kmherald.net
Suspicious
fire under
scrutiny
City firemen and police are inves-
tigating a suspicious automobile fire
which happened Thursday night in a
garage at 210 N. Piedmont Avenue:
Kings Mountain Fire Chief Frank
Burns said the fire was "totally in-
volved" when firemen arrived at the
scene and found two vehicles and the
garage on fire.
Burns estimated damages to the
two cars and garage at $15,000-
$20,000.
No injuries were reported. Firemen
put out the blaze in about 10 minutes,
the chief said.
A wood stove apparently sparked a
fire and destroyed the kitchen at the
Ronnie Philbeck family's home on
Cleveland Avenue in Grover Friday
morning at 11:30 a.m. Family mem-
bers were not at home at the time.
Four pets were rescued by firemen
from Grover and Bethlehem Fire De-
partments.
New kidney,
new day for a
happy Blanton
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Each day’is a new blessing, says
Freida Blanton, 51, a week after her
successful kid-
ney transplant.
"1. ‘feel: the
best I've felt in
years." The
Kings Mountain
woman said the
years she waited
for a transplant
provided the
most meaningful
moments of her
life. She appreci-
ates the things she may have rushed
through or put off before her life-
changing experience. "I'm grateful for
each new day."
Blanton is counting the days until
she can get back to her activities at
True Gospel Holiness Church and
FREIDA BLANTON
See BLANTON, 7A
12 may face
charges after
recent sweep
_ House calls, a "knock and talk," is
how Cleveland County Sheriff Alan
Norman described the nearly two days
that 14 officers spent in late January
at 210 different locations in the county
visiting registered sex offenders.
Norman said that 12 registered sex
offenders could face charges based on
the operation. They found several
homes vacant where the offender was
supposed to be, a person answering
the door said the sex offender no
longer lived there, or a listed address
was a homeless shelter.
"We will be going back to some of
. the residences," said Norman. He said
a similar operation will be conducted
again in the Spring.
Deputies went to the homes unan-
nounced and made sure that registered,
sex offenders were living within the
See SHERIFF, 7A
Western Sizzlin.
~ EMILY WEAVER
Editor
An idea that sprouted in a Sunday
School classroom - to feed the hun-
gry with locally-grown potatoes - is
maturing into a cause that has spread
far beyond those first few potato
philanthropy, the Cleveland County
Potato Project has touched the lives
of thousands and its impact contin-
ues to grow.
~ Nearly 100 people srowded into
patches. Rooted in volunteerism and
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
Doug Sharp, of the Cleveland County Potato Projest, addresses a crowd at
Potato Project a
growing blessing
side rooms of the Western Sizzlin in
Shelby Friday, night to hear an up-
date and give thanks to the project,
now going into its third year.
In 2010, a volunteer labor force
produced 30,000 pounds of potatoes
and delivered them to the Kings
Mountain Crisis Ministry, Greater
Cleveland County Baptist Associa- |
tion, U-Can and the Salvation Army
for distribution. Last year, the proj-
ect raised 84, 000 pounds of oe
toes.
See PROJ ECT, 6A
64-year tradition
Thanks started with a fire,
continued with a fire
= EMILY WEAVER
Editor
For 64 years now, Kings Mountain
men have been offering thanks to law
enforcement and firemen over dinner.
The annual tradition, often held around
Christmas time, was started by the late
L. Arnold Kiser in 1948 after a fire at
his home.
_Sr., Johnny Harris and Kemp Mauney,
and organizer Ronnie Hawkins. On
Thursday night at Central United
Methodist Church, the tradition that
began with a fire was interrupted by a
fire call.
Getting the call, KM firefighters left
their plates and rushed to another res-
cue. And that's’ why we're thanking
them, said Debbie Mauney, wife of
iE BE EE
: Z 5 == 2
WARLICK HAMRICK
INSURANCE
704.739.3611
106: East Mountain Street
Kings Mountain, NC
www.KMinsure.com
Have you
seen this
Police seek ain in alin
suspects from two armed
robberies Monday night
Kings Mountain Police need the public's help in-appre-
hending suspects in two armed robberies that happened Mon-
day night within a two hour period - one at a residence and
one at a convenience store.
Det. Cpl. K. L. Hamrick said that police were called to a
home at 125 N. Railroad Avenue at 9:10 p.m. Monday night
where the occupant answered a knock on the door and per-
mitted a man to enter to use the telephone. Inside the house,
the black male brandished a handgun and demanded money.
The victim gave the man money, was unhurt and the man left
on foot. He is described as a 30-35-year-old black male 5'8"
to 5'9" tall, approximately 175 pounds wearing a blue or
black coat.
The second armed robbery happened at 11:30 p.m. at One
Stop convenience store at 2120 Shelby Road. Police said the
store clerk reported that two black males entered the store
and one of the subjects produced a black handgun and de-
manded cash from the register. The clerk complied with the
demands and both subjects left the business on foot, running,
toward the East 74 Bypass. There were no injuries.
Suspect No. 1 is described as a 20-30 year-old black male
approximately 5'9" to 6 feet tall wearing a red shirt under a
black coat with atbrown fur-lined hood, blue jeans and tennis
shoes.
Suspect No. 2 is Qeseribed. as a black male 5'6"-5'7" tall
wearing a pink or red dress shirt with a red tie, dark colored
pants and white dress shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Kings Moun-
tain Police Department at 704-734-0444.
ANYONE'S
GAME
Perdue is not running,
governor seat up for grabs
Politics is beginning to
Larry Hamrick, Sr., the late Senator
J. Ollie Harris, and the late W.K.
Mauney, Jr. carried on the tradition now
continued By their sons, Larry Hamrick,
Kemp Mauney. pick up steam With Governor
See DINNER, 7A Beverly Perdue's sudden an-
: she won't seek re-election in
: 2012.
/ : Although no candidate
has emerged as a front-run-
* ner in the Democratic Party,
Republican Pat McCrory
of Charlotte opened his offi-
cial campaign for Governor
in Greensboro Tuesday. Mc-
Crory lost a close race for
governor in 2008 to Perdue
and has emerged as a front-
runner for the GOP.
Democratic Lt. Governor
i Eleven-year-old Caleb Sears
{broke a record last year,
selling $10,145 worth of
popcorn for the Boy Scouts
of America. - Page 6A
Faison have announced they
are gubernatorial candidates
in 2012 and several other
nouncement last week that
Walter Dalton and Rep. Bill,
prominent Democrats have
been mentioned in the media
as possible candidates.
Filing for all local and
legislative offices, opens
Monday, Feb. 13, at noon
and closes Feb. 29 at noon in
board of elections offices
across the state.
May Primary elections
are slated for Tuesday, May
8 with a second Primary
election date of June 26.
Voter registration deadline is
April 13.
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