Thursday, April 27, 2006
HOMEFRONT
Man seriously
injured in incident
at power substation
Approximately 60 percent of Kings
Mountain's electrical customers lost
power for two hours at 3:45 Tuesday
morning when a white adult male
obviously scaled the fence at the
Duke Power substation on Gaston
Street and made contact with electri-
cal equipment.
Frankie James Dobbins, 25, was
taken to a hospital in Winston-Salem
for treatment of electrocution.
According to Kings Mountain
Police, Sgt. S.M. Skinner was flagged
down by a Duke Power employee
about 4:15 a.m. The employee said he
had received a call about a power
surge and when he arrived at the
substation he found the injured man
inside the fence.
EMS arrived at the scene and
rushed Dobbins to Cleveland
Regional Medical Center in Shelby.
He was transferred to the Burn
Center at Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center in Winston
Salem, where he is listed in serious
condition.
Police said the gate was intact and
locked and there was no evidence of
the fence being cut.
Shriners BBQ Saturday
at East Gold-Highway 161
The White Plains Shrine Club will
hold its annual spring barbecue
Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at the
corner of East Gold Street and NC
161.
Barbecue sandwiches, plates and
shoulders are available.
Proceeds go to Shriners hospitals
and burn centers.
Infant immunization
set at Health Department
Cleveland County Health
Department is celebrating National
Infant Immunization Week through
Saturday with a variety of events and
offerings to parents of young chil-
dren. In the first 24 months of life
children need more than 80 percent of
their vaccinations.
This week, staff members of the
Cleveland County Health
Department will distribute education-
al information to parents promoting
the importance of complying with
recommended immunizations and
well check-ups for children. Children
who receive immunizations at the
Health Department this week will
receive goodie bags filled with a vari-
ety of items like tooth brushes. color-
ing books, crayons, tee shirts and
food coupons. For more information
call 484-5100.
On Thursday, April 27, the Child
Care Health Consultant and the
Health Access Specialists from the
Health Department will present a
workshop for child care providers on
immunization laws and required
immunization record compliance.
The workshop will be held at the
Cleveland County health Department
second floor conference room from 6-
8 p.m. with a light meal provided.
Participants will receive renewal
credits for attending the workshop.
To register call 484-5142.
DEATHS
Willie Cable, 92, Kings Mountain
William Edward Stoner, 90, Valdese
Carl Davis, 90, Charlotte
Karen Bivins Ivey, 54,Gastonia
Dennis Edward Porter, 58, Shelby 2A
INSIDE
Read part II about
retired Green Beret sol-
dier Jeff Goode’s expe-
riences in training mili-
tary in foreign coun-
tries. This week he
talks about his experi-
ences in Iraq.
COMING NEXT WEEK
Retired Kings Mountain
| High basketball coach
| Larry Sipe talks about
‘8 his upcoming induction
| into the Kings Mountain
A 4 | Sports Hall of Fame.
J
Vol. 118 No. 17
Since 1889
Jerry Morris to be
inducted into KM
Sports Hall of Fame
50 Cents
1B |
Primary election Tuesday
Candidates speak out Monday night at Woman’s Club
ELIZABETH STEWART -
Herald Correspondent
Kings Mountain voters got their:
chance Monday night to speak
one-on-one with 19 of the 20 can-
didates for county offices on the
ballot in Tuesday’s Democratic
and Republican Primaries.
The nearly two-hour Woman's
Club sponsored forum attracted
all six candidates for Sheriff, seven
of eight candidates for county
commissioner, all four candidates
for Clerk of Superior Court and
the two candidates for county
coroner.
Club officials said they were
F
THREE COINS IN A FOUNTAIN
quite pleased with the turnout of
candidates and other guests. After
a five minute presentation by each
of the candidates they mingled
with guests at a reception in the
parlor of the clubhouse.
Ann Bennett, forum moderator,
said voters Tuesday will be using
new voting equipment, explaining
that voters should fill in on the
ballot the oval to the left of their
choice instead of connecting the
tail of the arrow to the head. She
invited each candidate to speak
for five minutes and a time keeper
alerted the speaker at the four
minute mark. Bennett said if a
runoff is necessary it would be
held May 30.
Two seats are up for grabs on the
county board of commissioners
where voters will choose from all
new faces. On the GOP ballot are
Ron Schaeffer, Kelly E. Hastings
and Bill Chambless and on the
Democrat ballot are Mike Putnam,
Kenneth A. Ledford, Eddie
Holbrook, Fast Freddie Ellis, and
Jo Boggs. While the candidates
pushed the need for new industry,
jobs and working together, each
outlined briefly a platform and
gave qualifications which they all
said voters should consider as
they cast their ballots on Tuesday.
Boggs, who was absent to attend a
Council
Herald Correspondent
City Council voted 4-3
school board meeting of which she
is a member, sent prepared
remarks read by Bennett.
Chambless suggested that the
county’s planning and zoning
and utility boards meet for quar-
terly work sessions to discuss
planned growth and alert legisla-
tive representatives of the needs of
the county. “The Shelby Bypass is
long overdue and we need to put
~a cap on expenses,” he said.
Ellis, who withdrew from the
race after suffering a brain tumor,
said he’s now running strong.
“The Lord healed me,” he said.
Ellis listed a safe environment and
See Election, 10A
moving
toward selling
strip at Moss Lake
ELIZABETH STEWART
city permits piers and docks
to be built and the persons
constructing them are liable.
“We're not opening a prece-
dent,” said Moore, who said
the owner needs a driveway So
and is requesting an ease- ve
ment lease for land locked ae
property. :
Councilman Dean Spears
made the motion to proceed
on sale negotiations and sug-
gested that sale price be
$45,000, disagreeing with a
suggested appraised com-
pensation by Moore of
$1,500. Howard Shipp sec- Ye.
onded the motion and &
Rodney Gordon and Jerry :
Mullinax approved. Miller,
Houston Corn and Mike
Butler voted “no.”
Spears, in his motion,
See Lake, 11A
Tuesday night to “move for-
ward” on the sale of 651
square feet of property on
the city owned control strip
at Moss Lake to Harmon
Properties.
The Moss Lake ad hoc
committee chaired by coun-
_..cilman. Keith Miller had not
recommended an easement
a { or the sale, nor did city attor-
ney Mickey Corry.
Differences of opinion were
expressed by Corry and
Harmon attorney Rep. Tim
Moore. Corry said the city is
liable for any property it
owns and questioned
approving an easement.
Moore countered that the
KM council approves J
housing development
ELIZABETH STEWART
Herald Correspondent
JOSEPH BRYMER / HERALD
Donna White makes a wish and throws a coin into the fountain in front of
Kings Mountain City Hall. He questioned consultant
Walter Fields if all 30 fami-
lies in the Countryside area.
Grover approves saving
money on sewer bonds
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Grover City Council met Monday
night to discuss and vote on refinanc-
ing the town’s current sewer bonds.
The council agreed on a refinanced loan
from First National Bank, which could
save them about $244,000 in interest
over 12 years. If they choose to pre-pay,
paying more than the minimum, it
could cut up to 13 years off of their
existing loan.
“We were offered a 12 year loan but
since pre-payment is allowed, we hope
Robert Sides.
The First National loan carries a fixed «
the
interest rate of 4.75 percent. The town’s
current loan is for 23 years with the
biggest portion carrying an interest rate
of 7.65 percent. These high payments
have increased water bills throughout
the town.
The council sent out refinanced loan
requests to six financial institutions.
Out of the four that responded, the final
decision came down to one offered by
BB&T and First National.
“BB&T had a lower interest rate but
didn’t have a pre-pay option,” Sides
By a vote of 6-1, Kings
Mountain City Council
Tuesday night gave the
green light to a new 403-
home planned PUD housing
development on
Countryside Road.
Although in recent months
proposal had sparked
controversy and meetings of
both city council and plan-
ning boards attracted a full
house, there was no opposi-
tion expressed publicly from
the large crowd at Tuesday
night's second public hear-
ing required because devel-
opers made changes from
their first plan after meeting
with concerned property
owners. Councilman Jerry
Mullinax cast the “no” vote.
had signed off on the added
concessions by Mann
Properties. “Are they satis-
fied?” asked Mullinax.
Fields said, “not 100 per-
cent but we had a meeting of
the minds and they feel com-
fortable with the compro-
mise. This does speak well of
all of us working together on
this project.”
Among the added changes
were additional buffers,
lighting changes to reduce
intrusiveness, higher square
footage of homes, and two-
car garages intended to
reduce on-street parking and
traffic congestion.
Responding to a question
from councilman Miller,
Johnny Rankin said Mann
to pay it off in 10 years,” said Mayor
See Grover, 11A :
See Council, 11A
Relay for Life Friday at Walking Track
Betty Mitchell would rather
just work behind the scene
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.co
The eighth annual Kings
Mountain Relay for Life will
begin at 6 p.m. Friday at the
Municipal Walking Track behind
the Fire Museum on Cleveland
Avenue. .
Thirty-five teams are registered
for the annual fund raising event
for the American Cancer Society.
Almost $50,000 has already been
turned in by participating teams
and campaign volunteers are
hoping to surpass last year’s
grand total of $92,000.
Opening
ceremonies at 6
o'clock will be followed by the
always-emotional survivors lap
at 6:30. Over 100 cancer survivors
have already signed up and more
are welcome to participate. Sixty-
two attended the recent sur-
vivor’s dinner at The Patrick
Center.
After the survivors lap, the
teams will take the track and
someone will be walking at all
times until the final lap at 8 a.m.
Saturday.
Friday's activities will include
singing and other entertainment,
and all of the teams will selling
food and tickets for drawings.
Sonic Doctors from Carolina
ENT of Shelby will perform at 7
p.m. Friday. The Christian group
LIZABETH STEWART
. Herald Correspondent
Working behind the scenes of the upcom-
ing Kings Mountain Relay for Life is a vol-
unteer role that city employee Betty Mitchell
relishes. Co-chair of the relay effort a few
years ago, Mitchell works on the city’s team
to raise money for cancer research and
her young granddaughter,
Micah, an active member of the children’s
encourages
team. ;
See Mitchell, 2A