KINGS MOUNTAIN
The Heral
Vol. 118 No. 4
Thursday, January 26, 2006
30 seconds
Since 1889
of pleasure
for a lifetime of pain
David Stone turns drunk driving experience
into opportunity to tell others of the dangers
DYLAN LLOYD
¢ abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
David Stone was pushing speeds in excess
of 135 miles per hour when he lost control
of his vehicle. The 35th Anniversary Ford
Mustang flipped seven times, flinging both
passengers along with David from it’s twist-
ed wreckage. David was not supposed to
survive.
David had gotten used to living life in the
fast lane, not only while driving but in his
social life as well. The evening of March 28,
2003 would be no different.
He had started the night off taking shots
at Joe’s Pub in Gastonia, and would later
smoke marijuana and mix Xanex with his
drinking. He remembers feeling bulletproof
that night, tempting fate as his speedometer
skirted the 150 mph mark.
He then ran off the road and his Mustang
began to tumble violently down an embank-
ment, ejecting his two friends. One was
found 45 feet from the wreckage; the other
75 feet. David's mangled body was found
beside what used to be a mint condition
sports car.
“The doctors were telling my mom and
dad to start picking out burial clothes for
the funeral,” said David. “Before the crash, I
thought I was invincible.”
Today, David walks with a cane and talks
a little slower than he used to. Over are his
days of drinking, driving and drag racing.
Having learned a hard lesson, he seeks now
only to educate those who can still learn the
See Stone, 10A
rx
50 Cents
ANDIE BRYMER / HERALD
David Stone shared the story of his near-
fatal wreck Monday at the Life Enrichment
Center in Kings Mountain.
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ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Taylor Davis has raised over $1,300 for Relay for Life
making her a Grand Relay Club member.
Taylor Davis, 7, has
already raised $1,300
for cancer research
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
In less than two months Taylor Davis has already
raised $1,300 for Relay for Life, the American Cancer
Society's signature fund raiser.
Raising the $1,000 makes Taylor, 7, a member of the
Grand Relay Club. While all Relay participants get a
tee-shirt, Taylor and other Grand Relay members
receive a polo shirt.
Taylor, a second grader at East Elementary School,
has gotten three corporate sponsors so far - C&C Scrap
Metal, Neisler Brothers and Gateway Realty. Her pitch
is simple.
“I tell them about my team, it’s all kids,” Taylor said.
Her mother Melissa Davis calls that “the kicker.”
Davis is a long-time Relay volunteer. Taylor's father is
Jason Davis.
Taylor and friends formed their own team last year
after she participated on the Kids Fighting Cancer team
during Bessemer City’s Relay for Life.
Raising funds for cancer research, treatment and pre-
vention are important to Taylor. Her godmother Cathy
Powell, grandparents Norman and Mary Ellen Davis
and neighbor Frank Ware are all cancer survivors.
Taylor also knows several survivors through her
church, First Baptist.
Taylor is already looking forward to Relay, an
overnight event taking place April 28 and 29. Last year
she stayed awake long enough to watch a teammate
win the womanless beauty pageant. Taylor slept a few
hours on a chair inside her team’s tent, then she was
up for more laps around the walking track.
To get involved in Relay, call Tammy Hogue at 692-
1086 or Tammy White, 739-3601.
—RELAY FOR LIFE——
Sun Drop
for soldiers
Students hope to help Guard
: ANDIE BRYMER
. abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain High School jun-
ior Kristen Long is leading
Operation Iraqi Sun-Drop Freedom.
The KMHS junior was inspired by
her honors history teacher Chris
McKay's stories of Army stints
around the world. McKay told his
students he missed American junk
food. That led to the service project
idea. Long suggested sending mem-
bers of Kings Mountain's 505th
National Guard Unit serving in Iraq
Sun-Drop and Cheerwine.
NCNG First Sgt. Greg Thompson
liked the idea. He estimates that
nine out of 10 members of the 505th
are fans of the two soft drinks which
are only available in this area.
The Sun-Drop company is donat-
ing 25 cases. Now the students must
raise money to ship the sodas. Long,
a Beta Club member, got that organ-
ization involved in raising the
funds. Members are selling during
lunch paper hearts to tie around the
soda bottles. Students may personal-
ize the hearts with their own mes-
“members’ craving for iunk food
ANDIE L. BRYMER/HERALD
Kings Mountain High School junior
Kristen Long and North Carolina
National Guard First Sgt. Greg
Thompson hold two of the Sun-
Drops which will be shipped to
members of the 505th serving in
Iraq.
sages.
Anyone who would like to help
out with shipping may contact
Leigh Ann Long at KMHS, 704-734-
5647. The project wraps us February
10.
Tere
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participants
10A
Cop’s work
never done
Off-duty chief witnesses
larceny, follows suspects
until marked car arrives
ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Alleged thieves picked the wrong store
Monday night.
Kings Mountain Police Chief Melvin
Proctor was waiting in his personal vehicle
while family members shopped at CVS on
Shelby Road. Proctor was talking on his cell |
phone when he saw a man struggle with a
store clerk in front of the store. Jason Scott
Haney, 27, 1216 West Muncy Ave., Gastonia
was carrying a shopping basket filled with
merchandise, according to Proctor.
Haney got free from the clerk and
entered an awaiting 1995 Chevrolet Camaro
driven by Kennard Lee Grigg Jr., 30, 1210
W. Walnut Avenue, Gastonia. Proctor fol-
lowed the vehicle toward downtown. The
driver turned right on Sims Street apparent-
ly to see if Proctor was following. He then
sped up, going airborne while crossing
Mountain Street. The vehicle then turned
right on Gold Street, then right on Juniper
Street and right back onto Mountain Street.
Officers cannot make traffic stops in per-
sonal vehicles but Proctor attempted to
keep the fleeing vehicle in sight as he
radioed its movements to Kings Mountain
Police dispatch. ;
The vehicle apparently then hid. Soon
after that it was stopped at the entrance to
Mountain Rest Cemetery by a marked car.
Haney and Grigg were arrested and
charged with one count each misdemeanor
larceny and possession of stolen goods.
Shelby prison escapees
picked up at restaurant
in Kings Mountain
Two Cleveland Correctional Center
inmates escaped Sunday night from the
Shelby facility and were picked up hours
later at Waffle House on York Road by
Kings Mountain Police.
Gregory W. Cribb, 34, and Jeffrey D.
Bailey, 36, were both charged with prison
escape which carries between 120 days and
two years imprisonment.
Bailey's record includes several driving
while impaired convictions and breaking,
entering and larceny and assault by point-
ing a gun and assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill convictions. In
1988 he was convicted of prison escape,
according to the North Carolina
Department of Correction website. Most of
Bailey's convictions occurred in Buncombe
and nearby counties.
Cribb is in prison for robbery with a dan-
gerous weapon. He was convicted in
Gaston County, according to the DOC web-
site.
Kings Mountain Police Officer Joey Buff
See Escapees, 10A
re
Commissioners expect budget
increase of more
| ANDIE BRYMER
abrymer@kingsmountainherald.com
Rising health care and energy
costs will mean an increase in
Cleveland County’s budget this
year.
County manager David Dear
briefed commissioners Monday
night on what could be over $1 mil-
lion in new operating cost.
The county’s portion of Medicaid
spending has the potential to
increase 10 percent or $760,000. The
state will give the county more con-
crete information in February.
Health insurance costs will go up
approximately $244,000 or eight per-
cent, Dear said. The county's insur-
ance provider will have a quote
ready in April.
Utility and motor fuel is expected
to cost $100,000 more this year.
“We're like everyone else, we're at
the mercy of the oil company,” Dear
said.
Revenues are down due to plant
closings including Kimmet, RT,
»
SE
2
i
Tagget and Copeland.
“Between those two things we're
looking at a difficult budget year,”
Dear said.
Monday's meeting was a work
session and no action was taken on
the information.
Commissioners also heard a pres-
entation from Emergency
Management Director Dewey Cook
about the need for incentives for
volunteer fire and rescue personnel.
In other business, Shirley Brutko,
vice-president of the Gateway Trails
Inc. project, asked the county for
$1,000. The group is trying to raise
$12,500 to go toward a feasibility
study of a proposed foot and bike
trail from the City of Kings
Mountain to a trail connecting Kings
* Mountain National Military, Kings
Mountain State and Crowders
Mountain parks. Most of the $12,500
will come from private donations,
according to Brutko. As of Monday
night they had raised $1,500. The
© feasibility study costs a total of
See Budget, 10A
than S1 million
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Ronnie Hawkins makes a point at County
Commissioners’ work session.
( y