By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • As of Tuesday there were 25 known positive cases of COVID-19 in Hoke County. Many of the people who tested positive in March have already recovered from the illness. So far Hoke hasn’t seen local person-to-person community spread, according to the Hoke County Health Department. The known cases...
Year: 2020
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2020
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April 21, 2020April 21, 2020Virus
Column: FirstHealth committed to COVID-19 fight
Opinion column by Mickey Foster • Chief Executive Officer of FirstHealth of the Carolinas • Two weeks ago, I introduced you to a few of the health care heroes I interact with each day, highlighting the remarkable sacrifices they make to help FirstHealth of the Carolinas care for you. As we continue to respond to...
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April 18, 2020April 18, 2020News
Severe storms possible tomorrow
Severe weather is a possibility tomorrow evening though the National Weather Service says current thinking is it will remain south of us: “The boundary, and thus severe convection threat, will mainly stay just barely to our south and east Sunday and Sunday night (except for Sampson County, which is in the marginal risk area both...
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April 16, 2020April 16, 2020Virus
FirstHealth offers telemedicine for virtual visits
FirstHealth primary care clinics in Raeford introduced this month telemedicine video appointments for existing patients. Video visits are available during regular clinic hours at both FirstHealth Family Medicine in Raeford and FirstHealth Primary Care in Raeford. In compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and social distancing guidelines for COVID-19, clinics are...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
‘Operation Hero’ will help military children in Hoke County
By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • A program called “Operation Hero” will start this fall lending a helping hand to children of military families in Hoke County. The free after-school program from the Armed Forces YMCA of Fort Bragg offers academic and emotional support for military children in grades 2-8. It’s designed to help...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Virus
COVID crisis could invite child abuse
By Celeste Neumann • Hoke Cooperative Extension • During this quarantine, entire families are sheltering at home, often in close quarters. Anxiety about health, education, and finances is high. Children aren’t seeing the teachers, counselors and other adults who would normally raise concerns about their well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has created the conditions for a...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Principal completes leadership program
Haley Hall, principal of Don Steed Elementary, recently completed the Distinguished Leadership Program (DLP). The DLP is a year-long leadership development program for practicing school principals, designed and provided by the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principal’s Association and sponsored by the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development (NCASLD). The DLP uses a non-traditional...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Opinion
Letter: Stay home, but don’t ignore your health
To the Editor: We are in unprecedented times and must take unprecedented action. As a physician, I am urging you to stay home, shelter in place, and help us defeat coronavirus. But it’s also important to continue to care for other aspects of your health. North Carolina’s family physicians and pediatricians have quickly implemented telehealth...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Opinion
Letter: I’d vote for the billy goat
To the Editor: In response to Claudyne S. Brock’s letter (News-Journal, April 1) regarding a billy goat being the Democratic nominee opposing President Donald Trump for the next president of the United States, I would vote for the billy goat, regardless of party affiliation, because he would not do the damage to this country the...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Traffic stop nets drug bust
Deputies with the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office traffic unit arrested a man last week on multiple drug charges after he reportedly fled on foot during a traffic stop. Investigators arrested Ryan Omar Simmons, 32, of the 600 block of Avant Street in Charlotte on felony charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Column
Frog Holler Philosopher
Spring comes to Frog Holler • By Ron Huff • We are having a beautiful spring at Frog Holler in spite of the current National Emergency. If you don’t believe it, ask the Fed Ex driver, our only regular visitor. The azaleas and dogwoods are really showing off. The grass is greening up and the...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Three charged in construction site theft
Investigators with the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people late last month for allegedly stealing from a construction site. Deputies arrested Terrence Allen Chavis, 61, of the 7500 block of Maggie’s Circle in Fayetteville; Todd Anthony Chavis, 58, of the 8800 block of N.C. Highway 72 in Lumberton; and Chareasa Lasheka Brown, 35, of...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Man charged with shooting horse
Deputies with the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man Monday for allegedly shooting and injuring a horse. Officers charged Steven Hill, 49, of the 200 block of Hampton Drive with felony cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor of violating the local gun ordinance, according to an arrest report. The horse’s owner said in a...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Virus
Price gouging, scams accompany virus
North Carolina consumers have submitted more than 1,200 price-gouging complaints since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including several complaints about price gouging involving companies based in Hoke. None of the complaints have come from people who live in Hoke County, according to information from the N.C. Department of Justice. The News-Journal requested further information...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020Virus
Virus continues slow spread in Hoke
By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • There were at least 20 known cases of coronavirus in Hoke County as of Tuesday, according to the Hoke County Health Department. Several of the local cases involve military-connected residents. A number of others are healthcare employees who work outside of Hoke County. Some cases came from people...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Blood donations urgently needed
The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center will hold a donation drive in Raeford April 20 to address a shortage in the blood supply. The center plans on taking special precautions to keep donors and staff members safe. The country has seen a shortage in blood supplies, donor center recruitment coordinator Dianne Carter said in...
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Businesses hit by closures struggle with tough decisions
By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • Pat Atwood, owner of artisan furniture shop Re-Imagined in Rockfish, is concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 response on her business – but it’s not only her own prospects that have her worried. More than 40 artisans sell their products through the locally owned business, which isn’t...
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April 15, 2020April 15, 2020News
Hoke Democratic convention moves online
The Hoke County Democratic Party Convention will move to a digital platform this year. The decision was due to the “unprecedented times” and in accordance with guidelines from the North Carolina Democratic Party, the CDC and Gov. Roy Cooper. “The well-being of our delegates and the public at large is our highest priority, because of...
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April 15, 2020April 21, 2020Virus
Postal carrier in Hoke tests positive for COVID-19
By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • A post office employee in Raeford tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the United States Postal Service (USPS). An employee with the Raeford Post Office who chose to remain anonymous tipped off The News-Journal about the situation. A reporter reached out to USPS strategic communications...