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N.C.
THE TUESDAY EDITION
ISCPA Award
fPinnin/f Newspaper
KIMCI MOUMTWn
MIRROR-H€R^LD
15'
VOL. 87 NO. 05
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 88086
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 88,1876
Special Noon Meeting Today
Gas Rate Change
Is Board Subject
a I
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TTie city board of commissioners
Is meeting today (Tuesday) at noon
to take actlm on revamping of the
natural gas rate structure.
ITie meeting was postponed from
yesterday because of the Christmas
holidays.
Under Gas Engineer WUllam D.
Edward’s proposal, under study by
the board for several months, Feb. 1,
1977 gas bills to all users of gas,
excepting resldentrlal, would reflect
a rate Increase of 22 cents per MCF.
.Snutheastern Consulting Engineers
'■ J' '.J,.
do not recommend Increase In the
city residential rate.
Edwards Is recommending that the
city Immediately Increase their
resale rates by at least 8160,000 per
year based on the 1975-76 volume
sold.
The city’s rates. If the new
proposals are accepted today, would
place Its costs about 3.4 percent
lower than that of Duke power.
At Its Dec. 13 meeting, the city
board tabled Its final decision
’TRAILER DES’TROYED — Local firemen battie a
blase Thursday night which completely destroyed a
house traOer on Lake Montonla Road. The trailer was
owned by John C. Parker but no one was btjared.
Photo By Gary Stewart
Bethlehem Fire Department responded to the call at
9:43 p. m. and was backed iq> by the Kings Mountain
and Grover departments.
Bypass b Slowly Moving
Toward Construction Phase
Ptght of wa ~ a cqulsltlon along the
proposed Kings Mountain by-pass Is
slowly progressing and according to
Ken Mauney, division highway
engineer, the process could take
another year sind a half to complete.
Mauney said the project could be
moved back again (as It has bean for
over 20 years) or remain on present
schedule with bids being awarded in
1979.
About 130 homes and businesses
will have to be relocated before
actual construction begins on the
elght-mlle stretch north of the city
limits. The actual construction Is
expected to take two to three years
to complete.
’ITie bypass begins near Bethware
School on the west and where the
divided highway begins on 29-74 esust
of Kings Mountain. The bypass will
run north at Spectrum Textured
Fibers crossing both Oanaler suid
Head-On
Collision
Kills Man
A Bessemer City man was killed
and two Kings Mountain men were
Injured In a head-on collision of two
cars ’Thursday night at 10:10 p. m. on
N. C. 161 near Radio Station WKMT
on Bessemer City highway.
Gaston (bounty Trooper J. R.
Leonhardt said William Leslie
Sprouse, 24, at BeasemerClty died In
the crash and Jeffrey Scott Hovls,
18, of 618 Mauney Ave. operator of
the second car Involved, and a com
panion, Edmond Rabom, were
hospitalized.
According to ’Trooper Leonhardt,
Sprouse, traveling West on
Bessemer City road, croaaed the
center line and Into the path of the
Hovls vehicle. Hovls was charged
with driving under the Influence.
Mr. Sprouse was son of Mrs.
Thelma Jeanette McKeehan of
Bessemer City and the Ute Herman
Sprouse and was a veteran of ser
vice In Vietnam. He was employed
by Lithium Corporation of America
Bessemer City plant. He waa
marrted to the former AnlU Pago.
Surviving, In addition to his wife
and mother, are hla stepfather,
David McKeehan of Bessemer City;
one daughter, Leslie Choree
Sprouse; two brothers, Herman
Dennis Sprouse of Gastonia and
Arthur Thomas Sprouse of
Bessemer (Sty; one sister, Renee
Sprouse of Bessemer City; and one
half-brother, David Sprouse, Jr., of
Bessemer City.
Harris Funeral Home was In
charge of arrangements.
Piedmont with Interchanges
planned at Waco Rd., Piedmont and
Highway 161 (York Rd.)
’The bypass Is expected to offer
Kings Mountain major north-south
traffic flow. At the same time It will
eliminate the bottleneck of traveling
through the city’s business district.
The city may consider developing
scenic areas bordering the bypass In
conjunction with the present Cansler
St. Urban Renewal project. The Idea
was Introduced by Ralph Whitehead
and Associates, planning engineers
employed by the Kings Mountain
Redevelopment Commission.
Also In conjunction with the
bypass Interchanges Into the city, A1
Moretz, city planner, has suggested
to merchants and businessmen they
offer ideas of traffic planning In
order for motorists who come off the
bypass to have an orderly euid easy
Ingress Into the central business
district.
Strong-Arm Robbery
Is Under Investigation
Kings Mountain police are In
vestigating a strong-arm robbery
Thursday night on Ridge St.
According to police, R. A. Bell, of
304 W. Ridge St., was jumped at
about 9:15 p. m. while wcdklng on
Ridge Street and robbed of about
$100.
In a second holiday Incident,
KMPD are Investigating the theft of
some $192 in cloth stolen from a
loading dock at 3:30 p. m. Thursday
at K Mills, Inc. on Marie St.
KMPD also reported three arrest
for public drunkenness and one for
assault on female during the holiday
period.
Photo By Tom McIntyre
BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDEI - People say plants can hear and talk
soothingly to them. Wonder If plants also see? If so, these leafles In
Charles Blanton’s greenhouse must be crowding around the window to
watch the winter sun fade and congratulate themselves for being Inside
and green and warm. Instead of outside and brown and brittle.
Gk>vernor-Elect Invites The Public
^Please Come To The Inauguration ’
JAMES B. HUNT JR.
... Governor-elect
Governor-elect Jim Hunt this week extended a personal Invitation to the
citizens of Kings Mountain and Cleveland County to attend the North
Carolina Inauguration In Raleigh on Sat., Jan. 8.
"January 8 Is Inauguration day for your governor, your lieutenant
governor and your Council of State,’’ the governor-elect said, "and It will
also be a people’s day.’’
The governor-elect said the Inaugural events were being held this time on
Saturday so that school children and working people can attend.
’Ihe activities will begin around ll:S0a. m. when Gov. James Holshouser
and Mrs. Holshouser receive final military honors at the Executive Mansion
on Blount St.
At about 11:46 a. m., the Inaugural party will walk from the Executive
Mansion to the site of the swearing-ln ceremony at Bicentennial PUza. The
new plaza Is located between the Chpltol and the State Legislative Building.
During the noon ceremony oaths of office will be administered to Governor-
elect Hunt, Lieutenant Governor-elect James C. Green and members of the
Council of State.
A two-hour parade will follow at 1 p. m., suid people may watch the
colorful event on Wilmington and Salisbury Sts. between Jones and Martin
Sts. The parade will begin north of the Le^slatlve Building on Wilmington
St., head south on Wilmington St., then turn on Martin St. to Salisbury St.,
where It will run north again.
TTie final event of the day Is a public reception at the Executive Mansion
where the public will be greeted by the new governor, lieutenant governor
and members of the Council of State.
‘ ‘I want all of the people In Cleveland County to understand that no special
Invitation or tickets are needed for any of these events," Governor-elect
Hunt said. "Sat., Jan. 8, Is a day for the people of this state. Please come to
Raleigh and be a part of your Inauguration."
JAMES C. GREEN
... Lt. Governor-elect
pending another consultation with
engineers.
Hamrick’s
Will Open
Sew Plant
Hamrick’s of Gaffney will open a
sewing operation In Kings Mountain
about mid-January, according to a
company qiokesman.
Known as "The Retail Outlet
Store," Hanru'lck’s will occupy the
former Sweetree plant on Waco Rd.
and employ about 60 persons In the
beginning, 250 as the maximum over
a long period.
Lyle WUliams, head of the com
pany’s cutting and sewing operation,
said the operation will manufacture
ladles sportswear; pantsuits,
blouses, etc. “We are not (banning a
training program at this time,’' Wil
liams said, “So we will hire only
experienced sewing machine
operators at this time.”
Applications for jobs at the
Hamrick’s plant In Kings Mountain
will be taken at the office on Waco
Rd. from 8 a. m. until 4:30 p. m.
Monday thropgh Friday. When the
plant begins operation there will be
one shift per day and five days each
week of manufacturing.
Williams said Hamrick’s has
looked at the Sweetree Mill for the
past six months with the Idea of
opening the sewing operation. He
said Hamrick’s has two plants In
Geiffney and one In Sharon. S. C.
"We do not plan to open an outlet
operation to the public In Kings
Mountain at this time,” Williams
said. ’’The main outlet operation In
Gaffney handles all of the clothing
three plants can msuiulacture.”
Hamrick’s began 20 years ago as a
retail outlet operation, then became
a manufacturer. A former farmer,
Oliver Hamrick, was the founder
and today Hamrick’s Is still a family
operation.
CBer
To The
Rescue
H. K. Dixon, Bethlehem Com
munity farmer, la grateful to his
CB’er neighbor who answered his
call for help last week.
Mr. Dixon suffered a broken hip
from falling out of his bam while
feeding hla animals. Inanhour or so,
he said he was able to crawl pain
fully to Ids truck and use hts CS
radio to call for help.
“Someone from Bethlehem
community got my call and quickly
got In touch with Mrs. Dixon” he
said.
TTie Dixons want to say thank you
to the ’’good Samaritan,” they aald.
Dog License
Tags On Side
December 28
Annual aale of 1977 dty dog license
tags begin Tuesday, Dec. 38 and are
available at the Kings Mountain
Police Department or from Dog
Warden Stretch Bollinger at $3.50.
Dog owners are reminded by
KMPD that all dogs are required by
law to wear a dog tag. Should an un
tagged animal be picked up by the
dog warden, the dog’s owner will be
required to purchase a tag before
the pet la returned.