YEE
. the Lexington Leg-
Volume 121 ¢ Issue 27 ¢ Wednesday, July 8, 2009
JOHN H. MOSS
John Moss
dies at 90
Tributes honor former:
mayor at service Monday
By ELIZABETH STEWART
staff writer
Flags flew at half mast in Kings‘Moun-
tain Monday in honor and in memory of
former Mayor John Henry Moss, who died
July 1, 2009 and who was remembered in
tributes at his 11 a.m. Celebration of Life
service at First Baptist Church.
Mayor of Kings Mountain for 22 1/2
years before his retirement 20 years ago,
Moss was remembered, not only as Kings
~ Mountain's longest serving mayor and
“chief executive officer, but for religious,
civic, and professional baseball accom-
plishments over a lifetime of 90 1/2 years.
A Kings Mountain Police Honor Guard
stood solemnly, as the public came to Har-
ris Funeral Home Sunday for visitation.
The honor guard presented the colors at the
church service and escorted the family and
honorary pallbearers Rick Murphrey,
Woody Fish, Alan Stein, Denise Stallings
Jim Childers, Will Herndon, Dr. John
McGill, Tony Ruppe, Kelly Bunch, Jim
Lybrand, Glee E. Bridges, and Larry Ham-
rick Sr. Ushers were Will Herndon, Fred
Kiser, Jeff Mauney and Bob Suber. The
Celebration of Life service included con-
gregational singing
with accompani-
ment by organist
Carolyn Rhyne.
Paying tribute
were his niece,
Linda Welch, Alan
Stein, President of
ends and Board
member of the
South Atlantic
Baseball League,
Kings Mountain Mayor Rick Murphrey,
Woody Fish, Gardner-Webb University of-
ficial and Denise Stallings, executive of
the Cleveland County Health Department,
who served with Moss on the Cleveland
County Sports Commission.
His pastor, Rev. Bill Jeffcoat, of St.
Matthew's Lutheran Church, delivered the
sermon and focused on scriptures, includ-
ing the Biblical passage, "I have fought the
good fight," as he shared with other speak-
ers ‘the legacies of John Henry Moss. The
former mayor was hailed as a good friend,
a hard worker, a leader, a giant, a family
man compassionate to children, his God-
given gifts of leadership and service and a
baseball legend in 43 cities he impacted in
115 ownership groups, the "King of Base-
ball: and 50 year president of the South At-
lantic League which was first the Western
Carolina League organized by Moss.
A father and grandfather figure, a men-
tor, a facilitator, a teacher, a Southern gen-
tleman, is how Stein described Moss.
"As he neared death John never retired,"
said Murphrey "He just kept working to
improve the quality of life for everyone.
Murphrey said Moss inspired him to get
.. See MOSS, Page 3A
Suspected serial shooter shot
Gunman's trail leads officers
from Gaffney to Gaston
By EMILY WEAVER
" Editor
The same man, who police believe
wreaked havoc and took the lives of five
people during a week-long killing spree in
Gaffney, was shot and killed early Monday
morning in Gaston County.
The manhunt for the serial killer spread
across state and county lines over the Inde-
pendence holiday weekend, Officers from
the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department,
Grover Police Department and State High-
way Patrol aided South Carolina law en-
forcement in patrolling the border and
setting up road blocks to find the suspect
plastered on wanted posters.
FABULOUS FOURTH B
. It was rumored that at one license check
in Grover a man leapt from a vehicle much
like the champagne-colored Ford SUV on
the wanted posters to evade arrest.
But that rumor was false, according to
Grover Police Chief Todd Martin.
He has been working with other law en-
forcement agencies on the case.
"We have set up check stations at the
state line for several days now," he said.
"We have not had any sign of him in
Grover."
But hundreds of calls offering tips, leads
and sightings poured into law enforcement
offices in Cherokee and Cleveland counties.
"We're checking every avenue. We're
leaving no stone unturned at this time," said
CCSD Chief Danny Gordon on Monday,
before the official announcement that the
serial killer had been identified as the man
shot in Dallas. "We want people to call and
let us know."
In Gaston County, the call that would al-
legedly "crack the case" came in around
2:44 a.m., according to Gaston County Po-
lice Chief Bill Farley.
In a press conference Monday evening
he said that they received a call regarding
suspicious activity and perhaps a burglary
in progress at 725 Dallas Spencer Mountain
Road.
When officers arrived at the house,
which has been described by other media as
"vacant", they "determined two of the indi-
viduals lived at the residence and the third
subject was an acquaintance."
Farley said that the "acquaintance" gave
false information to the police at first. But
"through further investigation officers were:
able to determine his true identity and found .
he was wanted for a parole violation," he
See SERIAL KILLER, Page 3A
ELECTION 2009
Incumbents
file to run
by ELIZABETH STEWART
staff writer
The three incumbent Kings Mountain city council-
men filed for reelection Monday as candidate filing pe-
riod opened at the Cleveland County Board “of
Elections.
Filing for four-year terms are Mike Butler, Ward 2;
Jerry Mullinax, Ward 3; and Dean Spears, At-Large.
In the school Uoard race, incumbent Connie Phifer
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Fireworks light up the summer sky in Kings Mountain.
Thousands enjoy
‘Fabulous Fourth'
fired close to 1,000 shots Saturday
night in a musically-themed fire-
works show that lasted close to 19
minutes.
But before the explosions of
colorful art lit up the night sky, the
explosions of cannons rang out.
Reenactors of the Back Country
Militia and the South Fork Boys
Crowds of spectators nearing
10,000 turned out for this year's
Fabulous Fourth at the Kings
Mountain walking track on Satur-
day night.
And even though budgets were
tight this year, the fireworks were
grander than ever. Pyrotechnician
of the show and former mayor
Scott Neisler estimated that they
EVE EDBR TEPER ELDRED BRED RBEEDD REDD ES HSE ED DRED
For the love of the show
Scott Neisler enjoys
bringing light to KM
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Former mayor Scott Neisler
loves his hometown. For the
past 20 years he has expressed
his adoration by giving Kings
Mountain one of the best fire-
works shows in the state.
He and his crew of half-a-
See SHOW, Page 3A
KYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD
Scott Neisler holds one of the
fireworks used in the show.
See FOURTH, Page 3A
Visit us today at
209 S. Battleground Avenue
Kings Mountain
Savell ‘of Kings Mountain filed for reelection and
Grover resident Kathy Falls, 302 Timberland Drive,
also filed for a seat on the nine member board for which
four seats are up for grabs in November.
Candidate filing ends July 17 at noon at the Board
of Elections. Filing fee for city council is $35. Filing
fee for the Cleveland County Board of Education is $20.
Incumbent city councilmen say they are running on
their records.
Terms of mayor pro tem Roney Gordon, Ward 4;
Howard Shipp, Ward I; Rick Moore, Ward 5; At Large
councilman Houston Corn and Mayor Rick Murphrey
do not expire this election year.
In Grover terms of council members Cindy O'Brien,
J. D. Ledford and Brent White are up in November.
Four seats on the nine-member Cleveland County
Board of Education are also up in November. Terms of
Connie P. Savall, Dr George Litton, Mary Evans and
Philip Glover are up.
Voter registration forms are available at Mauney
Memorial Library, Kings Mountain High School and
Kings Mountain Post Office.
OVERBOARD
704. 739.5411 © www. leans com
MEMBER FDIC
a
Rn