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anuary 24, 2002
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COUNTY N
1 . By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
A Grover physician will continue waiting
before his hearing comes to the North Carolina
Medical Board in Raleigh.
Dr. Joseph H. Talley, who has practiced medi-
cine in Grover for much of his 35 year career, has
been charged by the state medical board for pre-
scribing pain killers without performing exams
and hoarding weight loss drugs.
He is accused of diverting the weight loss drug
Fenfluramine, which is sold under the name
Pondimin, by asking patients to return their sup-
plies of the drug to him.
Fenfluramine was part of the popular weight
loss drug Phen-Fen, which according to Talley,
was taken off the market in 1998.
The hearing, scheduled for Friday, will be
rescheduled for March 22-24. It was originally set
for Dec. 20. Talley will be represented by Raleigh
lawyer Bob Clay.
The case has taken another twist when the fed-
§ eral Drug Enforcement Administration seized at
least 30 boxes of records from Talley’s practice
J and pharmacy in December.
} Charges against Talley encompass an 11-year
/ period from 1990 to 2001, and potentially all
| patients could come and testify, a medical board
J spokesperson said.
j “I think this case will have a lot of complicated
| issues,” Shannon Kingston said.
While the case could be difficult, Kingston said
the board has dealt with similar cases before.
Talley has been before the board about 12 years
ago for a preliminary hearing, which is consid-
ered a warning, but this is his first formal charge.
“At that time I was learning about the use of
The Kings Mountain Herald
‘ Talley hearing postponed
pain control,” Talley said. “It was sure a kick in
the gut, I never dreamed it could happen.”
On Sept. 13, 1996, the NC Medical Board adopt-
ed a position statement for chronic non-malignant
pain. Talley said confusion exists on the meaning
of that statement.
“Either I grossly misinterpreted what that state-
ment said, or the present board had different feel-
ings from the board in 96,” Talley said.
The board's 1996 position statement concluded
saying that a physician should not fear punish-
ment from the board for prescribing painkillers.
“No physician need fear reprisals from the
Board for appropriately prescribing...even large
amounts of controlled substances indefinitely for
chronic non-malignant pain,” the statement said.
The most severe penalty Talley could receive
from the board is the loss of license, with the least
severe being a consent order. A consent order is a
punishment made specifically for one physician,
Kingston said.
“They can tailor a punishment to the physician
and the problem,” Kingston said.
Consent orders can range from reprimands,
medical courses, or no action. ;
“It’s really a mutual agreement of what needs
to happen,” Kingston said.
Several of Talley’s patients have expressed
objections to the medical board's charges.
Many of his patients have written The Herald
letters in his defense. Several of the letters were
from neighboring states including Tennessee,
South Carolina, and Kentucky.
The letter writers said that he had provided
them with medications they could rarely get any-
where else.
County faces budget issues
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
As Cleveland County’s budget process pro-
ceeds, it will have several financial issues to face.
Cleveland County Commissioners have sched-
uled a workshop on Wednesday, January 30
During a recent work session, County Manager
Lane Alexander said North Carolina. missed the
Medicaid estimate, and the county will be moni-
toring it monthly.
Beginning in 1990, North Carolina counties
spent $86 million on Medicaid, Alexander said in
a memo to commissioners earlier this month.
In 1999, the amount increased to $226 million,
with an average increase of 16.3 percent a year.
State projections said Cleveland County may be
under budget in Medicaid by: $268,355. |
Alexander'said he would-not-be surprised if'the
county had new Medicaid costs over $1 million.
Commissioner Ronnie Hawkins said Medicaid
is an issue the state needs to address not the
counties.
Medicaid was also one of the top issues during
last year’s county budget process.
But Medicaid is not the only potentially diffi-
cult issue commissioners will discuss.
“It’s going to have many tough decisions we
have to deal with,” Alexander said about the
upcoming budget.
One of those decisions will be cuts in county
departments. The idea has been discussed in sev-
eral counties, Alexander said.
“Last year, several counties asked their employ-
ees to take an unpaid leave; however this did not
mean operations of the county were closed,”
Alexander said.
Commissioners also considered having county
departments submit budgets with a five percent
cut.
Although county departments may be asked to
submit possible cuts, the three county school sys-
tems could see money that was set aside until the
merger of the three school systems was imple-
mented.
When the former board of commissioners
approved merger, it set aside $866,022 to go to the
schools.
Giving the schools the money would avoid a
tax increase if pre-merger supplemental tax rates
are restored.
If the tax is not restored, Cleveland County
Schools would be the only system not to see the
increase.
Pre-merger levels had Kings Mountain at 19
cents, Shelby at 22 cents, and Cleveland County
at 10 cents.
For the past two years, each Cleveland County
school system has had a supplemental tax of 16
cents.
Cleveland County Schools has been reaping the
most benefits from the tax change, while Shelby
has had more difficulty with the new supplemen-
tal tax. The money would be distributed based on
the school systems’ projected enrollment and
could be used in the districts’ capital project fund
or for current expenses.
Possible allotment of the money would be:
¢ Cleveland County: $491,467.49
* Kings Mountain: $212,175.39
e Shelby: $162,279.12
At the work session earlier this month,
Hawkins said improvements were needed in at
least one part of the county.
“It’s time we start doing things for Casar,”
Hawkins said.
During last Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting,
the board approved $2 million to go toward the
Cleveland County school systems for improve-
ments at the school and for the Washington Math
and Science Immersion School.
Kings Mountain and Shelby school systems
were both awarded money from the board recent-
ly, with Kings Mountain receiving $1.9 million for
the new fifth and sixth grade school, which is
scheduled to open next school year.
Merger report on EDC agenda
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
The Cleveland County
Economic Development
Commission will meet at the
Cleveland County
Administration Building, 311 E.
Marion St., Shelby, today at 4
p.m.
The committee is expected to
discuss a report from a meeting
of the EDC-Cleveland County
Chamber merger study commit-
tee.
Commissioners approved
Charlie Harry's plan to look at
merging the two governmental
bodies.
Under the plan the EDC
would be part of the Cleveland
Scissor
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100 S. Cansler St. at E. King St.
739-5461
County Chamber, a private
organization of businesses
‘mainly in Kings Mountain,
Shelby, and Boiling Springs.
Last Thursday, the study
committee held its first meeting
and heard from a representative
from Henderson County. The
Herald received no notification
of the committee’s meeting,
which was approved by county
commissioners in December.
Kings Mountain Mayor Rick
Murphrey said many people at
the meeting discussed concerns
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with the county’s high unem-
ployment rate.
“I really think it was a general
discussion with everybody there
expressing concerns about the
high unemployment rate in the
county,” Murphrey said.
Other issues expected to be
discussed at the EDC’s upcom-
ing budget, current projects, and
the commission's annual report.
EDC Director Steve Nye said
he was prepared for a reduction
in the commission’s budget.
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Supper, singing set
at Penley’s Chapel
Penley’s Chapel Church, 1508
N. Piedmont Avenue, will have
a hot dog supper Saturday’at
5:30 p.m. The cost is $3.50.
At 7 p.m., The Songsters will
be in concert in the sanctuary.
Admission is free but a love
offering will be accepted.
For more information, call the
church at 739-9064.
Workshop scheduled
at Bynum’s Chapel
The annual empowerment
workshop, “Spiritual Invasion -
Taking the World Back From the
Enemy” - will be held Friday,
January 25 from 7-10:30 p.m. at
Bynum Chapel African
Methodist Episcopal Zion
Church Family Life Center.
Numerous speakers and min-
isters from the area will be
speaking on titles such as
“Trusting God in the Midst of a
Storm,” “World Under Siege So
Put Your Trust in God,” “Is
God Aware of Current Events?,”
“Be Encouraged - Help is on the
Way,” “Are You Aware of
What's Going on in My Life?,”
and “I Know What is Right, But
Sometimes I do Wrong.”
The workshop is free and the
public is invited.
Hartgrove to speak
at St. Peter Baptist
Mary Georgette McKissick
Hartgrove will preach her initial
sermon Sunday, February 17 at
6 p.m. at St. Peter Missionary
Baptist Church, Grover.
The public is invited.
Women’s seminar
at Christian Freedom
Ashley Hartley will lead a
women’s seminar on “Climbing
Life’s Mountain” February 1 at
6:30 p.m. at Christian Freedom
Baptist Church, 246 Range
Road, Kings Mountain.
The event begins with a salad
supper. The cost is $2 and dead-
line for tickets is Wednesday,
Jan. 30.
For more information call
739-4152 or 734-0064.
Gaston Democrats
to meet on Monday
Gaston County Democratic
Party will meet Monday, Jan. 28
at 6 p.m. at Unity Place fellow-
ship hall, 201 W. Franklin Blvd.,
Gastonia.
Barbecue will be catered at
$10 per person, with proceeds
benefitting the Party's general
fund. Persons planning to
attend should call and leave a
message at 865-4400 or visit the
Party's web site at www.gaston-
democrats.org.
Haskins completes
USAF basic training
Air Force Airman Anderson
B. Haskins Jr. has graduated
from basic military training at
Lackland Air Force Base, San
Antonio, TX.
During the six weeks of train-
ing, Haskins studied the Air
Force mission, organization, and
customs; performed drills and
ceremony marches, and
received physical training and
special training in human rela-
tions.
In addition, he earned credits
toward an associate degree
through the Community
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College of the Air Force.
Haskins is the son of
Anderson B. Haskins Sr. and
Ruth Gail Wilson Haskins of
Grover.
He'is a 2001 graduate of
Kings Mountain High School.
Meet legislators
at Friday luncheon
The annual Legislative
Luncheon is scheduled for
Friday, January 25 at 12 noon at
the Kings Mountain Senior
Center. Tickets are $5 and must
be purchased in advance at the
Patrick Center or the Cleveland
County Council on Aging in
Shelby.
This luncheon provides an
opportunity for the public to get
an update from their legislators
on what is going on at the local,
state and national level with
issues that directly affect senior
adults.
For more information call the
Senior Center at 734-0447.
Income tax help
at Patrick Center
AARP volunteers will provide
income tax assistance for senior
citizens at the Patrick Senior
Center on February 12, March
12 and April 9 from 9 a.m.-4
p.m.
Appointments must be made
with Mattie Scoggins at the cen-
ter or by calling her at 734-0447.
KM Senior Center
hosts 55-Alive class
The KM Senior Center will
host the AARP 55 Alive driving
course on Tuesday and
Wednesday, Feb. 19-20.
The 8-hour classroom
refresher course is designed for
ages 50 and older. Some insur-
ance companies offer discounts
to persons who complete the
course.
For more information, call
Carolyn Bell at the Center at
734-0447. Registration is
required and the cost is $10. You
must attend both days to
receive a certificate of comple-
tion.
Page 3A;
Billiards tourney
at Patrick Center
The Patrick Center will host a
Billiards Tournament for senior
adults ages 60 and older
February 18-22. There will be
two divisions - men and women
- and there is no entry fee. ’
The tournament will begin on
Monday and will continue until
a winner is determined. A tro-
phy and prize will be awarded
the winner of each division on
Friday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.
Register by calling Sharon
Eaker at the Center by Friday,
February 8.
JILDING PERMITS
The Kings Mountain Building
Codes and Zoning Enforcement
Office issued the following per-
mits for the week of Jan. 14-18.
1/15 - 109 North Watterson
Pre
=O
St., Judy Brown, adding room to .;
existing single family dwelling,
$18,000.
1/17 - 302 Maner Drive,
Herman Greene, building a sun-
room onto existing dwelling,
$12,500.
KM FIRE REPORT
The Kings Mountain Fire
Department responded to the
following calls for the week of
Jan. 14-19.
1/15 - 100 Firestone lane, false
fire alarm.
1/15 - North Battleground
Ave., grass fire.
1/15 - 801 West King St., gas
investigation.
1/16 - 527 Baker St., gas
investigation.
1/17 - I-85 north at exit 8,
vehicle fire.
1/19 - U.S. Highway 74 and
Oak Grove Road, accident.
1/19 - 603 Alexander Street,
structure fire.
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