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Thursday, June 7, 2007
KINGS MOUNTAIN
The Herald
Vol. 119 No. 23
Since 1889
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KM High
graduation
ceremony
is Friday
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
The largest graduating class in
Kings Mountain High School's
history will receive their diplo-
Lloyd named KM coach
East Gaston mentor helped Crest win three state 4A championships
GARY STEWART
“i gstewart@kingsmountainherald.com
Greg Lloyd, who was the
offensive coordinator on two
Crest teams that won state cham-
pionships and as head coach last
year led East Gaston's Warriors
to their best season in history,
Friday was named head football
coach at Kings Mountain High
mas Friday, June 8, at 8 pm. in “This is a great joband t's a 5.001.
the John Gamble football stadi- great county for high school Incoming principal Ronny
um. football.” Funderburke made the
Seniors are to report to home- . announcement after he and other
room by 7 p.m. Guys should Greg Lloyd school officials had interviewed
come dressed in black pants, a New KMHS football coach
“six or seven quality people,”
over a two-week period, includ-
ing men who have built success-
ful football programs on the 3A
and 4A level.
“I feel really good,” said
Funderburke, who had been
busy almost around the clock
interviewing for the KM football
position while also seeing to his
duties as personnel director for
Rutherford County Schools.
“Greg Lloyd is exactly what
we were looking for,”
Funderburke said. “We wanted a
younger coach who is hungry.
We wanted a coach that is confi-
dent. We wanted a coach that is
willing to move to Kings
Mountain. We wanted someone
that has good character and
integrity. We talked to a lot of
. folks about Greg Lloyd - a lot of
folks that have worked with him,
a lot of folks that have known
him for a long time. There was
not one thing negative that was
said about him. Everybody that
has worked with him have
talked about him being the best
football coach they've ever been
around.”
There was also excitement in
white dress shirt and a black tie.
A few extra ties and shirts may
be available in the front office
for those who forget the appro-
priate attire. Girls should wear a
black dress underneath their
gowns. All seniors are reminded
to wear black shoes, in order to
avoid the chore of coloring ten-
nis shoes with a black magic
marker (one student's fate from
last year) before the ceremony.
Parking can be somewhat of a
hassle so supporters are encour-
aged to arrive early. Guests may
use any available parking in all
of the lots, at the practice fields
and behind the middle school.
Seniors, anxious for vacations
and future endeavors, will take
their-final march to glory on the
field, in flowing black gowns
and caps as the 9th grade band
plays “Pomp and
Circumstance” in their honor.
The scheduled speakers for
commencement are Senior class
president Monet McClain,
Valedictorian Jessica Yarbro, and
Salutatorian Lauren Suber. This
will be John Yarbro’s final com-
mencement ceremony as KMHS
principal, handing out the last
diplomas to his last graduates
and wishing them a successful
future.
“This is a busy time of year,
but I'm excited about gradua-
tion. It is the highlight of my
year, each year,” he said.
One of the diplomas he hands
out this year will go to his
daughter, Jessica. “I'm excited
for her, but I'm excited for this
class as well,” he said. “Every
RELAY FOR LIFE
Lloyd's voice as he talked about
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
The crowds were sparse at this year’s
The bar was set at $85,000 for Kings
Mountain's Relay, but the American
Cancer Society set it at $80,000, both
Bethware first county school
to holds its own Relay for Life
GARY STEWART / HERALD
Cancer survivors walk the first lap to begin Friday’s annual Relay for Life at the Kings Mountain Walking Track at Jake Early
Sports Complex.
KM raises over $78,000 to fight cancer
class has it’s own unique charac-
teristics and this one has been a
very confident class and has
excelled in a lot of special areas.
“Anytime you have a class to
graduate you're going to miss
that class, but it’s time for them
to move on. Many will go on to
further education and some will
go into the work-force and we
was just as strong.
Society’s goal of $80,000.
10th Annual Relay for Life. But the impact
Despite the economic struggles of high
gas prices the funds raised as of Friday
night almost met the American Cancer
Co-chair of the event Tammy Hogue
said that they were close to having raised
$78,000 by the end of Friday night. “We
already surpassed what we did last year,”
she added. “We're one of the few counties
amounts surpassing last year’s effort of
$78,000. Money is still rolling in. A Post
Bank Night to count the total funds will be
held tonight at the Patrick Senior Center
from 5-6:30 p.m. “It’s still not too late to
turn money in,” Hogue said.
Out of 37 fund raising teams, only 23
campsites were set up at Relay. But she
said that is partly due to the fact that
although Kings Mountain Hospital has
seven teams, they had one site, and they
| eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Just hours before the Kings Mountain
Relay for Life, Bethware Elementary held
their very own mini-Relay on Friday after-
noon. :
“I'm so proud of you guys,” said KM
Relay for Life co-chair Tammy Hogue.
“No other school has ever done this before
hope that we've provided them
the preparedness and the oppor-
See Graduation, 7A
that have had an increase this year.”
also had several ghost teams which helped
See Relay, 6A
in Cleveland County.”
See Bethware, 6A
Over 400
EMILY WEAVER
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
A little after 8 a.m. Saturday morn-
ing nearly 400 competitors crowded
around the beach at Moss Lake, ready
to begin the grueling annual three-
legged race - Over the Mountain
Triathlon.
Different divisions were distin-
guished by the color of swim caps they
wore on their heads in the 1500-meter
swim. The blue caps of the Elite and
Masters Elite men and women were
first in the water, followed by the
white caps and a few other divisions.
Deep breath..and go! The air horn
sounded their start. Like a large pack
of angry piranhas they attacked the
water with fierce determination.
Completely immersed in the zone,
some had troubles seeing the buoys
along the way. But they made it to the
transitional shore.
First out of the water was number
387, Jeff Murray, of Chdrlotte, NC, in
21 minutes and 19 seconds (21:19). Just
a few mere seconds behind Murray
emerged 36-year-old Marty Gaal, of
Cary, NC, in 21:52. Kevin Lisska, 28, of
Mills River, NC, was third out of the
water in 22:07. They hustled up the
steep hill to their bikes.
It was time for the 27-mile point-to-
point bicycle trek through two states.
They raced from Moss Lake toward
the Kings Mountain National Military
Park in South Carolina. At the hydra-
tion station in the park the Zion
Baptist Church Boy Scout Troop 118
got ready to hand out their freshly
filled water bottles to the competitors.
Gaal peddled past them, no time for
water, ahead of the pack. But the bike
race was far from over. The next tran-
sition was on Railroad Avenue in
compete in Triathlon
downtown Kings Mountain, where tri-
athletes would trade their wheels for
winged-heels and set off on a 6.2-mile
foot race to the finish line.
First off the bicycles was third out of
the water Lisska, kicking it into high
gear. Just a few seconds behind him
was 27-year-old Nick Nothoff, of
Winston Salem, and Gaal. Putting their
feet to the test they took off down Gold
Street and Phifer Road, just past Kings
Mountain High School, where they
turned around and began their second
lap to the championship.
The Champion Lisska ripped
through the finish line with a total
time of 2 hours 11 minutes and five
seconds (2:11:05), with Gaal four min-
utes behind with 2:15:07 and 33-year-
old, fourth out of the water, Lance Leo,
of Charlotte, with 2:15:58. This race
was Lisska’s third Over the Mountain
See Triathlon, 10A
coming back to Cleveland
County after two years as East
Gaston's head coach. Lloyd led
the Warriors to an 11-3 overall
record and three rounds in the
state 4A playoffs last fall.
“I'm excited, there’s no doubt
about it,” he said. “I'm excited
for this opportunity. This is a
great job and it’s in a great coun-
ty for high school football. I'm
just excited about being back in
Cleveland County and at Kings
Mountain High School.”
Lloyd was a standout football
and baseball player at Crest High
See Lloyd, 13A
Hay fire
destroys
bam, COWS
eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Lindsay Bell, a volunteer fire-
fighter at Oak Grove Fire
Department, was awakened by
the tones on her radio about 2
am Monday morning. She felt a
little excitement, knowing that
the sounds meant there was a
oy fire.
ut when she heard the
address her heart sank. The
excitement was replaced by
panic, as she realized that the
fire was across the street from
her home in one of her family’s
barns.
By the time she and the fire
departments arrived at G. W.
Bell & Sons Dairy Farm at 763
Bell Road the barn was fully
engulfed.
“When you're on a fire
department you never would
think that it would be your own
place,” she said. “We lost
between $80,000-$100,000 in
equipment and hay. All of our
hay went up in flames. That's
what started it. We had 200 bales
of hay in there which is what we
cut to last us through the winter:
for all of our cows and animals.”
The cause and origin of the
fire is believed to have been the
hay. She said that they think the:
hay overheated during the day
and continued to smolder dur-
ing, the night, building tempera-
tures until it ignited and com-
busted into flames.
The fire spread through the
hay in the barn as it would
through a tinderbox, leaving
nothing in its path but destruc-
tion and loss. “Hay is so sparse
See Fire, 2A
EMILY WEAV-
ER / HERALD
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