Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Sept. 22, 2021, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews $1 00 If it happened, its news to us 0 5 5 0 S No,30VoI.116 Raeford & Hoke County n.c. Wednesday, September 22,2021 County considers homeless shelter Also on the table is a facility for domestic violence victims By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Hoke County officials plan to investigate using part of about $5 million in federal funds to build shelters for the homeless and those escaping domestic violence. The county commission ers voted Monday to consider a proposed plan for how to use the money Hoke has received from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) allocation. County Manager Leti- tia Edens and her staff worked to offer recommendations for ways to use the funding. The plan will direct the funding toward multiple projects. The county will set aside about $1.1 million of the ARP funds for potentially building a shelter or shelters. Another $2.5 million will go toward two water and sewer projects in the county. The remaining $1.4 million will go toward paying back county funds used to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional options on the table for using the money included im proving broadband internet access, and pursuing low-income hous ing. The county will also receive another $5 million next year from the funding package. Hoke currently doesn’t have a homeless shelter or a domestic violence shelter. When a person who is homeless or escaping do mestic violence seeks help from a local agency, those agencies have to send them to a shelter outside of the county. Commission Chairman Harry Southerland said homelessness is “a national crisis, not only in Hoke County.” Southerland said he spoke with (See SHELTERS, page 10) Hit and run Police were searching for a vehicle that collided with this bus marked Southeastern Community Action Partnership Tuesday afternoon. No injuries were reported in the collision at US 401 South and Palmer Street. (Ken MacDonald photo) COVID numbers improving here Vaccine for younger kids on the way By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Although new case numbers and hospitalizations remain higher than health officials want to see, the cur rent spike due to the Delta variant of COVID-19 appears to poten tially be on a decline, according to state numbers. Hoke County Health Depart ment Director Helene Edwards re ported Tuesday that Hoke saw 129 new positive cases of COVID-19 last week. The county has seen 69 people die after testing positive for the virus since the start of the pan demic, including multiple recent deaths in the months of August and September. The county is seeing about 10 percent of all COVID-19 tests return a positive result, Edwards said. State health officials set a goal of keeping that percentage to 5 percent or less of all tests. Still, the number of new con firmed cases has declined slightly in the past few weeks in Hoke County. Hoke County Schools reported having 32 cases of COVID-19 among students and staff for the week ending Friday, September 17. That includes 22 students who were reported positive, and 10 staff members reportedly with the virus. The cases were spread across the entire school system, with only (See COVID, page 8) Water conservation in county now voluntary By Catharin Shepard Staff writer The Hoke County Board of Commis sioners changed gears Monday, lowering the county’s stage two water restriction to a stage one voluntary water conservation. Residents on the county water service are asked to take steps to conserve water, but the conservation measures are not mandatory. The board previously voted two weeks ago to implement a water restriction and have county citizens water their lawns on an even/odd basis according to their street address. A dry period over the last sev eral weeks, as well as warm temperatures meant the county’s water well pumps were running more than the state-recommended amount of time, county officials clarified in a statement last week. The water system also reportedly experi enced a problem in August with the pump at one of the county’s wells on Vass Road, which added to the strain. Under the voluntary conservation ef forts, customers were asked to consider take steps such as taking short showers, limiting outdoor watering and operating elothes washers and dishwashers only when fully loaded. Park gets new cameras, free WiFi Following an apparently drug-related shooting at the county park on Red Springs (See SECURITY, page 8) Sen. Clark says he won’t seek new term By Catharin Shepard Staff writer Hoke County’s incumbent state senator won’t seek another term in office when his current term is up in 2022. Sen. Ben Clark III, a Democrat who rep resents both Hoke County and part of Cum- Clark berland County in North Carolina’s state By Ken MacDonald Mid-book Sunday afternoon, I got to the part where a very frightened mama took her first plane ride in the early 1900s. Reminded me of a story, more recent, but similar, that happened right here in Raeford. Feeling a need to get this in the official record, yet unconstrained by the need for journalistic accuracy I will relay the tale as it was (See OTHER STUEE, page 8) Senate District 21, said Monday he won’t run for re-election next year. In the announcement about his intent not to seek office again, Clark said that repre senting the eitizens of Hoke and Cumber land counties has been “the blessing and honor of his life.” Clark was first elected in 2012 and will (See CLARK, page 4) Southerland named to optometry board North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed Hoke County Board of Commis sioners Chairman Harry Southerland to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry. As one of two “civilian” members ap pointed to the board, Southerland will work ('‘See” SOUTHERLAND, page 5) Police search for driver Raeford police are looking for a driver who flipped a car, escaped the vehicle and left the scene before authorities arrived. Investigators said Timothy Dwayne Smith, 38, of Raeford was driving his mother’s car Friday night when the accident happened. Smith allegedly left the Food Fion parking lot on Cole Avenue at a high rate of (See DRIVER, page 8) The wreck scene at College and Cole. (Catharin Shepard photo) Enrolling For Next School Year! Bus Service from Raeford (910) 483-3905 READERS’i Fayetteville Christian School Voted Best Private School 8 Consecutive Years 8i Counting! 1422 Ireland Dr. Fayetteville, NC 28304 • www.fayettevillechristian.conn AWARDS
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