The Hoke County Edition of the North State Journal

April 26, 2025

Athlete of the Week: Jayden Hollingsworth

April 13, 2025

Hoke County baseball junior infielder Jayden Hollingsworth is Athlete of the Week. The Bucks are still looking to snap a losing streak, but Hoke’s offense heated up last week, with 17 runs scored over a […]

Athlete of the Week: Evalynn Groemm

March 23, 2025

Hoke County girls’ soccer sophomore defender Evalynn Groemm is Athlete of the Week. She also plays volleyball for the Lady Bucks. Groemm had five steals in a Sandhills Conference game against Richmond last week, adding […]

Athlete of the Week: Noelia Hipolito

March 14, 2025

Hoke County girls’ wrestling sophomore Noelia Hipolito is Athlete of the Week. Hipolito went 42-4 this season and capped the year with a third-place finish in the NCHSAA individual wrestling championships at girls’ 165 pounds. […]

Athlete of the Week: Jaylen Bethea

March 3, 2025

Hoke County senior wrestler Jaylen Bethea is Athlete of the Week. Bethea was one of four Bucks wrestlers to finish third at the NCHSAA individual state wrestling championships. He entered as a No. 1 seed […]

Athlete of the Week: William Leak

February 22, 2025

Hoke County track and field junior William Leak is Athlete of the Week. The Hoke County boys finished 19th at the NCHSAA class 4A indoor track state championships with 10.5 points. Leak scored all 10.5 […]

Athlete of the Week: Shelby Burris

February 13, 2025

Hoke County girls’ basketball senior Shelby Burris is Athlete of the Week. The Lady Bucks snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 58-53 road win at Southern Lee. The win allowed Hoke to match its […]

Athlete of the Week: Eli Danet

February 8, 2025

East Hoke Middle School wrestling’s Eli Danet is Athlete of the Week. The Eagles continued their dominance on the mat, winning the Southeastern Middle School Conference Championship for the third season in a row. Danet […]

Hoke County boys’ basketball sophomore guard Gabriel McLeod is Athlete of the Week. There are several upperclassmen on the team who are averaging more points than McLeod, but when the team needed him in a […]

Athlete of the Week: Jada Bowers

January 12, 2025

Hoke County girls’ basketball’s Jada Bowers is Athlete of the Week. The Lady Bucks have hit their stride, winning two out of three to close out 2024. Bowers stepped up in a 57-14 win over […]

Athlete of the Week: Abbey Pullum and Korie Reese

December 21, 2024

Hoke County rugby juniors Abbey Pullum and Korie Reese are Athletes of the Week. They’re also members of the USA Rugby U18 team. Pullum, who also plays soccer for Hoke, is team captain of the […]

Athlete of the Week: Machai Brown

December 13, 2024

Hoke County boys’ basketball sophomore Machai Brown is Athlete of the Week. He leads the Bucks in assists and is second on the team in scoring. The Bucks won their Sandhills Conference opener over Scotland, […]

Athelte of the Week: Tremell Middlebrooks

December 1, 2024

Technically, he wasn’t performing as an athlete this week, but our Athlete of the Week honor goes to Tremell Middlebrooks nonetheless. He recorded his first win as head coach of the Hoke County girls’ basketball […]

Athlete of the Week: Gabe Allen

November 23, 2024

Hoke County sophomore wrestler Gabriel (Gabe) Allen is Athlete of the Week. He has also played baseball for the Bucks. Hoke is off to a fast start again this wrestling season, with a blowout dual […]

Hoke cotton fields reflect global economic trends

November 15, 2023

RAEFORD — As autumn’s crisp air replaces summer’s heat, the fields of Hoke County undergo their seasonal transition. The county’s cotton fields transform as white bolls are harvested and rolled into large bales, awaiting transport […]

Diakrití Designs to host Turnberry Festival this month

June 7, 2023

RAEFORD — Diakrití Designs began with a woman and her passion for space design and party hosting. Desheka Williams, a Hoke County local, found her dream through her husband’s career in real estate. Shortly after […]

Locklear impacting lives and making a difference

February 1, 2023

RAEFORD — Brandon Locklear is the head wrestling coach at Hoke County High School and is currently making a significant impact on young students through wrestling, education, and life. Recently the 30-year-old coach suffered a […]

New golf course seeks to honor Pinehurst’s natural beauty, rich history

February 1, 2023

PINEHURST — Golf course architect Tom Doak has embarked on a new project to design and develop Pinehurst’s 10th golf course, the first in almost three decades. Doak has long had a passion for golf […]

Ringing in a North Carolina new year

December 28, 2022

RALEIGH — Across the state, towns come together to celebrate the new year every December 31st. Countdowns, ball drops, festivals, and resolutions bring individuals close for this holiday. North Carolina offers numerous ways to celebrate […]

Lumbee River EMC awards $33,000 to local teachers

December 14, 2022

Lumbee River EMC awarded over $33,000 to 17 teachers in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, and Scotland counties through the Bright Ideas education grants program for their inventive classroom projects. LREMC held a luncheon recognizing the recipients […]

HURST: North Carolina Senators should choose Main Street over Wall Street

December 27, 2023

A major effort is underway by big banks and credit card companies to prevent economic relief from being provided to businesses and consumers. North Carolina’s senators must resist succumbing to the pressures of Wall Street […]

HORZEMPA: NC crime: a need for data-driven, targeted solutions

November 15, 2023

We’ve all felt the fear as we see media coverage hyper-focusing on crime-ridden cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New York City. In North Carolina, even one crime victim is too many, but the emotional […]

HUDSON: Defending your energy security

September 28, 2023

As the trees in the Sandhills begin to show the first signs of fall, we are reminded that colder weather is near. Like many of you, my family faced last winter’s high energy prices and […]

HUDSON: We will always remember

September 14, 2023

September 11th, 2001 was one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. The images of 9/11 remain ingrained into the collective memory of Americans across our nation. I still remember watching TV when the […]

HUDSON: Back to school season in the Sandhills

September 8, 2023

What would you do with an extra $700 in your pocket each month? Unfortunately, that is the cost of “Bidenomics” and inflation—but it shouldn’t have to be that way. The opportunity to work hard and […]

HUDSON: Protecting our veterans & honoring our fallen heroes

August 17, 2023

As the representative of the largest Army base in the world, making sure our community’s veterans, troops, and their families get the support they deserve is among my top priorities. At the end of July, […]

Accountability on the issues impacting you

August 2, 2023

President Ronald Reagan famously said, “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” President Joe Biden’s open border policies have fueled a historic surge in illegal immigration and the flames of our […]

HUDSON: Defending your rights and celebrating our nation

July 6, 2023

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” […]

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