Thursday, August 15, 2002
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 114 No. 33
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Surviving the dr
New lake idea to go
to Council August 27
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
During his 23 years as mayor of
Kings Mountain John Henry Moss
earned the reputation as “the
Mayor with the Midas touch” for
his ability to get federal grants to
help fund numerous city projects.
During his administration the city
received well over $20 million in
grants.
But, the former mayor's legacy is
the 15 billion-gallon John Henry
Moss Reservoir, which has not only
supplied drinking water for Kings
Mountain residents for over 30
years but is largely responsible for
the industrial boom that occurred
in the east end of Cleveland County
during that time.
While most area municipalities
that are getting their water out of
streams and rivers are facing a
severe water crisis because of the
current five-year drought, Kings
Mountain not only has enough
water in Moss Lake for its own
needs but also enough to help area
cities through their crisis.
But even Moss says another lake
is needed to take care of the future
water needs and growth of the
Kings Mountain area.
Enter current Mayor Rick
Murphrey.
He says he wants to be the same
“visionary” mayor that Moss was,
and he has asked Moss' help in
reviving a 1986 plan for a second
lake near Moss Lake. It would be a
1,500 acre, 40-square mile water-
shed that would impound an addi
See New Lake, 3A
GARY STEWART / THE HERALD
The map above shows the proposed area for a new lake
on Muddy Fork Creek near the existing Moss Lake. Below,
Kings Mountain mayor Rick Murphrey, left, and former
mayor John Henry Moss overlook Moss Lake, which is
down four feet because of the drought but still holds
plenty of water to supply Kings Mountain’s needs and
help Shelby during its current water crisis.
Shelby on
KM water
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
After working out a late night deal
Thursday to provide two million gallons of
water a day to Shelby, Kings Mountain
Mayor Rick Murphrey assures Kings
Mountain citizens that having an adequate
water stipply for them has been, and will
continue to be the city’s top priority.
_ Shelby, which had been pumping approxi-
mately 3.5 million gallons a day out of Broad
River, is now not getting enough out of that
source to amount to anything, and asked
Kings Mountain City Council in an emer-
gency meeting Thursday at 11 p.m. to help
From Russia with love
Jesse was ‘chosen’ for Kim and Jett Hughes
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Going into their marriage three
years ago, Kim and Jeff Hughes of
Kings Mountain knew that they
could never have a child of their own.
But, it would be hard to convince
anyone who has seen their adopted
son, Jesse Evan Denis Hughes, that he
is adopted. :
He looks remarkably like his dad,
and has many of his mother’s fea-
tures.
Jesse was born November 21, 2001
in Russia. Almost nine months to the
day, his adoption was approved and
he flew with his exhausted new par-
ents to a new life as an American citi-
zen.
Jesse may never know the condi-
tions he lived in at an orphanage in
Siberia. He will, however, know his
heritage and his parents say when the
time is right they will tell him about
his natural parents and 2 1/2-year-
old sister, Valerie.
The Hughes began their adoption
process late last year. They opted to
adopt through an international
Jeff and Kim Hughes and their
adopted son Jesse
agency rather than domestic, because
they were told the process could be a
year quicker.
“We were told the process could
take three years here,” Kim recalled,
“and two years internationally and
we didn’t want to wait another year.
We started looking into it and prayed
that we would be led to people that
could help us.”
They learned of Children’s Hope
International, which is based in St.
Louis but has branches all over the.
world. The closest one to Kings
Mountain is in Nashville, TN and the
agency there began a home study that
thoroughly checked out the couple
and their home. That took several
months, and Kim said an agency in
Greensboro that conducted the study
“went over us with a fine tooth comb
- they looked under beds and in clos-
ets and everything.” }
Surprisingly, after the home study
and all the paperwork was finished
the adoption process went much
quicker than first thought.
The couple had requested a male
child between the ages of 12 and 18
months. Out of the blue one day they
received a call saying a baby boy had
been born on November 21, 2001 in
Russia and the mother could not keep
him for financial reasons.
See Jesse, 2A
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CGT SL
BANK
| FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Cetetnating 128 Towns
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
Gastonia
them during their crisis. Shelby was facing
requiring industries to scale back water use
by at least 40 percent, which could have
resulted in loss of jobs in an area where
unemployment is already over 12 percent.
's overall
urphrey sai
ments with Gaston County and the State of
North Carolina, and the fact that one of ! -
Kings Mountain's largest users, Anvil Knit,
has cut its consumption because of scaling
back it operation, the total number of gallons
sold to Shelby may be balanced out.
The State has given the city permission to
keep more of the water coming down Buffalo
Creek into Moss Lake, and has increased its
pumping capacity from 8 million gallons a
day to 8.4 million.
In addition, a deal was worked out with
Bessemer City and Gastonia for Gastonia to
provide water to BC. Bessemer had been
buying approximately 700,000 to 800,000 gal-
lons a day from Kings Mountain. BC is
already getting water from Gastonia.
Murphrey said Moss Lake is being moni-
tored daily. The lake level has dropped four
feet during the drought and averages drop
"See Water, 3A
Kings Mountain, which had been pumping
about 4.5 million gallons a day out of Moss
Lake to serve its customers, has been letting
Shelby have a million gallons a day for a
week. As soon as Shelby lays connector pipe
(which should be finished today or Friday)
that total will increase to two million, and
i fo million.
LOONEY g
e-
County sending birds
for West Nile testing
By BEN LEDBETTER
Staff Writer
With increased mosquito-
borne disease activity seen
across the Southeast this
summer, state health and
environmental officials are
renewing their call for
North Carolinians to take
steps to protect themselves.
Currently, 14 cases of
mosquito-borne West Nile
virus have been found in
birds this summer in North
Carolina.
Roger Lowrance,
Cleveland County Animal
Control Chief said they are
sending most birds they
find in for testing.
He said they have sent
four to five blue jays and a
hawk to be tested but no
results have been given.
While the area has been
facing a drought and 90-
degree days, the combina-
tion has been hurting the
birds also, he said.
“We're getting a lot of
calls about birds especially
since they found them in
Mecklenburg,” he said.
Shelby
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-865-1233
704-484-6200
WEST NILE VIRUS
PRECAUTIONS
» Get rid of all containers
in yards that can hold water
» Keep gutters clean and
in good repair
» Repair leaky outdoor
faucets and change the
water in bird baths and pet
bowls at least twice a week
» Prevent bites by wearing
long-sleeved shirts and long
pants
» Use repellent containing
low concentrations of DEET
(10% or less for children
and 30% or less for adults
» Avoid outdoor activities
in the evening, when mos-
quitoes are most active
2» use screened windows
and doors and make sure
screens fit tightly and are
not torn
The only birds that are
being tested are ones that
have been dead for a short
time and have not deterio-
rated, he said.
If people find a bird that
could possibly be sent in for
See West Nile, 7A
Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
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