The
ews
I ournal
If it happened, it’s news to us
No.34Vol.l05
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, November 3,2010
Incumbents take loeal eleetions
Commissioners, board of education candidates returned to office by voters
By Tori Hamby
StaffWriter
Incumbents dominated
the polls this year in both
local, district and statewide
elections.
Hoke County Board of
Commissioners incumbents
Tony Hunt, Helen McNeill
and Jean Powell—all Demo
crats—defeated lone Republi
can challenger Elda Thacker.
Powell said that one of
her top priorities going into
the new term will he fiscal
responsibility during a year
in which state and federal
budget projections already
appear grim.
“Fiscal responsibility is
going to really be important
because the state and federal
budget are really going to be
impacted—so we hear—this
year and even the following
year,” Powell said. “We re
ally need to keep our local
government on an even keel.”
She added that encourag
ing economic development
inside of the county will play
a large role in keeping the
county financially stable and
said that the board is com
mitted to seeing the proposed
wastewater treatment facility
built.
“All of us on the board
feel like that’s an important
priority,” Powell said. “It’s
important for development on
the eastern part of the county
and will provide opportunity
for commercial development.
Things that need sewer ca
pacity—like restaurants and
grocery stores—^will all be
possible once we have that
capacity.”
McNeill echoed the same
sentiments concerning the
water treatment plant, call
ing it the board’s “highest
priority.”
She added that finding
funding for more school fa
cilities will be another issue
that the county will face as its
population continues to grow.
“A lot of people have told
me that they want a new high
school,” McNeill said. “We
don’t have the money for that
at this time after putting mon-
(See ELECTION, page 5A)
Congregation copes wifii weekend church fire
By Tori Hamby
StaffWriter
Soot-covered pews and seats sat outside
Daniel Temple Church early Tuesday morn
ing, as church members tried to recover
items that hadn’t been damaged or ruined
by a blaze that occurred over the weekend.
The fire - which Hoke County Fire Mar
shal Freddie Johnson said was due to an
electrical short in a food warmer - resulted
in extensive damage to the church’s interior,
although the structure remained intact.
“I can’t give a monetary amount, but the
fire, smoke and heat damage was extensive,”
.Johnson said.
Members from the North Raeford, Hill-
crest and Puppy Creek fire departments
responded to the fire, which began inside the
church - located at 2170 Doc Brown Road in
Raeford - around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.
30. Members of the congregation watched
while firefighters extinguished the blaze,
(See EIRE, page 5A)
(Contributed)
LefcThe congregation prays; above; Daniels-
McNeil surveys the damage; burned furniture
litters the church yard. (Tori Hamby photos)
Tiick-or-treaters
visit seniors
page6A
Drug crackdown
lea^ to arrests
page6A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 5B
Court 4B
Deaths 3 A
Editorials 2 A
Legals 3-4B
Screech. next week
Worship 2B
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Both hospitals appeal state decision
Prospects for a Hoke hospital could be set back years
By Tori Hamby
StaffWriter
The wait for a Hoke County
hospital may have just gotten longer
- years longer.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas and
Cape Fear Valley Health System -
two regional healthcare companies
trying to build hospitals in Hoke
County - appealed each other’s state
Certificate of Need decision, just
minutes before the state Office of
Administrative Hearings appeals’
deadline.
According to documents from
the OAH, Cape Fear filed their
appeal last Wednesday at 4:29
p.m. - 31 minutes before the 5 p.m.
deadline. FirstHealth followed with
a counter appeal at 4:49 p.m.
“Our hope was that Cape Fear
would not appeal, then we would
not have to appeal,” said Gretchen
Kelly, a FirstHealth spokeswoman.
“Unfortunately, Cape Fear chose to
appeal and we were forced to follow
with our own appeal.”
If both companies do not drop
their appeals, the following court
proceedings will prevent both
companies from building a hospital
for three to five years. However, if
appeals are dropped, construction
of both hospitals can begin after the
companies receive building permits
from the county.
A week prior to the appeals’
deadline, FirstHealth CEO Charles
Frock issued a public statement
asking Cape Fear Valley to cancel
any plans to appeal the decision
and stated that First Health would
refrain from appealing if Cape Fear
chose not to do so.
“We stand by our proposal to
drop all appeals if Cape Fear will
do the same,” Kelly said.
After the appeals’ deadline on
Wednesday, Frock made another
public statement to county residents
that expressed disappointment in
Cape Fear’s decision.
“Despite our efforts to negotiate
privately and publicly. Cape Fear Val
ley Health System has not accepted
our proposal to do what is best for
Hoke County residents. We want
Hoke County to have both hospitals
(See HOSPITALS, page 5A)
By Ken MacDonald
Ever since I wore a dress and heels
for a Relay for Fife beauty pageant
some years back I’ve come to grips
with my manliness, and so it no longer
bothers me to do unmanly things like
use clean towels, eat Brussels sprouts,
and think. Heck, I sometimes evenread
the instructions, and ask directions,
although that’s still pushing the limits.
It’s a good thing I am so secure.
Because last week, when my wife
suggested I go to the aid of a lassie who
needed a male for her school project
on eschatology, I found out the young
lady was interested in neither religion
nor heaven and hell. The word on the
door of the building at Sandhills was
“esthetics,” and that, I learned, has to
do with skin care. And just like that, I
found myself undergoing a European
facial.
Okay, I’ll level with you -1 knew
what I was about to get into, but the
part about not knowing sounds better.
There are few things I won’t do
for someone like Lindsay Wood. I’ve
known her since - spoiler alert - I
used to pretend I was Santa Claus and
send her CompuServe santagrams in
(See OTHER STUEE, page 6A)
Driver flees after killing man
By Tori Hamby
StaffWriter
Officials with the North Carolina
Highway Patrol say that a Raeford
man found dead on the side of the
road was a victim of a hit-and-run
accident early Monday morning.
According to a dispatcher with
the Highway Patrol, Cuachichil
Pineda Maximino, 48, of 2605
US. Highway 401 Business, was
walking west near the shoulder of
Rockfish Road - about a tenth-of-a-
mile from Oak Tree Drive - when he
was struck by an unknown vehicle.
The driver then left the scene of the
accident.
Although another driverreported
the body at 7:45 a.m., the dispatcher
said the accident could have oc
curred as early as 12 a.m. She said
the victim was deceased by the time
law enforcement officials arrived at
the scene.
She said the vehicle is believed
to be maroon or burgundy with
damage to the right front panel
and headlights. Fragments of the
(See HIT-AND-RUN, page 5A)