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February 28, 2002
KM Schools to
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
North Carolina school districts will
receive $1 billion, but Kings Mountain
District Schools officials are awaiting word
on how that will be spent.
The state will get the money for educa-
tion this year as part of the education
reform bill passed by Congress, according
to a new study released Tuesday by Senator
John Edwards, D-NC.
The money will come from Title I, one of
the largest federal education programs.
Kings Mountain stands to gain a 17 per-
cent increase or $80,000. That would bring
the district’s Title I funds to $563,000,
according to estimated figures from Sen.
Edwards’ office.
KMDS Director of Curriculum and
Instruction John Goforth said most of the
money would be used for the CORE read-
ing program, part of the districts Title I pro-
Economic situation
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Facing a revenue shortage with an indus-
try leaving, and state withholdings, Kings
Mountain continued its series of budget
workshops Monday at the Patrick Center.
Monday city officials heard presentations
on several departments that included Moss
Lake, Police, Planning and Economic
Development, Public Works, and Mauney
Memorial Library.
A video of a police chase and several
weapons and drugs have been used as
training aids to help officers know what
they could face, Chief Melvin Proctor said.
‘I'here has been nothing finalized on
department allotments or tax rates, and
additional work session dates are expected
to be set at the February council meeting.
And while Proctor talked of keeping offi-
cers alive, he mentioned the department
had applied for a grant through the
American Heart Association for two defibu-
KM ranked in top 100 sites for industry
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
Two Cleveland County cities were ranked in a
corporate publication.
Kings Mountain and Shelby were recently
ranked in the top 100 small towns for location
and expansion of corporate facilities in the March
edition of Site Sélection Magazine, according! toa’
“Cleveland County” ECONGImic | Development
Ql 2
Commission annhounceme ent.
The Kings Mountain Herald
get $563, 000 in Title I funds
gram. :
The CORE program has one teacher with
one student, and they work on the child’s
reading skills. He said students who partici-
pate in the CORE program have done well.
Goforth said extra money could bring
more accountability measures.
“I'm looking forward to more federal dol-
lars,” Goforth said. “I can assure you as a
federal program, you'll have strings
attached.”
The extra money would be part of the
Leave No Child Behind Act which was
passed last month.
Goforth said the district is still awaiting
word from the state on how to implement
the federal legislation.
Edwards said the state can profit from the
reforms in the new law.
“We in North Carolina are uniquely posi-
tioned to take advantage of both the
reforms and the resources in the No Child
Left Behind Act,” Edwards wrote in a report
detailing the bill’s impact on the state. “The
legislation builds upon the practice and °
promise of North Carolina’s example and
provides increased federal resources to
maintain the state’s commitment to high
achievement for all students.”
Senator Edwards was a member of the
conference committee that finalized legisla-
tion that will improve America’s schools
with higher standards for reading and math
proficiency, smaller classroom sizes, rigor-
ous training requirements for teachers and
more resources for bilingual education, spe-
cial education, and after-school activities.
Overall, funding for North Carolina’s
schools will increase 17 percent this year,
including $35 million more for special edu-
cation funding, $19 million more for teacher
training, and $4 million more for bilingual
education. “While significant, these funds
are only a down payment on the long-term
national investment we must make in the
years to come,” Edwards said.
may cause KM to tighten budget belt
lators. The grant would be for $3,118.80.
Many officers know CPR, which has a 50
percent survival rate, but Proctor said the
- rate could increase to 80 percent.
Although the department seeks defibula-
tors it has no plans to become first respon-
ders, he said.
Progress in the Hillway community
cleanup was another topic during Proctor’s
Monday presentation.
The project is part of a community orient-
ed grant.
The city started cleaning up the area after
it recently annexed it.
After completion of the first two phases
of the project, he showed a slide of Hillway
Drive without garbage.
One problem in the area has been rental
property.
“If you are going to keep the rental prop-
erty, you're going to keep the problem,”
Proctor said.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said the project
has been going well.
Cleveland and Iredell Counties were the only
“Most of the people want to clean up the
area,” he said. “Now, today, it is a tremen-
dous improvement.” *
One highlight of the project's third phase
is changing the name of the community, and
Proctor said it would take a stigma away
from the area.
In other business, City Manager Jimmy
Maney said the library has seen an increase
in items, such as books and compact discs
checked out.
In 1994-95, 49,409 items were checked out
of the library, and in 2000-01 93,664 items
were checked out.
The library is also linked with Cleveland
Memorial Library and other libraries across
the south. It also has been conducting sever-
al programs for children and adults.
Councilman Gene White said current
librarian has helped strengthen the library.
“Since Rose has been here, the library has
come out of the stone age and into the mod-
ern age,” he said.
COUNCIL
From 1A
two counties to have more than one city ranked.
Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey said
infrastructure upgrades the city has made has
helped businesses when they want to expand. He
said the city’s location, with U.S. Highway 74 and
Interstate 85 in the city limits has also helped.
“We're still in a great location for economic.
rdévelopmient,” he said.”
JEDC Board Chairman Ralph Dixor Jr. said ‘the
rankings send a positive message to'the corporate
council approved action to fix
drainage problems in the
Hillside area, and tabled similar
action on Ramseur Street.
Councilman Jim Guyton
thought landowners should
participate in the procedure.
said prison labor. would per-
From 1A
City, Manager, Jimmy. Maney i
Towns with a population ranging from 10,000
to 50,000 people were included in the ranking.
Shelby was tied for 32nd place while Kings
Mountain was tied for 63rd.
North Carolina was ranked fourth in terms of
number of projects that located in a small town
community.
“What a positive message to send to the corpo-
rate world,” Dixon said. “These are two great
cities in Cleveland County that are recognized by
the official publication for corporate real estate
executives as being tops in the United States.”
form work for the Ramseur
Street project.
Continuing the matter would
help the city be fair, according
to Councilman Gene White.
“I suggest we table this and
look at it some more,” White
MOORE
From 1A
“I never had anything but a
contested race so I wouldn't
know any other way,” he said.
“You need tested, experienced
leadership and that’s what I
think I offer.”
One of the tougher issues
Dedmon faced during the last
session was a tax increase he
favored, which is scheduled to
end in July 2003. He said the
increase would hurt citizens the
least.
“When you're faced with the
budget shortfall you're faced
with, you do the best you can
with what you have to work
with,” he said.
Dedmon said the tax decision
was not an easy decision to
make, but was part of the job.
“I was there to make the hard
decisions, too,” he said.
Incumbent Republicans
Debbie Clary and John
Weatherly will be running
against each other for the dis-
trict 101 seat.
CITY
From 1A
Since Kings Mountain started
using peak generation, figures
for kilowatt demand have gone
down, and those numbers are
expected to keep decreasing if a
prospective company chooses
to have a plant in the city.
During this past budget year,
the city will save an estimated
$614,203.61, and that total
should go to $1 million if the
company chooses to locate in
Kings Mountain.
In other business, City Safety
Director Ray Wilson discussed
a federal and state program the
gas department has participat-
ed.
The federal program detailed
an operations procedure which
would allow the eight cities in
the state to have similar meth-
ods.
“It allows us all to work off
the same page,” Wilson said.
LEC
ETT-0fT
w- dirimo iM brs
" The Life Enrichment Cériter
of Cleveland County is an adult
day care facility offering servic-
es to adults of all ages and
diagnoses. Participants are
those dealing with mental or
physical challenges, including
Page 5A
ALAN
From 4A
back in those days. One was the
champion roller skater Tom
Gossett. Being a professional
street urchin, I used to hang
around his house a lot. He
called my sister Beth by the
nickname of “Squeeky.” He and
his wife were nice folks.
Another family that lived
behind us were the Ballards.
The man was “Pop” Ballard.
His wife would watch my sister
and I while our mammy was at
work. Mrs. Ballard was a nurse.
I have a crooked bone in my
nose and I told Mrs. Ballard the
little bulge was a peanut I had
stuffed up my nostril and she
got a flashlight and peered up
my snout but there was no
peanut to be seen (except per-
haps my brain).
One other Catawba Heights
caper was the day I decided I
wanted to smoke a cigarette-
you know how curious four-
year-olds are. Anyway, the
brand my mammy smoked then
were Saléms in a green and
white pack. Since my sister and
I looked quite a bit alike (pretty
children we were called) 1
decided to put on one of her
dresses as a disguise and sit on
the porch for a puff. As
recalled, the cig wasn’t as good
as I thought it would be and the
disguise didn’t fool a neighbor
who drove by and shouted my
name out the car window.
Overall, I have some pretty
fond memories of Catawba
Heights, a place that might not
be Beverly Hills, but where the
folks are real and the times are
never dull.
BEN
From 4A
And, yet there could still be
more people.
While the investigative part
of the case has been tense, that
same feeling has manifested
itself inside the courtroom.
During the arraignment, an
article in the News & Record in
Greensboro said a Guilford
Coustty prosecutor initially mis-
spoke when he said the state
will be seeking the death penal-
ty. The article said he was busy
thinking about another case
when he made his statement.
As one person grieves, we all
grieve. We've all seen these
during 2001.
Health Department expands KM services
The Kings Mountain satellite
office of the Cleveland County
Health Department has expand-
ed its services to include a full-
time nurse.
The new facility at 824 East
King Street, across from The
Herald, is open Monday
through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-
4:30 p.m., except from 12-1 p.m.
Full-time registered public
health nurses from the Health
Department rotate at the KM
office and offer such services as
blood pressure checks, diabetes
screening, pregnancy tests, cho-
lesterol screening, hemocults
tests, adult and child immuniza-
tions, breast exams, pap smears,
TB screen testing, diagnosis and
treatment of sexually transmit-
Friends of Lakes
to visit Broad River
The Friends of the Lakes and
Gateway Committee will be
touring the Broad River
Greenway Saturday, March 2
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The group is scheduled to
meet at Kings Mountain City
Hall and drive to the greenway
near Boiling Springs.
For more information call
Karen Roy at 704-730-9149 or
Louisa Eldridge at 734-0263.
Special of the Week
27x60-Yds. Duct Tape
All-purpose gray duct tape offers
superior thickness and adhesive
characteristics. P617 159 B24
Expires March 2, 2002
BRIDGES HARDWARE
100 South Cansler St., Kings Min.
704-739-5461
ted diseases, and HIV testing.
The office has also begun
screening and treatment of head
lice and skin rashes. The office
also offers its WICS program for
women and children, and fami-
ly planning services.
Most of the services are free
to the patients. Some of the
services carry a charge to either
the patient or their payment
source. For information on any
charges, call the office at 730-
1371.
The Kings Mountain office
opened in September 2001 and
has had an overwhelming
response, according to Health
Department officials.
Beth Moore, Nursing Director,
said the office offers local
patients the convenience of
driving a short distance rather
than the 13-mile one-way trip to
the County Health Department
in Shelby.
“We feel good about the
Kings Mountain office,” Moore
said. “We know the need is
there and we feel like the people
are taking advantage of it. The
main reason we put services
there is because it is difficult for
a lot of people to get to Shelby.”
dementia and other difficulties
associated with aging, mental
retardation, and physical hand-
icaps. This is an alternative to
nursing homes and assisted liv-
ing centers because it allows
participants to remain with
their families and receive health
care.
said.
In other business:
* Council set the dates of
March 5 and March 12 for the
next two budget workshops at
the Patrick Center at 5:30 p.m.
* Approved a budget
amendment for the Senior
Center to appropriate a state
grant in the amount of $5,682
for the purchase of computers,
printers, and a bookcase. .
* Approved a resolution giv-
ing the Kings Mountain Little
Theater a downtown facade
tragedies before.
Hopefully the bodies can be
identified in a timely manner,
which would at least give the
families a point of closure, and
a moment when they could
start moving forward.
It’s the least they deserve.
AIL! LG
“VB SE
grant. According to a memo
from City Planner Steve Killian,
he recommended council :
award the group $1,000 which
would be distributed upon
completion of the facade.
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