Thursday, September 9, 2004
Vol. 116 No. 37
Since 1889
nustL Jjaquars
Friday night
1B
50 Cents
Rain from
Frances
creates
sinkhole
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Hurricane Frances has
created a sink hole for
Kings Mountain. A portion
of Linwood Road between
Grace and Phenix streets
was closed around 9:15 a.m.
Wednesday morning.
“Apparently it’s a big
one,” said Ellis Noel, city
public relations and special
events coordinator.
It will take a few weeks
before the hole can be
repaired, Noell said. Police
are re-routing traffic.
Hurricane Frances has
dumped over seven inches
of rain on Kings Mountain
since Monday. In addition
to scattered outages,
approximately 200 city elec-
tric customers lost power
early Wednesday morning
when a tree took down a
line in the Country Creek
area near Kings Mountain
Intermediate School. A
three-man crew worked
from 1 to 4:30 a.m. to
remove the tree and restore
electric service, according to
Nick Hendricks, electric
department director.
He credited an aggressive
tree trimming program for
the low total number of out-
ages.
Hendricks cautioned resi-
dents to stay indoors and
contact his office immedi-
ately regarding downed
lines. That number is 704-
730-2125.
Police are reporting no
weather related traffic acci-
dents.
“We've been fortunate,”
said Chief Melvin Proctor.
An oak tree did fall
across the West Elementary
School parking lot, accord-
ing to Proctor. No electric
lines were damaged and
school was not called off, he
said.
Kings Mountain Middle
School lost power for about
an hour on Tuesday. The
school is served by Duke
Energy. Kings Mountain
Fire Department set up
lights in the cafeteria.
Lunch was served using -
generators, according to
See Rain, 2A
Best Anniversary Ever!
To
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Brent and Keisha Turner stand with their sons Ryan, left, Holden and Matthew.
Turner, a National Guard soldier, is home on leave.
KM soldier Brent Turner on
two-week furlough from Iraq
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Brent Turner’s anniversary gift this
year to his wife Keisha was the best ever.
The National Guard soldier came home
from Iraq for a visit.
The couple didn’t plan Brent's arrival
on their anniversary. Originally he was
scheduled to come home in late August
but scheduling problems meant he
arrived on the couple’s ninth anniversary.
Turner was greeted at Charlotte-
Douglas Airport by his wife, three sons,
parents, in-laws, extended family and
friends. The reunion puts Turner at a loss
for words.
“I can’t really describe it,” he said.
“When you're away from somebody you
love, it’s great to see them.”
On the way back to Kings Mountain,
the Turners stopped to eat R.O.’s
Barbecue, Brent's favorite. Since then
they've visited Wiener Works,
McDonalds and Chili's.
After not seeing rain for six months,
the recent downpours are a welcome site
to Turner. Temperatures'in Iraq range ©"
from 110 to 140 degrees.
Getting from Iraq to Kings Mountain
took five days. After leaving his base in
northern Iraq, Turner traveled to the
southern portion of the country, then to
Kuwait where he handed over weapons
and a flack vest. From there he flew on a
military plane to Germany and then into
Atlanta. He was among several soldiers
dressed in camouflage on the flight from
Georgia to Charlotte.
No passengers remarked on the obvi-
ous soldiers in their midst. Turner said he
doesn’t expect special treatment but he
did question if people were behind the
efforts in Iraq.
“It makes you wonder,” he said.
There is no question about Turner’s
family’s support. The fence around the
Turner’s home is decorated with
American flags and yellow ribbons. Signs
read “Welcome Home Brent” and “We're
Proud of You.” More flags decorate inside
and outside the house. ;
While Turner doesn’t wish a tour of
See Turner, 2A
9-11 ceremony Saturday at City Hall
The City of Kings Mountain will
Kings Mountain resident Brent Turner,
Shanna Butler will sing the national
Area candidates
support moving
county lines
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
As the fight to keep all
Kings Mountain students in
Cleveland County Schools
continues, some supporters
have suggested moving the
county line so the entire city
would be in Cleveland.
This would eliminate the
current $1,414 tuition stu-
dents must pay to attend the
same schools that were free
last year. Before Cleveland's
three school systems
merged Gaston County
released its per pupil allot-
ment to the former Kings
Mountain District Schools.
That practice was ended at
the start of the 2004-2005
academic year.
House Representative Tim
Moore and his Democrat
challenger Kathryn Hamrick.
‘both support the change in
_ county lines. State Senate
candidate Jim Testa has also
pledged his support.
Moore calls the current
situation “unfair.”
“The students and fami-
lies in that area are getting a
raw deal and it's not
right,” he wrote in an e-
mail.
Moore cautioned that
Gaston County's legislative
delegation would have to go
along with the idea. Moore
also wrote Gaston should
allow per pupil money to
follow students living in the
Gaston portion of Kings
Mountain.
Hamrick called moving
the line “a solution that
should be considered.”
In an email, she called for
a local working group, with
representation from parents,
the impacted school systems
and local government to
come together to request the
change in county lines.
“I will work with and
support the efforts of such a
working group. If it is their
recommendation, I will
introduce legislation to
move the Cleveland County
line to include all of Kings
Mountain and will work
hard to win the necessary
support to pass the legisla-
tion,” Hamrick wrote.
See Lines, 2A
Other NC
counties
cooperated
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain is not
the only city in North
Carolina to face having its
school district split by a
merger. Rocky Mount in
eastern North Carolina also
straddles county lines but
handled the situation differ-
ently.
Eleven years ago Rocky
Mount sought merger with
Nash County. Most of the
city sits within that county
though a small, economical-
ly disadvantaged area is in
Edgecombe County.
According to Mary Ann
Taylor, school spokes-
“woman for Rocky Mount-
Nash County Schools, some
residents in Nash County
were opposed to the school
lines, including all of Rocky
Mount, but the board
approved the extended
lines anyway. She credits
the political power of the
city for the move.
“The city of Rocky Mount
didn’t want their system
divided,” Taylor said.
Edgecombe County sends
money for those students,
she said. As far as Taylor
knew, that had not been
problematic.
Across the state, there are
15 city districts remaining
despite the state school
board’s push for consolida-
tion.
That list includes
Asheboro, Asheville,
Chapel Hill-Carboro,
Clinton, Kannapolis,
Hickory, Newton-Conover,
Whiteville, Thomasville,
Lexington, Roanoke Rapids,
Mooresville, Mt. Airy and
Weldon.
A spokesperson in
Kannapolis City Schools
said a larger portion of their
district was across the pri-
mary county line than in
Kings Mountain. -
Emergency radio tower
to be built at Public Works
—
hold a solemn ceremony Saturday who is home on leave from duty in anthem.
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER meeting last week. | |
morning to mark the three-year Iraq, will be honored as well. The ceremony is a chance for the city : rn
anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on The Loch Norman Pipe Band will to recognize its emergency responders Seat Waiter A Cs Hy
the United States. provide music. The Kings Mountain and soldiers, according to Mayor Rick An 800 megahertz radio approved $1.29 million in
Police Explorer Unit Honor Guard will
participate in the ceremony. Rev. Bruce
Hobson of El Bethel United Methodist
will read his original poem “Ode To
the Gallant Warrior.” Rev. Ken Gillikin
will give the invocation. Boy Scout
Troop 95 will lead the pledge and
Murphrey.
“Those men and women are in
harm’s way fighting for our freedom,”
he said. “It’s our responsibility as
Americans to unite behind our troops.
The public is invited to the ceremony
which begins at 10 a.m. at city hall.
Police, fire, county sheriff, rescue,
~ highway patrol and emergency med-
ical services personnel will be honored.
The local National Guard unit is
expected to participate as well.
Names of local soldiers currently sta-
tioned in the middle east will be read.
KM’s Wayne King back
from GOP convention
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
tower for emergency
responders will be built at
Kings Mountain's Public
Works facility on North
Piedmont Avenue within
nine months. City council
gave the go ahead during its
funding for the communica-
tions equipment. Of that
money, $737,000 goes
toward the State Highway
Patrol’s VIPER system and
$554,920 for tower construc- fc
See Tower, 2A
Satellite voting sites
idea fails by 2-1 vote
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER :
Staff Writer EC
Ni
Kings Mountain came close to having a satellite early-
voting location last week.
The three-member Cleveland County Board of Elections
: met Sept. 1 to vote on sites in Kings Mountain, Kingstown
and Lawndale. Democrats Chairman Dean Westmoreland
and Secretary Ovella Jones voted for the sites while
Republican member Ruth Wilson voted against it. The vote
must be unanimous to pass.
Local Democrats appealed the vote to the state Board of
Elections who refused to overrule the county vote.
Republicans objected to the sites in Kingstown and
Lawndale because these two locations have the highest
number of Democrats county wide with 82 and 71 percent,
respectively.
“The appearance of partisanship was very obvious,” said
Wes Westmoreland, county Republican party chairman.
See Vote, 2A
Youth hasn't gotten in the way of Wayne King's involve-
ment in conservative politics. The Kings Mountain man just
returned from the Republican National Convention where
he served as a delegate.
King, at age 23, was the youngest delegate from the
Carolinas and one of the youngest across the nation.
“Young people can change the face of politics, make
things happen locally and nationally,” he said Monday.
For King, his political involvement means a chance to
“help the people who need help the most.” King says the
party is reaching out to the unemployed with a platform
supporting permanent tax relief. Many believe this will help
small businesses which in turn will create jobs.
King also agrees with the Republican Party’s stand on
social issues. On the first night of the convention he voted
for a platform that defined marriage as between one man
See King, 2A
|
‘Wayne King of, right, and New York Governor George :
Pataki at the Republican National Convention.
-~
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