Thursday, April 1, 2004
Marrow
typing
drive set
for Nance
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
The community has an
opportunity to help a Kings
Mountain man as he search-
es for a bone marrow donor.
While being treated for
the € flu ad bronchifis] in
Sr m1 December,
a blood test
revealed
David
Nance was
forerunner
of leukemia
and can also mask it.
In the past four years,
doctors at Duke University
have only treated four cases
of myelo fibrosis.
Nance’s mother is cur-
rently being tested as a
stem cell match which is the
preferred method of treat-
ing the disease. Close rela-
tives have the highest likeli-
hood of being compatible.
Nance’s only sibling, a
brother, is dead.
If his mother is not a
match, bone marrow would
be the next step.
Nance is on leave from
NANCE
Firestone. His wife Tammy
is currently filing for dis-
ability due to a spinal
injury.
The couple, which closed
on a home one week before
finding out David Nance
was sick, are struggling
financially. They have two
young children.
The bone marrow drive
will be Monday from 4 to 8
p-m. at the Kings Mountain
Red Cross office.
Donors must be between
the ages of 18 and 60, in
good general health and not
excessively overweight. A
small sample of blood will
be drawn. There is no
charge for testing at this
drive.
The Red Cross office is
located on Piedmont
Avenue behind Kings
Mountain Baptist Church.
For more information, call
704-730-9003.
Testa to run for NC Senate
the 46th District - Cleveland
and Rutherford counties -
inviting to businesses. He also
plans a push to streamline
governmental requirements
businesses.
“Be their friend in govern-
ment, not their enemy,” Testa
See Testa, 3A
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
A Kings Mountain business-
man plans to run for the 46th
District State Senate seat. Jim
Testa, a 64-year-old
Republican, announced his
candidacy last week.
KINGS "MOUNTAI}
The Heral
Vol. 116 No. 14
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT—
Since 1889
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Rising gas prices are driving some
motorists to seek out more fuel efficient
rides while others are opting for sport
utility vehicles despite the cost.
“It surprises me but the big ones are
selling as much as the little ones,” said
Butch Yarbrough of Wade Ford.
“So far gas prices aren't effecting
them.”
Yarbrough, who has been in vehicle
sales since 1997, watched buyers opt for
smaller cars when gas prices spiked a few
years ago. They traded Cadillacs and
Lincolns for Escorts and Focus cars.
He expects to see owners of larger vehi-
cles do the same if gas prices reach the $2
per gallon mark.
Salesman Junior Caldwell believes buy-
ers put more importance on comfort than
gas mileage.
“They're not going to go to a smaller
vehicle. They still want comfort over
Lynn Black of Ranlo fills up his Ninja motorcycle Monday. Black says riding the
bike helps him keep gas cost down. It gets 83 miles per gallon.
Big cars still popular
despite high gas prices
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
economy,” Caldwell said.
Customers don’t ask about gas prices
but do look at the monthly payment,
Yarbrough said. While larger vehicles are
still favored, overall sales have been slow
lately. Yarbrough attributes this to the
economic downturn.
Sales of four cylinder and V-6 motors
are up at Diamond Chevrolet, according
to Tim Hopper, salesman. Primarily inter-
est is coming from people with commutes
to Charlotte and Spartanburg.
The new Cavalier and Malibu models
are selling well and so are pre-owned
Hondas, he said.
Despite the interest in fuel efficiency,
sport utility vehicles, known for getting
low gas mileage, are still selling.
“People who can afford an SUV aren't
worried about gas prices,” Hopper said.
At Rogers Honda in Shelby, sales have
gone up 30 percent, according to finance
manager Jamie Wilson. Interest is particu-
larly high in gas electric hybrids. The
See Gas, 3A
Testa is putting economic
growth at the top of his cam-
paign platform. He believes
lower taxes will stimulate the
growth of small businesses.
“They're taxed to death.
Somebody needs to under-
stand that in Raleigh,” he said.
Testa says he wants to make
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
U.S. Sonate candidate Erskine Bowles talks with Cleveland County Health
Department Director Denese Stallings Tuesday afternoon at the Life
Enrichment Center.
JIM TESTA
Erskine Bowles
campaigns in KM
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
U.S. Senate candidate Erskine Bowles
visited the Life Enrichment Center's
Kings Mountain location Tuesday after-
noon.
Executive Director Suzi Kennedy led
Bowles and several others on a tour of the
adult daycare facility.
“Ya'll are wonderful. You should be
very proud,” Bowles said to the group,
many of which helped make the center a
reality.
He talked about caring for his father
and sister, who both died from Lou
Gehrig's Disease, at home.
“This place would have been a god-
send,” he said.
Bowles discussed the need for health
See Bowles, 3A
MAUN
I al
KINGS MOUNT ATH NC
HK A
100 « IEDMD
. in softball
6A
50 Cents
LOT*XC 00g
GP 8s
City employees
may have to pay
part of insurance
‘White calls
for Hicks’
termination
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City
Council was literally in the
dark Tuesday night.
Minutes after the meeting
began, the lights went out.
A back-up generator
quickly provided partial
lighting. After a 30-minute
delay the meeting resumed
with the help of flood lights.
Electricity was fully restored
after approximately 90 min-
utes. The outage was caused
when a junction box at
Patriots Park malfunctioned,
according to Mayor Rick
Murphrey.
City employees may have
to pay for some of their own
insurance. The issue came
up after council approved
six to one a budget amend-
ment transferring $125,000
from the electric fund to the
health insurance fund.
Though no concrete plans
have been made, moving
some of the financial
responsibility to city
employees may be consid-
ered during i ie
planning proce%s:
“He's (Interim City
Manager Gary Hicks) look-
ing at that to see if they can
participate more,”
Murphrey said.
Mullinax voted against
the transfer. During an inter-
view after the meeting, he
said over 20 transfers have
been made this fiscal year.
Mullinax said transfers
would only be needed for
emergencies if the budget
was properly prepared.
In other business, during
the public comment period
former City Councilman
Gene White called for the
resignation or termination
of Hicks. White said Hicks
exercised poor judgement
when he allowed a police
officer to be reimbursed
$1,600 with department
funds when his wallet was
stolen at the police depart-
ment.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
asked White not to refer to
specific individuals in his
remarks. ;
Councilman Jerry
Mullinax attempted to place
an item on the agenda to
have the incident further
investigated but that was
not allowed. City policy
only allows the city manag-
er to request an emergency
item be placed on the agen-
da. The request must be
approved by the mayor and
council.
During the council mem- :
ber comment period of the y
meeting, Mullinax offered 4
an apology without elabora-
tion to Hicks. When asked [hed
about the apology after the
meeting, Mullinax said
Hicks was having to shoul-
der too much responsibility
for the incident.
Mullinax said the incident
cost more than $1,600 due to
the expense of polygraphs
See Council, 3A
Council reviewing
manager applications
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain City
Council met to review appli-
cants for city manager last
week.
“It went well. There's not
a lot I can say,” said Mayor
Rick Murphrey.
State statutes allow closed
session meetings to discuss
personnel matters.
Murphrey described the
meeting as “positive” and
“productive.”
He said the board plans to
begin interviewing appli-
cants during the next two to
three weeks. Murphrey said
they hope to have someone
on board within the next
two months.
The city advertised the
position in trade publica-
tions and also contacted
some people who had
applied last spring when the
position was open then.
Murphrey said the city
had received applications
from across the country
with most coming from this
area and the southeast. He
would not say how many
applications were received.
“We're very pleased with
the quality of applicants
who applied,” Murphrey i
said. Lf
Interviews will be con-
ducted by the council as a
whole. Individual council
members will also be able to
meet privately with appli-
cants, according to
Murphrey.
While former City |
Manager Phil Ponder made {
approximately $80,000, no
salary has been set for the \
position.
Ponder left in February to
work as purchasing and
budget director for Gaston
County.
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Mayor Rick Murphrey and Council go on with their meet-
ing under flashlight power.