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Volume 121 ¢ Issue 46 Wednesday, November 25, 2009
My Hometown...
1IC1 au
Premier Dealer ™
LENNOX
Home Comfort Systems
Innovation never felt so poor
12 vu’
More
jobs on
the way
New company will
need skilled workers
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
More. jobs are coming to
Kings Mountain in mid-Janu-
ary Pennsylvania businessman
Jeff Latchaw announced Mon-
day. He is investing over $2
million in state-of-the-art
equipment and additions to the
former Sterling Equipment
building at the end of Quality
Lane, off NC 161 (York Road)
to house the new Qual-Tech In-
dustries, Inc.
Latchaw has purchased a
60,000 pound (30 ton) state-of-
the-art piece of high-tech,
highly efficient machining
equipment that will be moved
from Charlotte to Kings Moun-
tain in mid-December.
Built by Okuma of Japan,
the impressive, universal ma-
chine is a 5-Axis vertical mul-
titasking piece of equipment
that will require highly skilled
employees to-operate. The em-
ployees will be trained at York
Technical Institute for 10 posi-
tions on three. shifts initially
with salary range of $20 per
hour. As the business grows,
JOBS, 3A
City sets
hearing on
sweepstake
moratorium
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
City Council voted Tuesday
night to set a public hearing
Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. to consider a
temporary moratorium on the
issuance of zoning permits for
internet cafes and retail busi-
nesses with sweepstakes gam-
ing machines and the like.
After public hearing Coun-
cil could adopt such a morato-
rium in the form of an
ordinance.
Steve Killian, Director of
Planning & Economic Devel-
opment, told the board that
moratorium ordinances are pro-
vided for in General Statutes
160A-381, grant of power (for
zoning). Specifically, it author-
izes temporary moratoria on
land use development covered
by a local permit. A reasonable
length of time for the morato-
rium is allowed for local gov-
ernment to address threats to
public health or safety. Such a
development moratorium must
meet the standards spelled out
in the General Statutes. Any
person aggrieved by the impo-
sition of the moratorium has
the right to apply to the courts
for immediate review and pos-
sibly cause an order enjoining
the enforcement of the ordi-
nance to be issued.
Mayor Rick Murphrey said
the city's proposed ordinance is
being drafted by City Attorney
Mickey Corry. It will address
why a moratorium is needed,
what process will be affected,
the length of the moratorium
and what the city will be doing _
during the moratorium.
Moratoriums are allowed,
under law, to give a commu-
nity time to gather facts and
develop a plan of action for
dealing with land use that
has created a concern about
its impact on the public.
At least eight businesses
in the city limits have sweep-
stakes terminals available to
customers.
{
c di PAS. Lime ; I'S rere!
Santa Claus and Mayor Rick Murphrey get ready to lead the crowd in a
. countdown to light the Christmas tree across the street.
Big crowd
for annual
tree lighting
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
A large crowd, nearly 500 people, attended
Monday night's Tree Lighting ceremony inside
of Central United Methodist Church.
_, The festivities, which ave usually held at.
Mauney Memorial Library, were moved across
the street and were held in the church's Chris-
tian Activity Center because of the day's wet
weather. The night's events, once again, pro-
claimed that "Christmas time is here".
. + Mayor Rick Murphrey welcomed the crowd
and Dr. Jeff Mauney, chairman of the library's.
board of trustees, gave a state of the library ad-
Three-year-old Ryley Powers
shares her Christmas wish
with Santa.
dress, The ceremony, when weather
peradtiias held each year on the
where one of the city's largest
Christmas trees is lit after a count-
down from the crowd.
Singers from Bethware, West,
North and Grover elementary cho-
ruses gathered in true Christmas
TREE LIGHTING, 4A
RUN, RUN ¥
RUDOLF! J # |
SANTA'S | 4
GOTTA 4
TOWN.
Rudolf
jingled his
bells at
Murphey's
Annual :
Toy Run
Saturday.
Hundreds of
‘elves’ ride
for Christmas
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Hundreds of bikers from all walks of life
came bearing gifts to Murphey ’s Scooter Shed
Saturday morning, revving their motorcycle en-
gines for a ride that would bring a Merry Christ-
mas to many children.
Spoils from the event will benefit the
Shriners Children’s Hospital, the Masonic Home
for Children and the Kings Mountain Police De-
| partment’s Toy Drive. With a high unemploy-
ment rate that has plagued the county this year,
the outpouring of support could not have come
at a better time.
TOY RUN, 4A
R.C., left, and Billy Wray get ready to add their toys to the toy chest at
Murphey's Scooter Shed.
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Photos by Emily Weaver
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’
_ front lawn of Mauney Memorial
| LIGHT OF THE SEASON
SULA be %
LIB STEWART re
It's beginning to look a lot like a Costner
Christmas as Bryden Murray and his great-
grandfather Grady Costner prepare to turn on
the switch Thursday at one of the area's
biggest holiday displays.
Costner lights
on Thursday
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
The switch will be flipped at 5:30 p.m. Thursday
night on one of the biggest Christmas light displays in
the area, at the home of Grady and Katie Costner, 2000
Midpines.
"It's our 14th Costner Christmas for the community",
said 80-year-old Grady Costner, who welded the illu-
minated work of art. His wife Katie strings the thou-
sands of lights arourd the frames.
Visitors from miles around drive through the Costner
driveway during the Christmas season starting Thanks-
giving night, take a candy cane from Santa, and enjoy a
spectacle which some say resembles a Mini-McA-
denville.
LIGHTS, 4A
# Inside Look
Architect studies
downtown buildings
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
A special architect visited downtown Kings Moun-
tain last Thursday on invitation from the North Carolina
Main Street Program of which the city is now a part.
Historical architect and Main Street Designer Lauren
Malinoff visited several sites and property owners with
Mountaineer Partnership Executive Director Adam
Hines to help design a vision for downtown. The serv-
ices she will provide, estimated at nearly $1,500, came
at no cost to the city, thanks to Mountaineer Partner-
) DOWNTOWN, 3A
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Property owner Scott Campbell, right, talks
about his downtown buildings with Main Street
Designer Lauren Malinoff, front, and Moun-
taineer Partnership Director Adam Hines.