The Heral
Thursday, August 24, 2000
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KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 112 No. 34
Since 1889
50 Cents
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inside today’s
Herald
Ex-Chief
sues KM,
Manager
Maney says Hayes’
accusations false
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Former Kings Mountain po-
lice chief and current council-
man Bob Hayes has filed a law-
suit against both the City of
Kings Mountain and city man-
ager Jimmy Maney. The suit
filed in Superior Court on
August 17 and
served Tuesday
discharge and
infliction of
emotional dis-
tress. It asks for
compensatory
and punitive
damages in ex-
cess of $10,000
in both areas.
“The allegations are not
true,” Maney said. “We will de-
fend against them vigorously.”
According to the suit, filed
by attorney W. Robinson
Deaton, Jr. of Shelby, Maney ad-
vised Hayes in July 1997 that if
he entered the race for Kings
Mountain city council, he
would be in violation of the
personnel policy and would be
fired.
The suit goes on to say that
Hayes resigned his job as police
chief on August 1, 1997 rather
than be fired from that position
"due to his entering the race as a
candidate for city council.
The suit contains four claims
for relief. The first claim is for
violation of First Amendment
and Fourteenth Amendment
rights under the Constitution. .
The claim says that Hayes’ res-
ignation was “ a gross, wanton,
reckless and intentional disre-
gard for plaintiffs Federal
Constitutional rights and was
done with actual malice.”
The second claim for relief is
for violation of State
Constitutional Rights and says
in part the “defendants’ pattern
and practice of violating plain-
tiff’s Constitutional rights as al-
leged herein amounted to an of-
ficial policy or custom of
delivered indifference to the
plaintiffs rights under the
Constitution of North
Carolina.”
The third claim is for alleged
wrongful discharge and wrong-
ful suspension. It states Hayes’
work record with the city and
says that “the defendants’ ac-
tions violated North Carolina
General Statutes 160A-169 in vi-
olation of plaintiff's statutory
rights to engage in political ac-
tivity.”
Emotional distress is listed as
the fourth claim for relief. It
states that Hayes suffered
“mental anguish and emotional
distress entitling him to com-
pensatory damages in a sub-
See Hayes, 3A
HAYES
Kings Mountain Police
Department will be running
radar next week on the fol-
lowing streets.
Monday, Aug. 28 -
Cleveland Avenue.
Tuesday, Aug. 29 - East
King near Canterbury Rd.
Wed., Aug. 30- Margrace
Rd.
Thurs., Aug. 31 - North
Cansler St.
Fri., Sept. 1 - West
Mountain St.
alleges wrongful - ;
Relay
for
Life
Over 220 walkers, including a large number of
cancer survivors, turned out Saturday morning
for the Joseph R. Smith Relay for Life and
raised over $33,000 to find a cure for cancer.
In photo at right, Bette Buchanan, who has been
cancer free for 11 months, signs her hand print
on a large, white tablecloth inside the Relay
tent. In photo below, Buchanan and other can-
cer survivors walk the first lap to lead-off the
annual event at the Kings Mountain Walking
Track on Cleveland Avenue.
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Not even heavy rain, hail and
winds that destroyed most of the
luminaries and tents could dampen
the spirits of some 225 volunteers
who raised over $33,000 to find a
cure for cancer in Kings Mountain's
third annual Joseph R. Smith Relay
for Life Saturday at the Walking
Track on Cleveland Avenue.
Even though the rain wiped out
Friday’s planned activities and all-
: - night walk, volunteers were back
on the scene at 8 a.m. Saturday for a
six-hour walk which was the town’s
most successful ever.
In two previous Relays, volun-
{teers raised $25,000 and $24,000, re-
spectively, and by the time this
year’s contributions are finally to-
taled Relay officials hope to top
their goal of $40,000.
Mike Neely, Chairman for the
third straight year, said because of
the storm walking teams have been
given until August 28 to gather
more support. Any persons who
weren't able to give last weekend
‘but would still like to help may do
so through any of the teams, or by
mailing a check to KM Relay for
Life, c/o Mike Neely, P.O. Box 1275,
i. Kings Mountain, NC 28086.
The late Friday afternoon storm
which caused major power outages
and downed trees and power lines
in the county also almost complete-
ly destroyed the 15 or more tents
set-up by Relay volunteers earlier in
the day. The only structure to sur-
vive was the appropriately-named
David Baptist Church “Survivors”
lean-to, and that’s only because
Arlene McMurtry gives Mayor
Rick Murphrey a hair cut for a
donation to Relay for Life
that were set into the ground.
All of the tents and other struc-
tures that were constructed on top
of the ground, including the huge
40 x 60 foot executives’ tent for
Relay for Life officials, were blown
down. In addition, most of the 280
luminaries that were placed around
the track in honor and in memory
of cancer victims were destroyed.
The group lit a single candle on
Saturday to represent all of them.
One man who was trying to hold
down a tent was picked several feet
off the ground by the driving wind,
which also blew dirt and the small
gravel from the Walking Track all
over the area and, for a short time,
made it almost impossible to see
from one side of the track to the
other.
Approximately 15 people who
were trying to hold down the exec-
KM volunteers vow to someday
turn cancer fight into celebration
down on them. They got soaked,
but no one was injured.
“We were very fortunate that no
one got hurt,” said Neely. “Most of
the folks were just trying to com-
plete their set-up when the storm
hit, and just about everything got
destroyed.”
Some of the campers which walk-
‘ing teams set up to spend the night
in on Friday received minor dam-
age.
The only group to stick it out for
the night was the Vestibule A.M.E.
Zion Church group, and they
helped spread the word to folks
coming to support the walkers that
the event had been postponed until
Saturday
“Pretty much all of the teams that
were there to walk returned on
Saturday morning,” Neely noted.
“The folks in Kings Mountain are
really supporting us.”
Vestibule A.M.E. Zion Church
won the award for Heart of the
Relay. The David Baptist Church
Survivors won most creative camp
site, most creative name, and most
spirited. Neely said the award for
the team raising the most money
will be given at a wrap-up party in
September.
Neely pointed out that the Relay
has grown from eight teams its first
year to 19 this year, and that they
will never stop this fight. He
stressed that, even when a cure for
cancer is found, the event will con-
tinue as a “party to celebrate.”
Most folks participating in the
Relay have been affected by cancer
in one way or another. Neely got in-
spired to participate three years ago
because his father, Knox, had
.
‘
.
.
.
.
.
:
:
:
ie
KM gets
$749,000
grant for
water line
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
The City of Kings Mountain has received a
$749,046.87 Community Development Block
Grant to help finance water lines in some of the
city’s recently-annexed communities. 0%
The city’s share of the total project, which will
cost $1,049,046.87, is $300,000.
Lines will be provided along Galilee Church =
Road, Bible Way Church Road, Lewis Curry
Road, Pat Drive, Pat Court, Hillway Drive and
Lake Montonia Road. The project should begin in
the spring of 2001 and will be completed by June
30, 2002.
It will consist of 15,985 linear feet of water lines
and supply water to 113 housing units. Taps are
free when the lines are installed. The 3/4-inch tap
fee is normally $400. :
“This is exciting for the city,” said Mayor Rick
Murphrey. “We competed against cities across the
state for this grant. The city staff did an excellent
job in presenting this to the state. We will contin-
ue to look at all of the different areas that we can
apply for Community Development Block Grants
to improve the quality of life for all citizens.”
The Galilee Church Road line will be a 12-inch
line running from York Road and continuing
about 2,500 feet down Galilee Church Road. The
remainder of Galilee Church Road to City Lake
Road will have an 8-inch line installed.
A: 12-inch line will be run along Lake Montonia =
Road, an 8-inch line will be installed on Hillway
Drive, 6-inch lines will be installed on Pat Drive,
Lewis Curry Road and Bible Way Church Road,
and a 2-inch line will be installed on Pat Court.
City repairing leak
on line near Armory
The City of Kings Mountain is busy this week
repairing a leak in the casing of the 18-inch water
line going under U.S. Highway 74 near the =:
National Guard Armory. ne
The casing developed a leak three weeks ago
but repair could not be made until fittings were
ordered and received. The cost of the emergency
project is approximately $80,000. :
The leak occurred near the point where the 24-
inch main line from Moss Lake to town connects
to an 18-inch line. :
City Manager Jimmy Maney said there has
been no interruption in water service because of
the problem.
The city hopes to complete the project by the
end of next week. - 3
Grover businessman
Tommy Keeter dies
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Grover lost one of its driving civic and business
leaders when Tommy Keeter passed away last
Wednesday. A former educator and entrepreneur,
Keeter was also a key figure in Grover’s First
Baptist Church. He was 64-years-old. -
“I knew Tommy all his life,” said Grover town
councilman Jack Herndon: “He
was a mighty good man. He
was one of the leading citizens
of Grover and made many con-
tributions to the town.”
A native of Cleveland
County, Keeter was the son of
Marie Roberts Keeter and T.T.
Keeter. He was a long time
member of First Baptist Church
in Grover and had served in
many capacities including su-
perintendent of Sunday School, deacon, usher,
and on numerous church committees. :
Keeter was also a graduate of Appalachian
State University and had been a teacher in the
Charlotte Mecklenburg School System. He had
served Grover as a city councilman and was on
the committee to build a public library in Grover.
Keeter and his father operated a well-known fur-
KEETER
i niture store in town.
“He was good to work with on the town coun-
i, cil,” said friend Bill McCarter. “He was a good,
faithful worker in his church and town.”
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HOMETOWN
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fhey erected it with wooderipoles utives’ tent had it come crashing : See Relay, 5A
Kings Mountain Gastonia Shelby ; Bessemer City
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