KINGS MOUNTAIN
&
“ nA
and ing
we 2808L-ShAT
LOVIN
emricel's Were
magical in the
1990s Massey era
§ 4a 124A
Thursday, December 22, 2005 Vol. 117 No. 51 Since 1889
50 Cents Ea
Winter's first ice storm kayos KM
City electric director says line damage most extensive in at least two decades
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
clock, sleeping in shifts.
On Friday, Duke Power report-
ed 683,000 outages, 30,000 of
those in Cleveland County. That
is only 13,000 fewer than caused
by Hurricane Hugo. On Monday
morning, 1,300 Cleveland
County Duke customers
remained in the dark. Only scat-
tered outages were reported
Tuesday morning.
Mountain is part of an
ElectriCities arrangement which
shares crews in emergencies.
Kings Mountain linemen trav-
eled to eastern North Carolina
earlier this year to help restore
power after a hurricane.
Hendricks believes that the
storm was so severe because
At the peak of Thursday's ice some trees still had leaves, which
storm, approximately 80 percent meant more surfaces for ice to
of Kings Mountain lost electrici- form.
ty, Hendricks said. By 1 am. Mayor Rick Murphrey
Friday, 85 percent of those cus- declared the town in a state of
tomers had power restored and emergency on Thursday. Hell
by mid-morning Friday that forward that declaration to the
number was up to 90 percent. By governor. If approved, the town
Sunday afternoon, 99 percent will receive FEMA funding to
was restored. Remaining outages Pay for storm-related expenses.
were due to electrical problems Murphrey praised crews for
within the home or business, their work.
Hendricks said. “I give them a lot of credit,” he
City gas, water and sewer and said. “It was a team effort. They
public works crews assisted in worked very hard.”
the effort to restore power, Murphrey, who stayed out
Hendricks said. Six Fayetteville ~~ With crews until around 1 a.m.
city line workers arrived Friday ~~ Friday, said he watched tree
with two bucket trucks and one limbs falling all around workers.
line truck to help restore remain- “They just kept working,” he are the first two of five make-up
ing sporadic outages. Kings said. “They're an inspiration.” days built into the current calen-
City crews worked around the dar.
Fuel oil declining
but still over $2
© ANDIE BRYMER
S58 abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Thursday's ice storm created
the most extensive electric line
damage in at least two decades,
according to Nick Hendricks,
City of Kings Mountain electric
director.
Cleveland County Red Cross
served eight people at an emer-
gency shelter Thursday at its
Kings Mountain office on South
Piedmont Avenue, according to
spokesperson Sandi Bolick. The
shelter closed early Friday morn-
ing when electricity was
restored.
_ Cleveland County Schools
were closed Thursday and
Friday because of bad roads and
because several schools did not
have electricity. Students will
make up the days on Friday, Feb.
24 and Friday, April 14. These
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD [88
This electric pole at the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and West King ¥
Street was one among many damaged by an ice storm on Thursday.
Natural gas prices have gone down over the last three
months, according to the City of Kings Mountain.
Sd Prices went up 31 percent in September, according to Jean
: Wyatt, billing director for the city.
“Since October they've steadily declined,” said Wyatt.
The city offers a supplemental security income 10 percent
discount for individuals who are either 65 or older or dis-
abled and also have a household income less than $20,000.
Right now 148 customers receive the discount, Wyatt said.
While the city has always advertised the discount, it has
received more attention this year, according to Wyatt. The
number of new customers receiving the discount won't be
available until January, Wyatt said.
Fuel oil prices are making a similar decline after a
Hurricane Katrina-related spike. From Sept. 1 to Sept. 8
prices went from $2.29 a gallon to $2.49 a gallon, according
° to Mike Royster of Royster Oil Company of Shelby. Prices
continued to climb through Oct. 14 reaching $2.79 a gallon.
On Nov. 2 prices started to fall with fuel costing $2.69 a gal- ane sia a ; Senate A
lon. On Dec. 8 prices were $2.45 a gallon. : : s 3 ;
“They're not where I would like them but it’s more rea- GARY STEWART / HERALD
sonable,” Royster said. City employees work to remove a huge oak tree from East King Street during Thursday morning's ice storm.
Henry Gilmore Election fever
new principal at L ’
KM Intermediate heating up In
Cleveland County
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Henry Gilmore has been named
principal at Kings Mountain
Intermediate School upon the
retirement of
Ethel Pedersen.
This summer
Gilmore moved
from his post of
three years as an
assistant princi-
| pal at Kings
Mountain High
to an assistant
principal’s post at
KMIS. Prior to that he taught tech-
nology for four years at Kings
Mountain Middle School.
Gilmore received his Bachelors
degree from Johnson C. Smith
University and his Masters from
Gardner-Webb University.
Gilmore's administrative philos-
ophy is to create an inviting envi-
While filing for Sheriff, county commission, clerk of court
and other offices doesn’t begin until Feb. 13, signs are
already up and several contenders say they're in the run- ;
ning. Filing ends Feb. 28. ) Ze
Cleveland County’s Sheriff's race may be the most inter- Ce
“esting. Sheriff Raymond Hamrick faces challenges from
within the Democrat party. County Commissioner Willie
McIntosh of Lawndale is opting not to run again for that
seat and instead run for Sheriff. Lattimore resident and
Cherryville Police Capt. Gary Gold also is making a bid. He
has been in law enforcement for 19 years.
On the Republican side, retired SBI agent Don Allen of
Shelby is running. Also seeking the Republican nomination £0
is Woody Allen, a state DMV officer in the license and theft doc
bureau. He lives between Boiling Springs and Shelby. Allen ed
has been in law enforcement for 25 years. His father »
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Ethel Pedersen and her husband Pete wave Evodbye: to crowd of well wishers Tuesday
at Kings Mountain Intermediate School.
Principal Pedersen retires
after 31 years in education
Dennis Theis of Shelby also is running for Sheriff.
Candidates running for county commission won't face at
ronment for students and parents.
“Then you'll have a wonderful
place for teaching and learning,”
he said. “You want people to feel
loved and cared for.”
He and his wife Wanda have
two children and live in Kings
Mountain. He is the choir director
at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist
Church and is a vocalist.
Gilmore enjoys reading non-fic-
tion that relates to his job, and
inspirational authors.
__ ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
When Ethel Pedersen started teaching
at Kings Mountain's Central School in
1974, her plan was to stay there five
years then move to a school closer to her
Polkville home. That didn’t happen.
Pedersen continued to teach here and
then become an administrator.
After 31 and one-half years, Pedersen
is retiring. The Kings Mountain
Intermediate School principal’s last day
was Tuesday.
Pedersen’s interest in education was
sparked by her 11th grade social studies
teacher Ruth Childers, someone she says
students respected but also could talk
and laugh with.
“Thinking back I wanted to be like
her,” Pedersen said.
When Pedersen’s son Dennis started
kindergarten, she went back to school at
Gardner-Webb University.
“We did our homework together,” she
See Pedersen, 8A
least one incumbent, McIntosh, and maybe none.
Republican Jerry Self of Lattimore has not yet decided if he
will run again. Currently three of the commissioners are
from the Kings Mountain area and speculation is Shelby or
upper Cleveland will seek candidates from their areas.
Clerk of Court Dianne H. Thackerson said Tuesday she
does not plan to run. She was appointed when Linda C.
Thrift retired.
Assistant Clerk Mitzi Johnson of Boiling Springs will run.
She has worked in the clerk’s office for 18 years.
Democrats Sharon Jones of Boiling Springs who works in
See Election, 8A
Haywood Allen was formerly Sheriff of Cleveland County. ]
|