I Loh MG lo oto fete itte fn Loe ir fb (HE io te fi <i he te afr So i AN on of 05 0 GRU 0 J i ft. lf ce ln. le lho fn cn a G. ed Interiors 7 of Kings Mountain Classic Gifts & Interior Design Services IE 146 West Mountain St., Kings Mountain Ph. 704-730-8409 e Fax 704-730-8410 KHKNRNNNNHNKENNN NNN CAR RT LOM**C 307 08-06-10 0024A00 5p £003 MAUNEY MEMORIAL LI BRARY 100 S PI EDMONT AVE KI NGS MOUNTAIN NC 28086- 3450 Nw AAVI VUE | Volume 122 ¢ Issue 21 * Wednesday, May 26, 2010 State probes fatality Sr patrolman Investigation continues into death of Larry Smith, Jr. Smith ‘gone but not forgotten’ By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer "Gone but not forgotten" are some of the memories on the wall at 204-B West King St., the home Larry Smith Jr. shared with his family. "I remember my brother as 'Little Larry," said his sister, Michelle Crockett, adding, "He was people oriented, made a lot of friends over the years and will always be loved and missed." Other relatives and friends wrote "You will always be in our hearts." Several others wrote, "We'll see you in Heaven," on a large white poster board. As Smith's wife, Temika Springs Smith, and his parents, Sheila and Richard Bess, made arrangements for the 1:30 p.m. funeral today at People's Baptist Church, they spoke little of the early morning fatality Friday that took the 30-year-old man's life. Crockett said that her brother and Kings Moun- tain police offi- cer ~~ Thomas Bell, driving the patrol car that struck Smith, were ac- quaintances. "My brother knew a lot of peo- ple," she said. Crockett said law enforcement officers bes ir mentil 0 LARRY SMITH, JR. have told the family that an investigation into - the fatality and the results of an autopsy should be completed in about two weeks. News of the accident brought family members to the scene quickly, said Crockett, who added, relatives in the truck in which Smith was riding said that he was able to speak as rescue workers transported him to the hospital. Crockett said her mother fol- lowed the ambulance to the hospital. See SMITH, 3A Phthalate DAY Siar By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer The State Highway Patrol is continuihg its investigation into the death of Larry Bernard Smith Jr, 30, who died Friday morning of injuries sustained when, accord- ing to authorities, he was thrown from the open bed of a moving pickup truck and struck by a Kings Mountain police car. Ptl. Thomas Bell, a part time officer, was driving the patrol car. First Sgt. Steve Greene of the State High- way Patrol Public Information Office in Raleigh, said the pickup truck was driven by Julius Keith Pagan, 40, of 209 Waco Road. Other passengers in the truck, two of whom were riding in the bed of the truck with Smith, were Sterling Bess, 33, of 204 W. King St., Apt. B, Steve Bernard Hamrick, 20, of 1006 N. Cansler St. and Gerald Anthony Smith, 30, of 523 Cleveland Avenue. Greene said that once the investigation is complete that Cleveland County District At- By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer Kings Mountain City Council will torney Rick Shafer will determine if any charges will be filed. Also pending is an au- topsy report from the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office ordered by Cleveland County Coroner Dwight Tessneer. Funeral services for Smith will be held Wednesday, May 26,-2010 at 1:30 p.m. at People's Baptist Church with. visitation 30 minutes prior to the service. Interment will be in Mountain Rest Cemetery. : Blood stains and orange spray paint mark the scene on Barnette Drive where an ambu- lance was called at 1:55 a.m. May 21 and ar- rived at 2:04 a.m. Information provided by First Sgt. Greene stated "on Friday morning, May 21, 2010 at approximately 2:30 a.m. the North Carolina Highway Patrol was contacted bythe Kings Mountain Police Department to assist with a collision investigation involving a pedestrian and possibly a Kings Mountain police vehi- cle on Parrish Drive at the intersection of Barnette Drive. See INVESTIGATION, 3A CITY BUDGET City to take first look at budget tonight year. Effective May 1, the city council raised water and sewer rates, a hike funder the direction of Sgt. Bob Myers, take its first look Wednesday (tonight) at the 2010-2011 budget proposed by City Manager Marilyn Sellers. The work session will begin at of 15% for water and 35% for sewer. Sellers said at the time that she "re- grets" that she had to recommend it but it was necessary because the cur- rent rate structure leaves nothing for ispecial music by Shana Adams and iPiper Jane Gulden and address by a ational Guardsmen will feature the 5:30 p.m. in the H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Life & Conference Center. emergencies. She said water sales are | down with a big drop in water/sewer Home. service, to which the public is invited. ‘welcome and assist in laying a memo- rial wreath courtesy of Harris Funeral Last year's city budget totaled $32.9 million. After council makes recommen- dations on the city manager's propos- als, the proposed budget will be * available for review at city hall prior to a public hearing June 15 at 6 p.m. usage since the departure of textile plants that once were big water/sewer customers. With the downturn in the economy, residential and commercial customers are also conserving more water. Sellers said her budget proposal will be "lean." BH Keeper of the Trail Butch Bridges at which time council is expected to adopt the budget for the new fiscal finds home on the range By ELIZABETH STEWART Staff writer Mountain nature lover Butch Bridges—the unofficial guardian of the trail-could tell that thousands of people had walked the 2.27 miles since opening day November 7, 2009. Bridges, who lives nearby on Wells Street, has been at the trail every day. In fact, he's adopted the trail. He picks up trash, cuts grass, weed eats and welcomes visitors. He walks with his mother, Dora Bridges, and offers to walk with oth- ers who may need company. He tells everyone to carry along a cell phone and a water bottle. Shirley Brutko, president of Gateway Trails, said 8,000 visits were documented from early April until May 12. She said approximately 4,000 visitors walked the trail from open- BUTCH BRIDGES ing day Nov. 7, 2009 until the end of the year, ‘ a TT = "I've walked so many miles I can't remember but I love Kevin Lisska crosses the finish line first in Satur- See TRAIL. 7A day's Over the Mountain Triathlon. This was his sec- ond overall victory in the OTM. iCal Follow us on Face- book (KM Herald) and Twitter (kmherald) By EMILY WEAVER Editor Kevin Lisska, 31, of Tega Cay, SC, secured another first place finish in the city's 11th annual Over the Moun- tain Triathlon Saturday. In the five years he has competed in this three-leg point-to-point race, Satur- day's finish marked his sec- ond first place victory. He finished first in 2007 with an overall time of 2:11:05 (two hours: 11 minutes: five sec- onds).. He. beat his own record last year finishing second with a time of 2:08:37. On Saturday, he fin- ished in 2:08:40. It was great. Same great course it is every other year. I come back and do it every year because I like it,” Lis- Lhlappy Customers Dur Business! 209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ® 704.739.5411 www .alliancebankandtrust.com e MEMBER FDIC 11th ANNUAL OVER THE MOUNTAIN TRIATHLON Lisska takes second OTM triathlon victory Local economic development leader runs first triathlon, wins first in division, gets inside look at economic attraction INSIDE (LT EEC EER EIN RE) OTM triathlon ior ska said, after the victory. Contestants no. 2 and no. 3 finished second and third, respectively. Contestant no. 2, Tom Clifford, 27, of Wrightsville Beach, finished in 2:08:54, beating his sec- ond place finish time in 2008 of 2:18:31. This was his sec- ond year competing in Over the Mountain. Contestant no. 3, David Sokolofsky, 29, of Wilming- See TRIATHLON, 5A Alliance Banks&Trust Building Communities
