begins Tuesday
Bethware Fair
3A
~ Vol. 110 No. 30
E. Coli ou
~The Cleveland County Health Department is
investigating 14 E. coli cases, according to county
health director Denese Stallings.
Stallings said lab tests in Raleigh confirmed that
a 42-year-old had the infection and that case could
be an isolated incident.
Stallings said the department is also investigat-
ing six “probable” and seven “possible” cases.
The health department will conduct a mandatory
workshop for all county restaurant owners and
employees about proper food handling and per-
sonal hygiene Friday at 9:30 a.m. at the health de-
partment. Letters went out to all restaurants Mon-
day.
The E. coli infection is believed to be caused from
KM woman
accused of
kidnapping
Robert Paul Benton, 38, of 115
Peyton Place, Polkville and Edith
Brown of Kings Mountain have
been charged with kidnaping by the
Cleveland County Sheriff’s Depart-
ment.
Lt. Billy Benton said the pair
allegedly held four Polkville
residents at gunpoint they accused
of stealing drugs from them.
Narcotics Officer Benton said the
four residents were allegedly forced
to search their mobile home and
idences for a qu.
en
miles through the woods to a
friend’s home.
Edith Brown was arrested at her
residence on July 18 by Sheriff's
Narcotics Officers Rocky Smith and
Robert Archie. Robert Paul Benton,
ran from a vehicle stop and as-
saulted a sheriff's deputy on
Monday morning, said Billy |
Benton. Because of the heat a five
hour search for the suspect was
called off and then resumed with a
surveillance team which spotted the
suspect entering a residence on
Stoney Point Road.
Robert Paul Benton was charged
with three counts of first degree
kidnaping, possession with intent
to sell and deliver methamphet-
amine, possession with intent to sell
and deliver marijuana, conspiracy
_to traffic methamphetamine, and
i See KIDNAPPING Page 2A
»-Deaths
Samuel Head, :
Kings Mountain
Betty Moss,
Kings Mountain
Nettie Tesseneer,
Grover
James Jolley,
Kings Mountain
Carolyn Herndon,
Grover
yInside
Birthdays page 2B
Business/Industry page 5-6B
Classifieds page 7-9 B
Lifestyles page 1B
Obituaries page 2A
Opinion page 4A
Police Report page 7A
Sports page 10A
First Carolina Federal
Readers speak out
on local issues 2
a Fe ill 2 As
TY fh ed
SS oF nt
== ww Zp SAT 5 Jem, ANN
{ = Zz WT = == eS ZL 77
p= - Be = prin
I { = REE
hn % A rd [A - WR
HE b VIOTKY 8
? pert Tr |
~] 8
Thursday, July 23, 1998 >
QQ
germs ingested usually through undercooked meat,
unpasteurized milk and contaminated water, in-
cluding swimming pools.
The health department's investigation has ex-
panded to three Cleveland County restaurants,
however it has not been confirmed that anyone in
the county contracted the infection from a local res-
taurant. The Health Department sent out a warn-
ing Monday to people in the restaurant, medical and
child care industries that the elderly and children
are particularly susceptible.
Bloody diarrhea and severe abdominal pain are
the main warning signs and most people recover in
a week, however, E. coli sometimes causes serious,
even life-threatening complications and people
I.
with symptoms should see a doctor. Health offi-
cials warn against the use of Lomotil, a prescrip-
tion anti-diarrheal medication and the over the
counter Imodium.
A team from the N. C. Department of Health and
Human Resources was in Shelby this week to re-
view the local investigation.
How can you avoid getting sick? Health officials
say you should wash your hands frequently, espe-
cially before eating or handling food. All foods, par-
ticularly meats, should be cooked thoroughly and
handled with clean utensils and served hot.
Mrs. Stallings said while food is the most likely
link, the health department isn’t ruling out any-
thing. She said people can also be infected through
Unable to scale back the spiraling
construction costs of a new law en-
forcement center, City Council gave
the green light Monday night to
spending $1.7 million and moving
ahead on the project.
Three weeks from today the his-
torical old city hall, the present home
of the police department on Pied-
mont Ave., may be down and con-
struction should be underway.
The Kings Mountain Police De-
partment Detective Division moved
this week into the old Herald Build-
ing just down the street and Chief
Richard Reynolds said other depart-
ments will soon follow.
Jim Stewart, of Stewart-Cooper Ar-
chitects, of Gastonia, reviewed con-
struction plans to try to shave the
Scott Neisler.
Neisler asked Stewart if there
would be a cost savings in renovat-
ing the present building and/or start-
ing all over on the project. But Stewart
said the city would be throwing good
money after bad due to the age of the
present building. “The renovation
would all have to be up to codes and
when you got through you'd spend
just as much money and you would
still have an old building,” he said.
Councilman Norma Bridges asked
Kings Mountain Law Enforcement Center will be torn down
New PD to cost $1.7
night that only about $20,000 could
be cut and those practical cuts came
mainly from electrical and plumbing
fixtures and changes in wall heights.
“1 feel good about going on with
this project, scaling back would hurt
the future and growth,” said Mayor
(Yandle & Davie:
Heating and Air
(Shelby Heating
Elechical-
(Lake Electric of D
Demolition-
(John E. Jenkins Inc, G
Architectural cost- §
(Stewart-Cooper Architect
Gastonia)
costs but he told Council Monday
Fanfare and live TV will open the won't open that day.
See POLICE STATION page 2A
KM to sell
old city lakes
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
million
| The Price Tag
contact with others by failing to wash their hands
after using the bathroom and touching food or other
people. An outbreak in Atlanta recently apparently
was caused by a sick child defecating in a pool and
20 children got sick. ~~ Health Department offi-
cials are busy this week interviewing the families
of those sick in an attempt to determine how the
disease is being spread.
Stallings says she is waiting for more test results
from Raleigh and results of samples sent to the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention in Raleigh.
Stallings was to issue a press statement Wednes-
day at 4:30 p.m.
KM hikes
Grover's
water rate
By vote of 4-0, City Council Mon-
day night denied a reprieve of a 20
percent hike in water charges to the
neighboring town of Grover.
Grover Mayor Max Rollins told
the board the higher costs had not
been anticipated in the 1998-99 bud-
get and would amount to about
$10,000.
“Our budget was predicated on
the 99 cent rate in a five year contract
which we thought was intended for
the life of the contract,” said Rollins.
said Kings Mountain charges neigh-
boring Bessemer City 1.17, the inside
industrial water rate, and Grover had
been paying 99 cents.
“We just want to be fair,” said
Maney and Mayor Scott Neisler.
Grover buys all its water from
Kings Mountain.
“We appreciate the service which
has been of benefit to both of us,” said
Rollins but he said Grover needed a
clearer contract and purchase agree-
ment.
The five-year contract adopted
August 8, 1996 sets out that Kings
Mountain could increase the rate
with notification to Grover, accord-
ing to City Attorney Mickey Corry
who is also attorney for the Town of
Grover. Corry said the letter was sent
to retiring mayor Ronald Queen June
“This is a pretty good deal at
$1.17,” said Councilman Rick
Murphrey who said the rate for Kings
Mountain citizens is $1.37 per 1,000
gallons. Councilman Gene White and
Murphrey made the motions to deny
the reprieve from the original con-
tract and Norma Bridges and Phil
Hager also approved. Absent were
councilmen Bob Hayes, Clavon Kelly
and Jerry Mullinax.
Rollins said the Town of Grover
may have to up the cost of water for
its citizens.
city’s half million dollar swimming
pool July 31.
City officials will cut the ribbon and
formally dedicate the facility at5 p.m.,
according to Recreation Director
Tripp Hord who said the public is in-
vited to come as early as 4 p.m. and
remain until after the 9:30 p.m. fire-
works show to be conducted by
Mayor Scott Neisler.
“Weare planning music, entertain-
ment, food, a hydrant shower by the
city fire department, and demonstra-
tions by a local swim team and
women’s aerobics class,” said Hord
who said public swimming probably
Water is in the pool and the fence is
up this week but workers still had loose
ends to tie up.
“We missed two deadlines but we
won't miss the July 31 opening,” said
Hord who said that WCNC Cable Chan-
nel 6 will be on hand to broadcast live
evening news from the pool at 5 p.m.,
5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Hord said with school opening on
August 10th that school children won't
be able to use the facility much this sum-
mer except on weekends. “We hope to
keep the pool open on weekends for the
public through Labor Day and
See POOL page 2A
3000 W. Mountain
739-4781
Kings Mountain
[4
yt. )
New city pool to open July 31
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
New Kings Mountain swimming pool to open July 31
= Ny €
Gastonia
NEW Hope [93%
5-1111
(80 TPN EY
1229 FF Phivo
LYE Yk
| iBatiCitysManager Jimm yy Maney Wa