The Heral
Thursday, March 31, 2005
— INSIDE —
Children enjoy
Easter egg hunt
Kings Mountain area
children hunted eggs,
had their picture made
with the Easter bunny,
and petted animals at a
petting zoo during the
City’s annual Easter egg
hunt Saturday morning
at Jake Early Sports
Complex. 1B
Laura Bingham
to speak in KM
Kings Mountain
native Laura Carpenter
Bingham, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Carpenter and President
of Peace College in
Raleigh, will speak at
the 100th birthday cele-
bration of the Woman's
Club in Kings Mountain
on Saturday, April 9. 2B
‘Miss Julia’ to
speak in KM
Ann Ross, author of
the ‘Miss Julia’ book
series, will speak
Tuesday at 4 p.m. at
Mauney Memorial
Library for a benefit for
The Friends of the
Library. 3A
Dutch couple
love the U.S.
Leo and Lily
Smeijsters have seen
more of the United
States than some
Americans. The Dutch
couple have visited sev-
eral states and are cur-
rently visiting in Kings
Mountain, which they
say is just like home. 2A
Mounties win
in tournaments
Kings Mountain
High's baseball team
defeated East
Mecklenburg Tuesday
in the opening round of
the Shelby Easter
Tournament, and the
Lady Mountaineers’
softball team won a
doubleheader over the
2003 Ohio State
Champions in the
Spring Break
Tournament in Florida.
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 117 No. 13
Since 1889
50 Cents
Childers turns
in two more
pitching gems
6A
127 sex offenders in county
Sheriff's Office Captain says they move around frequently
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
After police used a sex offender
registry to find the alleged murderer
of nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford,
more attention has been paid to how
offenders are tracked.
In Cleveland County 127 offend-
ers are registered; 33 of those have a
Kings Mountain address and two
are listed as Grover residents.
Cleveland County Sheriff's
Captain Bobby Steen says the reg-
istry is useful to officers “when it
works.”
Steen and Detective Debbie
Arrowood are responsible for keep-
ing the registry updated in addition
to their other duties. Steen says a
full-time position is needed so that
monthly home visits could be con-
ducted.
He wishes North Carolina's reg-
istry worked like the one in New
Jersey. There officers go door-to-
door notifying neighbors when an
offender has moved in. They are
barred by statue from doing that in
North Carolina.
— KINGS MOUNTAIN PEOPLE——
In North Carolina, the registry can
be placed on the internet and that
same information is available at
local Sheriff's offices. In Cleveland
County, the information is available
in the second floor lobby of the
court house.
Kings Mountain Police Chief
Melvin Proctor says the registry is a
useful tool for his investigators.
Offenders must notify the Sheriff's
office within 10 days of moving or
release from prison. Failing to do so
“Watch them
for any kind
of unusual
activity.”
is a felony. Officers typically find out
See Offenders, 5A
Captain Bobby Steen
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
a double standard where
* gambling would be legal for
the state but friendly wagers
on a ball game would be
against the law. He called it
“hypocritical.”
Financially troubled peo-
ple make the majority of lot-
tery ticket purchases, accord-
ing to Moore.
“It preys on the poorest of
our citizens,” he said.
. Lottery proponents say the
state is losing money to
Virginia and South Carolina,
both of which have lotteries.
Moore calls that a “conven-
ient argument.” According to
Moore, South Carolina does
Bess Hambright Phifer’s World War II
scrapbook is filled with pictures and
mementoes of her Red Cross service.
The Kings Mountain woman worked
with the American Red Cross, running
recreation camps for soldiers during WW
II. Phifer and her co-workers organized
ball games, horseback riding and cycling
for 500 soldiers at a time. Archery and
golf were also on Phifer’s itinerary. -
A fellow teacher at Waco School con-
vinced Phifer to apply for the Red Cross
assignment. She’s convinced it was her
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
Bess Phifer with memorabilia from her Red Cross service during World War IIL.
Bess Phifer served
Red Cross in WWII
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
her the coveted job.
First stationed at the Kilauea Military
Camp in Hawaii, Phifer was within
walking distance of an active volcano.
Initially frightened, she was reassured
that lava from the smoking mountain
would flow in the direction opposite the
camp.
Pearl Harbor.
Phifer says the soldiers treated the Red
Cross workers with the upmost respect.
. One soldier, a young man from Kings
Mountain, was particularly fond of
See Phifer, 5A
When Phifer first arrived on the island, .
she spent a few nights at a convent. From
there she could see the damage done to
not regulate its alcohol or
firework sales like North
Carolina, though no one is
pushing to change laws
those laws. He also argues
that North Carolina loses
money when people buy gas
in South Carolina where fuel
taxes are lower.
Education funding has
been the biggest argument
for establishing a lottery.
According to Moore, the
no net gain.
NC lottery
vote slated
next week
Moore, Clary to oppose,
Dalton does not respond
Two area legislators say they'll vote against a lottery bill
which is slated to come up in the state House next week.
Both Debbie Clary and Tim Moore oppose a state spon-
sored lottery for much the same reasons. To
Moore said it would create
“It preys on
the poorest of
our citizens.”
Rep. Tim Moore
“l don’t
believe
putting the
state in the
gambling
business is
the answer to
funding
education.”
Rep. Debbie Clary
budget is written in a way which would allow education
funding to be cut by the amount a lottery brings in, creating
Estimates on what a lottery would bring in range from
$100 to $300 million. Moore believes $300 million could be
saved by eliminating duplication of services in Raleigh.
If the proposed legislation passes, the lottery will be a
reality. Moore said Monday that the bill does not currently
have enough votes to pass. He said that if the legislation
had been designed to bring the issue to voters in the form
of a referendum, it probably would have had more support.
Representative Clary believes that if the bill passes in the
House, it will have no problem in the Senate. That legisla-
tive body has approved lottery bills in the past, she said.
Clary said she has opposed a lottery for the last decade.
“I don’t believe putting the state in the gambling business
is the answer to funding education,” she said.
7A
basketball coaching experience that got
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Sometimes helping your neighbor can
mean helping yourself. That's the case when
the lawn next door grows too high, city offi-
cials say.
A city ordinance mandates property own-
ers keep grass under 12 inches, though
enforcing the rule can get expensive. Once
the city receives a complaint, a codes officer
investigates. If the blades of grass, not just
the seedlings, are over 12 inches, the home-
owner is notified by certified mail that he or
she has three days to correct the problem.
§
Enforcing ordinance not easy
“If you get a citation, call us,” said Codes
Director Holly Black.
If it’s raining when the notice comes, the
city can extend the three days. :
Black said she realizes some people, espe-
cially the elderly or someone suffering ill-
ness, cannot always take care of their own
lawn maintenance. The city can recommend
people who cut grass at an inexpensive rate.
When property owners don’t correct the
problem, the city then has to pay to have the
grass cut. Recouping that money means
going to small claims court, though often
court fees are as costly as getting the grass
See Ordinance, 3A
|
See Lottery, 3A
City could lose CDBG money
BY ANDIE L. BRYMER
Staff Writer
Kings Mountain Councilman Howard
Shipp encouraged his cohorts on city coun-
cil to help save a federal program which has
benefited over 200 local residents.
During Tuesday night’s meeting Shipp
asked the council to write letters to legisla-
tors on behalf of the Community
Development Block Grant program. The
federal budget for fiscal year 2006 elimi-
nates the program. Instead, 18 federal pro-
grams would be combined meaning nearly
$1 billion less in funding for CDBG alone.
CZ TO A I CI Tr Ae XZ NY Aa SI
In Kings Mountain the program has reha-
J TVR I
bilitated 16 homes, laid 10,665 feet of sewer
lines serving 78 homes, and laid 19,905 feet
of waterline to serve 124 homes.
“It will be a disaster for not only Kings
Mountain but all towns,” Shipp said.
Mayor Rick Murphrey has written letters
to federal representatives and now council
members plan to follow suite.
In other business, Councilman Jerry
Mullinax asked for a public awareness cam-
paign on the leash law. According to
Mullinax there a too many dogs running
loose. The city’s ordinance is similar to a
See City, 2A
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