or
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Vol. 116 No. 28 Since 1889
Jun Mission
work in Africa
5A
50 Cents
SC man
declines
KM offer
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
A Mauldin, S.C. utilities
manager says he turned
down an offer to work as
Kings Mountain city man-
ager for personal reasons.
Tom Lynn said he did not
accept the job to avoid caus-
ing his wife a long com-
mute to her job. The move
to Kings Mountain would
also have meant moving
away from the couple’s
daughter who is a student
“at the University of South
Carolina.
“If IT had been single it
probably would have been
different,” Lynn said in a
telephone interview last
week.
Lynn said the controversy
surrounding the departure
of former city manager Phil
Ponder did not influence
his decision. Lynn did say
he spent time in a local
library reviewing coverage
of the city.
The Kings Mountain City
Council has been criticized
for a string of four to three
votes. While votes on per-
sonnel issues are protected
by law and not available to
the press, Lynn did say that
four votes to hire a manager
is the “standard rule.”
“I realize all aren’t going
to agree,” he said.
Lynn said he was hon-
ored the city had offered
him the job and wished
Kings Mountain well.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
said the council is currently
reviewing applications and
deciding who to interview.
Murphrey said the city
received over 80 applica-
tions this spring for the
position.
Tuition
waiver for
employees’
kids talked
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Will the children of
Cleveland County Schools’
employees living outside
the county have to pay
$1,414 in tuition to attend
school next year?
A tuition waiver is being
discussed though no one
from Cleveland County
Schools was available to
talk about it Tuesday.
The board of education
voted last Monday to
charge $1,414 in annual
tuition to all out-of-county
students except currently
enrolled rising seniors.
Board members Terry
McClain and Shearra Miller
cast the lone dissenting
votes.
The issue came to light
after the county’s three sys-
tems merged in January.
The former Kings Mountain
District Schools had an
agreement with Gaston
County which allowed stu-
dents living in the Gaston
portion of the city to attend
KMDS at no charge.
Earlier this year, the
Gaston County Board of
Education voted against
sending county funds with
its residents living in Kings
Mountain's city limits.
@VauDIBEL HEARING CENTER ;
704-484-9233
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
The City of Kings Mountain lit up the sky for its annual Fourth of July celebration
Saturday night at the Walking Track (above). Below, Richard Myers holds his two-
year-old daughter Rachel.
Large crowd
attends event
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Just miles from where a pivotal «
Revolutionary Battle was fought over
two centuries ago, the City of Kings
Mountain celebrated America’s inde-
pendence with fireworks and music
See Fourth, 8A
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
To spank
or not
County School Board to decide
on corporal punishment policy
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
To spank or not? The
Cleveland County School
Board probably will vote on
a corporal punishment poli-
cy during its July 12 meet-
ing.
During a work session
last week, board members
discussed policies on corpo-
ral punishment, student
conduct and drug posses-
sion related suspension. No
votes were taken.
A consulting attorney
advised the board that
allowing corporal punish-
ment could leave the system
open to litigation. The attor-
ney stopped short of advis-
ing the board on whether to
allow physical discipline.
Corporal punishment
policies were in place for the
former Kings Mountain
District Schools and Shelby
City Schools. When the for-
mer Cleveland County
Schools’ policy manual was
updated in 1997, no mention
was made of corporal pun-
ishment.
The former Kings
Mountain District Schools’
policy allowed corporal
punishment under the fol-
lowing guidelines:
Other children could not
be present. The student
body had to be informed
beforehand what general
types of misconduct could
result in corporal punish-
ment. Only a teacher, princi-
pal or assistant principal
could administer corporal
punishment and only with a
witness present.
Corporal punishment
administered by a teacher
had to be witnessed by a
principal or non-teaching
assistant principal. When
administered by a principal
or non-teaching principal, a
teacher or administrator
could serve as witness. The
witness had to be informed
beforehand and in the stu-
dent’s presence of the rea-
son for the punishment.
The principal had to pro-
vide the child's parent or
guardian with notification
that corporal punishment
had been used. Upon
request, the person who
administered the punish-
ment had to provide a writ
See Spank, 3A
Kerry’s choice
of Edwards draws
mixed reaction
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
When Betsy Wells learned
North Carolina Senator John
Edwards had curtailed his
vacation to fly to Boston
over the weekend, the
Cleveland County Democrat
Party chairwoman was
upbeat.
“I just knew in my soul,”
she said.
Wells” hunch was correct.
Democrat presidential
candidate John Kerry
announced Tuesday morn-
ing that he had selected
Edwards as his vice-presi-
dential running mate.
“I'm tickled to death,”
Wells said.
She spent five weeks cam-
paigning for Edwards in
New Hampshire late last
year and early 2004. The
retired educator spent much
of that time convincing
teachers to vote for
Edwards. She also worked
with the senator’s parents
when they campaigned
among senior citizens.
Edwards’ compassion,
charisma and sincerity will
mean success on the cam-
paign trail, Wells says.
See Edwards, 3A
KM Police credit tips
for Thursday drug bust
longer sentence, Proctor said. )
Police had received numerous complaints
about Howell from Morris Street residents.
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Money and a weapon confiscated by Kings Mountain
Police in a drug arrest Thursday on Floyd Street. Marlon
Torrain Howell faces ‘a number of charges.
HEARING 3
1198 Wyke Road, Shelby, NC - Across from YMCA - ] JEST 1
0% Financing
Available -
ha a
The Kings Mountain Police Department is
crediting cooperation between its officers
and the community for two drug arrests
Thursday.
Marlon Torraine Howell could be charged
under federal statues, according to Chief
Melvin Proctor.
Howell, 25, of 605 Floyd Street, Kings
Mountain was charged with possession of a
firearm by a felon, possession with intent to
sell cocaine and marijuana, possession of
drug paraphernalia, maintaining a vehicle
with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and
restricting, obstructing and delay of an offi-
cer. He was jailed under a $75,000 secured
bond.
Police say federal officers are considering
charging Howell in addition to the state
charges he has received. If convicted under
federal charges, Howell would serve a
They launched an investigation. When a res-
ident at Kingswood Apartments called
police and described what sounded like a
drug deal, the arrest came sooner than they
had expected.
“This gave us the edge, made it go
through faster,” Sgt. Lisa Proctor said.
Proctor credits the caller’s detailed
description for the arrest.
Kynotta Latroy Smith, 27, of 1690 Herman
Drive, Apartment C, Gastonia was also
arrested. He was wanted in Gastonia for
failing to appear on a cocaine trafficking
charge.
Mayor Rick Murphrey congratulated the
officers’ work and the continued. coopera-
tion between the department and communi-
Proctor issued a warning to drug dealers.
See Bust, 2A
TT TE A TB sh bine Rc citfory Re
ER Ca ES 8 S00 re rd do aire
ER
FERS
a - J hs