The
ews
I ournal
Hoke County^s newspaper since 1905
N0.31V0L108
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, October 9,2013
75-bed adult care facility approved
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
A development firm is bringing a
75-bed adult care facility to eastern
Hoke County, following approval
from the county Board of Com
missioners.
Locklear and Jacobs of Pembroke, ness, which will be located at 8398 The facility is being developed by The facility is meant to offer greater
Representatives from Locklear,
representing property owner Ven
ture Properties Group, appeared
before the board members Monday
night requesting a conditional use
permit to operate the care facility.
Commissioners unanimously voted
to approve the permit for the busi-
Highway 401.
“We really feel this will fill a great
need,” architect Jay Stewart said. The
adult care home will offer a 32-bed
secure unit that will offer memory
support for residents with dementia,
Alzheimer’s or other memory issues.
Smith-Packett, which works with
operators in North Carolina and
Virginia to build similar facilities
in both states.
Representative Aubrey Knox
said the home will be staffed with
about 25-35 full-time employees.
freedom for seniors who may have
difficulty living alone, she said.
“This gives them a chance to have
a social life,” Knox said.
In other planning matters, com
missioners also approved a request
{See COMMISSION, page 5A)
Hoke racing
The #20 Micro Sprint car of Matt Jones leads the field coming out of turn four at Rockfish Motor Speedway off of Lindsay
Road in Hoke County Saturday afternoon. Jody McCall, in the yellow winged car with 43 on the top, was winner of the
main race. Other results are on page 7A. (Hal Nunn photo)
Hoke schools census grows again
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Following an ongoing growth trend,
Hoke County Schools added more than
100 students for the ongoing school
year, officials said.
Hoke County Schools added 133
more students over the first 10 days of
school than at the start of the 2012-13
school year. For the first 10 days of
2012, including pre-kindergarten chil
dren, the school system enrolled 8,396
students. Superintendent Dr. Freddie
Williamson said. The same 10 days for
2013, also including pre-kindergarten
children, reported an increase to 8,529
students enrolled in Hoke County.
The biggest gains were in grades
three, seven and nine. This year saw
60 more third graders added to the
county’s elementary schools, 68 more
seventh graders to the middle schools
and 78 more freshmen at Hoke High.
Of all the county’s schools, Hoke
High saw the biggest increase with
93 more students on the 10th day of
school than in the 2012-13 school year.
The high school remains the largest
(See SCHOOLS, page 5A)
This Week
City plans
improvements
to McLauchlin Park
Page 6A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 5B
Deaths 3B
Editorials 2A
Legals 2-4B
Sports 7A
Worship 2B
NOW OPEN!
□ #lnHokeForHoke FsrStHealth
The sign says it all—Hoke’s first hospital accepts patients.
Hospital opens
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
It took a week longer than expected, but the doctors, nurses
and other staff members at FirstHealth of the Carolinas
opened the doors Monday to Hoke County’s first hospital.
The hospital was scheduled to open last week, but a state
agency wasn’t able to complete a required licensing inspec
tion on time. The North Carolina Department of Health and
Human Services issued the hospital’s license last Thursday
after the facility passed the inspection, FirstHealth officials
announced.
The hospital opened at 8 a.m. Monday, October 7, end
ing a years-long wait for emergency healthcare services in
(See HOSPITAL, page 6A)
Shutdown delays
treatment plant
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Hoke County held a bid opening last week for construction
of the county’s long-awaited wastewater treatment plant, but
the federal government shutdown has thrown the project off
schedule by as much as two months.
The county bid out two contracts, one to put in the pipelines
and one to build the treatment plant, and received 10 bids
on one contract and four bids on another. County Manager
Tim Johnson said. However, the bids came in higher than
anticipated, and before sending a proposal on accepting any of
the bids to commissioners, the county must discuss the mat
ter with United States Department of Agriculture officials.
The USDA is providing financing for the treatment plant.
But meeting with USDA Rural Center representatives
(See DELAYED, page 6A)
Buie
Cofield
McPhatter
3 arrested for break-ins
Food service
William Maness and Elizabeth Bak
er from Upchurch Elementary (left
photo), and William Bethea from
Hoke High were among volunteers
who distributed 10,000 pounds of
food Saturday at the high school.
They represented Called Into Ac
tion, one of several organizations
that took part. The food was for
anyone who needed it.
Officers with the Raeford
Police Department arrested
three people last month after
a witness called 911 about
a breaking and entering in
progress.
Police responded to the
call September 18 at a home
on the 200 block of East 5th
Avenue. Officers spotted two
men and one woman behind
a residence, apparently try
ing to break into the house,
according to reports. One
suspect ran from police but
was eventually caught and all
three were arrested.
Police were later able
to connect the suspects to
another breaking and enter
ing that previously occurred
on the 500 block of North
Stewart Street. A kitchen
window had been broken and
alargeLCD television stolen.
Officers canvassed the area
and found the television in
the backyard of the residence
on the 200 block of East 5th
Avenue, where the three sus
pects had been apprehended.
(See BREAK-INS, page 8A)