108 S. Piedmont Ave.
Kings Mountain, NO
135591
Train tears th Hhiogk
Second such collision this year;
Norfolk calls to close crossing
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Shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, a truck driver haul-
ing a load of transmission parts bound for Eaton and frus-
trated from his GPS' misdirection, made a wrong turn and
came face-to-face with a train.
He told officers of the Kings Mountain Police that he did-
n't see the signs - not any of the four staked at the railroad
crossing that advises trucks to keep away. He told officers
that after he typed his destination - "744 S. Battleground
Ave., Kings Mountain, NC" - into his GPS (not knowing that
Eaton is located at 744 S. Battleground Ave., Grover) it sent
him the wrong way.
Traveling north on Battleground Avenue, the driver turned
left onto Oak Street in an attempt to turn around. His under-
carriage caught on the tracks. Like so many other semi-trucks
that have come befare, his was stuck. ..and a Norfolk South-
ern train was barreling towards him.
As he continued to try to free his truck from the tracks’ en-
tangling grasp, the railway arms started to lower. The lights
started to flash. At about 5:20 a.m., the train ripped through
the truck dissecting the cab, the driver was in, from its cargo
which spewed from the trailer and littered the ground.
The train came to a halt.nearly a mile down the tracks.
Black skid marks on the street after the cab was removed, on photos by DWIGHT CONNELLY
A truck stuck on the tracks at the Oak Street crossing Tuesday morning was demolished by a Norfolk Southern train. The truck
driver said he didn’t see the signs.
Job fair at Y
set for June 22
"Ryder, a new distribution company, is coming to
Kings Mountain and a job fair will be held Wednesday
and Thursday, June 22 and 23, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at
Kings Mountain YMCA, 211 Cleveland Avenue, ;
First and second shift positions will be available
for lift truck operators, cycle counters, shipping/re-,
ceiving clerks and human resource professionals.
All positions require applicants to be 18 years or
older and have a high school diploma or GED. Those
Interested must apply in person and come prepared t
complete a job application and pre-screen interview.
See TRUCKS, 7A
President Carter visits park
The Kings Mountain National Military Park welcomed a
special visit from President Jimmy Carter and his wife, First
Lady Rosalynn Carter, on June 1, 2011.
KMNM Park Superintendent Erin Broadbent said that he
stopped by for a visit on his way back to Georgia. The Carters
spent about two hours at the park, where the president signed
copies of his novel “The Hornets Nest”.
“(They) watched the film, visited the exhibit area and then
toured the trail. It was a very nice tinie,” Broadbent said.
President Carter is the second president to visit the park.
In 1930, President Herbert Hoover spoke at the 150th An-
niversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain. In 1931, the bat- |
tlefield became a national park.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter vis-
ited the Kings Mountain National Military Park on June 1. He
was welcomed by a crowd of park officials, Superintendent
Erin Broadbent and several guests.
BELOW, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn
Carter stand with park officials and guests.
Business owners
bring beat back
| to downtown
A group of local business and property owners, including
Bobby Horne and Scott Campbell as well as Jim Thompson;
Nick LaVecchia and many others, have joined forces with
the city of Kings Mountain and The Mountaineer Partnership
‘to bring a Summer Concert “Mini Series” to Patriots Park
this summer.
“We felt that with the momentum Rings Mountain had
going and the fact that the economy seemed to be turning,
that it was crucial to keep Kings Mountain in the fore front,”
Horne said.
When the group met with city officials and learned that
there was no funding in the budget to put on such an event,
the business leaders decided to raise the money themselves
and coordinate the program privately for the summer of 2011
in hopes that The Mountaineer Partnership Inc. will lead in
the implementation of the concert series in 2012.
Late in the game and with many details to work out, the
team has a vision to put on four family friendly, no admission
cost concerts this summer featuring bands like the Scoot
* Pittman Trio, L Shaped Lot and Harvest, to name a few. Also
tentatively planned are activities for kids like face painting
BUD ET 2011- 12
Hearing on city No new tax hikes
budget Monday in county budget
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
A public hearing on the
city's proposed $34.7 million
budget will be conducted by.
Kings Mountain City Coun-
cil Monday, June 20, at 6
p.m. in Council Chambers at
city hall.
The budget is available
8798525700200
* for public inspection in the
office of City Clerk Ann Ses-
Soms.
The proposed budget
calls for no increase in the
tax rate and no increase in
utilities - water, sewer, elec-.
tric and gas.
City, Manager Marilyn
Sellers said at the recent
budget work session that no
COLA (Cost Of Living Al-
lowance) or merit pay in-
creases are projected for the
200 city employees but the
benefit packages will con-
See CITY, 7A
wn ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmajl.com
Good news for Cleveland
County residents - no in-
_ creases in the tax rate or on
any fees in the $56.3 million
budget adopted by county
commissioners last week.
The tax rate will remain
57 cents per $100 property
valuation plus’ 15 cents
school supplementary tax.
"We haven't had a (tax)
rate increase in 11 budgets
that I've been on the board
and I just can't say enough
about all the positives in
Cleveland County," said
Ronnie Hawkins, vice chair-
man of the board.
Hawkins praised County
Manager David Dear and his
staff for putting a budget to-
gether that that is fiscally
conservative and in line with
commissioner's expectations
in tough times. For the third
year in a row there is no cost
of living or merit raise pay
for county employes. The
board approved a new
houtly rate - from $175 to
$220, for county attorney
See COUNTY, 7A
and games. A corn hole tournament could be included as
well. A concession stand is planned and The Battleground
Steakhouse will be setting up to accommodate concert goers
across the street with food and drink specials both janie and
out on the deck.
The first event will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jone 24th
to complement the All American Bowl game hosted at Kings
Mountain High’s John Gamble stadium by the Cleveland
County Sports Commission and will feature the Scoot
Pittman Trio. Mark your calendars for these four dates and
watch for more information coming soon:
©» June 24th - Scoot Pittman Trio
» July 9th - L Shaped Lot
«July 30th - TBA
* August 19th - Harvest
See CONCERTS, 7A
LRT
TET TC A FT
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain ¢ 704.739.5411
www.alliancebanknc.com « MEMBER FDIC