The Kings Mountain Herald
"July 31, 2008
restricting registered |
sex offenders in KM
REBECCA PISCOPO
. rdickinson@kingsmountainherald.com
Just one day after one of the
toughest laws against child sex
offenders was signed into legis-
lation in North Carolina, the
City of Kings Mountain fol-
lowed suit by adopting an ordi-
nance of its own.
The City Council unanimous-
ly approved its first sex offend-
er ordinance at Tuesday night's
meeting. The legislation pre-
vents registered sex offenders
from using recreation facilities
or any public property, belong-
ing to the city, “for the protec-
tion of children and everyone.”
Places, now off-limits to regis-
tered sex offenders include,
Mayor Rick Murphrey said, the
boat landing and campgrounds
at Moss Lake.
He added that the city will be
posting signs to let the offend-
ers know they are no longer
allowed on the properties,
which will be restricted. “We
don’t want to provide the
opportunity for these people to
go in our parks and molest or
recidivism, that means to
regress back to your criminal
activities,” Murphrey said.
As far as concerns as to who
exactly will be banned from
properties, Murphrey claimed
that in an area with at least 450
registered sex offenders
between Gaston and Cleveland
counties, public property own-
ers can go on the internet to
check the registry. The website
http:/ /ncfindoffender.com/sta
ts.aspx gives an up-to-date reg-
ister of the sex offenders living
in the vicinity of where you live
and work.
“This has been a long time
coming. I can’t wait to press
that button (to vote ‘yes’ for the
ordinance),” stated Councilman
Howard Shipp.
“This is something I think is
needed. One of the best ordi-
nances I think we've ever had,”
Murphrey said.
City approves the use
of golf carts on roads
REBECCA PISCOPO
rdickinson@kingsmountainherald.com
Golf carts may become a com-
mon sight on the roadways in
Kings Mountain. The City Council
passed an ordinance at its Tuesday
meeting to permit these economi-
cally-friendly carts on certain roads
within city limits.
“The Operation of Golf Carts”
ordinance is based off of state
House Bill 538 which permits carts
on roads.
Streets where the buggies will not
be allowed include, “N.C.
Highway 216, Piedmont Avenue,
Battleground Avenue, Grover
Road, King Street, Shelby Road,
Kinds Mountain Boulevard,
Cansler Street from its intersection
with King Street to its intersection
with Piedmont Avenue; Waco Road
from its intersection with U.S.
Highway 74 to its intersection with
Watterson St.; Cleveland Avenue/
NC Highway 161; and York/NC
Highway 161.”
City Attorney Mickey Corry, Jr
said that if a driver has at least two
offenses (from this ordinance) then
they will loose their permit. “It will
be strictly enforced,” he stated.
“You must apply for a permit or
sticker to be used on the operation
of golf carts. There would be one
application per household,”
Murphrey said.
As worded by the ordinance it
says that an owner must have lia-
bility insurance and have a seal
affixed to the golf cart. It must be
renewed annually on June 30 of the
following year. The fee is $20.
Drivers must also have a valid dri-
ver’s license and photo LD. of their
golf cart.
“You have to be 18 years or older,
but a driver or operator with a med-
ical or physical condition that pre-
vents them from obtaining a valid
NC driver's license may also be
able to operate a golf cart with certi-
fied medical proof of their condi-
tion,” Murphrey said.
The mayor said that he believes it
should help golf cart owners who
could save gas money by not taking
their cars to the grocery store.
Jessica Lunsford Act becomes law
#7 EMILY WEAVER
“ eweaver@kingsmountainherald.com
Nine-year-old Gaston County
native Jessica Lunsford was kid-
napped, raped and murdered by a
repeat sex offender in Florida in
2005. Reps. Tim Moore and
Debbie Clary were the main spon-
sors of a bill to ensure that type of
terror would not happen to chil-
dren in North Carolina.
House Bill 933, coined “The
Jessica Lunsford Act,” has been
approved in the state House and
Senate. Gov. Mike Easley signed it
into law Monday afternoon in
Gastonia.
Convicted sex offenders of chil-
dren under the age of 13 will no
longer be able to hide under the
new legislation. Their crimes will
be as obvious as their location on a
map, if prison doesn’t kill them
first. According to House Bill 933,
any adult (18 years or older) con-
| victed of specific sex crimes
against a child will be punished
with a sentence of at least 25 years-
life in prison without parole; after
any term of imprisonment they
will be tracked by satellite-based
monitoring for the remainder of
their lives.
Under the new law, students on
the sex offender registry can be
expelled from educational institu-
tions, if school boards choose to do
so. If allowed to stay, the law
requires them to be watched at all
times.
Registered sex offenders will
still have the right to vote, but
when they enter a polling site they
must do only that and leave. If the
site is at a school, the principal
must be made aware of their pres-
ence, according to the law.
For at least 30 years after their
sentence, sex offenders will have
to register in the community in
which they reside. The law allows
offenders, who are not required to
register for life, the option of seek-
ing removal from the registry after
10 years, through a hearing in
superior court. In most cases sex
offenders will not be allowed any-
where near children. When they
are permitted, the law requires,
they be escorted and watched at
all times.
Reps. Clary (R-Cleveland,
Gaston) and Moore (R-Cleveland)
filed the first bill of this nature in
2005. For both of them to represent
the homeland of Jessica Lunsford,
her death and the desire to protect
others from that fate has become a
personal crusade. Three years
later, the battle has been won.
“Many times good legislation
does take a long time,” Clary said.
“Our continued push was it does-
n’t matter how much it costs, it’s
worth protecting our children.”
“It’s a very far-reaching bill and
it probably makes NC's laws one
of the toughest in the country
when it comes to dealing with
child predators,” Moore said. “It’s
especially appropriate for the gov-
ernor to come to our part of the
state to sign this bill.”
Clary, Moore and state Senator
David Hoyle were present at the
signing on Monday. But also in the
midst was another who considers
this new law a personal victory -
Mark Lunsford, Jessica's father.
The new law also:
HW Increases the penalties for vari-
ous sexual exploitation offenses
involving minors: first, second
and third degree exploitation, and
promoting prostitution of a minor
(felony penalties increased one
level)
BW Makes it a felony for a registered
sex offender to be on premises pri-
marily intended for the use, care or
supervision of minors. It also pro-
hibits offenders from being within
300 feet of such places when they
are not on “premises” that are
intended primarily for minors
(like a youth day care, located in a
shopping center with other stores).
These provisions do not apply if
the parent or guardian of a minor
is a registered offender and they
are taking the minor for emer-
gency medical care. The bill also
allows a person subject to the
restrictions to be on school
grounds in limited circumstances,
with notice to the school principal
and while under supervision. A
juvenile, who is a registered sex
offender, may be on an otherwise
prohibited location to receive
medical treatment or mental
‘health care, if under supervision.
BW Shortens the required time for
registered sex offenders to register
changes (like address or place of
employment) from 10 days to
three business days.- ?
BW Requires judges to rule whether
a sex offender, who is arrested for
an offense while on probation, is
not a danger to the public before
the offender is released with or
without bail.
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