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PROGRESS SENTINEL
VOL. XXXXVII NO. 43 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE, NC 28349 OCTOBER 25, 1984 16 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
A
? Poultry Operation Cuts Back
Closing Local Hatchery
Hy-Cross Co., the Pennsylvania
firm that opened a poultry operation
at Rose Hill this spring, closed its
hatchery recently. The closing threw
I about 14 people out of work.
David Rackley Jr., former hatch
ery manager for the Duplin County
operation, said workers had about 10
days notice of the closing. "Things
kind of dropped off and I could see it
coming," he said.
The company will keep open its
pullet operation, which employs two
people, Rackley said.
Rackley said he and 10 to 12 others
k who lost their jobs are still out of
" work. Many will lot* for work at
other hatcheries, he said.
Agri-General Corp. in Letitz, Pa.,
owns Hy-Cross. Company official
Bob Boucher refused last week to
comment on the closing.
Boucher said only Andy Hanson,
Agri-General's general manager,
could comment. "1 know that he is in
meetings also and is not in Pennsyl
vania," Boucher said.
Rose Hill Commissioner Keith
Hinson said he had not expected the
company to expand its operation, but
had thought it would remain in Rose
Hill.
Rackley said Hy-Cross closed its
Rose Hill operation because agricul
tur authorities lifted the quarantine
in Pennsylvania caused by avian flu.
That allowed the company to resume
production there. Rackley said a
drop in egg prices has cut the
demond for laying hens. He expects
the operation to reopen if there is
another outbreak of avian flu or it
orders for laying hens increase.
"They had planned to stay,"
Rackley said. "The price of eggs
dropped to below break-even, so
people are not putting in orders for
layers. They have a hatchery inthe
quarantine zone in Pennsylvania.
The quarantine was lifted in the first
of October."
"1 realized they are a Pennsyl
vania company and knew when the
quarantine was lifted they would
have a decision to make," said
Hinson, who formerly worked for the
Watson Seafood and Poultry Co.
Watson's property was sold in a
bankruptcy sale this spring. Rackley
said Hy-Cross rented the hatchery
building, formerly used by Watson,
from two Rose Hill residents.
"There's some disappointment,
really," said Woody Brinson, direc
tor of the Duplin Development Com
mission. "Everybody automatically
jumped to the conclusion that they
would buy Watson's whole opera
tion. They never bid on it. I think
that's where expectations came
about."
A lot of people around Rose Hill
really assumed" Hy-Cross would
buy eggs from farmers and contract
with growers, Brinson said.
With the closing, Hy-Cross will
ship its 60,000 laying hens to its
Pennsylvania hatchery, Rackley
said. He said the company spent
$15,000 to $20,000 per month in
Duplin County. That included
salaries, rent, utilities and feed.
Albertson Water Bids Awarded
> To Raleigh Based Firm
Duplin County Commissioners
awarded $1.1 million in bids for the
Albertson community water system
last week. This is almost $219,000
less than the expected cost.
The project, to be completed in
December 1985, will be funded
through federal and state loans and
grants and bonds sold by. Duplin
County. Under the cost-sharing for
I
mulas, the county's share is
$111,000 less than estimated.
Heater Well Co. of Raleigh was
low bidder for a well at $64,493.46.
The company must start drilling
within 30 days and has 45 days after
that to finish. The highest of the
seven bidders offered to drill the well
for $89,800.
The lion's share of the project ?
water lines to homes ? will cost
$919,159. Paul's Pipeline Inc. of
Danville, Ky., was low bidder. R.H.
Moore Co. of Murrell's Inlet, S.C.
was highest at $1,126,3%.75.
Cauldwell Tanks of Louisville,
Ky., got the contract to build a
150,000-gallon water tank for
$122,502. High bid for the project
was $162,200 from NaCon Services
of Norcross, Ga.
James Parker, Albertson water
system chairman, is anxious to see
the work begin. "1 want to see one of
those spigots dripping," he said.
In other business, the commis
sioners decided to advertise for an
assistant finance officer for $15,331
yearly. The job is a reclassification of
a former computer technician posi
tion. Three people were hired in that
job and all quit for better-paying
jobs.
Duplin General Hospital Adminis
trator Richard Harrell said the
hospital is "in the black." He also
said the hospital is completing
negotiations to have a portable CAT
scanner, a computerized X-ray ma
chine, brought to the hospital twice a
week. ?
People needing the special X-ray
must now pay $200 for an ambulance
trip and insurance companies and
Medicare will not pay for the ride,
Harrell said.
Frank Moore, county tax super
visor, said state motor vehicle lists
helped add more than $2 million to
the county's list of taxable property.
Taxes and penalties from that
amount will bring in about $15,000.
Malpractice Trial
A malpractice trial began in
Kenansville Monday.
The case alleges that through
neglect. Dr. Oscar L. Redwine, a
surgeon of Kenansville, caused the
death of Henry Noah Blackburn of
WSrs.Nv. The incident ccurred in
March 1982.
Superior Court Judge Henry L.
McKinnon of Lumnberton is pre
siding over the civil case.
Jury selection is expected to be
complete by Tuesday noon.
t s Law Enforcement Hut Dedication \
i 1 . .... a vjl mr m i
| Honored For Work Dono
Ronald Brock, a Duplin County Sheriff's Deputy, and I
Dennis Pope, a Masonry instructor at James Sprunt, I
^ "are presented plaques by Glenn Jernigan tin appre
ciation for the work they did in completing the Duplin I
County law enforcement buildinq. Th<- presentation
?k
took place at dedication ceremonies Sunday at the
building named in honor of the late Sheriff Williamson,
attorney Vance Gavin was the guest speaker. The
ttuilding is called the D.L. Williamson Law Enforce
ment Center.
T : '
Frying Fish For Charity
The Duplin County Shrine Club sponsors a fish fry each October to raise
funds for crippled children. Pictured above, Duplin Shriner Moses Fanner
prepares fish for frying at the park in Kenansville. The fish fries are currently
held in three locations in Duplin County and proceeds are donated to help
sponsor 21 Shriners hospitals for crippled and burned children. According to
Shrine members, the t> u #1 fish fry >gan mo-e tha^ l9-y< .s ago in Vallate
and branched to Kenansviile and Ihett Beulavirte.
Shriners Fry Fish To
Help Crippled Children
Somebody has to care, Duplin
County Shriners say and each year
they show their concern through
fund-raising projects like the annual
fish fry to sponsor 21 children's
hospitals in America.
"Somebody has to do it," Duplin
County Shriner Jimmy Tucker said.
"And, it is a lot easier for the public
to care because we know who needs
help locally and we can mi ke sure
the money goes to help them.
"It's hard to say from one year to
the next just how much money will
be made on the fish fries," Tucker
said. "But, we have in the past
cleared from $2,500 to $3,000 each
year on the fish fries, and it all goes
to the crippled children's hospitals."
According to Tucker, the Shriner
organization supports 18 crippled
children's hospitals and three burn
centers for children. The Shriner's
hospitals accept children under 18
years 01 age wno nave oeen cnppiea
through birth defects, sickness or
accident, or are burned and their
parents cannot afford proper treat
ment. Along with treatment. Tucker
said, the hospitals research diseases
which cripple children.
"Shriners are affiliated with the
Masonic order," Tucker said. "And,
each affiliate of the Masons supports
some type of charitable organization;
for us it's the crippled and burned
children." Tucker pointed out that
the Shriners are an old organization,
dating back more than 100 years. But
the crippled children's project has
only been supported by the Shriners
sinde just after World War 1.
"This is the biggest fund-raising
project we have each year," Duplin
Shrine Club member Elwood Revelle
said. "The Shriners sell a few other
things like plaques and flowers
during the year for the support of the
children's hospitals, but the fish fry
is the biggest fund-raiser.
"The Duplin County Shrine Cub
was chartered in 1964," Revelle
said. "It was organized in Wallace.
We used to meet in the old Stone
Manor building until we completed
our ciub building there in 1969.
"But, even before the organiza
tion was chartered," Revelle con
tinued. "there were Shriners in
Wallace and they were holding ftsh
fries prior to 1964.
"The fish fries spread from
Wallace to Kenansville. The shriners
have held fish fries in Kenansville
five years and they spread into
Beulaville two years ago," Revelle c
said.
This year makes the sixth annual
Shriners fish fry in the Kenansville
Municipal Park and the third held at
Beulaville. The Duplin County
Shrine Club currently has 50 active
members.
Murder Trial Began
In Bladen Last Week
Eddie Carson Robinson went on
trial in Elizabethtown Monday in the
murders of a Bladen County man. his
wife and step-daughter. State prose
cutors are seeking the death penalty.
'Robinson, 36, testified against co
defendant Elton Ozell McLaughlin in
September. Both men were charged
in the March 26 murder of James
Worley, 50. and the April 29
murders of Shelia Denise Worley,
21, and Psoma Baggett. McLaugh
lin, 33, was found guilty of the three 1
murders and was sentenced to death 1
and two consecutive life prison
sentences. 1
The jury for Robinson's trial was
to be selected from Kenansville in
Duplin County and brought to Eliza
bethtown daily by bus, as in the
McLaughlin trial.
During jury selection this past
week. 32 potential jurors were
dismissed for being morally opposed
to the death penalty, District At
torney Mike Easley said. Eight were
dismissed during jury selections for
the McLaughlin trial.
The court has appointed Bladen
County lawyers Goldston Womble
and James Mclvin to defend Robin
son. Judge Hamilton H. Hobgood,
who presided over McLaughlin's
trial, will hear the case.
Duplin Dinner Set For MOC
The annual Duplin County gift
support dinner for Mount Olive
College is planned for Saturday, Oct.
27 at 6 p.m. at East Duplin High
School near Beulaville.
William D. Thigpen is chairman of
the dinner which will include an
up-to-date report on the four-year
program of the college. The 1984 gift
support goal is $10,000.
No tickets are sold, but all
interested persons, members of Free
Will Baptist chibt,i>u, aiuntui and
friends of the college are invited to
make a contribution in the amount of
their choosing. Donnors of $100 or
more will be recognized as "bridge
* 1
builders" and will receive speical
acknowledgement.
A goal of $200,000 in contributions
has been set, including $175,000 in
county goals and $25,000 in special
contributions. Since the dinners
were begun in 1963, they have
provided $1.8 million in gift support.
By meeiu-a .. . > car's" goal of
$200,000 the grant total of dinner
gifts will reach $2 million.
The gifts will serve to help the #
college in its development erf the
four-year program.
The dinners are open to the public
and feature delicious meals and
entertainment bv MOC student
I 4 i
musical groups. Interested persons
are encouraged to contact Thigpen or
the Free Will Baptist Church in their
community.
National
Textile
Week October
21 - 27
'/