aon
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sponsored by the Kings Mountain Herald.
noon until S p.m.
and give blood to help someone in need this season.
125 pints of blood.
igibility.
Bloodmobile here Friday
The Red Cross bloodmobile returns to Kings Mountain Friday for a visit
Donors will be processed at First Baptist Church fellowship hall from
"The need is great due to the high incidence of wrecks this holiday sea-
son,” said Publisher Darrell Austin, who invites the community to turn out
"When you give blood, you give another day at the beach, another hike
in the woods, another night under the stars, another smile, another hug, and
another chance," say Red Cross officials‘ who are hoping for a collection of
Donors must be at least 17 years of age and 17-year-old donors must
show proof of age with driver's license, birth certificate or a note from the
school principal's office. A Red Cross staff nurse will be available to answer
eligibility questions 15-30 minutes prior to the start of the bloodmobile.
. You also may call a donor counselor toll free at 1-800-822-7361 exten-
sions 313, 212, and 463 for clarification or further information regarding el-
"When you give a pint of blood you recycle life,” says Austin.
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CH bd asad i Ne 52 er
Vol. 104 No. 51
Thy December 17, 1992
Kings Mountain, N.C: 28086 ¢ 35¢
Police, schools target guns on campus
Kings Mountain school officials and Chief of Police
Warren Goforth are joining forces to provide preven-
tive education in hopes of deterring the growing prob-
lem of weapons being brought onto school campuses.
« For the second time in recent weeks, a student at
Kings Mountain Middle School brought a handgun to
school last week and showed it to two other students.
All three were suspended for the remainder of the year
and will face juvenile authorities.
Chief Goforth, who at the request of Board
Chairman Ronnie Hawkins had been working on a
plan, stepped up his efforts after last Wednesday's inci-
dent. He has researched several educational programs
and will begin sharing ideas with school officials next
week.
"I am very concerned with the weapons issue,” he °
told the Board of Education Monday night, "and I of-
Chill-out
policy Is
discussed
fer you my assistance and the Police Department's as-
sistance in an effort to solve our problems. They're all
our children and we love them all.”
Goforth said juvenile crime has increased by "two
and a half times" since 1989. Burglaries are up 33 per-
cent, larceny 30 percent, rape 15 percent, and murders
and non-negligent manslaughters 14 percent.
"It's really scary," he said.
Goforth said police and school officials need to im-
prove the way they deal with juvenile crimes.
"We have to react to our problems swiftly and stern-
ly," he said. "We need to deter them at the first point
they violate these laws."
Goforth said he hopes the schools, police, parents
and juvenile authorities will all band together to try to
stop the problem of weapons coming onto school
grounds. He said jail terms may have to be the answer.
RR
"We have to react to
our problems
swiftly and sternly."
-Chief Warren Goforth
rT
"Kings| ‘Mountain is not an isolated case,” he said. "I
J icalls today and this problem is popping up
ever Hoke I don't know what the answer is but with a
Tue
What Chief of Police Warren
"4 non-violent video to be shown in the schools, and per-
haps provide some literature as well. KMMS Principal.
John Goforth said he has given programs daily since
the most recent incident.
Chief Goforth suggested that school officials notify
police as soon as an incident occurs, So it can be put
into the criminal justice system. Goforth said school
officials have almost unlimited search and seizure au-
thority.
"Basically, the school system has the right to search
anywhere or anyone they want to," he said. "When
they do that it gives the police department probable
cause to put the matter in the justice system. If a teach-
er or principal sees weapons or drugs they have the
right to seize that material and call us. It's critical for
us to be involved as soon as possible."
See Weapons, 12-A
KM man arrested
in big drug bust
£°* Kings Mountain High School's
tardy policy drew mixed reactions
from students, parents and educa-
tors who spoke on the issue at
Monday night's Board of
Education meeting.
The policy drew support and
criticism from both students and
parents, but every teacher and
school employee who spoke on the
matter said it has been highly suc-
cessful in helping alleviate a dras-
tic problem of students “roaming
© {he hallways" during class time.
Principal lackie Lavender said
/ the staff feels the tardy policy is
one of the best policies ever at the
high school.
The policy was approved last
year and was put into effect for the
second half of the school year. It
was continued this year and will
probably continue; however, mem-
bers of the Tardy Committee did
say they would be happy to meet
with students and. parents to dis-
cuss possible changes where need-
ed.
The tardy policy calls for stu-
dents who are late to class to spend
the remainder of that class period
in Chill-Out, a special waiting area
where students are not allowed to
talk or make-up school work. After
that period, the students are sent to
their next class. If the tardy is un-
See Tardy, 12-A
With Christmas just a week away, Kings Mountain's
Empty Stocking Fund has collected less than 50 per-
cent of its goal.
To date only $1,300 has been donated. In the first
three years the campaign raised an average of over
$3,000 per year.
Campaign leaders urge you to give generously.
Kings Mountain High students Edie Hicks, Jenn Halter and Jayda Biddix, I¢ft to right, speak in favor
of the school's tardy policy at Monday night's meeting of the Board of Education.
Nurse proposal endorsed
% The Kings Mountain Board of Education Moray
night éndorsed a proposal by the Health Advisiry
Council and Cleveland County Health Department for
a grant application which, if approved, would provide
a Registered Nurse for Kings Mountain Middle
School. :
The $225,000, five-year grant would be one of four
+ approved by the N.C. Adolescent Health Care Project.
County Health Director Denise Stallings said the
first-year share of the grant would be $50,000. The
Health Department would be responsible for hiring the
nurse and providing all equipment and supplies.
The nurse would be available for assessments, pre-
ventive health education classes, screening and work-
ing with faculty and parents to provide proper referrals
for medical problems.
"We're real excited about it," she said.
The grant request is due February 1. If approved, the
program would begin either in the summer or at the
beginning of the 1993-94 school year.
Stocking not even half-§ 111
anonymously or in honor or in mentory of a loved one.
Previous balance
Received this week:
Mr. and Mrs. Sei Sam Fujita
"If we're successful, $50,000 would be provided to
four counties which will be plot programs,’ Stallings
said. "We hope to be used as a model for the
Legislature for future funding. There has not been a lot
of emphasis on adolescent health in recent years."
The big benefit, though, she said, would be to area
families who otherwise may not be able to afford
health cate. :
Stallings said the nurse would not be allowed to pro-
vide confraceptives or discuss abortion; however, if a
student fisks questions about such matters the nurse
can refg I pig to the Health Department or their fami-
Bog: d member Sonny Peeler, a member of the
Healt Advisory Council, said he sees the possible
program as a big benefit to children who may not be
abl /to afford proper health care. "It's amazing how
ich these children need health care," he said. "Some
ot them have never been to a doctor."
See Nurse, 12-A
/
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Dye, in memory
Emma Dye and in honor of Lee and Fr
‘Every gift, no matter how small, will go a long way to-
-ward making Christmas merry for many. needy chil-
dren in the Kings Mountain area.
Individuals, businesses, churches, civic groups and
other organizations are urged to participate.
Mail your contribution to Empty Stocking Fund,
Anonymous
Mauney Hosiery office staff, in holo)
ment
P.O, Box 1461, Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086; or de-
posit it in the special Empty Stocking Fund account at
Home Federal Savings and Loan. Gifts may be made
Kings Mountain People
Total to date
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Shull
Mr. M.C. Pruette
Earl and Evelyn Pruitt
L
Thelma Hicks likes people. Her
job as Congregate Meal Site man-
ager at the Kings Mountain Depot
puts her in touch with new friends
every day.
Hicks' "lunch bunch" usually
numbers 100 people, including the
31 who receive their meals on
wheels. She never tires of hearing
about the special needs of the
home-bound that her volunteers
tell her about as they deliver a hot
lunch.
In November Thelma and her
co-chefs Audrey Webster and
Isobel Ellis cooked for 1300 and
volunteers like Barbara Coxen,
Connie Allison and Addie Grier
delivered hot lunches to several
hundred more.
Hicks was hired by Cleveland
County Department of Social
Services on April 1, 1976 at the
Community Center to run the
Kings Mountain nutrition program
which moved to the spacious new
Depot two years later. Before that
‘Thelma had worked for BVD,
training knitters at what is now
Anvil Knitwear. She was trans-
ferred by BVD from Chapel Hill in
1962. In 1975 BVD closed and
junch’
ried looking for another
dled with Violet Dixon at
imployment ~~ Security
Commission. "I think I have just
the right fi for you," said Dixon.
© had been out of school 30
J dropping out in the 11th
10 take care of her sick moth-
She passed a test at Cleveland
See Hicks, 11-A
THELMA HICKS
Goforth calls the biggest drug bust
ever in Kings Mountain has result-
ed in the arrest of a Kings
Mountain man and a Georgia man.
Goforth said that on November
30 agents of the 27-B Drug Task
Force arrested Eddie. Lee Graham
Ir. of Georgia and Carl Edward
Price Jr. of Kings Mountain on
charges of conspiracy to traffic in
marijuana.
Goforth said that during the ar-
rest procedures it was discovered
that Graham was wanted by the
State of Georgia as a fugitive on
drug charges stemming from an in-
cident that occurred on January 3,
1990. Graham was formally
charged with fugitive warrants on
December 3, 1992 after a bond
hearing in District Court of
Cleveland County on the drug con-
spiracy charges filed by the Task
Force. Graham was ordered held
on a $150,000 bond.
Price was held on $50,000 bond
but has since been released on
bond.
The charges filed by the Task
Force stem from an investigation
that started from a tip from
Gastonia police and the SBI.
A search warrant issued on
November 24, 1992 led Task Force
agents to an 80 pound seizure of
marijuana in Kings Mountain, sev-
eral weapons and approximately
' $7,000 cash.
See Bust, 11-A
! spiracy, money laundering and tax
| Mountain,
KM brothers
face charges
A federal grand jury handed
down indictments Tuesday charg-
ing Kings Mountain brothers Jim
and Olin Thompson and a Gastonia
man with nine counts| of drug con-
fraud.
Arrested were James Lawson
Jim" Thompson of Kings
his brother, Olin
“Thompson, servingia 30-year
for trafficking Dilaudid, and
Ronald Hal "Pere Wollman of
APrison: sentence in South Tel
Gastonia.
A federal magisirate
$100,000 bonds for Wellman and
Jim Thompson.
Jim Thompson is charged with
three ‘counts (of ‘conspiracy to pos-
“Sess cocaine with the intent to dis-
tribute it and money laundering.
Wellman, ‘of South Street in
Gastonia, faces all nine counts list-
ed in a 10-page indictment un-
sealed Tuesday,
Olin Thompson faces one drug
conspiracy charge.
The indictments discuss in detail
alleged money laundering transac-
tions from 1988) through 1991 al-
legedly meant to muddle a trail of
drngs. Ri
See Brothers, 11-A
set
bi
New fire codes require
‘inspection of churches
The biggest change in the
amended city fire codes adopted
Tuesday night by City Council
will require the inspection of
churches every two years.
Fire Chief Frank Burns said that
he and city firemen Bud Ware and
Bill Herndon, all state-certified city
fire inspectors, routinely inspect
churches as well as industry and
buildings. He said that a change in
. work schedules in the fire depart-
ment now gives the city a full-time
fire inspector.
New mandates from the state ef-
fective January 1, 1993 levy fines
from the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration against
towns and cities that violate state
safety standards. ;
Burns said that the state requires
that churches be inspected every
three years.
Worried about the cost of penal-
ties should the city fall short of
new workplace safety standards,
Council discussed at length four
new safety policies based on OS-
HA standards and modeled after
policies recommended by the N. C.
League of Municipalities.
The policies detail the safety
procedures that city employees
See Codes, 11-A
Kings Mountain brothers
present city gift of land
Kings Mountain received an ear-
ly Christmas present Tuesday
night.
James and William Herndon,
brothers, presented two vacant lots
at 205 S. Piedmont Avenue to the
City of Kings Mountain as a gift.
The half-acre parcel is expected
to be used for parking and expan-
sion when the old post office be-
comes the new Law Enforcement
Center.
Market value of the property is
$42,900 according to a recent ap-
praisal.
"We are delighted to accept this
parcel of land offered to the city at
no cost," said City Manager
George Wood in making the an-
nouncement.
In other actions, the board:
Rezoned from NB to GB the
property of Jewel Falls, 805
Cleveland Ave., and
Strickland and Ethel Petty estate
property at 803 Cleveland Ave.
Keith Falls said his family wants
to purchase the adjacent property
to expand their 25-year-old busi-
ness, Linwood Produce.
Sct February 23,1993 at 7:30
p.m. for a public hearing and re-
ferred to the Planning Board a re-
quest for rezoning from Tony
Ruppe of Kings Mountain Hojiery
See Land, 11-A
the J...