Vol. 114 No. 42 Since 1889
tind of
State playoffs
1B
CHRISTMAS
IN OCTOBER
Autumn Malpass to undergo bone marrow transplant
By ELIZABETH STEWART
mayor, police chief and fire chief and a
Republic Newspapers
big key to the city.
Hugging Mayor Rick Murphrey and
department heads, unwrapping her
presents and caught up in the excite-
ment of the special day, Autumn took
a tour of the city hall while her par-
ents, Sherri and Billy Malpass, talked
about their unwavering faith that God
will heal their daughter.
After attending church services
Sunday at Patterson Grove Baptist
Church with three of her friends,
See Autumn, 3A
Autumn "Tweety" Malpass, 9, needs
a miracle and prayer.
Her parents, Sherri and Billy
Malpass, are counting on the prayers
of local people for their brave child
who has been fighting cancer for 3 1/2
years.
Christmas came early last
Wednesday for the pretty little gir],
honored by city staff with gifts galore
and with honorary titles of citizen,
Mayor Rick Murphrey gives gift to Autumn
Malpass early Christmas party at City Hall.
Candidates
speak out
at CCC forum
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Republic Newspapers
Ten of 11 candidates for two open seats on
“the county board of commissioners and seats
in the 111th and 112th House Districts and
Senate District 46 all agree on one thing: they
want to win election November 5.
And, for the most part they all had varying
ideas Tuesday night at a candidate forum on
balancing the county and state budgets and
how to entice new business and jobs to
Cleveland County.
Legislative candidates agreed that term lim-
its are necessary and Tim Moore, who is chal-
lenging Andy Dedmon in House District 111,
LIB STEWART / HERALD
declared "it's time for a change.” He said his
County Board
PRETTY AS A PUMPKIN
opponent voted on 16 tax increases and
charged that duplicating programs by the
passes half
cent sales tax
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Republic Newspapers
A half-cent sales tax increase, adopted
by Cleveland County Commissioners
Tuesday, will take effect December 1,
2002 and the increase from 6.5 to 7 cents
will apply to all items except food prod-
ucts and medicine.
The vote was 3-2 with Board Chairman
Willie McIntosh, vice chairman Tommy
Bridges and Mary Accor favoring and
Ronnie Hawkins and Dr. Jerry Self vot-
ing against. Bridges made the motion
which was seconded by Accor.
The action came after a public hearing
in which 28 fire department members
were in the audience to support the
issue. Few people spoke. Moss Lake res-
ident Richard F. Niedenthal joined board
members Hawkins and Self in speaking
against the issue, and Shelby Mayor
Mike Philbeck joined Accor and
McIntosh in favoring the issue.
"We are setting a precedent and telling
the state it can do what it wants about
our reimbursables," said Hawkins, who
said commissioners should fight to
regain its lost dollars instead.
"No one likes to impose a burden on
anyone but the bottom line is that we are
out $3 million dollars and raising prop-
erty taxes is unspeakable and not an
option," said McIntosh who said the
county cannot cut services. McIntosh
said 30 percent of county residents pay
all property taxes and everyone who
buys a dollar's worth of goods in the
county will now be adding to the pot.
Hawkins said he appreciated
McIntosh's decision to place the item on
General Assembly resulted in a "bloated
budget,"
Dedmon said a look at the entire tax pack-
age is in order because he said the state
remains competitive but "we have to fight for
every job. that's coming and going in
Cleveland County.” He said community col-
leges are leading the way in providing educat-
ed work forces.
The candidate forum at Cleveland
Community College attracted a good crowd to
the commissioners forum featuring the four
candidates vying for two open seats
November 5 on the county board of commis-
sioners. They are Democrats Kenneth Ledford
and incumbent Willie McIntosh and {
Republicans Jerry Self, incumbent, and John
McBrayer.
“The forum for candidates for the North
Carolina General Assembly in the two redis-
tricted House 111 and 112 and the candidates
for 46th Senate District. followed the commis-
sioner forum. They were: Democrat Andy
Dedmon, who served six years in the 40th
House District, is challenged by political new-
comer and Kings Mountain lawyer Tim
Moore; David Rogers, Republican, Ralph
Haulk, Libertarian, and Bob England,
Democrat, who was not present, vie for the
seat in the 112th House District which
includes Rutherford County and upper
Cleveland County, including Kingstown.
Incumbent Democrat Walter Dalton is
opposed by John Weatherly, former
Republican representative in the 40th House
district, and Tony Brown, Libertarian.
All commissioner candidates agreed that
budget items must be prioritized and depart-
ment heads have input into cuts. However,
Jerry Self said this job should not be left up
only to department heads for recommenda-
"tions, outside evaluation is a must. He said
the county should look at county vehicles
with an eye to extend the life of the vehicles
and save dollars and look at the 686 positions
in the county and cross train
"Just make sure there are no slush funds and
no loopholes," said McBrayer.
McIntosh, the current chairman, said that
commissioners have confidence in department
the special agenda Tuesday. 'It's a tough
decision here two weeks before the elec-
tion."
After the meeting virtually the whole
See Tax, 5A Mountain.
5-year-old Lyndsey Baity looks over the huge pumpkins at Killdeer Farms in Kings
heads working with the manager on the budg-
et. He said that a 5 percent reduction was
See forum, 3A
GARY STEWART / HERALD
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
At 4-11, McDaniel stands
tall among fire volunteers
By LIB STEWART
Republic Newspapers
night and when a Hugo hits
we put others ahead of our
own families," he said.
McDaniel earned the nick-
name "Stub" when he was
leaving football practice at
age 14 with buddy Charles
Ruff, also a ninth grader, and
was lagging behind. "I'm 4
feet 11 and some of my
friends ribbed me goodna-
turedly about my height," he
said.
Years later McDaniel's
stature proved to be a bless-
| ing when he was drafted by
| Uncle Sam in 1966. "They
told me I was too short for
See McDaniel, 3A
Firefighters like Carty "Stub"
McDaniel are ordinary peo-
ple who train and have skills
to do extraordinary things.
McDaniel, who has served
as Chief of the Bethlehem
Volunteer Fire Department
since 1982 except for a three
year period, thanks God
every day, he said, for the
blessings of family and
opportunities for working
with dedicated firemen.
"It takes a special family to
support firemen because we
go out in the middle of the
LARRY McDANIEL
Kings Mountain
| FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 128 Years
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XID
704-739-4782
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HOMETOWN
BANK
300 W. Mountain St.
KM to open new
cemetery office
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Republic Newspapers
City officials will cut the ribbon on the
new offices of city-owned Mountain Rest
Cemetery November 16. :
Dorus Bennett, cemetery superintendent
for the past 16 years, says he can hardly
wait to move into the brick building adja-
cent to the old white block building on
South Deal Street.
"We are very excited," said Bennett who
said the first office of the cemetery was a
wooden building and the present cement
block office was built about 40 years ago.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said the new
building was constructed totally by mainte-
nance crews of city employees who have
See Office, 3A
LIB STEWART / HERALD
Cemetery Supt. Dorus Bennett, left, and
Mayor Rick Murphrey outside new office.
Gastonia Shelby
529 New Hope Road 106 S Did St.
704-865-1233 704-484-6200
Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
ho a