-Since 1889-
Member NC
LICE Association
VOL. 101 NO. 42
Ex-City
Employees
Indicted
Kings Mountain's former assis-
tant city treasurer and assistant
clerk and a former accounts
payable clerk were both indicted
Monday for the alleged felonious
embezzlement of of more than
$55,000 in city moniés,
The Cleveland County Grand
Jury issued true bills of indictment
against a 26-year veteran city em-
ployee Judy Hollifield Harmon,
former assistant City treasurer and
former assistant city clerk, alleg-
Ing she took $25,820 in city funds
and converted them to her own use
between May 6, 1986 and June 30,
1988. She resigned her position on
Aug. 14, 1989 after having worked
continuously for the city since her
nine! employment on Sept. 30,
A true bill of indictment issued
by the Cleveland County Grand
Jury Monday against Samantha
Dianne Dellinger, former city hall
accounts payable clerk in the utili-
ties department, alleges that be-
tween May 4, 1984 and Aug. 4,
1988, she embezzled $30,145.71--
fraudently misapplying and con-
verting the currency belonging to
the city to her own use. She was
terminated from city employment
on August 15,1989.
Prior to termination, she was sus-
pended on July 6,1989.
; Detective Lt. Richard Reynolds,
investigating officer for the Kings
Mountain Police Department, said
late Tuesday afternoon that arrest
warrants for the women stemming
from the indictments by the Grand
Jury Monday had not yet been is-
Sued, Rut the warrants charging
cach of the women with one count
each of felonious embezzlement
are "definitely forthcoming” in the
wake of the action by the Grand
Jury Monday.
District Attorney Bill Young
said the two women will probably
make an appearance in court on
Nov. 13. A trial date will be set
later. Conviction of felonious em-
bezzlement carries a sentence of up
to 10 years in prison and fines will
be determined by the presiding
judge.
The indictments this week
stemmed from an investigation that
began in July by the Kings
Mountain Police Department and
the State Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation was completed
last month, Reynolds said.
On July 11, the city brought
charges against Ms. Dellinger al-
leging two counts of embezzlement
of public funds for which she was
indicted Monday.
While the criminal investigation
was in progress, Ms. Harmon re-
signed her position with the city.
She had not been charged prior to
Monday's bill of indictment by the
Grand Jury.
According to information ob-
tained about the cases, apparently
no conspiracy between the two
women with respect to the embez-
zlements and their completion ex-
isted.
Hurricane Hugo.
Carl Burton had to be rescued
Saturday afternoon from 30 feet up
in a pine tree at 1001 Jackson
Street after he was injured while
cutting a 10-foot section out of the
top.
Burton was discharged Tuesday
from Gaston Memorial Hospital
where he was treated for dislocated
shoulder, broken arm and lacera-
tions.
When Burton cut through the
trunk with a chain saw about 1
p.m. Saturday, the cut section
swung into him, knocking him on-
to a nearby branch, according to
members of the Kings Mountain
Rescue Squad, who with the help
of city crews and a bucket truck,
rescued him.
Held on the tree by a makeshift
safety rope, Burton could not climb
down because of injuries to his
right arm.
Two rescue workers scaled the
tree, tied a rescue harness around
the injured man and lowered him
‘halfway down through the branch-
es. Two city electric workers ar-
rived with a bucket truck and
hauled the man the rest of the way
to the ground and put him on a
stretcher.
Burton was cutting a tree on the
property of Charles Hampton, a
neighbor of his mother, Mrs. Sallie
Burton, on Jackson Street.
Burton, topping tls 30- foot tree
with a chainsaw, had on a safety
belt which the city crew used to get
PHOTO BY LEM LYNCH
RESCUE TREE CUTTER-Rescue Squad volunteers E. S. McDanil, below, and Elwood Barnes, right,
rescue tree cutter Carl Burton Saturday from 30 feet up in a pine tice at a residence on Jackson Street.
The man was injured while cutting a 10-foot section out of the top 'of the tree that had been damaged by
KM Man Injured Saturday
While Cutting Pine Tree
him in the bucket truck and then
safely on the ground. Rescue per-
sonnel had lowered him to a limb
and stabilized Burton who had
suffered painful injuries.
Property owners said they were
cutting the pine tree closest to the
Hampton property, so in event of
,another Hurricane Hugo the house
would not be damaged by falling
trees and limbs, said a Rescue
Squad member first on the scene.
Rescue personnel said Burton's
safety belt probably saved his life.
Burton's brother, Buck Burton,
and their nephew, Kenny Stickel,
witnessed the accident and sum-
moned rescue squad personnel who
then called two city electricians
with the city's bucket truck.
’
It's Official,
Thursday, |
. -
Run-Offs Called
City Council And School Board
Races To Be Decided November 7
It's official! Kings Mountain
voters will be going to the polls
again Nov. 7 to settle the Ward 2
and Ward 6 city council races.
Incumbent Ward 6
Commissioner Harold Phillips filed
Thursday for a run-off with Scott
Neisler, who led the five-man Ward
6 race last Tuesday in his first bid
for city office.
Second-runner Elvin Greene,
making his first bid for political of-
fice, filed Friday for a run-off with
first place finisher Humes Houston,
incumbent Ward 2 commissioner.
The school board election is also
on Nov. 7.
In a recent candidate forum,
: Phillips, former textile superinten-
dent who served on the board in
the mid 1950s and returned to of-
fice four years ago, said he sup-
ports planning in progress on pos-
sible annexations by the city and
suggested professional help in
dealing with revitalization in the
downtown area of the city. He also
said he fully supports the city man-
ager form of government which the
city adopted two years ago.
Neisler, a textile businessman
and at 33 the youngest of the 10
candidates in the city election
where voters narrowly reelected
Ward 5 commissioner Fred Finger,
said he favors efforts to reduce util-
ity bills, including creation of a hy-
droelectric plant at Moss Lake. He
.says he also favors expansion of
natural gas lines into areas not now
served and extension of water lines
area. If elected, Neijler said he
plans to meet monthly ith citizens
Hurricane Hugo hit the Kings
Mountain-Gaston County area with
a gusto that mounted insurance
claims to the high thousands in
dollar figures and has forced in-
surance agents and repair service
providers to continue to work over-
time --with one Kings Mountain
resident's homeowner's claim ris-
ing to $50,000.
Local insurance agents, howev-
er, have pointed out that the high-
cost damage to one residence is an
isolated incident. The average
damage to homes and businesses in
the Kings Mountain area is esti-
mated at $300 to $400 or less, but
the volume of claims is "several
hundred,” says insurance agent
B.F. Maner.
Another local agent, John
Warlick , says he has probably an
average of $1,000 per claim but
several hundred claims. "I have no
idea of the total dollars involved. I
have so many companies and so
GREENE
for customers in the! Mosglake....
PHILLIPS
NEISLER
to hear their complaints and will
survey citizens on important issues
facing the city. Neisler also sup-
ports the city manager form of
government.
Greene, a Supervisor in a manu-
facturing plant, said he wants to
see an expansion of programs for
Kings Mountain's older citizens,
the handicapped and young people,
better roads and wants to be the
voice of all the people in Ward 2.
Houston is running on the
achievements of the city during his
14 years on council and has said he
favors a controlled annexation pol-
icy to build the city's tax base; an
city manager form of governraent.
Hurricane Claims
Are Winding Down
many adjusters coming in. We are
behind ( in getting insurance
claims processed) but we are work-
ing as hard as we can, with a lot of
overtime, but we are still behind
in getting our people's claims pro-
cessed and settled," he said.
Warlick says, "We do ask the
people to be patient with us. We
are overtaxed just like the people
who are doing repairs to buildings,
electrical services, and other re-
pairs. We understand their wanting
to get their claims settled and the
work done. We are trying to get
out from under the paperwork and
get on with things. We appreciate
their understanding and coopera-
tion."
Maner says most of his insur-
ance claims have been processed
and have now dwindled down to
"two or three a day." The
workload has been heavy as his
See Hugo, 2-A
exppnsion of arenas for selling nali-
ha on lee ~F tho
ex AR Jide av Lf
‘ upmervices and (heim Flac re
[nside At A Glance
Obituaries.............5...... 2°A
Editorials............... L... 4A
Women's News............. 6-A
School News................. 7-A
Classifieds... x. iu. 12-A
SPOTS. veins irsvisessnsisusinesie 1=B
RelZiOn...ccsrmevsassersiienss: 3-6
Food... TB
This Is
Textile Week
(See Section C)
KMHS Homecoming Queen
Lee Ann Masters
(See Page 1-B)
School Board Candidate Forum Set
A candidate forum featuring the eight candidates for
three seats open on the Kings Mountain Board of
Education will be conducted by the Kings Mountain
Chamber of Commerce Oct. 30.
William (Bill) Davis, former superintendent of KM
Schools, will serve as moderator.
Chamber President Bobby Maner said the format for
the forum will follow that of the recent city forum fea-
turing the 10 candidates in the Kings Mountain city
election.
The forum will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Barnes
Auditorium.
The audience will be asked to submit questions to
the moderator prior to the forum. No oral questions
will be submitted.
Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the
board and all registered voters from the Kings
Mountain School District, which also includes Grover,
Bethware, Oak Grove, Dixon Community and Kings
Mountain citizens can cast three votes for three mem-
bers of the board. Two of the members selected will
represent the outside-district and one will represent the
inside-city district. Terms of three members on the
board are expiring this year. They are board chairman
Bill McDaniel, who did not seek reelection; Paul Hord
Jr. and Priscilla Mauney.
Running for two seats are Wanza Y. Davis, Ronald
J. Hawkins, Paul A. Hord Jr., Billy D. Houze, Vernon
(Larry) McDaniel and Calvin J. Miller.
Running for one seat are Tom Bennett and Priscilla
H. Mauney.
Voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The
polling places are East Kings Mountain at KM
Community Center, West Kings Mountain at the
Armory, Bethware at David Baptist Church fellowship
hall and Grover at Grover Rescue Squad building.
Construction Of Water Lines To Begin
Construction of a water line to serve residents of
Sims and Cansler Streets and upgrade badly-needed
fire protection for residents should begin in about 15
days.
City Engineer Tom Howard said McCall Brothers of
Charlotte helds the general contract for the construc-
tion expected fo cost $107,620.00.
Howard said that Roxford Road and Garrison Road
residents should have relief soon from water pressure
problems. Pressure release valves are to be constructed
in that area of town as soon as work on the Sims-
Cansler water line gets underway. :
"Right now we're concentrating on the water line
because upgrading of fire protection is greatly need-
ed," he said.