4
i
k
1
Holden Turner, of
Grover Elementary,"
stands with his fa-
ther and hero Spc.
Brent Turner, who
joined the Army at
the age of 20, retired
and rejoined the
service after 9-11.
See story, Page 8A
108 S. Pati Ave. 5
Kings Mountain, NC RY
A blanket of snow covers the landscape around a KM pond Monday morning.
City awakes to most snow in five years
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
The City of Kings Mountain woke up Monday
morning underneath a blanket of sparkling white snow
- the most recorded in five years...
Windows to the outside provided picturesque Views
of a crystal-like world. The soiled, muddy streets of
Sunday afternoon were only a memory now as they
were re-carpeted with a glistening, pristine glow.
Everything seemed clean-and still before the salt
trucks roared to life. Children awoke to rejoice in a day
all.
A tractor-trailer accident on I-85 South in South
Carolina around 9 p.m. Sunday backed up cars for
miles through Kings Mountain and beyond. Traffic
was stalled for hours as motorists braved the cold and
hoped for a way off of the interstate. Many ran out of
gas. Some vehicles were abandoned.
I-85 was reopened around 10 a.m. Monday morn-
ing. Eleven vehicle accidents were reported to have oc-
curred in the city due to the storm as of Tuesday
afternoon, according to police.
off from school. But the sight was not as welcome for
clear the streets.
Emergency and traffic crews worked frantically to
Jackie Barnette, director of Public Works, said that
his crews started hitting the city streets around 6 p.m.
Sunday in preparation of the storm. The department,
with five snow plows and two sand spreaders, has a
photo By RON ISBELL
Seven-year-old Alyssa Newton stands with
the snowman she created on Monday.
total of 57 miles (one way) to maintain.
Crews started laying the salt and sand mixture early
to clear the roads and break up the trouble spots. On
Monday afternoon they were clearing the side roads
and by nightfall they were back in action spreading -
more salt and sand to combat the melted snow that had
turned to black ice. See Snow, Page 5A
City wins United Way's Spirit of NC Award
by ELIZABETH STEWART
staff writer
When it comes to a model
United Way campaign, the
City of Kings Mountain is the
“best in the state among its
peers,” Cleveland County
United Way official Gail
McKillop told City Council
Tuesday night.
The prestigious Spirit of
North Carolina Award recog-
nizes outstanding perform-
ance in support of local
United Ways throughout the
"state and McKillop presented
a plaque to Mayor Rick Mur-
phrey and city council.
Judges who selected the
City of Kings Mountain for
this honor cited the organiza-
tion’s successful combination
of top management support
and employee involvement
leading to employee giving
increase of 51.7%. This re-
sulted in a total pledge of
$35,074.
City Manager Marilyn
Sellers created a personal
touch in this year’s cam-
paign, according to McKil-
lop. Fire Chief Frank Burns
served as campaign coordi-
nator and department heads
went on an agency tour and
then came back and shared
with their employees creating
ownership among all em-
ployees.
Winners of the Spirit of
North Carolina awards were
4)
honored at United Way of
North Carolina’s annual
meeting and awards recogni-
tion in Pinehurst Feb. 6. Ac-
cepting the award from
Kings Mountain were Sell-
ers, Pat Blanton, Ricky Put-
nam’ and Police Chief
Melvin Proctor. Bill Hooker
represented United Way of
Cleveland County.
The city also received
plaques from District Boy
Scouts of America for an-
other annual successful Boy
Scout Day, recognized for
.continued observance every
year for many years. Addi-
tionally, meter reader Chris
Swink was recognized for 10
years of employment with
the city and Library Director
Sharon Stack ‘marked her
fifth year of employment.
In other actions of the reg-
ular monthly meeting, Coun-
cil:
+approved $21,322 in
grant funds from NC Rescue
and EMS for the Kings
photo by Ellis Noell
Mayor Rick Murphrey accepts the Spirit of North
Carolina Award from United Way official Gail
McKillop recognizing the City of Kings Mountain
as tops in United Way-giving.
Mountain Fire Department. +okayed request by
+set March 31 for public Arnold Ledford for non-
hearings ‘for rezoning of charity Thursday night bass
properties of Gary Randall
Kiser et-al, R-10 to residen-
tial, and Norris and Cristy
. McCleary, 115 Ferguson Dr.,
from R-20 to Conditional
Use heavy industrial.
tournaments March 5-Oct.
17 and KM Bass Club to
hold Tuesday night non-
profit fishing tournaments at
city-owned Moss Lake from
March 10-Oct. 31.
HALL OF FAME
| Dégree, Brinkley, Weathers
- Golf champs to be inducted’
Into KM Sports Hall of Fame
By GARY STEWART
Sports Editor
Two of Kings Mountain’s all-time volleyball greats, its
all-time winning wrestling coach, and its only state cham-
pionship golf team will be inducted into the Kings Moun-
tain Sports Hall of Fame at its 22nd annual induction
ceremony Saturday, May 9 at 6 p.m. at Central United
Methodist Church.
Volleyball stars Velma Degree and Kristie Brinkley will
share the spotlight with former Kings Mountain Junior
High wrestling coach Phil Weathers and the 1990 KMHS
golf team that won the North Carolina High School Ath-
letic Association championship.
In addition, twomen who have spent years volunteering
their time in local sports will receive the annual Distin-
guished Service Awards. They are David Ray Robinson,
who has coached youth sports since he finished his out-
standing baseball career at KMHS and Western Carolina
University, and Justin Smith, a recent Wake Forest gradu-
ate who has volunteered as Kings Mountain’s official foot-
ball statistician since his pre-teens. He also was statistician
for the KMHS men’s basketball team until he went off to
See HALL, Page 3A
STRANGER DANGER
Stranger
at the door
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Marilyn Bickham was in the kitchen, talking to her great
grandson who had just come home from school, when she
was stirred by a knock on the garage door last Tuesday.
She and her husband Jack Bickham had escaped a cold,
lonely winter in Michigan to stay with her granddaughter
and family in the Oak Grove community. Since KMHS
sophomore Jimmy Zyble had just returned home, the back
door was still unlocked. The garage door was still open.
At the time, those things did not seem to matter. The
neighborhood is often quiet and mostly uneventful when it
comes to crime. The neighbors know each other.
But when Marilyn answered the door she was faced with
a stranger.
She said that he wore a jacket similar to ones worn by
rescue workers. The rest of him was in plain clothes. He
showed no badge, offered no name or any other form of
identification. She did not notice an extra car in the drive-
way.
He told her that he was raising money for the rescue
squad and asked if they would like to make a donation.
“He was so nervous,” she said. “He was real shaky.”
When he attempted to take a step up to the door’s thresh-
old, Marilyn was shaken too. But he backed off when Jack
See HALL, Page 3A
ENE:
Alliance
Banke&Trust
Building Contrnunities
209 S.
704.739.5411 » www.alliancebankandtrust.com
Visit us today at
Battleground Avenue
Kings Mountain
MEMBER FDIC The Faces of Hometown Banking
&)
a
ne