Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Oct. 16, 2013, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews I ournal Hoke County^s newspaper since 1905 No.32Vol.l08 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, October 16,2013 Students at Hoke High gather to remember 16-year-old De’Andre Ricketts, who was shot dead over the weekend. Ricketts (above) at his home. At left, Ricky Locklear and others gather on the porch of his home Tuesday. In the foreground, a makeshift memo rial marks the spot where Ricketts was shot. Gunfire erupts at birthday party, 16-year-old killed By Catharin Shepard Staff writer His friends called him Papa. So did his family and even his teachers. “It’s just a name I gave him when he was a child, because he was my Papa,” Sharon Murchison said, two days after her son, 16-year-old De’Andre “Papa” Ricketts, was shot dead at a friend’s party. The Hoke High student was killed early Sunday morning outside a home on the 800 block of South Bethel Road during a birthday party, leaving behind four stunned siblings, grieving parents and a high school community in shock. Ricketts was shot once in the head after gunfire erupted at the party. which took place barely half a mile from the same high school that many of the estimated 100 partygoers at tend. Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said investigators believe there were multiple shots fired from multiple weapons on the property. Detectives with the sheriff’s office are trying to determine the circum- (See SHOOTING, page 4A) Fight over pre-K goes to state supreme court Suit originated in Hoke By Catharin Shepard Staff writer A court battle over education funding in North Caro lina that started in Hoke County nearly two decades ago once again went before a court, this time so attorneys for the Leandro plaintiffs and attorneys for the state could present arguments concerning changes to the pre-kinder garten program. Two years ago, the state legislature dismantled the More at Four pre-kindergarten program and converted it into the N.C. Pre-K program. In the process of making changes to the program, the legislature capped the num ber of disadvantaged children that the pre-kindergarten program would be allowed to serve. Officials also insti tuted a requirement that parents pay up to 10 percent of their income. Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, who sat the bench on the Leandro case in 1994, ruled that the changes (See LEANDRO, page 5A) Man shot in back, dies in ambulance Blanks A man from Shannon died Mon day afternoon from a gunshot wound and officers are seeking suspects in his murder, according to the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office. Chad Lynn Blanks, 28, of 650 Goose Pond Road was shot once in the back and died while being transported to a hospital, Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said. The shooting happened around2:40p.m. Monday at Blanks’ residence. “Detectives are questioning a possible suspect at this time. The investigation shows that this matter is possibly drug related,” the Sheriff’s Office announced in a press statement. The murder was still under investigation as of Tuesday. Anyone with information about the case is asked to please contact the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office at 875-5111. (See GUNSHOT, page 5A) For now, to protect tall buildings, Hoke depends on Lake Rim By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The Lake Rim Fire Department’s biggest truck, one of about four of its kind in Fayetteville, has the lon gest extending ladder that companies make available to firefighters. This Week Three teens arrested for burglary Page 4A Calendar 2B Classifieds 7B Deaths 3B Editorials 2A Legals 3-6B Sports 7A Worship 2B With the stability jacks engaged on both sides of the truck, the 110-foot ladder reached up to the side of Cape Fear Val ley’s Health Pavilion Hoke outpatient facility. Even the windows on the third story were accessible by the big ladder, so in the event of a fire, rescuers could access the top floor and even the roof if need be. Combined with the sprinkler system - a feature required by the county’s fire ordinance for certain buildings - the fire fighters have the building covered, officials said. However, Hoke County doesn’t have a ladder truck that large. Its million-dollar price tag has been out of reach, and with Lake Rim’s fire department within a five-minute drive of the Puppy Creek fire district, the county’s firefighters can rely on help from the Cumberland-based station. Have Puppy Creek of ficials thought about getting one of the big ladder trucks for their engine bay? “We’ve talked about it,” Chief John Joseph said. But a million-dollar lad der truck purchase doesn’t happen overnight, he added. The test run with officials and firefighters from both (See TRUCK, page 8A) ormMiirf By Ken MacDonald Excitement came to my father’s neighborhood Monday. That doesn’t happen often on his dead-end street in town. Eor that matter it doesn’t happen anywhere in Raeford anytime. But Monday, he heard something strange, looked out his window, and saw a long convoy of military ve hicles—those large diesel trucks with big guns that have been coming through town the last week or two. The con voy was grinding to a halt in front of his house, because his street, as I mentioned, is a dead-end. Oops. Wrong turn, boys. What would you do if you’d served in the U.S. Navy and now there was a procession of lost Army—or maybe Marine—soldiers at your front door? That’s right, you’d go out and good-naturedly joke with them. “Who’s your path finder?” “Google let you down?” or words to that effect. (See OTHER STUEE, page 5A) Lake Rim Fire Department’s ladder truck does the trick for now. (Catharin Shepard photo) Oh deer! Watch out for Bambi while driving By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Between mating season and hunting season, it’s a rough time to be a deer - or a driver trying to avoid hit ting one. The North Carolina Department of Transporta tion is reminding drivers that whitetail deer, a noc turnal four-hooved favorite of hunters, are more active this time of year due to their breeding season and the coinciding hunting season in North Carolina. Drivers can expect to see more deer out along the roadsides and, unfortunately, in the roads. Even more heavily popu lated areas, not just rural highways, are seeing more deer-related wrecks, accord ing to State Traffic Engineer (See DEER, page 5A)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Oct. 16, 2013, edition 1
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