The
ews
Journal
Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905
75 ^
No.llVoI.113
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, May 16,2018
Hoke closes schools for march
Joins other systems across state in allowing teachers to go to Raleigh
Ry Catharin Shfrarh ntlpnH an nrcrnniynH marnh in hr>arrl mpmhprs 1aQt niaVit wp all pre that Mav Ih will hppnmp an ITnVp stnrlpnte will nnt havp t
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
The Hoke County Board of
Education joined nearly 40 school
systems across the state last week
in declaring an optional teacher
workday Wednesday, May 16
to allow teachers the chance to
attend an organized march in
Raleigh.
Hoke County Schools Super
intendent Dr. Freddie Williamson
announced the optional teacher
workday in an email to school
principals and other officials Fri
day morning.
“After speaking with school
board members last night, we all
agree that it is important for our
teachers to know that we support
them if they choose to attend the
March for Students and Rally
for Respect Advocacy Day on
Wednesday, May 16 in Raleigh,”
Williamson said in the email.
“Please share with your teach
ers that May 16 will become an
optional teacher workday. This
will allow any teacher choosing to
attend to be able to do so without
having a $50 deduction for a sub.
Also, this will allow any teacher
assistant who desires to attend the
rally the opportunity to do so us
ing an annual leave day.”
Hoke students will not have to
make up the day, the superinten
dent said. There are still 1.5 days
of built-in extra instructional time
to use before the end of the school
year in June as needed. Hoke
County Schools Director of Public
Relations Jodie Bryant sent
(See SCHOOLS CLOSE, page 10)
SandHoke Graduation
SandHoke Early College High School graduated a class of 71 students Friday in a 6 p.m,
ceremony.The commencement exercises were held at Sandy Grove Middle School. (Jodie
Bryant photos)
4 companies pitch for parks & rec., agriculture buildings
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Four companies made their bids Monday
to the Hoke County Board of Commission
ers with each seeking to be selected as the
designer and builder of a new county parks
and recreation center and agriculture center.
The board members met to hear presenta
tions from Metcon of Pembroke, Construc
tion Systems Inc. of Fayetteville, Bobbitt
Design and Build of Raleigh and Clancy
and Theys Construction Company of Ra
leigh. Each of the four companies responded
to a request for qualifications, or RFQ,
earlier this year showing interest in working
with the county to bring the projects to life.
The projects are “design build,” mean
ing that the same company would handle
everything from creating the architectural
plans to putting the finishing touches on the
construction to get the facilities ready for the
public to use.
Commissioners questioned the compa
Clancy & Theys showed Commissioners samples of their work similar to buildings proposed by the county. At left, Marsh Creek Community
Center in Raleigh. At right, the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.
nies about their past experience in getting
projects approved by the Local Govern
ment Commission and their ability to
recruit local subcontractors to do the con
struction work. Some board members also
asked about the companies’ familiarity
with “creative financing” that could include
a mix of funding sources.
Each company affirmed they can do all
three, and additionally discussed what tools
the developer would use to communicate
with county officials during the design and
build process to keep the project on budget
and schedule.
Each of the four companies shared an
overview of some of their previous projects
and gave the board members a chance to
see what sort of approach each company
might take in the development and con
struction process.
Metcon has a long history working with
Hoke County local government and the
school system. The company built Sandy
(See BUILDINGS, page 10)
Mental health crisis training planned for law enforcement
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Local law enforcement agencies
and other community partners are
preparing for a weeklong training
session that will help officers learn
how to help citizens with mental
health issues who are suffering a
crisis.
Representatives from the Hoke
County Sheriffs Office and
Raeford Police Department are
joining Sandhills Community
College, Cape Fear Valley and
FirstHealth hospitals, Hoke Coun
ty EMS, local fire departments
and others in creating the Hoke
County Crisis Intervention Team
Partnership. The partnership is
focused on preparing law enforce
ment officers for their interactions
with people with mental illnesses
or other mental or behavioral dif
ferences.
This isn’t the first time that
Hoke law enforcement has partici
pated in similar training, accord
ing to Lt. R. Downing Jr. of the
Hoke County Sheriff’s Office.
Downing is working with Sheriff
Hubert Peterkin on coordinating
the training, and has been through
the training himself The program
first started in Moore County in
2007, the deputy said.
“It was originally designed to
teach law enforcement how to deal
with people with various mental
health issues suffering a crisis,”
Downing said. “It’s learning how
to talk to people that have these
issues and trying to get them the
help that they need instead of
(See MENTAL HEALTH, page 8)
Look for
oftm-mr
this symbol
to find stores
that sell The
By Ken MacDonald
News-Journal
00
Our speaker was making the point that nobody these days
carries enough pocket change to purchase a newspaper from a
coin-operated box. “At every newspaper conference I go to—
like this one—I ask this question, and I’m asking it of you,
do you have enough money to buy a newspaper from a box?”
One smart-aleck said, “Do you mean change in our pockets,
or total net worth?” The joking at the Eastern North Carolina
Press Association is a way of coping with the challenges news
papers face today.
The latest: a tariff on newsprint by the Trump
(See OTHER STUEE, page 8)
Top teacher, principal
Amelia Simpson, above left, is Hoke County’s Teacher of the Year. She teaches at SandHoke
Early College High School, and is shown with Principal Colleen Pegram.The district’s
Principal of the Year is Hoke High Principal Roger Edwards. (Jodie Bryant photos)