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Thursday, February 20, 2003
Vol. 115 No. 8 Since 1889
50 Cents
(Gas prices just
keep going up
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
In the last few weeks, gas prices have
jumped tremendously. Several gas sta-
tions were charging $1.62 a gallon on
Tuesday, which is a dramatic increase
from even a month ago.
Sarah Bembry, public relations man-
ager of the AAA Carolinas headquar-
ters in Charlotte, attributed the rising
price of gas to the labor strikes in
Venezuela, which began in December.
The United States gets approximately \
14 percent of its crude oil from
Venezuela.
She said that President Bush's State
of the Union address also contributed
to the sudden increase in gas prices.
Most people believed a war with Iraq
would not come for several months yet,
she said. When Bush announced an
attack could come at any time, oil
industries panicked and wondered
what would happen to their supply line
during a war, she said. :
Between Sunday and Tuesday, the
price of gas fluctuated only .5 cents per
gallon, changing from $1.61.9 on
Sunday, to $1.61.4 on Monday, back to
$1.61.9 on Tuesday.
“It looks like things are holding
See Gas, 3A carriers.
ABIGAIL WOLFORD / HERALD
Ashley Anderson puts gas in the mail
car on Tuesday. She said the price
of gas makes it difficult for the mail
No major
problems
in KM area
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
While the ice storm last weekend was incon-
venient for many, city officials said they experi-
enced no major problems.
Public Works Director Jackie Barnette said
that his department experienced only minor
problems during the ice storm. The only prob-
lem he really saw was the ice on the road.
“It’s just hard to deal with ice,” he said.
Workers in his department covered the roads
with sand and salt until the ice was melted
enough to push it with a plow, he said. The
roads were all clear by Monday at 5 p.m.
Fire Chief Frank Burns said that the fire
department also had few problems during the
ice storm.
“Everything went fairly well,” he said. “We
had an industry fire, but that was not related to
the ice storm.”
Police Chief Melvin Proctor said that his
department experienced no problems other
than wrecks.
Unlike the December ice storm, most Kings
Mountain residents kept power during the ice
storm last weekend. While many people in
South Carolina lost electricity, few problems
were reported in the Kings Mountain area.
Nick Hendricks, director of the electric depart-
ment, said his department received no weath-
er-related calls.
- Gary Whitener, executive vice president and
general manager of Rutherford Electric
Membership Corporation, said that his compa
See Ice, 3A
Sunday’s ice storm made area roads slick but very few prob-
lems were reported in the Kings Mountain area.
KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE
&®
Poole saw lot in war
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Willie Ezele Poole fought in World War II
and lived to tell the tale. In fact, he is still
telling his war stories to all who will listen.
Poole said he lied about his age and
enlisted in the army when he was 16 years
old. His father signed his name to get him
in as well, he said. Poole turned 17 while
- he was in training. He said he knew boys
in the army who were as young as 14 years
old.
“I told a story about my age. If you was
big enough, they'd take you,” he said.
Poole was part of the 1st army division in
North Africa and Italy. He said he saw bat-
tles constantly the whole time he was there.
The bombing and shelling never ceased.
“That's all we seen over there was battles
until we whooped them,” he said.
He said he remembers several Hollywood
stars coming to the bases to entertain the
"See Poole, 3A
Be ——" 3
ABIGAIL WOLFORD / HERALD
Kathy Payne, activities director at White
Oak Manor in Kings Mountain, poses with
Willie Poole, a World War Il veteran and
resident of White Oak Manor.
Kings Mountain
2] FIRST NATIONAL BANK
30 Cutebrating 129 Years
704-739-4782
300 W. Mountain St.
Group
City is ready
with terrorism
plan, advice
‘BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
In light of recent terrorist threats against the United
States, the federal government has issued many statements,
telling citizens how to prepare for attacks. Many people
have flocked to the store to stock up on duct tape and plas-
tic sheeting.
Many Kings Mountain people have been calling local
authorities to find out what they should be doing to pre-
pare. Luckily, the city has both emergency plans in place
and advice for citizens on
how to prepare for an attack.
“I think it’s important to
let our citizens know that we
do have a plan,” said Mayor
Murphrey. The police
department has been work-
ing with the other depart-
ments in Kings Mountain to
develop an emergency plan
in the event of a terrorist
“l think it’s
important to let
our citizens
know that we
attack since 9-11, he said. d 0 have a
The city is in contact with
the county, state, and federal plan 2
emergency agencies. If
something happened, city
officials would know exactly
how to respond, he said.
Murphrey said that all
those involved in the formu-
lation of the emergency plans have put in an astronomical
number of hours since 9-11. The procedures are in place, he
said.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure these procedures are
in place. We've taken the steps to make sure we are pre-
pared,” said Murphrey.
Police Chief Melvin Proctor said that both he and the
mayor have been receiving many phone calls from citizens
concerned about the heightened terrorism alert. He enco
See City, 3A
City considering
extending water
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
The City Council Utility Committee met on Monday
evening to discuss billing concerns and a water line exten-
sion in the city.
City Manager Jimmy Maney discussed the I-85 Dixon
School Road project, which involves serving a company
that wants to extend the city water line to its location on the
I-85 interchange. Maney said that the company was cur-
rently getting bids for the line and will get approval from
the city before it proceeds with the project.
Once the line is built, the city will take ownership of the
line. The company will be paying for the line extension.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
. Maney said the deal was good for the city because the line
would open up the I-85 interchange for development. He
said the area was a prime development area, and the resi-
dents would be customers of Kings Mountain if they con-
nected to the water extension.
Jean Wyte, billing director, and Nick Hendricks, electric
See Water, 3A
of citizens
conduct litter index
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Several Kings Motintain
citizens met on Valentine's
Day to conduct a litter index
of the city. The index is part
of the effort to become certi-
fied by the national Keep
America Beautiful organiza-
tion.
Jennie Stultz, mayor of
Gastonia and national con-
sultant for Keep America
Beautiful, gave a presenta-
tion to approximately a
dozen litter index volunteers
before they split up to con-
duct the index.
Stultz described the litter
index as a “methodical
See Index, 9A
(Gastonia
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-865-1233
: ABIGAIL WOLFORD / HERALD
Karen Roy, Mary Anne Hendricks, and Lou Ballew exam-
ine a map of Kings Mountain to determine which sections
they should evaluate as part of the litter index.
Shelby Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-484-6200 704-629-3906