Newspapers / The Kings Mountain herald. / Dec. 9, 1993, edition 1 / Page 1
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11-A Shopping Days ‘til Christmas VOL. 105 NO. 49 Kings Mountain police on stake out helpless to prevent tragedy at Littl = The killings of two employees at a family-owned convenience store shocked the community The double murders in Little Dan's in the Compact Community was the first time in 16 years that “the Goforth family had come face- to-face with what law enforcement officers are calling a "senseless tragedy." "We had similar threats two months ago but nothing ever came Killing shocked community of it," said Danny Goforth, partner in the four Little Dan convenience store operations in Cleveland- Gaston Counties with his brother, Roger, their mother, Mary, and their sister, Debbie. "It was just something that hap- pened," said Goforth, who said po- lice did all they could. "It's up to the Judicial System to make pun- ishment harsh for criminals." See Shock, 12-A En CL; : . Zz, OT — . : x 5 =~ > ss 7 i = Ss = I SE Te > = 2 Ne Tp SSECST SO, SY — = De Res == 28 ZL 2s . : i TCE ZZ. 0% i — Se i <>, “aE ) i 23 FARE HE | = 2 03 Thursday, December 9, 1993 DIXON ADAMS home in Shelby. SANTA CLAUS COMES TO TOWN - Santa Claus came to Kings Mountain Saturday for the city's an- nual Christmas parade. Over 2,500 citizens lined the streets to view the 140-unit parade. More parade photos are on page 1-B. KM Middle School student Hendricks on national program on school violence Will Hendricks, 12-year-old Kings Mountain Middle School seventh grader, was one of 10 stu- dents featured Monday on national television with U. S. Attorney General Janet Reno in a 30-minute question-answer segment about school violence. Tuesday morning, Will joined his other classmates in watching the show on Channel One which was taped Saturday morning by Channel One Educational TV's Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California Hendricks, son of Dr. and Mrs. Paul Hendricks, said he was lucky. He was the youngest and only mid- dle school student in the group and got to ask his question first. He was also the only student from North Carolina picked for the pro- gram. He roomed in Los Angeles with a high school student from Texas and a high school student from Ohio, each of whom also got to quiz Reno. Will asked, "How can law en- . forcement guarantee the safety and protection of those who turn in stu- dents with weapons?" His question came immediately after a clip in which Jesse Jackson told a group of kids that they must tell and break their code of silence. "I know students who have been threatened with revenge after they ratted on someone taking drugs and Grover Council is seated, mayor tells of death threat GROVER - Newly-elected councilmen Tim Rowland, Noel Spivey and Robbie Sides took their oaths of office in an apparently smooth changing of the guard until tempers flared when the mayor called for citizen comment and Spivey made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Prior to the swearing-in cere- monies, the outgoing board asked City Attorney Mickey Corry to re- view the ordinances enacted in November that prohibits parking on the sidewalks. Mayor Ronald Queen said the streets are not: wide enough to al- low parking on the road sides and other parking space is limited. People are used to parking on sidewalks and straddling walkways and the road. Corry said the city can't allow parking on a state high- way right-of-way. Citizens angry because they got tickets from police for parking be- tween the sidewalks and the road have vented their frustrations. And, Queen said police are not sure how to enforce the new law. Corry said he would check out the ordinance further with the District Attorney for some direc- tions on how to prosecute or not prosecute violators. The ordinance prevents parking which obstructs a driveway and prohibits parking on the sidewalks. Violation of the in-. fraction is punishable by a fine. Queen said that he hoped the matter could be resolved at the January 3 meeting. He said some citizens have taken it upon them- selves to make sure the ordinance is properly enforced and drawn the ire of others. A group of citizens began videotaping the cars of citi- zens and some city ‘officials they said were in violation of the ordi- nance. One citizen at the meeting said her expired car inspection sticker was videotaped. Queen said he wanted the ordi- See Grover, 13-A weapons to school," Will said. "I wanted to know what they can do to protect these students." Reno, originally from Florida, answered the question by recount- ing the story of a Florida child who had to make that tough decision and testify in court about what she saw. : 5 "You have to stand up for what you believe in," said Reno. Do the right thing." Reno told students they must first check with local school offi- cials on procedures and guidance. Hendricks said he feels safe at school but he believes there are times that students don't feel safe. See Student, 14-A Two convenience store clerks were gunned down Thursday night even as police, acting on a tip, sur- rounded the area. Police said they were helpless to prevent the double homicide at Little Dan's on Battleground Avenue. Eleven hours after the slaying of Hugh Wayne Marcrum, 45, of Route 2, Bessemer City, and Ervin Lovelace, 67, of 124 Brenda Court, Grover, Kings Mountain Police ar- rested two men at their homes in Gastonia and one woman at her Charged with two counts each of 50¢ <C et Lo) 2 Sgn #® AE » i Gad a” ov <2 roca 2» B= » <9 Emde murder and “ess2 be bery with » 2% were Jakawn i Dixon, 18, of — erat OT, Gastonia; Christopher Lamar "Maniac" Wilson, 21, of Branding Iron Dr., Gastonia; and Cassandra Latrace "Pumpkin" Adams, 17, of 204 Fabian Dr., Shelby. Police sus- pect Adams was driving the car. Debbie Goforth, sister of Little Dan's owners Danny and Roger Goforth, said Marcrum was alone in the store about 6:40 p.m. when he got a call from a woman who See Clerks, 12-A Double-murder at Little Dan's not a normal robbery situation "In a normal situation we could have got there," said Detective Lt. Richard Reynolds. But police say that last Thursday's killings at Little Dan's on Battleground Avenue was no normal situa- tion. "Any time the bad guys expect any resistance it be- comes an abnormal situation," said Reynolds, who was among the six Kings Mountain policemen who watched the convenience store from 7-11 p.m. after an anonymous caller tipped off a store clerk that a rob- bery would take place about 7:30 p.m. When the robbery didn't happen at 7:30 p.m., . Reynolds said police remained across the street from aNALstOre in Sewzer's pacsing, wits and at 97pm. setup » seitlarjee 1m phil uff firea above the Southern Railroad underpass behind a four-feet-high fence at the loading dock at the southern end of U.S.‘Gypsum in an area from which they could watch the front of the store. There is no drive-through from the dock to the underpass. Cars have to exit into Highway 29- Battleground Avenue through a gate. "We didn't want to be seen by any would-be robbers but we wanted to be able to make the arrests on the outside of the store building," said Reynolds. " Police don't: want guns where citizens are in danger of being hurt." December. Harris discounted his age as the reason for his retirement but said age slows public servants. Harris, 80, said he is listening to his wife, Defending the stakeout policy, Reynolds said that officers could not have staked out the store from the parking lot or inside. "If they had waited inside, there could have been a confrontation that would have endangered lives," he said. Reynolds said the same trio who hit Little Dan's Thursday are suspects in a Tuesday night robbery in _ Gaston County in which no on was hurt. Christopher Lamar "Maniac' Wilson, 21, of Gastonia, is the only suspect with a prior criminal record. He had been charged in 1991 with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, whick: was dis- passed. and in 3890 with carrying a donpesind weapon, for which he was convicted. He wis given a six-month suspended sentence and ‘was placed on pro- bation for three years. Cassandra Latrace "Pumpkin'' Adams, 17, has a Shelby address but police say she has been living in a mobile home park near Moss Lake. Jakawn Shawn "Lunatic" Dixon, 18, the third sus- pect in the double homicides in Kings Mountain, is from Gastonia. "People tell police that they are tired of violence. We are too," said Reynolds. Harris stepping down, ‘Westmoreland to run Kings Mountain Senator J. Ollie Harris announced Tuesday night at a Democratic Party meeting in Shelby that he would not seek re- election and Grover educator, beef cattle farmer and Democratic Party § leader Dean Westmoreland imme- § diately threw his hat in the ring. "In politics, there comes a time in a person's life when it's time to stop, look and listen," said Harris, who has served in the General Assembly for 20 years and com- pletes his term of office next HARRIS "WESTMORELAND children and doctor who tell him that he has reached many objec- tives and it's good to stop while a winner. Harris, who acknowledged the See Harris, 14-A Grover Town Clerk Lynn Davis, left, administers the oath of office to new Councilmen Noel Spivey, Robbie Sides and Tim Rowiand, left to right. Grover parade Saturday 3 p.m. GROVER - Santa Claus is com- ing to town Saturday in a 110-unit Christmas parade which will wind through the streets of Grover at 3 p.m. Al Conklin, morning weather- man at WBTV 3 in Charlotte, will be the grand marshal. Bobbie Spivey, general chair- man, said the parade will line up in Spring Acres, proceed down Main Street to Laurel Avenue beside the Fire Department, turn right on Mulberry, left on Cleveland Avenue and disband in the parking lot of First Baptist Church. The Kings Mountain High School Band and the Air National Guard Drum & Bugle Corps of Charlotte will lead off a line up of pretty beauty queens, numerous floats, cheerleaders, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, town officials and nu- merous other entries representing a large segment of the area. "We think this will be one of our biggest and best holiday parades and invite everyone to come out and enjoy the event," said Spivey. RA W oN
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