The Hoke County Edition of the North State Journal

September 10, 2024

Athlete of the Week: Brandon Saunders

August 31, 2024

Hoke County senior quarterback Brandon Saunders is Athlete of the Week. The Bucks opened the 2024 season with a tough loss to Jack Britt, 27-22, but Saunders did everything he could to get Hoke County […]

Athlete of the Week: Emilee Mandarino

August 22, 2024

Hoke County volleyball junior Emilee Mandarino is Athlete of the Week. The Bucks opened the 2024-25 season with back-to-back wins last week, beating St. Pauls and E.E. Smith. In the season opener against St. Pauls, […]

Hoke County’s football team huddles up for instructions during last Friday’s Cumberland County Jamboree. (Hal Nunn for North State Journal)

Volleyball, boys’ soccer get off to fast starts in 2024-25

August 21, 2024

The Hoke County sports season began last week, with several of the Bucks teams beginning action. Boys’ soccer The Bucks boys’ soccer team got off on a winning foot, shutting out East Bladen, 3-0, in […]

Trump, Harris crisscross NC as election heats up

August 21, 2024

ASHEVILLE — As the 2024 presidential campaign progresses, North Carolina is taking center stage as a crucial swing state. In the last week, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have made significant […]

Board of Education approves supplement increase for all employees

August 14, 2024

RAEFORD – The Hoke County Schools Board of Education met Tuesday, Aug. 13 where the board approved a 1% supplement increase for all employees moving certified employees from 6% to 7% and classified employees from […]

Hoke County’s Abigail Watts (7) skies to defend during a game against Pinecrest last season. The Bucks will get two chances to break through against the Patriots this year. (David Sinclair for the North State Journal)

Volleyball schedules for Hoke County varsity, key matchups

August 7, 2024

The Hoke County volleyball team returns to the floor next week. Last year, the Bucks went 8-13, 4-9 in the Sandhills. Despite a losing record, the Bucks put up their best win-loss percentage since 2017 […]

J&K General Contractors pledges $200,000 donation for animal shelter

August 7, 2024

RAEFORD – The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met Monday, Aug. 5. Near the start of the meeting, the board was presented with a donation from J&K General Contractors for upgrades to the animal shelter. […]

Volleyball schedules for Hoke County varsity, key matchups

August 7, 2024

Athlete of the Week: Adult League basketball stars

August 2, 2024

Athlete of the Week this week honors Hoke Parks and Recreation’s Adult League basketball stars. Hoke Parks and Recreation opened their new season of Adult League basketball at the Leach Aquatics and Recreation Center. Opening […]

Hoke infielders wait for the call on a play during a 2023 game against Pinecrest. Baseball was the one high school sport that saw a decrease in participation in North Carolina this year. David Sinclair for North State Journal)

NCHSAA reports increase in overall participation, lower participation in baseball across last two sports seasons

July 25, 2024

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association reported a 4.73 percent increase in overall student athlete participation during the 2023-24 season, per a release sent out Monday. Based on the information reported to the NCHSAA […]

Athelte of the Week: Davon Bronson

July 5, 2024

East Hoke Middle School football rising eighth grader Davon Bronson in the Athlete of the Week. Nicknamed “Tank,” Bronson does a little bit of everything for the Eagles. He plays both offensive and defensive line […]

Athlete of the Week: Hoke softball’s McKenzie Freeman

June 28, 2024

McKenzie Freeman, a rising sophomore catcher on the Hoke County softball team, is the Athlete of the Week. Freeman won Athlete of the Week once during the regular season, as the Bucks posted an 11-11 […]

Athlete of the Week: Peyton Hollingsworth

June 25, 2024

Peyton Hollingsworth is a youth softball player in Hoke County. Hollingsworth was named to the Hoke County All Stars and represented the county at the area youth softball tournament, playing first base.

Hoke County golfer Robert Reedy (left) poses with Bryson DeChambeau after the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. (Hoke golf social media)

A look back at spring sports: Individual sports

June 25, 2024

Since the end of the high school sports seasons, we’ve been taking a look at how Hoke’s spring teams performed, as well as their outlooks for the future. We’ve looked at baseball, softball and girls’ […]

U.S. Open flags flap in the breeze during a practice round ahead of the 2024 U.S. Open. (Mike Ehrmann/USGA)

U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst

June 14, 2024

PINEHURST — Once again, the golf world comes to Pinehurst. The club’s famed No. 2 course will play host to the 2024 U.S. Open this week, with 156 of the best golfers in the world […]

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 […]

Raeford flourishes through downtown growth

December 14, 2022

In the heart of Hoke County lies the small but expanding town of Raeford. While historically not a tourist destination or entertainment hub, Raeford has long been known for its poultry production within House of […]

NC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION: Is your horse getting what it needs?

November 9, 2022

Are your horse’s nutritional needs being met? How do you know? With the wide variety of hay and feed choices available, it is essential to understand what your horse needs nutritionally and that those needs […]

Hoke man going to Nashville for ‘American Idol’

November 2, 2022

Elijah McCormick, of Hoke County, is heading to Nashville next month to compete for a spot on the popular television show, “American Idol.” McCormick recently graduated from Pinecrest High School in 2019 and is currently […]

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.” […]

HUDSON: Protecting our nation’s financial and national security

May 24, 2023

“There can be no security anywhere in the free world if there is no fiscal and economic stability within the United States.” – President Ronald Reagan President Reagan understood the importance of getting America’s economy […]

HUDSON: Working for you

March 15, 2023

“How does this impact you?” That’s the question I ask myself before considering every bill I introduce, cosponsor, or vote on as your Congressman. With our new Republican majority in place, we have hit the […]

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