Thursday, July 11, 2002 Vol. 114 No. 28
Since 1889
~v Cents
LATE NIGHT CHECKPOINT
Friday checkpoint
nets 40 citations
at the Highway 161 /1-85 Hl 7 no operator's license
troopers from
the Cleveland
County office of
the State
Highway Patrol
conducted the
checkpoint from
(including expired
inspection stickers,
expired license
plates, etc).
Kings Mountain
Police Chief Melvin
Statewide July 4
holiday Booze & Lose It
campaign which runs
through Sunday.
speculated that it
was probably because peo-
ple were aware that police
would be more visible dur-
ing the holiday or word of
Tickets/warrants issued the checkpoint got out.
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Kings Mountain Police and the NC Highway Patrol ran a Booze It & Lose It checkpoint late Friday night and early
Saturday morning at the intersection of I-85 and NC 161. Top photo, Chad Burnette of KMPD checks two vehicles,
neither of which was violating any laws. Bottom right, State Troopers inside their cars are writing tickets for
minor traffic violations. Bottom left is a can of beer that officers confiscated from a vehicle and placed on the
that area usually result in
more charges.
“The biggest thing we've
noticed with that area -
and one of the reasons we
drinking. They come back
from South Carolina and
other areas out that way
and that’s one reason we
put the check station in
that area. And I'm sure
“But that’s fine, as long as
it is a deterrent,” he said.
“As long as we keep them
from driving, that’s our
main accomplishment.”
involve the BATmobile, a
bus unit which is equipped
with breathalyzer test
equipment and a magis-
trate on site to draw up
arrest warrants on the
Textile summit
set Monday at
Patrick Center
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Local, state and national
leaders will participate in a
textile business summit
Monday, July 15 from 9-11
a.m. at the H. Lawrence
Patrick Senior Life and
Conference Center in Kings
Mountain.
Mayor Rick Murphrey has
arranged the summit for
leaders to discuss current
trade agreements, assistance
available for persons that
have lost jobs, and the
future of the textile busi-
ness.
Numerous textile associa-
tion leaders have also been
invited and the public is
invited, Murphrey said.
Along list of elected offi-
cials have indicated they
will attend, including U.S.
Representatives Sue Myrick
and Cass Ballenger, and
State Representatives
NC Senators David Hoyle
attend.
Kings Mountain and
Cleveland County rank
among the highest commu-
nities in the State in inem-
ployment because of recent
downsizing and closings in
* plants such as Clevemont
and Mauney Hosiery, and
downsizing at Anvil Knit,
Spectrum Dyed Yarns and
Ruppe Hosiery. Anvil is in
the process of closing its KM
cerned not only as mayor,
but also because he has
spent over 30 years in the
textile business. He is cur-
rently employed by
Spectrum.
“There are a lot of chal-
lenges facing local munici-
palities that have a tremen-
dous amount of their infra-
structure designed around
the textile industry,”
Murphrey said.
Murphrey said the sum-
mit will begin with a gener-
al discussion by elected offi-
cials and leaders in the tex-
tile business, and will
‘evolve to include a question
and answer period.
“This is an opportunity to
discuss the challenges facing
our textile industry and our
municipalities, and manu-
facturing in general,” he
said. “What we're wanting
to do is to have a better
understanding of the trade
agreements that now exist,
hardship on the U.S. textile
interchange. ww M 5 driving while license and Walter Dalton, and the industry because of cheaper.
revoked. U.S. Department of labor and more lenient envi-
Four Kings M 4 seat belt viola- Commerce. Many local and ~~ ronmental controls in other
Mountain police . r tions. county elected officials and countries.
officers and six HM 19 others textile leaders will also “We need to let the elected
officials know that this con-
tinues to devastate our
industry and we need some
definite assistance. It’s not
too late but it’s getting
close.”
Murphrey fears that U.S.
textile manufacturers that
11 p.m.-2:30 Proctor noted that did it there - is because the textile industry. The
a.m. the alcohol-related ~~ people tend to go to (a Proctor said other check- Kings Mountain textile com- are not educated about
The effort was . charges were small- nearby restaurant) to eat points are scheduled in the munity has lost hundreds of trade agreements and do
part of the er than usual, and after they've been out near future and will jobs with the closing of not diversify to include high
technology and robotics in
See Textile, 5A
their operation may become
extinct in the next several
years.
As a community, Kings
included: He said checkpoints in ~~ word got out too. spot. hss hel Monga. Li i attract
School Board approves Hor
purchase of mill property be discussed
The Kings Mountain
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
The Kings Mountain Board of Education
Monday night voted unanimously to “pro-
ceed with plans” to purchase the old
Lambeth Rope property across the street
from Kings Mountain High School.
Supt. Larry Allen recommended that the
board enter into a lease agreement with
anticipation of purchasing it within six to
eight months.
The building would be renovated and
eventually used for vocational education
programs. Allen said that goal could be
accomplished within three years by paying
for the property with half-cent sales tax
reimbursements which average about a half-
million dollars a year.
The cost of the building and 8.8 acres of
land will be approximately $500,00 and ren-
ovations would run approximately $1 mil-.
lion, he said. :
Dr. Allen said the space is needed because
of the growing population of the Kings
Mountain School System. He said last year’s
enrollment at the high school was 1,200 but
when the current sixth grade gets into high
school the enrollment will be 1,550.
“The day of 800, 900 and 1,000 students at
See Board, 8A
School.
School.
Administrators named
at Kings Mountain High
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Kings Mountain Board of Education
appointed two new administrators for
Kings Mountain High School at Monday
night's monthly meeting at Central
Dave Greene, a former assistant prin-
cipal at Kings Mountain Middle School
who served this past school year as an
assistant principal at a Cherryville ele-
mentary school, is returning to the sys-
tem as assistant principal at KMHS.
Henry Gilmore, who has served six
years as a vocational teacher at KM
Middle, is moving to KMHS as adminis-
trative assistant.
The two replace assistant principals
Valerie Boyd, who has transferred to
Bethware as assistant principal; and
Dianna Bridges, who resigned to take a
position as principal at Burns Middle
See KM High, 8A
1B.
1-year-old Sloan Gaultney was all decked out in red,
white and blue for Thursday's Independence Day cele-
bration at Jake Early Sports Complex. More photos on
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Gastonia
Hospital Trustees Advisory
Council will meet Monday,
July 15 in the Kings
Mountain Hospital
Boardroom at 7:30 a.m.
Following the council's
meeting there will be a
meeting of the hospital's
Board of Trustees.
Both meetings are open
to the public.
The topic of discussion is
a letter of agreement
between Kings Mountain
Hospital and Cleveland
Regional Medical Center
regarding possibly merging
the two facilities which are
both managed by Charlotte-
based Carolinas HealthCare
System. The two hospitals
are owned by citizens of
Cleveland County.
If both Cleveland and
Kings Mountain approve
the conditions in the letter,
a 1 p.m. press conference
will be called to announce
the merger of the two facili-
ties.
Debbie Clary, Andy and to educate everyone on
Dedmon and John what's available - what's in
Local law enforcement M 2 driving while Weatherly. There will be place at this time - and also ©"
personnel issued 40 cita- impaired. representatives from the how to go forward.” ;
tions in a Booze It & Lose HM 3 alcohol-related offices of U.S. Senators John Murphrey said recent
It checkpoint Friday night charges. Edwards and Jesse Helms, © trade agreements have put a
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
Shelby Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 128 Years
ER
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-865-1233 704-484-6200
© 2
he lV
HOMETOWN
LU