Thursday, July 3, 2003
Vol. 115 No.27
KINGS MOUNTAI":
The He
Since 1889
player Braggs
joins coaching
staff at KMHS
Retired NFL
6A
A heart in God’s hands
9-month-old Christopher Broome
to undergo heart surgery Monday
BY ANDIE BYRMER
Staff Writer
ANTIOCH - A day after Christopher
Blake Broome was born, doctors diagnosed
him with a congenital heart defect. That was
in October. On Monday morning, Blake will
have open heart surgery to correct the prob-
em.
Parents Misty and Chris Broome are con-
fident the surgery will go well.
“We know the good Lord is taking care of
him. I'm more worried about mom and
dad,” Misty said, during an interview
Tuesday afternoon at the family’s home.
The arteries that carry blood to and from
Blake's heart are crisscrossed. Blake was
also born with a hole between the two bot-
tom ventricles of his heart. That has allowed
his blood to get oxygen, keeping him alive.
“That hole was placed there by God,”
Misty said.
Because the pre-natal ultrasound cannot
pick up problems with blood flow, the cou-
ple had no warning that something was
wrong with Blake. Misty had an uncompli-
cated, six hour labor.
Blake was pink and had a hearty cry. His
agar scores were normal. He nursed and
stayed in the room with Misty that first
night.
Misty was walking the halls at Cleveland
Regional Medical Center while Dr. Brian
Benfield did a routine examination on Blake
the next morning. The other moms got their
babies back while Misty continued to wait.
She knew something was wrong.
See Heart, 3A
Monday.
Filing
to open
Monday
BY ANDIE BRYMER
Staff Writer
The election filing period
for Kings Mountain and
Grover city councils and
Kings Mountain District
Schools runs Monday, July
7 through August 1. A few
area officials up for re-elec-
tion have declared their
plans to run again while
others are keeping’ mum.
Kings Mountain Mayor
Rick Murphrey Jr. plans to
seek re-election as do Ward
4 Councilman Dean Spears
and Ward 5 Councilman
Carl DeVane.
Ward 2 Councilman Jim
Guyton, who is recovering
from a stroke, has not yet
decided if he will run again.
At large Councilman Gene
White declined to comment.
Councilmen Howard
Shipp, Clavon Kelly and
Rick Moore could not be
reached for comment.
Grover Mayor Bill Favell
will not seek re-election.
“I served on town council
for two years and as mayor
for four, let somebody else
give it a try,” he said.
Terms for Grover council-
men Jack Herndon and
See Filing, 3A
Grover
budget
$542,872
BY ANDIE BRYMER
Staff Writer
The Town of Grover
passed a $542,872 budget
during its council meeting
Monday night.
The general fund makes
up $227,772 of the entire
budget. The fund breaks
down to $37,385 for office
operations; $40,645, town
hall operations; $15,391,
maintenance operations;
$56,435, police operations;
fire department, $12,000;
$38,150, environmental
operations (trash service,
animal control); $7,000,
street operations; $9,966,
community improvement.
Other categories include
the cemetery at $3,600;
street and sidewalk mainte
BY ANDIE BRYMER
Staff Writer
derby.
tain Jack tales.
Sam.
ons and tricycles.
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Misty and Chris Broome and their son
Blake. Blake will have open heart surgery
JULY FOURTH
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Eugene Metcalf and step-daughter Madison Clary (above) prepare for Independence Day with a
shopping trip to Cherokee Fireworks. Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey and horse Newman
(below) ready for Kings Mountain's July 4 celebration. The mayor will ride the quarter horse during
ceremonies at Jake Early Park.
Host of activities planned
at KM’s Jake Early Park
The City of Kings Mountain invites everyone to an
afternoon and evening filled with patriotic and fun
activities Friday at the Jake Early Sports Complex.
The YMCA pool will open at noon with free admis-
sion. At 2 p.m. games begin in the pool and on the
playground T-Ball field where there will be a home run
derby. At 3 p.m. there will be a coach pitch home run
The pool closes at 4 p.m. The entertainment moves
to the playground gazebo where Timmy Abell will
entertain with music and storytelling.
Abell is best known for family concerts and school
programs. For 20 years, he has played American,
Appalachian, international and original folk music. His
storytelling includes adventure, fairy, tall and moun-
At 4:30 p.m. the Lil’ Patriots, newborn to age 5, can
participate in a parade around the walking track.
Prizes will be awarded in the patriotic-themed parade.
Past entries have included Lady Liberty and Uncle
Abell will perform again at 5 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m. children ages 6-12 have their turn at a
parade around the walking track. In addition to wear-
ing costumes, children may decorate their bikes, wag-
Abell will perform again at 6 p.m.
At 6:45, awards will be given to winning parade
entries in both age categories.
John Love and Uncle Thunder will take the walking
Maytlower
to expand,
add jobs
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Despite bleak economic forecasts, one
Cleveland County industry announced some
good news Tuesday. Mayflower Vehicle
Systems is creating 15 new jobs and making
an $882,000 expansion.
The expansion will allow the company,
which manufactures truck beds, to make
components on site. According to plant man-
ager Dale McKillop, this will mean quicker
engineering and design changes. The move
also will eliminate some transportation costs.
The company laid off 35 employees last
year but has already brought those workers
back. With this expansion, two to three others
who were laid off will be rehired. There will
be 15 new hires as well.
Mayflower will begin the hiring process in
July. Applicants should have a high school
education, be able to read blueprints and
measure with calipers, McKillop said. The
project also will include a supervisory posi-
tion.
Plant officials expect to have the equip-
ment installed by October. The operation will
run in two shifts.
Before the expansion, the company made
components for the Kings Mountain facility
at its Shady Side, Ohio plant. The people who
did that work in Ohio will now be out of a
job. That plant is unionized. McKillop denied
that was a factor in eliminating those individ-
uals’ jobs.
In a written statement distributed during
the press conference, Tim Waters, vice presi-
dent of existing industry for the Cleveland
County Chamber of Commerce, wrote that
property tax revenues from this project will
See Mayflower, 3A
KM PEOPLE
Hicklin sings
at The Opry
BY ANDIE BRYMER
Staff Writer
When Billie Hicklin was a young woman
she listened to country artist Billy Walker on
the radio. A few weeks ago, she harmonized
with him on a Nashville stage.
The Kings Mountain woman first met
Walker and his wife Betty three years ago
while attending the Golden Voice Legends
award banquet in Nashville. A mutual friend,
Betty Parrish, introduced them. Walker is
known for hits like “Whose Shoes are These,”
“This Time Lord You Gave Me A Mountain”
and “I'd like to Walk in Charlies Shoes.”
Hicklin and Betty Walker struck up a
friendship that led to Hicklin helping out
with the following year’s awards banquet.
She crocheted 45 angels, using the needle-
work to make patriotic centerpieces.
This year she ushered country legends like
See Hicklin 3A
See Grover, 3A Jee Foourth 25 BILLIE HICKLIN
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