| Xk xg v d
/ 30 RK Sx we : ;
| HAUNEY, ALo11 SARC AR py (07s Billy Bridges
| ko 9 IEpaLAL T5400 3p 002 covering
NGS poy, ony 2808 ’ 35 t another
6-34] {operation
1B
Thursday, December 26, 2002 Vol. 114 No. 52 Since 1889 50 Cents
Operation Sleigh Ride
5 yr
Kings Mountain Police Chief Melvin Proctor:
I Have a clear message - if you're dealing drugs
in Kings Mountain and Cleveland County,
“You're Next”
By GARY STEWART
problem in Kings Mountain.
Editor of The Herald
“Sheriff Hamrick and I have agreed
to unite to fight this battle,” Proctor
said. “No longer is Kings Mountain
going to fight by itself. The
Sheriff's Department will
join up with us and we'll
develop a task force and
fight this battle day-by-
day. Our message is if
you're dealing drugs in
Kings Mountain or
Cleveland County you bet-
ter quit dealing or leave
| because you're next.”
| Hamrick, who took
| office earlier this month
| after defeating incumbent
Sheriff Dan Crawford in
the Democratic primary
and Republican Richard
Hill in the general election,
said Thursday's joint effort
was an example of what
can be done to “rid our communities”
of drug dealers.
“Ihave pledged my support to
Mayor Murphrey and Chief Proctor,
and also to the other law enforcement
agencies in Cleveland County,” he
See Next, 3A
Kings Mountain Police Chief Melvin
Proctor has a clear mes-
sage for drug dealers in
Kings Mountain:
Quit dealing, leave
town, or go to jail.
After Thursday morn-
ing’s big drug raid that
resulted in 59 charges
against 21 individuals,
Proctor, Mayor Rick
Murphrey and Cleveland
County Sheriff Raymond
Hamrick pledged to
“unite” to help rid the
county of illegal drugs.
“If you're dealing drugs
in Kings Mountain and
Cleveland County, you're
next,” said Proctor. “You're
going to get caught. You
may already have been caught - just
not charged yet.”
Proctor, who is nearing the end of his
first year as chief and 15th year in law
enforcement, said he has 15 years left
until retirement and will dedicate all of
those years to cleaning up the drug
CHIEF PROCTOR
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Det. Lisa Proctor shows some of the items,
including several bags of cocaine, crack pipes
and money confiscated in Thursday morning's
drug raid at a home on Grace Street.
Grover man
faces drug
charges
Cleveland County
Sheriff's Narcotics and
Street Interdiction unit
charged a Grover man with
five drug-related charges
after stopping his vehicle
Wednesday at 6 p.m. on
Lavender Road.
According to Lt. Joel
Shores, a search of the car
yielded approximately four
ounces of cocaine with a
street value of $4,000-
$6,000.
Lewis K. Archie was
charged with one count
each of trafficking in
cocaine by possession, traf-
ficking in cocaine by trans-
portation, possession with
intent to sell and deliver ¢
cocaine, felonious posses- i
sion of cocaine, and posses-
sion of drug paraphernalia.
See Charges, 3A
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
Despite health problems
McSwains look on bright side
By LIB STEWART
Republic Newspapers
With New Year 2003 and
their 61st wedding anniver-
sary fast approaching, Gene
McSwain, 85, and Maude
Dengler McSwain, 83, are
confident that brighter days
are ahead.
"I don't know how much ;
we will be able to celebrate on
January 7," said Gene, who
will undergo colon cancer
surgery on January 1 and
enters Cleveland Regional
Medical Center two days after
Christmas.
The McSwains have had a
run of bad luck since Mrs.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Celebrating 128 Years
grade. He went off to
§ to Appalachian State
tary policeman from
THE McSWAINS
gr
EE
© 9
YOUR 3
: HOMETOWN
BANK
McSwain, who has been
using a walker due to arthri-
tis, suffered a severe fall and
has been confined to bed."
Two months ago Gene was
diagnosed with colon cancer.
Reminiscing about their life
together, Gene said he had an
eye for Maude when they
both attended Central High
School and graduated 11th
Gardner-Webb College for
two years and then one year
fl Teacher's College before
| Uncle Sam drafted him in the
8 US Army and he was a mili-
See McSwain, 3A
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
704-739-4782
Kings Mountain Police officers Ronnie Costner, left, and Jerry Shull, right, escort Bobby Wayne
McCleary to the Sheriff's Department van for transport to the Cleveland County Detention Center
following Thursday morning's drug bust in Kings Mountain.
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
caused severe problems in
on this end of the state.
water found in Moss Lake
which needed water.
The year, 2002, has been a year of unusual
weather. First, the drought in the summer
County. Then, the ice storm reeked havoc
* During the drought, Kings Mountain ben-
efited from the careful planning that caused
the city to set aside the 15 billion gallons of
water supply. With that water, the city was
also able to assist neighboring communities
“We were able to meet the needs of our
citizens and help our neighbors,” said
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-865-1233
S59 charges
in Thursday
drug bust
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
Kings Mountain Police and Cleveland County
Sheriff’s Department conducted what may be the
biggest drug raid in the city’s history early
Thursday morning.
The 10-month joint operation dubbed
“Operation Sleigh Ride” resulted in 59 charges
against 21 individuals. Twelve of the suspects
were rounded up Thursday and the other per-
sons charged will be arrésted as soon as they are
located. : :
Top management of the two departments
began organizing the effort at 6 a.m. Thursday,
and officers reported for de-briefing at 7 a.m.
Over 30 officers, including 10 from KMPD, were
involved.
Many of the suspects were arrested at 939 :
Grace Street, a brick home at the end of a dead-
end street in the area of East School.
Chief Melvin Proctor said officers expected
trouble at the home, where persons with prior
drug records were living and where “intelli-
gence” had told police a lot of high-powered
weapons were on site.
Proctor said officers purposely waited until
after school had taken up so there wouldn't be
any children in the area.
“Once we had all the school children that walk
to school away from; the area we went in and
conducted a search warrant,” Proctor said. “As
soon as that scene was secured then we sent the
rest of the teams out to try to find the 21 people
that we had arrest warrants on.”
Fortunately, Proctor said, there was no trouble
at the Grace Street residence.
“We were relieved,” he said. “We had intelli-
gence reports that we had gathered over a 10
month period and knew of those guys and others
coming in and being armed - and sometimes
waiting on police,” he said. “So we knew if we
didn’t do certain things right there was the
potential for violence and we wanted to mini-
mize that risk.”
Proctor, Mayor Rick Murphrey and newly-
elected Cleveland County Sheriff Raymond
Hamrick held a press conference at 10 a.m. at
KMPD and pledged a united effort to rid the
county of drug dealers and users.
Proctor said the location of the city - between I- $
85 and 74 Bypass - is an opportunity for drug A
suppliers to get in and out of town quickly.
“A lot of the drugs are coming in from
Charlotte,” Proctor said. “This is just a pipeline
and we're right on the corridor of I-85 and 74.
Anytime you're on an interstate you're going to
have problems.
“This is a problem we've been fighting for
years, but I'd say this is the biggest raid we've
had. We locked up 26 people on a federal deal
between Kings Mountain, Cleveland County and
See Bust, 3A
iid
8
i Si
\ iC
\
rn
LOOK BACK AT ‘02
City survived two major
weather crises in 2002
And shortfall too!
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer Ee BK
Cleveland Re
One of the most infamous stories from .
2002 deals with the revenue shortfalls from
the state of North Carolina for the city of
Kings Mountair. The-state held approxi-
mately $900,000 in reimbursements for the
city. Luckily the city coped well with the
crisis, and the situation is beginning to right
itself, said Mayor Rick Murphrey.
The state has been withholding money
from the local governments to cover its own
budget for the last couple of years, causing
for the city’s
Mayor Rick Murphrey. problems in local governments. Over the
See Weather, 3A See Shortfall, 3A
Gastonia Shelby Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy. §
704-629-3906 ;
bi
yy
704-484-6200