Thursday, February 15, 2007
KINGS MOUNTAIN
Vol. 119 No. 7
Since 1889
50 Cents
Grenade
found in
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Sometimes the most innocent
things can be loaded with dan-
ger. The Cleveland County
Sheriff's Office was called out to
a residence on.Farris Road near
Kings Mountain Monday night
after a man made an explosive
discovery. Tucked away in the
pocket of a hunting chair that
was given to him by a co-work-
er, he found what appeared to
be an unexploded hand
grenade.
He also found bullet casings
or shells in the pockets, but the
explosive device compelled him
to call 911. Cleveland County
Sheriff's officers responded
around 5 pm. After determining
that the device was indeed a
grenade, they called the Gaston
County Bomb Squad to remove
it.
Gaston County Police
Department Bomb Squad
Officer Lou Calindo said that
the grenade appeared to be a
souvenir-type pineapple Mk 2
grenade, like those used in
WWII. “It looked like it had
been improvised in some fash-
ion,” he said. “The pin was par-
tially removed from it.”
Bomb squad officers have to
treat any hand grenade or like
device that appears to be impro-
vised with extreme care and
caution. He said that old, sou-
venir grenades, which may no
longer be active, can be impro-
vised to be made live again.
With the pin partially removed,
officers had to be extremely
careful when handling it. The
pin is used as a safety device
that keeps the handle from
releasing and starting the fuse
on most grenade.
Bomb squad officers were able
to remove and dispose of the
device without any damage or
casualties. Officer Calindo said,
“Any time you find any type of
suspicious device, the best thing
you can do is call law enforce-
ment and keep away from it,
until they come and investi-
gate.”
Gaston County Bomb Squad
was unable to determine
whether the grenade was live or
a dud. But because it appeared
to be improvised, they treated
and disposed of it as if it were a
live grenade.
Cleveland County does not
currently have a bomb squad, so
all related matters are usually
referred to Gaston County.
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John Harris stands in front of old Eagle Store which he has purchased and plans
to turn into a coffee/dessert/wine shop.
Old Eagle Building
GARY STEWART
gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com
Kings Mountain businessman John
Harris recently purchased the old Eagle
Store in downtown Kings Mountain and
is “90 percent sure” it will house an
upscale coffee shop.
Harris has acquired a demolition permit
and will basically “gut” the building and
rebuild the inside, just as he did the
adjoining former Rexall Drug Store which
will soon house Alliance Bank and Trust
downstairs and Harris’ offices upstairs.
Harris hopes to begin renovating the
property within the next two weeks and
have it ready for occupancy in six months.
The building, as well as the Rexall build-
ing, recently received a new roof.
Harris said after consulting with people
ina “very upscale” coffee shop business in
Charlotte that they have determined the
potential Kings Mountain business would
be best described as a coffee bar/dessert
bar/wine bar.
“We feel the demographics is too small
to support it with strictly coffee,” he said.
“It would also offer upscale desserts and
fine wine by the glass.” He said the busi-
ness would showcase wines produced in
North Carolina.
Harris also envisions jazz bands per-
forming several times a month and mak-
ing the building available for rental. He
stresses that it would not be open on
Sunday.
GARY. STEWART / HERALD
Harris plans upscale
coffee shop downtown
A resident of Kings Mountain for the
past 11 years and active in the county's
economic development efforts, the grand-
son of Harris Funeral Home founder Ollie
Harris says he has seen numerous major
industries locate in and around Kings
Mountain recently and he is confident
downtown Kings Mountain is also poised
for growth.
“We're seeing businesses building and
renovating all up and down King Street
and now there is a very serious push with
renovating buildings downtown and
bringing industry down there,” he said. “I
am proud that we've come as far as we
have in such a positive manner over the
last 11 years.”
While he can picture what he wants the
new building to look like, Harris said
much will be determined by what type of
business occupies it.
“Obviously, this is a much older facility
than most, but we hope we can finish it in
four months,” he said, “and maybe have
something in there in less than six moths.
My plans are to start demolition right
away, but during the renovation and con-
struction period if we know what's going
to go there obviously it saves a lot of time
and money to complete it without having
to go back in and tear out. We want to
make sure we don’t have to re-trace some
_of our footprints.”
"Assuming the present plan becomes
reality, Harris said local cooks or other
See Harris, 7A
Every Drop Counts
Despite critical shortage, only ten people show
for blood drive at Grace United Methodist Church
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Less than 10 people showed up to give blood to
the American Red Cross at Grace United
Methodist Church on Thursday, in spite of a great
shortage of types O and B. Coordinator for the
drive Cynthia Falter said the low amount of
donors is probably due to the snow and ice that
came and canceled the KM drive a couple of
Thursdays ago. They had to reschedule it for last
Thursday without
much time to get the
word out. Another pos-
sibility, she said, and
reason for so many win-
ter shortages is that flu
and colds keep people
from donating.
“We have a short sup-
ply right now on all
types, but especially on
type O and type B
blood,” Falter said. “We
always have a short
supply this time of
year.”
She said that they are
low on positive and
negatives of both types.
“O negative is in real
demand because it’s a
universal donor, which
can be given to any-
one,” she said. It really
comes in handy for
transfusions to infants
and premature babies,
whose types are often
unknown at the time
blood is needed.
Falter said that giving blood is very important.
“About 95 percent of all of us will need blood at
some point in our lives. But only about five percent
of eligible donors will actually give blood,” she
said. One pint, which is comprised of red blood
cells, platelets, plasma and white blood cells, can
save up to three lives.
The process of giving blood is simple. A donor
walks in, registers, discusses his or her medical his-
Cross.
George T. Pasour poses with his nurse Beth
Martin as he donates blood to the American Red
tory with a qualified nurse, undergoes a mini-
physical, gives blood and enjoys refreshments.
Grace UMC had chili, crackers, cookies and soda
awaiting their generous donors. Falter said some
people are afraid of contracting diseases and they
opt not to give. But, not only are they cautiously
selective in their donors, every needle used is
brand-new, sterile and discarded after use.
When donating, only about one pint is drawn
from the body which has 10-12 pints running
through it at a given time. The body will replace
donated blood within
hours making new,
fresh blood. According
to givelife.org, “Most
donated red blood cells
must be used within 42
days of collection.
Donated platelets must
be used within five days
of collection - new
donations are constant-
ly needed.”
With the amount
of Kings Mountain's
.donations looking dis-
mal, George T. Pasour
walked in at 5:30 pm, 30
minutes before they
were to close shop and
go home. He said that
he was afraid that he
was too old to give.
“You're never too old to
give,” said Nurse Beth
Martin. + “We're glad
you're here.”
Within minutes
he breezed through the
physical and was seated
in the donor’s throne.
The delicious aroma of homemade chili wafted
through the air - his savory reward.
“Anyone can be a sponsor,” Falter said. If you
would like to bring a blood drive to your commu-
nity, church or business, call the American Red
Cross chapter in Shelby at 704-482-4671 and they
will take care of the rest. To find out when and
where the next drive will be in your area, call 1-
800-GIVE-LIFE.
EMILY WEAVER
EMILY WEAVER / HERALD
programs.
EMILY WEAVER / HERALD
Police Explorer Robyn Medlin (right) learns about Kings Mountain’s
first line of defense from telecommunicator Leanne Deviney.
« My Shadow
Local Scouts learn about government
by spending a day with city employees
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
About 10 scouts shadowed local city leaders Friday morning,
learning about all sorts of important jobs from fighting crime to run-
ning the city’s electricity.
Boy Scout troops from Kings Mountain First Baptist Church and,
for the first time ever, a young lady from Kings Mountains Police
Explorers, gathered at City Hall to find out which department head
they would shadow for the morning. Their destination was tucked
away in a single envelope. They had to draw.
Police Explorer Robyn Medlin was “keeping her fingers crossed”
for an envelope that held the words “Police Chief.” She got it. “Oh
this is rigged,” someone joked, while Medlin maintained her ear-to-
ear grin. For her first task, Chief Melvin Proctor handed her the pay-
checks to distribute to the officers. She held them proudly, excited
about her day with the chief. i
Mitchell Hardee drew a second year in a row shadow at Mauney
Memorial Library with Children’s Librarian Christy Conner. He
helped shelve a cart of books, played with puppets from the chil-
dren’s programs, and learned a little more about the job of a librari-
an. “I guess I know what I'm gonna be,” he joked, after his second
stint at the library. But he enjoyed his time with Conner and happily
walked away with two free t-shirts from last year’s Summer Reading
Brandon Laughridge and Aaron Parsons also enjoyed their parting
gifts: a yellow hard hat and an orange vest. Laughridge spent the
See Shadow, 10A