RT Tata a ;$-e,
oe = oe
Malyn Bailey B
crowned
Miss Kings
Mountain
Mountaineers
fall to South
Point in OT
field goal... C
Police Log...2A
Remembering the old
McGill Service Station...4
WARLICK aun HAMRICK |
704.739.3611
106 East Mountain Street
Kings Mountain, NC
www. KMinsure.com {
EET
olume 122 ¢ Issue 39 Werlnasday, September 29, 2010
Police: human remains pra not
F| a result of homicide
This 2007 photo shows an old Kings Mountain area mine pit
All powered up
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
Kings Mountain Police do not suspect homicide.in
the discovery last week of human bones in a closed
quarry.
Captain Derek Johnson said two 19-year-old boys
looking for a swimming hole found skeletal remains in
a fenced-in mine abandoned for 16 years, on the prop-
erty of Chemetall Foote Corporation's production site
near I-85. One of the youths took a picture of a bone,
showed it to his mother and she went to police.
Cleveland County Coroner Dwight Tessneer con-
firmed the found bone was a human femur and sent
- the remains to a Charlotte medical examiner's office.
But it may be weeks before a report is completed.
Johnson said gathering medical and dental records
of missing persons of interest and comparing those
findings will take time. ’
"The coroner, Chief Melvin Proctor and I think the
remains could be six to 12 months old," Johnson said.
"The mine is so inaccessible we just don't think
By EMILY WEAVER
Editor
there was foul play but the investigation is ongoing,"
he added.
It took police four hours to retrieve the skeletal re-
mains Thursday. Climbing up from the quarry was
more difficult than going down into it as detectives
scaled rocky ridges and straight vertical rock walls to
search for the remains.
"It was bad, very deep, you wouldn't believe it,"
Johnson said.
Johnson did not identify the two boys he called "ad-
venturers." The two told police they had "Googled" on
the internet for paths that might lead to mines and
swimming and fishing holes in the Kings Mountain
area. Their curiosity was piqued as they navigated the
overgrowth to find a place to swim. Johnson said the
two would not be charged with trespassing.
' "They just wanted to swim," he said.
Their adventure ended when they reported it to
their mother. And police say there's not likely to be a
repeat.
‘More green for local greenways
committee was thrilled to hear the news last
week that they will get $150,000 for the next
The Gateway Trails and the City of Kings
Mountain has been awarded $166,600 in
grants to help connect local lands to the Car-
olina Thread Trail - a 15-county, two-state
and conservation corridors.
The Carolina Thread Trail Governing
Board approved trail grant applications from
13 community projects along the Thread, to-
taling $563,795. Of the 13 approved, two
Kings Mountain projects were given the
green light.
The city is set to receive $16,600 for the
first step in identifying the thread trail's path
network of greenways, bikeways, waterways
phase of the trail.
"We are absolutely elated because NOW
we can really move, forward in the next three
months," said Shirley Brutko, president of he
Gateway Trails, Inc.
The design for the next phase of frail,
which will extend the current greenway
nearly three miles, will connect to the other
side of I-85 near Quality Lane. The 2.8-mile
"Phase 3" has already been marked. Volun-
teers have been working to clear the brush.
The new path will feature a gravel trail, a
scenic overlook platform, bench seating, a
boardwalk creek and rail crossings.
Public Power Week, an awareness
promotion by the City of Kings Moun-
tain's Electric and Billing Departments,
tomer appreciation giveaways at and
"Color. the Mayor" coloring contests at
city hall.
The week of activities culminates on
Saturday, Oct. 9, at the community-wide
Gateway Festival downtown where game
winners will get energy kits, coloring
contest winners will get $25 gift cards,
and the new Electric Department mascot
- "Light Bob" will make an appearance.
Bob's costume is a prototype of a light
kicks off Monday with displays and cus-,
Chris Welch, left, and Johnny Putnam, right, work on a city power pole.
Power week energizes city
bulb created by Holly Black and will be
modeled by Josh Conrad.
Coloring sheets (a picture of the
mayor climbing a light pole at last year's
Gateway Festival) are available at City
Hall.
The Gateway Festival will culminate
with the first annual City of Kings Moun-
tain Lineman's Rodeo with a special con-
test to see who can guess how quickly
Mayor Rick can perform a mystery skill.
"This is an event that you don't want
to miss," says Electric Supt. Nick Hen-
dricks. :
See POWER WEEK, 7A
from Moss Lake to the Gateway Trails.
The Kings Mountain Gateway Trails See GRANTS, 7A
CRY
CARSLINA
THREAD
A REGIONAL NETWORK
DF GREENWAY
bi LA RRR
PIFYEEN COUNDIES IN
NORTH CAROLINA AND
Fr Ra HS ENTE
PETE PCE RN EET RR
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Gateway Trails President Shirley Brutko stands with members of Gateway Trails Inc.'s exec-
utive hoard, Bill McCarter and Mary Wade Smith at the Carolina Thread Trail sign at the Gate-
way trailhead, marking KM's future connectivity with the two-state, 15-county-wide Interstate
of recreational lands.
City thanks customers over breakfast [Ji A
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Staff writer
The city's annual Customer Appre-
ciation Breakfast last Thursday at-
tracted a large crowd to the H.
Lawrence Patrick Senior Center.
"We were very pleased with the
turnout," said Mayor Rick Murphrey,
who was master of ceremonies and pre-
sented Public Power Week gifts and
door prizes, including colorful Fall
Fd bo thostalt . . es ae a ; 8 a ; Re
at we take fo thank CIty customers and guests pack the senior center conference room for annual break- | "i
our customers for their loyalty," said the fast. photo by LIB STEWART photo by LIB STEWART
mayor, welcoming customers, associ-
ates, city and area government repre-
sentatives and elected officials. Keith
Falls of Linwood Restaurant catered the
country-style buffet meal.
"Kings Mountain continues to move
forward, " the mayor said ‘as he re-
. viewed some of the highlights of city
progress in spite of a struggling econ-
omy. "We cut our budget by a half mil-
lion dollars, kept the tax rate intact and
See MAYOR, 7A
Malyn Bailey, Kings Mountain High School senior, regis- -
ters to vote with Board of Elections Deputy Director Mel-
oni Wray on the KMHS campus Wednesday. Bailey turned
18 Sept. 5 and will cast her vote for the first time Nov. 2.
Happy bustomers
are Our Business!
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ® 704.739.5411
www.alliancebankandtrust.com ® MEMBER FDIC
Bank Tru.
Building Communities