Church is
I Kings
lussell L.
TU€SDhY’9
KinC? MOUMThlh MIRROR
VOL. 89 NO. 7
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA 280B6 TUESDAY, JANUARY 24,1978
15c
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Jim Ledford Of Kings Mountain
Arm Severed, But He Remains Conscious
Jim Ledford was able to walk around
(or awhile in his hoafrital room Sunday
and that’s pretty good considering the
fact he lost hit ri^t arm in an on the job
accident Friday night
The 3S-yeai>old Kings Mountian is
foreman at Lithium Corporation 61
America's mining operation about five
miles north of Beaaemer City. Friday
night Ledford's right arm was Uterally
tom from hit shoulder by an ore con
veyor.
The conveyor belt is located outside the
building where the ore is stacked and
milled and because of the heavy
machinery noise Ledford’s cries for help
could not be heard.
Ledford underwent surgery at Gaston
Memorial HotpiUl Friday night to repair
his shoulder, but the arm was too badly
damaged for surgeons to attempt to
reattach the limb.
Keefer Ling, manager of industrial
relations for Lithium, said, “Our in
vestigation shows us how the accident
could have happened, but we won’t know
fff sure laitil we are able to get the story
March of 1989, was making his rounds at
the time of the acddent “We think he
discovered the conveyor belt slipping end
tried to repair it without stopping the
belt. We have a poUcy that all machinery
be stopped before maintenance is at
tempted, but Jimmy is pretty good at bis
job and must have fdt hecould adjust the
belt quickly without stopping the
operation.’’
■ by
conveyor machinery.
Ledford was found approximately 20
minutes after the accident by Von
Roberts, an operator. RoberU had gone
looking for Ledford after receiving a call
from Lyman Robbs asking to speak to
Ledford. Roberts raced back to the phone
and told Robbs to call the Bessemer City
Rescue Squad, then returned and stayed
with Ledford until the rescuers arrived.
Ron Deck, an EMT with the BC squad.
baing poUsd through a puUsy on the ssid
conKiousness during his ordeal nor
dming the trip to the hospital. Deck said
Ledford asked if anyone had called his
wife; if his arm had been found; and if be
was going to die.
The badly damaged arm was foimd
about SO feet from where Ledford had
staggered and fallea The limb was
beneath the conveyor. Mary Morris, a BC
rescue member, found the ann.
Ung said he had heard from family
members that the fact Ledford had not
been moved before medical help was
avaUable. that he had held Us right
shoulder ti^itly with his left hand snd
that he was constantly exposed to the
cold night air were all contributing
factors in saving his life from bleeding to
death.
"As a supervisor Jimmy should have
no trouble carrying on Us job with
Lithium,’’ Ling said. “When he is able to
return to work his job will be here.
Meantime be remains on full salary.”
New City
Directory
Prepared
Johnson Publishing Co. of Lovdand
Colo., U currently soliciting data to
update information for a 1978 Kings
Moiiitain dty directory.
BQl Coxe, reglonsl manager for
Johnson, said representatives aro
currently calling on business, industries
and professional people in the com
munity for dlrsctoiy Intormatian.
The diroctory is scheduled to bo
nfogNd IB thi aUM qtiantr or im.
Cone said the new directory will
contain complete listingt of businrssos.
Industry and professional services in tbs
community. In addition there will be a
complete listing of residences with tbs
name of the man, his wife, business af-
flliatlon, address and phone number.
“We will Mre local people to handfo tbs
canvass of private residences for
dh«ctory information,’’ Coxe said.
Johnson Publishing Co. has been in
business for 44 yesrs and la known as
publisher of the world wide chamber of
commerce directory in addition to in
dividual city directortes.
Grants Could
Aid Business
Revitalization
Gulf
BLALOCK
CRO.
HowWeHDo
You Know Your
Noighbor?
Would Tho Ule
Ho’s Uvod.
Or Ms Hobby
Mate An
bilorosting
FMturo?
What About
Yoursolf?
Lot’s Sharo
Tho Story With
Our Roadors.
CaM
739-7496
Photo By Gary Rewart
NEW STYLE? - No, tMs isn’t a new style of utility pole. It’s Mountain. The pole created sagging lines in Uie neighborhood
one that, due to Thursday night’s heavy Ice storm, broke off and caused homes to be without power untU a new pole could
am formed this design. The pole is located in die parking area be erected,
of Herman Blalock’s Grocery on Highway 216 south of Kings
ice Causes Damage,
KM Power Outages
When dawn broke last Frldsy Kings which wasn’t restored untU 7:17 a. m.
Mountain looksd Uke a pieturs postcard. A tree heavUy crusted in ice snapped
Ice decorated Iress, power polm, signs and feU across the 12,000 KVA lino down
and the rorftops of homm and business York Rd. and wiped oiB power in that
area Friday. Clevsmont, K MUls and
It may have looked pretty, but a socond Frederickson Motor Unm were about an
look told you the icy weather had token hour late starting up because of the
utility
Near Blalock’s Store on Grover Rd.
that the Ice had caused a four hour power another power pde. thU one belonging to
outage over certain secttom of the city. Dt*e Power, snapped and dropped hot
lines into the road and acrom lawtu.
aty strasts and electrical crews
wcrkad around the clock beginning Later Friday morning ice shortod s
Thursday night answering trouhia calls trsneformer and sat fire to a wooden
aO over town, then around 2:30 Friday utUlty pole on Gantt St.
momliw the los knocked out the power. Over the weekend there were
thousands of Duke Power customers stiU
without electricsl power due to heavy ice
conditions, but Kings Mountians were
fortunate that lees damage was caused.
Mayor John Moss said the city’s
electrical and street department em
ployes worked long and hard during the
night to correct service. “The electrical
department employes were kept busy
constantly repairing lines while the
street d^rtment employes claarsd
away and hauled off broksn limbs snd
trees that had dowmd the lines all over
the city,” he said. “These men did a
tremendous job In finding and repairing
the problenu to restore power to our
The incentive needed to kick-off
revitalisation of Kings Mountain’s
cmtral business district might just come
in the form of Urbsn Devalopmeiit
Action Grants.
At Monday night’s board of com
missioners meeting Mayw John Moss
explained the three-phases UDAG
program and requested approval to
make application to the proper agency.
The three areas covered under the
UDAG program include induatrial,
commercial, and residential.
The commeroial grant could be the key
to the CBD revitalization.
“In essence,” the mayor said, “UDAG
funding can augment local devdopment
up to 25 percent. It can be made part of a
development up to 25 percent It can be
made part of a devdopment program
effort to improve existing facilities and to
build new faciUties.”
The way the mayor sees it, local
businessmen and citizens can form a
development corporation, elect a board
of directors and name an executive
director who would serve as the catalyst
to Interest new business ventures in the
downtown srea.
“It would require local private in
vestment and a project by project plan
with cost breakdown," the mayor said.
“With the private investment and the 25
percent of the project cost in UDAG
funding, it would relatively be easy to
obtain a smaU business loan and equity
funding from local financial in
stitutions.”
The mayor said there is additional
funding available to assist in the
projects, such as urban beautiflcation,
street and lighting progranw, etc.
And local businessmen who will have to
spend their own money in updating
existing buildings as part of the
revitalization program are also eligible
New City
Office Hours
Announced
The mayor’s office has begun
remaining open for two additional hours
Monday throi«h Friday.
Mayor John Most said, “We are
opening half an how sarilsr and closing
half an hour later, and rsnuilning open
during lunchtime to provide better
service and more retponalveneas to the
dtisen needs.”
The new hours an. 8:30 a. m. until 5:30
p. m. daUy.
The city's business office hours are
1:30 a. m. until 5 p m. Monday through
Friday. The public works departments
areopanfrom7:30a.m. until4:30 p. m.
dally.
The after-business hours number for
emergency servlcss it 739-3638.
for federal funding under the UDAG
guidelinet.
The UDAG program is geared to a
three-year period.
The mayor said he plans to call public
meetings with locijl buselness and
mofosfcansl people end private eittzeoa
to explore fully the poasibilltiet of the
new funding irogram.
“1 view this program with having an
appeal for us to work together in a
dedicated faahioo to achieve the rebirth
of Kiigs Mountain’s business com
munity,” the mayor said.
Two other grants the mayor asked
approval to apply for under the smaller
communities program it a single purpose
grant and a comprehensive yant
The single purpose grant is s one-time
grant, which the mayor said he would
like to see used for making a citizena
plaza of the presat city hall and ad
jacent property. The grant would cover
the cost of developmmt of the |dan.
The comprehensive grant can be used
for improvemat of utUitfos, street
paving, sidewalks, street lighting sewer,
water and gas. The Burlington Pbenix
Plant - Anvil Knit residential areas are
the targets for this grant-funded project.
Carroll,
Briglit Are
Bound Over
Melvin HaakeUCarroUhas bea bound
over to Geveland County Superior Court
in the shooting of Sgt. Bob Hayes on Dec.
19, 1977.
Probable cause was determined by
Judge Berlin Carpenter last Thursday
morning after a preliminary haring in
the 27tfa Judicial District Cburt.
Carroll wUl fooe the charge cf felonious
assault in Superior Court
Sgt. Hay« was shot five tima with a 32
calibre pistol, according to testimony
giva by other Kings Mountain Police
officers in court laat Thursday. Hayes
has arrived to assist officers Ralph
Grindstoff and Anthony Ager in arrating
Tommy Lee Bright on a charge of public
(kunkennea.
Bright was ala bound over for trial in
Superior Court Iwt ttiuraday and faca a
chiuge of aiding and abetting assault on
a poUce offica.
On Dec. 19 Bright reportedly tried to
escape from the arresting officers by
fleeing into s house on Water Tower Rd.
In Kings MounUin. Carroll reportedly
ordered the officers off the property
wMle holding a weapon. Sgt. Hayes was
siinmoned to the scene ad while at
tempting to get to Carroll acroa the
backyard at the house, Hay« slipped and
Ml. It was thm offlcsrs said Hayes was
shot
The veteran police officsr underwent
swgery at Kings Mountain Hospital and
has been racuperattng at his home.