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POLICE
BRIEFS
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Statutory rape |
charge filed |
on KM man
A 19-year-old Kings
Mountain man has been
charged with two counts of
statutory rape and two counts
of taking indecent liberties-
with a child in connection
with an incident alleged to
‘have occurred on Monday,
Qctober 2.
All of the charges are
felonies. The alleged incident
involved a 14-year-old girl.
David Glover, 407 York
Road, was jailed under a
$40,000 secured bond.
According to Kings | :
Mountain Police, the statutory # :
rape charge involves “inter-
course with a child who is 13, |:
14 or 15 years old by someone
who is more than four years
but less than six years older
than the victim.”
Attempted armed
robbery reported
at Pine Manor
Kings Mountain Police are
investigating an attempted
armed robbery Thursday
night in the parking lot of
Pine Manor Apartments at
612 Charles Street.
Anthony Huskey, 18, of 119
Hillway Drive, and Theodosia
Currence, 18, of 612 Charles
Street, Apt. 33, told Ptl. A.D.
Borchert that they were sitting
in a car when a suspect came
up to the driver’s side win-
dow and told them to “empty
your pockets and give me ev-
erything you got.”
The suspect then reportedly
opened the door and pulled a
gun, and threatened Huskey
and Currence. i
Currence told Borchert she
ran inside Apartment 33 to
call the police and the suspect
fled the scene on foot.
Both Currence and Huskey
.identified the suspect, but an
arrest has not yet been made.
KM man arrested
on liberties charge
Michael Dean Lockridge,
41, of 808 Fourth Street, Kings
Mountain, was arrested last
week on an alleged charge of
taking indecent liberties with
a minor.
He was jailed on a $10,000
secured bond.
According to Kings
Mountain Police, Lockridge is
accused by a 12-year-old of
rubbing her legs and other ar-
eas. I :
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
In what some audience mem-
bers considered another act of
high-handedness, the Cleveland
County Board of
Commissioners voted 4-1
Tuesday evening to adopt coun-
tywide zoning. As he did with
the school merger vote, com-
missioner Willie McIntosh cast
the sole dissenting ballot.
“It was like merger all over
again,” said county resident
Kathy Falls. “A lot of people
wish that the new commission-
ers that will be voted in next
month could have handled it.”
In a flashback to merger
meetings, commission chairman
Jim Crawley and commission
candidate David Morrow once
again crossed swords.
Following an impassioned ad-
dress by Morrow against zon-
ing that brought loud approval
from the audience, Crawley
rapped his gavel for order.
One point in the new ordi-
nance that Falls and others
took issue with restricts home
businesses from opening before
8 am.
“Most day cares are operated
as home businesses,” Falls said.
“This provision will make it
hard on working parents who
won't be able to drop their kids
off before going to work.”
As in the merger hearings,
the commission chambers were -
packed with people eager to
hear what was said- and to
voice their own opinion on zon-
ALAN HODGE /THE HERALD :
Not everyone at the Cleveland County Fair had the balance of Dexter Grades when it came to
climbing the swiveling rope game. Grades said it took a lot of practice to master the art.
~ FAIR WEATF
Clear skies, cool temperatures perfect
combination for Cleveland County Fair
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
Perfect weather got the 76th annual Cleveland
i County Fair off to a good start last Thursday and
i has kept it that way. With the clear skies and cool
temperatures that have so far characterized the
meteorological scene, fair organizers expect atten-
dance to top 200,000 before the action ends
Saturday night.
This weekend saw heavy masses of the public
making their way through the fair gates and from
that point beelines to the attractions, rides, and
food. Folks ranging in age from tots to the elderly
i packed the midway and stood in long lines to try
out the amusements.
With the theme of this year’s fair being the
Department of Agriculture’s “Goodness Grows in
North Carolina,” there are many exhibits that
i showcased not only local fruits and vegetables,
i but a wide variety of prize livestock and poultry.
Food at the fair has everyone salivating as well
as filling their mouths with eats that include the
standard hotdog and other delicacies such as piz-
See Fair, 3A
cotton candy.
Six-year-old Koale Cloninger of Dallas won his
prizes playing the “Smash Mouth” game at the
fair. Cloninger was also on the lookout for some :
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ing. The emotionally charged
atmosphere even pitted neigh-
bor against neighbor with dif-
ferent views about use of their
lands. Especially contentious
was the debate over mobile
home parks.
One aspect of the zoning or-
dinance that officials think will
help soften the impact of new
mobile home parks on neigh-
boring residential areas is the
rule requiring “screens” of
planted bushes, trees, or even
earthen berms between the two
areas. The rule is that the
screens have to be at least 20
feet high. The catch is that the
screens of planted trees or bush-
es don’t have to be that high at
first, they only have to have the
potential to eventually grow to
that height. ;
The new zoning requirements
divide the county into eight ar-
~ eas. These include neighbor-
hood business, general busi-
ness. lieht industrial heavy
See Zoning, 11A
Man charged
with killing
woman in KM
BY ALAN HODGE
Staff Writer
A man arrested in Putnam
County, Tennessee on DWI,
felony stolen vehicle, and drug
charges has confessed to stran-
gling his girlfriend in Kings
Mountain on September 18, ac-
cording to the Cleveland
County Sheriff's Department.
According to police, 37-year-
old Alva Lamar Richmond of
Oak Hill, West Virginia con-
fessed to the murder while be-
ing held in the Putnam County
jail on charges relating to a
September 19 auto accident
about 80 miles west of
Knoxville on I-40. In his confes-
sion to police, Richmond said
he strangled 46-year-old
Virginia Helmick on September
18 at 1140 Rollingbrook Court
in Kings Mountain. Richmond
also reportedly stated that he
transported Helmick’s body to
Putnam County near Baxter
and hid it in a wooded area.
Richmond was also a suspect in
the strangulation death of his
wife on April 9, 2000 in Oak
Hill and was charged with that
murder on Monday, police said.
Police said that Richmond
told them he strangled both
women while they were asleep.
Helmick’s body was found in
the forest about four miles from
See Charges, 11A
KM to become
gateway to parks
The City of Kings Mountain
this week received notification
from the Department of Interior
National Park Service,
Southeast Regional Office, that
its proposal to make Kings
Mountain a gateway to the
Crowders Mountain and Kings
Mountain State Parks, and the
Kings Mountain National
Military Park, has been ap-
proved.
The Park Service will provide
technical assistance to the city
and the three parks to imple-
ment a marketing program and
signage to promote the parks
and the city.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said
the local project was one of 13
approved for next year’s park
budget.
The Southeast Regional
Office will work with the local
agencies in conservation efforts
regarding trails, rivers and pro-
grams and to make Highway
161 the main entrance to all
three parks. i
“We're excited about this op-
portunity and look forward to
working with the National Park
Service to develop Kings
Mountain as a gateway commu:
nity,” Murphrey said. “We are
working toward a goal of at-
.tracting park visitors to Kings
Mountain, along with new busi-
nesses.”
Murphrey and City Manager
Jimmy Maney have met with
officials from the three parks on
numerous occasions.
As a gateway community,
Murphrey said the City will be
listed in all park guides and
brochures. Park experts will
help the parks and city preserve
their local resources and create
See Gateway, 11A
Community mourns death of two legends
i, Bill Fulton greeted all
Ruby Alexander advocate
of KM, Cleveland County
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Her name was Ruby, but she
was really a gem. :
Realtor and Developer Ruby
Alexander spent her lifeti ne
promoting her hometown of
Kings Mountain through her in-
volvement in church, communi-
ty and business activities.
Mrs. Alexander, 74, died
Friday following a three-year
bout with cancer which saw her
beat the odds, return to an ac-
tive litestyle and, as always, be
an inspiration to all she came in
contact with.
“My mom has always been
an inspiration to me, but never
more than during her cancer
fight,” said her daughter, Cindi
Wood. “She has fought valiant-
ly for three years - reminding us
often that her fighting power
came from her relationship with
with a firm handshake
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Kings Mountain lost a
church, community and busi-
ness leader, and a gentleman,
with the passing last week of
William S. “Bill” Fulton Jr.
The longtime owner of
Fulton's Department Store died
Saturday at his home following
kind word and a firm hand-
shake.
“Bill has been a great citizen
for Kings Mountain all of his
life,” said his fellow Kiwanian
- J.C. Bridges. Bridges and Fulton
served together in the Kiwanis
Club for over 50 years. Both are
lifetime members.
“He was always friendly,”
Bridges said. “He never pushed
a ————
County wide zoning approved |
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Jesus Christ. a lengthy bout with cancer. anybody. He never tried to
“Her construction work con- Fulton wore many hats in the push himself to the front. He
; community, and in all of them See Fulton. 3A
See Ruby, 3A RUBY ALEXANDER BILL FULTON greeted everyone he met with a eg Fulton,
Kings Mountain Gastonia Shelby Bessemer City
FIRST NATIONAL BANK 300 W. Mountain St. 529 New Hope Rd. 106 S. Lafayette St. 1225 Gastonia Hwy.
Celebrating 126 Years 739-4782 865-1233 484-6200 629-3906
Member FDIC