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1250 Linwood Rd., Kings Mountain
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100 S PIEDMONT AVE
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307 08-06-10 0024A00
MALUNEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
; 28086- 3450
11CI dIU |
Volume 122 ¢ Issue 15 Wednesday, April 14, 2010
APL 38
oJ
A scene from a recent Firehouse Cookoff.
14th Firehouse
SCHOOLS
Jobs safe — no budget
cuts predicted for 2010
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
While other area school systems are
scrambling to avoid teacher layoffs, the
Cleveland County Board of Education
Monday night applauded Supt. Dr.
Bruce Boyles' proposed $161 million
budget, which saves jobs and proposes
a 10% increase in the teacher supple-
ment schedule as well as the supple-
ment scale for principals and assistant
principals.
Additionally, the proposed budget
has money for a uniform classified
salary scale to take the non-certified
staff to ‘an equitable pay scale level
across the system. Boyles said this was
a need first acknowledged by the newly
merged school board in 2004 and is still
supported by county commissioners.
Funding constraint$ had prevented the
implementation of this initiative previ-
ously, he said.
"This is a way to reward our em-
ployees who have persevered through
the staffing realignment while main-
taining the high standards of service to
our students," he said. Boyles said that
many employees assumed additional
duties as the system made budgetary
and staffing adjustments.
"I challenge anyone of you to find
another system in the state who can ad-
just salaries, have no job cuts and raise
supplements during this economy and I
commend the superintendent and staff
for all their diligence in making this
happen," said chairman Tommy
Greene. He added that the system "is in
much better shape for this next fiscal
See SAFE, 7A
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
beque Cook-off.
BBQ Cook-off kicks
off Friday at track
As of Monday afternoon, 46 teams had signed up to
compete in this weekend's 14th annual F irchouse Bar-
The cook-off will begin around noon on Friday at
the Kings Mountain Walking Track, next to the YMCA
on Cleveland Rd., and will finish up with an awards
ceremony set for 3 p.m. Saturday. Some teams may be
up and selling barbecue by lunchtime on Friday, ac-
cording to KM Fire Chief Frank Burns.
Kings Mountain firefighters have spent weeks
See FIREHOUSE, 3A
KMPD hunts
armed robber
Kings Mountain. police
are on the hunt for the man
who robbed Dollar General
on York Road last Wednes-
day. The new suspect joins a
hot list of four others that are
wanted for a separate armed
robbery at Advance Auto,
512 E. King St.,
morning of March 29.
Officers were called out
_to Dollar General on the
morning of April 7, and were
told that a black male had
entered the business just as it
opened. The man brandished
a handgun, according to po-
, lice, and demanded that the
manager and another em-
ployee go behind the store
counter and open the safe
and cash register tills.
“Employees complied
with the demands and an un-
known amount of U.S. cur-
rency was taken from the
scene,” according to Kings
Mountain police.
The suspect left on foot,
walking toward the back of
the business. No injuries
were reportedly sustained
on the
during the incident.
Police are on the lookout
for a black male, about 20-
25 years of age, with a slim
build and who stands about
6 feet tall. On the morning of
the robbery, the suspect was
wearing blue jeans, an or-
ange hat over a black ‘do
rag, a rusty orange shirt and
white tennis shoes.
The suspect was captured
on the store’s video surveil-
lance equipment.
In the Advance Auto heist
on March 29, policefsaid that
three black men and one
black woman entered the
store at 8:45 a.m. Monday
morning armed with hand-
guns and demanded money.
They fled on foot with an
undisclosed amount of
money in an unknown direc-
tion of travel, according to
the news release from the
police department.
Once captured, the four
may also be charged with
connections to other rob-
beries in other cities in the
See ROBBERS, 5A
m Catch the bus in KM
Greyhound bus
station to open in KM
A new Greyhound bus
stop/station will be located at
Battleground Petroleum, 726
York Road. It will open for
business on April 20.
It will not be a full station
but travelers will be able to
purchase tickets and board or
depart from buses at the
Kings Mountain location.
Kings Mountain's Bus
Station closed a number of
years ago and Greyhound's
Gastonia station on Davis
A)
Avenue in Gastonia closed
last October after 25 years of
service.
Lamp
GROVER
New legislation
may be on way to
change downtown
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
Grover’s Main Street might don a new look in the coming
months—either by force or by choice. The “Main” agenda is
to improve downtown’s appearance.
Grover Town Council is considering new legislation that
may require downtown businesses to limit the number of
flashing red-light open signs, tinted or shaded windows and
other signage or features that may either pose a security risk
or diminish property values.
Most of the Main Street buildings now house shops that
offer sweepstakes games with cash prizes, which authorities
have claimed skirt the state’s gaming laws. After visits from
law enforcement and county zoning officers, these estab-
lishments now operate behind shaded or tinted windows. Al-
‘though some have pulsing, colored lights to attract
customers, police have argued that the tinted or shaded win-
dows pose a security risk since they cannot clearly see inside
the business.
One of the vacant properties along Main Street has store-
front windows that are partially covered by boxes and other
items stored in the shop. Councilwoman Jackie Bennett ques-
tioned Monday night whether or not this was a “fire hazard”.
“Can we require them to remove stuff?” Mayor Robert
Sides asked Town Attorney Mickey Corry.
“Sure you can,” Corry replied.
Sides said that he will work up a list of changes he and the
See GROVER, 4A
0
7 (Ene oe
ny Customers
are Our Business!
Ultra Consolidation
Ultra Machine
Shelby in May
By ELIZABETH STEW- modifications are under
ART way with new equipment,
Staff writer installation and certifica-
Ulira International. 709 tion scheduled for com-
Broadview Dive is on ov. pletion in the third quarter
ing its Kings Mountain of ii yo. th )
machine and fabrication £ $310 Mgcompany 1s
- operation to 2501 West working with local gov-
i : : ernment leaders to under-
Sa 2 Shelby "stand the future of Ultra's
Nearly 400 employees Presence in Kings Moun:
work Eas at Ri tam, including the Doon
sites manufacturing com- tial utilization of the
ponent parts for the mili- Broadview) ond, Hloyd
tary. The move means Street space, created by
consolidation of the Kings the consolidation, for fu-
Mountain heavy plate fab- ture assembly projects or
rication and welding additional capacity as re-
: quired.
shops and expansion of The expansion repre-
il Ievaland County sents an investment of
Frank Stewart. Ulira millions of dollars.
International ~ President This expansion is an-
and CEQ, said that facility See ULTRA, 5A
Man drops 100 ft from
Crowders Mountain
A 17-year-old man fell about 25 feet and tumbled another
80 feet while rock climbing with a friend at Crowders Moun-
tain Sunday afternoon.
It was the second fall to happen at the park in a month.
Rescue workers were quick to the scene on Sunday, and
helped get the victim off of the mountain, onto a stretcher
and into a helicopter for transport to the hospital.
A few weeks ago, another climber fell off of a practice
wall, plunging almost 80 feet, before being airlifted to a hos-
pital. Authorities said that both climbers appeared to have -
"non-life-threatening injuries".
photo by CHARLIE SMITH
A picturesque view from the mountain so many
have enjoyed climbing.
New daycare to open in KM
A new childcare facility rent location on Airport
is set to open Friday, bring-
ing up to 30 jobs to Kings
Mountain.
A Higher Learning Child-
care Academy is set open at
104 South Carpenter Street
in Kings Mountain this
week, expanding on its cur-
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ® 704.739.5411
- www.alliancebankandtrust.com e MEMBER FDIC
Road in Shelby that opened
16'years ago.
The facility in Shelby is a
year-round program that of-
fers all day care for children
ages birth to 12 years old, ac-
cording to its website. Its ac=
See CHILDCARE, 3A
Alliance
Bank& Trust
Building Communities
ms