KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 113 No. 42 Since 1889
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accuses
Talley
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
A Grover physician has been
charged by the North Carolina
Medical Board for allegedly
misprescribing medication and
hoarding weight loss drugs.
Dr. Joseph H. Talley, who has
; practiced in Grover as a family
care physician for much of his
career, is accused of violating
medical ethics, unprofessional
conduct, and deviating from
standard care of patients.
He is also accused of divert-
ing the weight loss drug.
Fenfluramine, which is sold
under the name Pondimin, by
asking patients to return their
supplies of the drug to him.
In addition, the report
alleged he obtained and used
the drug without conference or
a prescription from his physi-
cian. :
Patients in the report are
identified by letters of the
alphabet from A to X.
A six page report from the
medical board dated Oct. 10,
has been sent to/'Dr. Talley and
he has 30 days to respond to
the allegations.
Dr. Talley said he had feel-
ings of astonishment and dev-
astation when he read the
charges from the state medical
board.
Dr. Talley, who has spent
most of his 35-year medical ;
career in Grover, said he feels ="
he has been doing things to the
best of his ability.
“We feel we have done
everything that our minds have
allowed us to do,” Talley said.
“We thought we were doing an
exceptional job.”
Talley said he could not
imagine to wake up and not to
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
Myra Austin performs for the Kings Mountain High School band during halftime of Mountaineer
football game last week. Kings Mountain’s annual homecoming game is scheduled for Friday at 7:30
p-m. against R-S Central. ls 3
“Michigan plant locates in KM
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
See Talley Page 3A
had worked with the Gaston County
Economic Development Commission and
been victims of the textile slowdown in the °
area..
afety leaders
believe
county
is prepared
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Cleveland County is prepared
for any attack, according to civil
service officers from around the
area. :
Public safety leaders and offi-
cials from the county met at the
Cleveland County
Administrative Building in
Shelby on Monday to discuss
the resources available in the
event of a terrorist attack on
Cleveland County.
Officials got an early test this
weekend when approximately
six pieces of mail were turned
over to authorities because the
recipients considered the pack-
ages, which were to have con-
tained a white powder sub-
stance similar to anthrax.
A majority of the suspicious
packages were sent to addresses
in Shelby and the northern part
of Cleveland County.
Sheriff Dan Crawford said
there were few battles of juris-
diction when officials came
together last weekend.
“We came together and decid-
ed we had a job to do,”
Crawford said about the week-
end’s effort.
Crawford said certain’/county
agencies have mutual aid agree-
ments with other adjoining
counties. !
sweveland County Health
Department Director Denese
Stallings said even with a nega-
tive result officials will be tak-
ing any future threats seriously.
Stallings sent a letter to coun-
ty businesses on how to cope
with mail that contains a harm-
ful substance.
Stallings said that if a
See Prepared Page 3A.
Biological terrorism
not seen as threat
in Kings Mountain
, By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
With a recent anthrax out-
break in Florida, concern over
biological terrorism has grown.
Three employees at a super-
market tabloid office were
infected by the disease.
Local officials said while they !
are on a state of alert with the
rest of the nation there has been
no specific threat to Kings
Mountain and the surrounding
area.
City of Kings Mountain
Water Director Walt Ollis said
there has been no direct threat
to the city’s water supply.
“At this point in time, our sit-
uation is pretty normal,” Ollis
said. “We don't really anticipate
a whole lot.”
Drinking water is already
tested several times a day.
The Kings Mountain water
system treats and delivers
approximately five million gal-
lons of water each day.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Utilities treats and delivers ~~ ©
about 102 million gallons daily.
Cleveland County Health
Department Director Denese
Stallings said there is not an
immediate threat to Cleveland
County.
“We stay on heightened
alert,” Stallings said. “We don’t
have any reason to be con-
cerned or take any extraordi-
nary measures.”
While there has been a
See Biological Page 3A
PLAYTIME
“We were looking for experienced textile
workers,” Rubin said. “Everyone agreed
. that the arrival of Crypton to Kings
Mountain would breathe new life into the:
manufacturing voids left by many compa-
nies during the past several years,” Rubin
said. :
New jobs are here in Kings Mountain
with possibly more on the way.
Michigan Company Hi-Tex Inc. has been
operating in the former Sara Lee Building in
Gaston County. According to a release from
the company, 26 people are employed at the
115,000 square foot $5 million plant. The :
company purchased the building this sum- She said the plant is currently running 24
mer. hours and plans to add more employees as
Rick Isbell, formerly associated with demand grows.
Guilford Manufacturing, will be the plant Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey
manager of the Kings Mountain plant and said he was glad to have more jobs in the
will supervise aspects of production, test- «city with recent layoffs in the community.
ing, and research and development efforts “We're very pleased to welcome Hi-Tex to
Company co-owner Randy Rubin said the City of Kings Mountain,” Murphrey
one of the reasons she chose Kings said. “They're excellent corporate citizens.” .
Mountain was because of the availability of The company, in West Bloomfield, MI,
employees, since a majority of people have
Landmarks commission makes plans
more local designation since Kings
Mountain has its own history.
While it discussed signs, the committee
also talked about getting signs for the
homes in the area. :
“What if you have to designate every
property individually?” City Planning
Director Steve Killian asked. Killian said he
“was concerned about the cost of having
individual properties designated.
Another topic with the signs was the pos-
sibility of bringing people in from the high-
ways that run near Kings Mountain.
Mike Smith pointed out the brown signs
* on U.S. Highway 74 Bypass in Shelby that
marks one of the ways to its downtown his-
toric district. : :
Killian said he was concerned about get-
ting highway ‘signs since the Gateway signs
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
The Kings Mountain Historical
Landmarks Commission is a step closer to
marking the history of Kings Mountain.
In a special called meeting last
Wednesday, the committee discussed vari-
ous plans for putting signs in the Central
School Historical District.
While the committee had discussed get-
ting historical signs and national designa-
tion as a historic place, much of the discus-
sion in the Wednesday meeting centered
around more local signs and designations.
Committee members said they wanted to
get seven signs for each of the entrances to
the Central School District. :
Mary Neisler said she favored getting a
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 127 Years
704-739-4782
Marriott, Hilton Hotels, and Walt Disney. of
ued to the next meeting scheduled in
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
the City of Kings Mountain.
Crypton was developed about eight years
ago by Rubin and her husband Craig.
Randy has an advertising and marketing
background, while Craig has experience in
working with upholstery.
The company has supplied the fabric to
several companies including McDonalds,
A release from the company said the fab-
ric has several unique properties not seen
in other fabrics.
“The unique properties of moisture barri-
er, stain resistancy, breathable comfort,
extreme durability, and anti-microbial bene-
fits encapsulated in to the fabrication of the
textile was revolutionary and was immedi-
ately embraced by the health care and hos-
pitality industries,” the release said.
for Interstate 85 took approximately two
years to get.
Discussions on the signs will be contin-
November.
In other business:
e The committee reported that the
Mountaineer Partnership is now a non-prof-
it corporation. :
» The committee discussed preliminary
plans for designating mill area in Kings
Mountain as historic places.
“1 think it would be very nice for us,”
Neisler said. She said mill villages in
Burlington and Rocky Mount have been
designated as historical places.
Mills in Kings Mountain that could
potentially receive the designation would be
near the Margrace Mill and Phenix Mill.
BEN LEDBETTER/THE HERALD
J'Aquavious Sweat swings on a set of exercise bars Saturday
after the dedication of the playground at the Jake Early Sports"
Complex. See Story and more pictures on page 5B. ‘
Bessemer City
1225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
Gastonia
529 New Hope Road
: 704-865-1233
Shelby
106 S. Lafayette St.
704-484-6200 :
Member FDIC
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