Kings
Laura Bingham
ends 12-year
tenure as third
longest serving
private college
president in state
Page 5A
face South
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Mountaineers
Point Friday
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i er
Volume 121 « Issue 37 » Wednesday, September 23, 2009
>
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
"She was a good friend and a loving
friend," choked nine-year-old ‘Nija
Ellis: in between tears at Monday
night's candlelight vigil in Kings
Mountain. "I'll never forget her."
Dozens came out to Carolina Gar-
den Apartments off of Northwoods
Drive at 7 p.m. to remember a pregnant
‘ll never forget her’
Ayanna Strong, 10, shares the light of her candle with Bridget Hatten, left, while nine-year-old
Nijah Ellis, right, looks forward during Monday’s vigil for Tiffany Wright.
Death of teen and baby
bring neighbors together
“How could
somebody do
something to my
sister?”
- Chantika Pompey
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
51 5-year-old whose life was cut short on
the morning of Sept. 14, while she
waited for a school bus in Charlotte.
"She was a kind friend. She had a
giving nature," said Ayanna Strong, 10.
"She never liked violence."
But, sadly, it was violence that
ended the life of Tiffany Wright.
Wright, nearly eight months preg-
nant, was waiting for her bus in Char-
lotte last Monday morning, when
authorities say she was shot in the
head. She was rushed to the hospital,
but the wound proved fatal.
Her baby was delivered prema-
turely. The infant girl, named Aliyah
Faye Wright, passed away Punday
night.
"How could somebody do some-
thing to my sister?" cried 17-year-old
Chantika Pompey at the vigil. "When I
heard she was dead, something in me
just tore up."
Pompey, a close friend of Tiffany's,
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Fifteen-year-old Marissa
Conner, left, and Chantika
Pompey release balloons in
honor of Tiffany Wright and -
her infant daughter Aliyah,
See VIGIL, 3A
who recently passed away.
SCHOOLS
Schools need help to prevent flu
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Rumors of children attending
school with swine flu across the
county seem to have spread almost
- quicker than the illness itself lately.
‘But not all of the rumors are false.
Cleveland County Schools Direc-
tor of Administrative Services Stephen
Fisher said that they have had a few
students at the schools that have been
sick with the flu.
"But their symptoms have been di-
agnosed at this porte as just the flu,"
he said.
School officials are not sure exactly
what strain of the flu, whether the reg-
ular seasonal type or the 2009 H1N1
(swine flu), the children may have
contracted. But letters have been sent
home to parents across the county,
asking for their help to prevent the flu
from spreading.
. Reportedly, there have been at least
two small children in the Kings Moun-
tain area afflicted with swine flu. But
testing for the specific strains is not
being done by the school system or
county health department.
Linda Kiser, school health supervi-
sor for Cleveland County Schools,
said that hospitals are the ones more
likely to send out samples to be tested.
The more severe cases, fitting cer-
tain criteria, ‘are the ones primarily an=
alyzed. Samples are sent to "sentinel
sites" to determine the exact strain of
See FLU, 3A
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
City has special visit with secretary
The City of Kings Mountain had a special visit recently
with state Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco.
On the moming of Sept. 10, the secretary was welcomed |
by Cleveland 20/20, the Shelby-based economic develop-
ment commission of the chamber of commerce. After tour-
ing sites in Shelby, Crisco toured Kings Mountain with’
Mayor Rick Murphrey.
For the mayor, the tours with Crisco: were more like a
walk down memory lane.
GET RT MT 17)
The Herald's
‘tweels’ at
twitter.com/kmhe
Li Bank Trust
Building Communities
Alliance
"Keith and I go ay back," Murphrey said. "We had a
great visit."
Crisco, president and chairman of Asheboro Elastics
Corp. for over 20 years, was a regular customer of the
mayor's when he was employed as a salesman with Patrick
Yarn.
Murphrey was pleased to learn that the governor had ap-
pointed Crisco in January to head the state commerce de-
+ See SECRETARY, 3A
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$2,500 minimum to earn advertised rate
APY*
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DOWNTOWN
City added
to Main St.
Program
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
It's official! Mountaineer Partnership has been awarded
inclusion in the North Carolina Main Street Program.
The Main Street program will help MPI breathe new life
into-downtown through technical assistance, training, pro-
gram guidance, networking, advocacy and: leadership.
Crafted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
program has helped revitalize ‘over 1,200 downtowns
across the country.
The NC Main Street program will pump about $150,000 -
into downtown revitalization efforts, in Kings Mountain
over the next three years.
"After the initial three-year start-up phase, the state an-
nually invests approximately $5,000 in each Main Street
community to provide ongoing town-specific technical as-
sistance, and statewide and on-site training for (downtown)
managers and board members," according to the North Car-
_ olina Main Street Center.
The plan is for communities to "recognize and preserve
their historic fabric, and, using local resources, build on
4 See PROGRAM, 4A
COUNTRYSIDE
Neighbors
question
annexation
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
An informational meeting on the city's plans for annex-
ation of nearly 500 acres in two areas of Kings Mountain
was attended by two dozen Countryside Road residents
Thursday.
"I want to be on the record that I am totally opposed to
annexation," said Mike Bumgardner, of 124 Countryside
Road.
None of the other property owners gave their names as °
they spoke informally to city planners Steve Killian and
Steve Austin, who, along with city councilman Mike But-
ler, responded to questions and distributed packets of in-
formation. Several other residents of the Countryside area
visited with city planners and several council members and
the mayor earlier in the day.
All 330 residents in Area H, Countryside Road/Kings
Pointe, and Area I, Crocker Ridge, will have their chance
to speak at a public hearing Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. before city
council and letters will go out to all property owners prior
to that date. City council will vote on the annexation plan .
See PROTEST, 3A
Miss KM Pageant
Saturday at Joy
Kings Mountain Little Theatre will sponsor the 8th an-
nual Miss Kings Mountain Beauty Pageant Saturday at 6
p.m. at Joy Theatre, Railroad Ave.
Brenda Lovelace, co-director with Laura Mancuso and
Todd Frady, said that deadline for entries is Thursday at 5
p.m. at First National Bank. The entry fee in each of the
seven divisions of the show is $25 and Cindi Wood and
Mrs. Lovelace will receive entries at the bank.
"This is really a fun pageant for all age groups," said
Lovelace. Trophies will be awarded to the winner and first
and second runners-up in each division. Miss Kings Moun-
tain 2009 will receive a $250 scholarship from the Little
Theatre.
The seven categories in the show are Baby Miss ages 0-
1; Tiny Miss, ages 2-3; Wee Miss, ages 4-6; Little Miss,
ages 7-9; Junior Miss, ages 10-12; Teen Miss, ages 13-15;
See PAGEANT, 3A
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