Thursday, August 23, 2001 Vol. 113 No. 34
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Since 1889
KINGS MOUNTAIN
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Ke? MOUNTAIN N NC 28086-3414
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Special 2001
edition inside
today’s Herald
50 Cents
Renaldo Tate
Kings Mountain
Mountaineers
Cop says
man tried
to run
him over
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer4
SHELBY - A resolution has no power.
But at Tuesday's Cleveland County
Board of Commissioner's meeting, a res-
olution supporting a possible sales tax
increase powered discussions among citi-
zens and leaders.
State Representative Andy Dedmon, p-
Cleveland, said he had asked several
revenue sources, including a half-percent
sales tax increase.
Commissioners passed the resolution
3-2, with voting done along party lines.
The Democrats, Chairman Willie
McIntosh, Vice Chairman Tom Bridges
and Mary Accor, voted to support it
while the two Republicans, Ronnie
Hawkins and Charlie Harry, voted in
opposition.
Most of the people speaking were
senior citizens who live on a fixed
income.
“It’s going to take a tremendous hit on
senior citizens,” Robinson said.
Cleveland County Republican Party
Chairman Tim Moore said money gener-
ated from the sales tax would not pro-
vide enough support to Cleveland
County. Counties would only see $70
million of an approximate $400 million
the state would take in from a proposed
ounty passes 1/2 cent sales tax resolution
out of Cleveland County,” Moore said.
“Any sales tax increase at this point
would only hurt.”
Moore asked the board not to pass the
resolution supporting a sales tax, but to:
pass one asking for a tax decrease. He
said the state would collect more money
than needed to cover the $160 million
shortfall before a tax increase.
Betsy Wells, Cleveland County
Democratic Party Chairman,
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Two Bessemer City men are
in Cleveland County Jail fol-
lowing a fight last week in
which they allegedly assaulted
numerous persons, including a
2-year-old child and a Kings
Mountain policeman.
David Wayne Randall Jr., 26,
and Brandon Stewart Shronce,
17, both of 5211 Dallas
Cherryville Highway, were
jailed on bonds of $250,000 and
$150,000 respectively.
Randall was charged with
two counts of assault with a
deadly weapon inflicting seri-
ous injury, one count of assault
with a deadly weapon with
intent to kill, one count of
assault on a child under age 12,
and one count of first degree
burglary.
Shronce was charged with
one count each of assault with a
deadly weapon, assault with a
deadly weapon on a law
enforcement official, and driv-
ing while impaired.
According to Officer W.E.
Ellis of KMPD, he received a
call to a fight in progress on
North Gaston Street. He said
upon arrival he found several
subjects that were bleeding and
screaming.
According to Ellis’ report,
witnesses charged that three
men were armed with brass
knuckles and a hammer. The
report said two men originally
waited by a vehicle while
another approached three men
who were sitting on the porch.
The report indicated that two of
the three men ran inside the
house, where a woman was
reportedly bathing a child. The
report said the man who did
not run was struck by a ham-
mer, and he then struck the sus-
pect and ran inside.
Meanwhile, the report said,
the other two suspects came to
the scene. Webb's report alleges
that one suspect broke the glass
on the door and struck the
woman in the face with brass
knuckles while she was holding
the child. The report said one of
the men began kicking the door
until it opened and then went
inside “and tried to assault the
victim’s daughter” but she ran
away. One man and the child
were allegedly struck inside the
‘ house.
Det. Derek Johnson said
when officers arrived at the
scene they arrested two men on
the front porch. Officer Webb
claims that Shronce ran to a
vehicle which was parked in
the parking lot of a nearby
church, and he ran after him.
“I ran to the corner of the
church (and) Mr. Shronce then
came at me with the vehicle,”
Webb claimed. “I moved and
Mr. Shronce struck the church
approximately five feet from
me. He then backed up and
struck the fence. At this time I
grabbed Mr. Shronce from the
vehicle and placed him into
custody.”
Three persons, including the
2-year-old child, were taken to
Kings Mountain Hospital for
treatment of lacerations, Webb
said.
Det. Johnson, who is still
investigating the case, said
additional charges may be filed
against another individual. He
said a six-month-old and 4-
year-old child were also inside
the house.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 127 Years
commissioners to consider a resolution
asking the legislature to look for local
* against the proposed measure.
Jack Robinson said the tax would hurt
tax increase, Moore said.
“A lot of money is going to be taken
v WORLD CHAMPION JUGGLER v
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
16-year-old David DiMuzio of Kings Mountain has turned a five-year juggling hobby into a business
and world championship. He recently won the 18-and-under world championship at the
International Juggler’s Association Juggler’s Festival in Madison, WI. See story on page 3A.
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Local reactions have been just
as varied as in Raleigh since
Gov. Mike Easley proposed a 1-
cent sales tax increase during a
televised state wide address last
week.
Easley proposed a $600 mil-
lion tax increase package to
close the state’s budget shortfall
and refill the state’s savings
accounts.
Money from the sales tax
would generate $350 million to
$400 million this year and
approximately $650 million next
year.
In an excerpt from the gover-
nor’s speech, he said the state's
budget crisis started from a
large tax cut with increased
spending.
“The financial crisis first
stems from the simple fact that
‘during the past decade North
Carolina cut taxes by more than
$1.5 billion - one of the largest
overall tax cuts in the nation -
while at the same time state
spending increased...
“To make matters worse,
Hurricane Floyd and Fran
brought unexpected devastation
to many of our communities,
costing the state nearly $1 bil-
lion to help repair the damage
and help victims get back on
their feet...”
Easley’s proposal was the
object of Republican criticism.
Rep. Debbie Clary, R-
Cleveland, said the state is in a
shortfall because Democrats
have created more spending.
“As long as they have new
spending and do not make
appropriate cuts I will not be
voting for the tax increase,”
Clary said.
Although Democrats have 62
votes in the house, Clary said
some could not get reelected if
the tax increase passed because
they are from conservative dis-
tricts.
“The problem with it is they
don’t want to do it,” Clary said.
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
The Kings Mountain Fire
Department’s new sub station
will serve two purposes when it
is completed.
Response time to the area
divided by the railroad track
downtown will be able to be
increased and mutual aid in the
county will be bolstered also.
A groundbreaking for the sta-
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO tion was held Friday morning at
part-time and 25 volunteer fire-
fighters. It has three fire
engines, one ladder truck, two
brush trucks and one light
truck/command post.
“This is a great occasion for
” Burns said. “It puts fire®”
protection on this side of town.”
A second station for the fire
department has been talked
about for about four to five
years, Burns said.
And when the city annexed
land on its west side, a need to
See Resolution Page 3A
Governor's tax
proposal draws
mixed reaction
“They have 12 Democrats that
can’t get elected if they vote for
it.”
Rep. John Weatherly, R-
Cleveland said now is not the
right time to raise taxes with
recent layoffs in Cleveland
County and the surrounding
area.
“Common sense tells us
when things are not going well
the last thing government
should do is raise taxes,” he
said.
Cleveland County Board of
Elections Chairman Dean
Westmoreland said a combina-
tion of things has occurred to
bring the state to its current fis-
cal crisis. ;
Westmoreland said Hurricane
Floyd along with several law-
suits has depleted the state’s
rainy day fund, which is used
as reserve money.
“It’s just a bad situation, I « =
don’t know what they’re going ™
to do,” Westmoreland said
about the state’s economic situ-,
ation. :
State senate and house mem--;
bers need to expedite their
budget talks, Westmoreland
said. ;
“They’re going to have quit .-
fooling with politics and start ....
standing up for the State of ==
North Carolina,” Westmoreland=
said. =
Kings Mountain insurance ==
agent Bob Manor said that
although both sides could be
exaggerating about the state’s
financial situation, a sales tax
would still hurt some people. :
“Anytime you have a tax
increase you'll have some peo-
ple that can handle it and some
that will be hurt,” Manor said.
“I would think the majority
can’t handle it.”
Cleveland County Democratic
Party Chairman Betsy Wells
said her party is looking for
solutions that would benefit
people beyond this financial
year.
See Reaction Page 3A
Ground broken for Fire Station
Burns said.
The Insurance Service Office
is a rating bureau that grades
fire departments on their ability
to fight fires and other job- relat:
ed skills.
The station, which will cost
$586,920 is expected to be com-
pleted in about six to eight
months, according to Michael
Pastorius of the Charlotte firm
PAVCO.
The Charlotte firm, which
uses the name Pavilon for other
The new Kings Mountain Fire Department sub station, pictured
above in a preliminary design, will increase response time to
the west side of the city. The building will cost approximately
$600,000 and is expected to be completed in six to eight
months.
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
529 New Hope Road
the building site on Shelby Rd.
The city’s fire department,
now in its seventieth year of
service, has seven full-time, four
Gastonia
704-865-1233
106 S. Lafayette St.
- spread city services out had
occurred.
“The ISO requires a station to
be within 1.5 miles of the city,”
projects based on cost, is also
doing work on the city’s
See Fire Station Page 3A
Shelby Bessemer City
1225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-484-6200 704-629-3906
Member FDIC
UES