The Her
Thursday, May 1, 2003 Vol. 115 No.18 Since 1889
50 Cents
Shon Byers
to be inducted
into KM Sports
Hall of Fame
6A
24-hour walk
to cure cancer
begins Friday
at KM track
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
For many months, citizens of Kings
Mountain have worked to raise
money for cancer research by partici-
pating on a Relay for Life team. This
weekend, they will finish their hard
work by walking on the walking track
through the night on Friday.
So far, 41 teams have signed up to
participate in the Relay for Life rally
on Friday night. Each team consists
of at least 5-10 people. Although
some teams have been planning to
participate for months, last minute
entries are also welcome and encour-
aged, said Dena Blalock, co-chair of
Relay for Life in Kings Mountain.
“We still have room if anyone wants
to get a team up. There are still camp-
sites available,” she said.
King Mountain has more teams this
year-already than it has had in the
past, said Blalock:
The Relay for Life rally will start at
7 p.m. Friday and continue through
Saturday morning. Cancer survivors
will walk the first lap, as a “Walk of
Honor,” for their struggle. The night
fought cancer and survived and with
the memories of those who did not
survive the disease.
The night will also be filled with
fun, as Relay for Life participants
mark each hour ofithe night with dif-
ferent costumes anil games. Hour
Sn themes will rndy cowboy hour,
1 pajama hour, beach hour, military
See Relay, 3A
will be filled with stories of those who
LIB STEWART / HERALD
Dot Dixon, right, dvaws the handprint of Barbara McClain at Relay for
Life's cancer survivors dinner Thursday night at Summit Place. Over 100
people attended.
Spectrum, school evacuated
By GARY STEWART
Editor of The Herald
A Kings Mountain plant and school
were evacuated after unrelated inci-
dents Tuesday morning.
At 8:46 a.m. Kings Mountain area fire
“departments responded to Spectrum
Dyed Yarns where a malfunction in a
dye mixing area resulted in chemical
y fumes. All of the approximately 150
employees were evacuated.
While working that situation along
with Oak Grove and Bethlehem fire
departments and the Cleveland
County Hazmat Team, Kings Mountain
Fire Department received a call to
Kings Mountain Intermediate School
where almost 750 students and all =~
school employees were evacuated after
a city utility crew dug into an electric
line.
There were no injuries at either
place, and at no time was anyone in
danger at either place, according to
Kings Mountain Fire Chief Frank
Burns.
According to Burns, fumes from a
leeching solution that is used to clean
yarn before it is dyed got into the air
due to a mixing malfunction at
Spectrum. The fumes were all inside
the building and were never a threat to
the environment, he said.
“They evacuated all of the people,
and basically we had to flood the area
with water and wash the chemical out
through the drains in their testing
area,” Burns said.
It took about three hours for firemen
to clean the area, he said.
See Spectrum, 3A
History Museum,
Senior Center
seek additional
funds from city
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Discussion about the hi
torical museum:=and the sen-
ior center topped the Kings
Mountain City Council
meeting Tuesday night.
Mickey Crowell, museum
coordinator, made a plea for
additional funds. The
museum has become infest-
ed with termites, and the
problem needs to be
addressed immediately
before further damage is
done, she told Council
members.
“We have an immediate
need for funds,” she said.
The extermination fees
will range from $600-800,
she said.
She also made a plea for
supplement funds for the
operating budget. Right
now, most of the money the:
museum receives is from
donations. The city gives
the museum $15,000 per
year, as well, but all but
approximately $2,000 of that
money goes to pay.
Crowell’s yearly salary.
Since the museum now
changes exhibits every cou-
ple of months, additional
funding is required, said
Crowell. The current budg-
et does not cover the educa-
tiondl programs, computer,
office supplies, and grounds
keeping.
She requested that the
board consider giving the
museum an additional
$10,000-15,000 per year,
beginning next year. The
board of the historical muse-
um decided that the addi-
tional money would best
help the museum meet its
expenses.
“We are requesting that
the board consider our plea
for $15,000,” said Crowell.
Councilman Gene White
said he did not want to con-
sider any funding for the
historical museum until the
city manager had a chance
to meet with the historical
museum advisory commit-
fee.
Councilman Dean Spears
said that the Council had
already set the cap at
$10,000 for extra funds for
See Funds, 3A
Day of Prayer
today in KM
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Since Thursday is the
National Day of Prayer, peo-
ple around the nation will
gather throughout the day
to pray for their leaders-and
their nation. People in
Kings Mountain will meet in
front of City Hall , from
12:20-12:40 p.m., for a time
of prayer. All are welcome
to attend.
The city will also host its
first Mayor's Prayer
Breakfast at the senior cen-
ter today.
“I think it'll be a blessing
for everyone who attends,”
said Mayor Rick Murphrey.
Rev. Roger Woodard, of
the Family Worship Center,
said he had the idea for the
prayer breakfast after hear-
ing about the President's
prayer breakfast in :
Washington, D.C. With the
current heightened terror
alert, Woodard said he felt
like the community of faith
needed to come together for
See Prayer, 3A
Local fire departments receive
grant to provide smoke alarms
Last 3 KM fires
were ruled arson
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD |
Staff Writer
Arson Awareness Week | is next week!
According to Kings Mountain Fire Chief
Frank Burns, approximately 33 percent of
all fires are set. In fact, the last three fires in
Kings Mountain were caused by arson.
“Arson is not a victimless crime because
everybody pays for arson in insurance pe :
miums,” said Burns.
The purpose of Arson Awareness Week i is
to let people know that it is a crime, said °
Burns. He said that fire departments can
rule out accidental fires fairly quickly.
Determining a fire's cause and origin is usu-
ally not very difficult for fire scene investi-
gators, said Burns.
Some of the fires are set out of spite or
revenge, said Perry Davis, Oak Grove Fire
Chief. Other fires are set by juveniles, said
Burns. Arson is also suspected when the
building that burns houses a failing busi-
ness.
“Financial hardships are the number one
reason people decide to commit arson,” said
Davis. :
See Arson, 3A
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HOMETOWN
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| FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Coletrating 129 Years
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain Fire Department, in con-
junction with the Oak Grove, Bethlehem,
and Grover Volunteer Fire Departments,
have received a grant for smoke detectors.
Now, those who live in the Kings Mountain
area can ask for the firefighters to install a
free smoke detector in their home.
The targets for the grant are households
with children under five years of age and
the elderly, although everyone is eligible to
receive a smoke detector, even if those who
request one already have one.
Approximately 500'smoke detectors are
available. The grant is good through
September 30.
The fire departments are also conducting
a survey to find out how many homes have
smoke detectors and how many of those
‘smoke detectors actually work. Anyone
without a functional smoke detector is con-
sidered “at risk.” The firefighters may go
door to door in some neighborhoods to
make sure that families are safe.
Kings Mountain Fire Chief Frank Burns
said the firefighters will target at-risk com-
munities. Houses should have a smoke
detector on each level. The firefighters are
able to install smoke detectors on rental
property, as well. Smoke alarms with strobe
lights will also be available for the hearing
See Smoke, 3A
704-739-4782
Kings Mountain
300 W. Mountain St.
ABIGAIL WOLFORD /HERALD
Firefighter Jamie Black installs one of the
smoke detectors made available in a grant
from the state. Smoke alarms are free by call-
ing local fire departments.
Gastonia
704-865-1233
Shelby
529 New Hope Road 106 S Lafayette St.
704-484-6200
Hospital board
discusses plan
for renovation
BY ABIGAIL WOLFORD
Staff Writer
The Cleveland County Healthcare
System, which includes the recently
merged Cleveland Regional Medical
Center and Kings Mountain Hospital,
held its first board of trustees meeting
in Kings Mountain on Monday. The
board of trustees will now alternate its
monthly meetings between Shelby and
Kings Mountain.
The planning committee announced
at the meeting that the pharmacy reno-
vations at Kings Mountain Hospital are
complete. A Certificate of Need was
recently approved, which would allow
$8 million worth of renovation and
expansion on the Kings Mountain
' Hospital. The project does not include
tearing down any of the already-exist-
ing sections of the hospital but simply
renovating and expanding the facilities
that are already there.
The healthcare system plans to submit
the Certificate of Need to the state in
June. The project may begin as early as
late fall. Construction cannot begin
without the approval of the North
Carolina Division of Facility Services.
See Hospital, 3A
Bessemer City
225 Gastonia Hwy.
704-629-3906
|