The
ews
Journal
Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905
75^
No.40 Vol.113
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, December 5,2018
INSIDE
Health in Hoke County
Sheriff says fifth term is for staff
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Hoke County Sheriff Hubert
Peterkin was sworn in Monday
to start his fifth consecutive four-
year term in office.
“Five terms is hard to get.
Hoke County was established in
1911, and there have only been
seven sheriffs since 1911. I’m
the seventh one,” Peterkin said,
speaking on the history of the
county’s law enforcement office.
The first three Hoke sheriffs
held the office for a combined 77
years. Peterkin has been in office
for 16 years; it will be 20 years
by the end of this term. He was
38 years old when he was first
elected in 2002.
“People ask me, how long are
you going to do it? Sounds like
I’m just getting started,” he said.
The ceremony held at the Mt.
Pisgah Community Resource
Center included the swearing-in
for Peterkin and dozens of Hoke
Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Peterkin said he thanked God
for blessing him with the chance
to serve in the office.
(See SHERIFF, page 5)
^eterkin speaks at a swearing-in ceremony.
Hometown
Christmas scenes
Above, the Sandy Grove El
ementary School chorus sings
Christmas carols at the library
stage.At right, crowds lined up
outside Raeford City Hall for
the tree lighting and to see
Santa.Atfar right, four-year-old
Waylon Funke lights up as he
shares a secret wish with Santa
Claus.Hometown Christmas is
in its fourth year downtown.
(Catharin Shepard photos)
Hometown Christmas rings in holiday season
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
When Santa’s reindeer run into trouble
on the way to Hometown Christmas, who
do you call for help?
The same folks who stand ready to help
anyone in an emergency.
The famous man in the big red suit
arrived to Raeford City Hall in style last
week thanks to the paramedics of Cape
Fear Valley’s Hoke ambulance service.
When the sleigh got delayed, the ambu
lance crew stepped in to give Santa a lift
right down Main Street so he could hear
children’s wishes for Christmas.
The festivities kicked off the holiday
season Thursday in downtown Raeford
with hayrides, caroling, classic Christmas
movies and more. This marks the fourth
year for the annual celebration, sponsored
by the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Com
merce and supported by Hoke County
Schools, the city of Raeford and Hoke
County local government.
Raeford Mayor John K. McNeill, Hoke
County Commission Chairman James
Leach and Chamber of Commerce Presi
dent Sharon Burney welcomed the crowds
and opened the festivities with the Christ
mas tree lighting at city hall.
(See HOMETOWN, page 5)
Hoke Animal Shelter is jammed full, adopters needed
By Catharin Shepard
Staff writer
Take one look at Leo’s big paws
and floppy ears, and you can tell he’s
going to be a big boy.
That’s to be expected with a Great
Pyrenees for a dad and a golden
retriever for a mom.
The four-month-old puppy arrived
malnourished and hungry at the
Hoke County Animal Shelter this
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ofmmff
By JXen MacDonald
“Oh Ford it’s hard to be humble
When you’re perfect in every way
Can’t wait to look in the mirror
I get better looking each day... ”
(Mac Davis)
thenews-journal.com
We should probably sing that song to ourselves each
morning, to build ourselves up and prepare for the onslaught
of humiliation that awaits us in the world.
(See OTHER STUFF, page 5)
week. He was “shy at first,” but
enjoyed his first day at the shel
ter playing with staff and vol
unteers, shelter operator Kristi
Pylant reported on the organiza
tion’s Facebook page.
Look through the Assisting
the Hoke County Animal Shelter
Facebook page and you’ll find
photos of Leo, and Nicholas
the yellow Labrador retriever,
plus hound dogs in every shape
and size. There are tiny spotted
puppies that an animal control
officer found covered with fleas,
living underneath a burned-out
mobile home, and a Chihuahua-
Dachshund mix named Alejan
dro who likes to hop into laps
to shower the shelter staff with
kisses.
Those are just a few of the
Leo found a home. Other pets
wait for adopters,
many dogs and puppies available
for adoption at the Hoke County
Animal Shelter, which is full to
capacity and needs to find good,
loving homes for as many ani
mals as possible in order to save
their lives.
“We are completely full right
now and have so many wonder
ful animals that desperately need
loving forever homes,” Pylant
wrote on the shelter’s Facebook
page.
The shelter takes in dogs and
cats found on the street, and
those who are surrendered by
owners. Each of them has their
own story of how they come
to be in need of a home, often
shared by Pylant on the animal
shelter’s active Facebook page.
A cat named Max, recently
adopted, was surrendered by his
owner who is pregnant and on
bed rest while her husband is de
ployed. Rifle, a black Labrador
retriever, was adopted after
(See SHEFTER, page 5)
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