in Scot land County, is an evangelist who spent his life inini.stering all over the world. He chartered the non- profit organi zation “Friends of t h r Son,” which helps (See MARSHAL, page 7A) Rev. Claudie Dial
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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June 27, 2007, edition 1
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