The
ews
I ournal
Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905
No.45Vol.108
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, January 15,2014
Most FirstHealth patients still go to Moore
Cape Fear, FirstHealth still in court over 28 additional beds
By Catharin Shepard
taking advantage of the local Numbers from
of last year, the eight-bed by ambulance, officials re-
Staff writer
About four months after
the opening of Hoke Coun
ty’s first hospital, patients are
emergency room although
Moore Regional Hospital
continues handling many
patients from the county as
well.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas FirstHealth Moore Regional ported. In comparison, the
show how many people are
using the FirstHealth Hoke
hospital emergency room.
Since opening in October
Hospital - Hoke Campus
has seen an average of 27
patients per week brought
in to the emergency room
Cape Fear Valleys HoKe hospital is beginning to take shape at its east Hoke campus Tuesday. (Catharin Shepard photo)
Rep. McIntyre won’t run again
Many seats important to Hoke up for grabs in 2014
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
North Carolina Rep. Mike Mc
Intyre, a Democrat representing Hoke
County and the rest of Congressional
District 7, announced that he will not
seek a tenth term in office.
McIntyre, who grew up in Scot
land County, served nine terms rep
resenting North Carolina in the U.S.
Congress. He announced last week
his decision not to run again.
“We have helped thousands of
constituents from all walks of life in
ways that have significantly impacted
their lives. None of this could have
been accomplished without the strong
commitment of my family, the hard
work of my staff, and - especially
- the willingness of people through
out our region to put partisanship
aside and work together to get things
done for the betterment of eastern
North Carolina,” he said in a state
ment. “Indeed, I am grateful to all
of the Democrats, Republicans, and
Independents with whom we have
successfully worked through nine
elections over 18 years. My family
and I are ready for a new chapter and
excited about new opportunities to
continue helping North Carolina.”
2014 races to watch
The Congressional races are just
a few of multiple elections of impor
tance for Hoke residents this year.
(See ELECTION, page 6A)
This Week
Two find
path back
after criminal pasts
Page 3A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 4B
Deaths 3 A
Editorials 2A
Legals 2-3B
Sports 5 A
Worship 2B
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New courthouse in county’s future?
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Hoke County wrapped up
work on several major con
struction projects and other
improvement efforts last
year, with at least one more
on the way for 2014, County
Manager Tim Johnson said.
The county and school
system’s joint project, Sandy
Grove Middle School,
opened to students in Au
gust 2013. The process of
financing and constructing
the school was a major event
for the county, Johnson said.
“Anytime you’re in a
county as rural as Hoke -
and we’re still rural, we’re
getting to the point where
the population is going up
but it’s still a rural area
- that’s a big deal, when
you’re talking about spend-
(See OUTLOOK, page 4A)
395-bed Moore Regional
Hospital in Pinehurst sees
about 31 patients per day
in the emergency room
brought in by ambulance,
and an average of 217 per
week.
Most of the patients
coming into the Hoke hos
pital are coming from Hoke
and Cumberland counties,
FirstHealth public relations
spokeswoman Gretchen
Kelly said.
The hospital system
(See HOSPITALS, page 6A)
Couple pleads guilty
in bestiality case
A local couple charged
with making and selling
bestial pornography pleaded
guilty in federal court, ac
cording to court records.
Last year, Raeford police
arrested Ruben Chance
James Fox and Amber Nicole
Fox, both 23, of the 900block
of East Prospect Avenue in
Raeford after a cyber crime
investigator in another state
contacted police about the
couple’s alleged involvement
in sexual acts with dogs.
Ruben Chance James Fox
was originally charged with
10 counts of crimes against
nature/bestiality, 12eountsof
felony disseminating obscene
materials and two counts of
felony conspiracy. Amber
Nicole Fox was originally
(See PLEADS, page 4A)
Three charged after
drive-by shooting
Two similar shootings investigated
By Catharin
Shepard
Staff writer
The Hoke
County Sher
iff’s Office re-
Virgil
Phillips
Stanback
sponded Monday to three
different reports of drive-by
shootings, including one that
sent a man to the hospital
with a non life-threatening
gunshot wound.
Travis Maurice Grace
suffered a gun shot wound to
his right ankle while standing
on the front doorsteps of a
residence he was visiting on
the 1600 block of McBryde
(See DRIVE-BY, page 6A)
Hunt case continued
Hoke County Commis
sioner and Lumbee Tribe
Administrator Tony Hunt last
week sought and received a
eontinuance of his court case,
according to Hoke County
courthouse records.
Hunt, 51, of the 1100 block
of Stonegate Drive in Raeford
was arrested last November
and charged with felony
larceny, assault on a female,
assault by pointing a gun,
domestic criminal trespass
ing, resisting, delaying or
obstructing a public offi-
O,
Hunt
cer, carrying
a concealed
weapon
and com
municating
threats, au
thorities said.
According to reports and
arrest warrants. Hunt alleg
edly threatened to shoot his
wife and himself.
Hunt’s next court date is
scheduled for February 5.
He has not yet entered a plea
m court.
2 fatal shootings unsolved
January fun
Kim Cardoza (left) was among the youth from Called Into Action, Inc. who helped residents at
Autumn Care of Raeford make snowmen on a rainy Saturday afternoon last weekend. She is
shown with Violet Seaford. Dane Sorensen (right) and Elizabeth Baker teamed up too.
The Hoke County Sher
iff’s Office continues inves
tigating two fatal shootings
from 2013 that remain open
with no arrests in either case.
Investigators continue fol
lowing leads on the unrelated
shooting deaths of De’Andre
“Papa” Ricketts, 16, and
Chad Lynn Blanks, 28.
Ricketts was shot and killed
October 13 and Blanks was
killed October 14 of last year.
Ricketts was shot dead at
a friend’s late-night birth
day party on the 800 block
of South Bethel Road, less
(See UNSOLVED, page 6A)
Alleged shooter arrested
Officials with the Hoke
County Sheriff’s Office ar
rested last week a suspect
wanted in connection with a
shooting that happened last
year in the Red Springs area.
Investigators arrested
Joshua Davis Barton, 25,
of the 200 block of South
Hoke Street in Red Springs
on charges of assault with a
deadly weapon with intent
to kill, inflicting serious
injury. The Sheriff’s Office
charged Barton with alleg
edly shooting Jose Salinas
last November at a home on
the 200 block of New Lane
Road in Shannon.
Salinas suffered two gun
shot wounds to the pelvic
(See ARRESTED, page 6A)