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New fire district burning residents wallets
Homeowners in the new county
fire district south of the city are feel-
ing the pain in their wallets since in-
surance costs spiraled with insurance
classification change from the state,
they told city council at the recent
meeting.
“It’s killing us, we need help from
Kings Mountain,” said Bobby
Maner, of Police Club Road.
His neighbor, Mike Badger, of
Alex Owens Road, also spoke during
the meeting.
The neighborhood outside the
city limits along Highway 161- Lake
Inappropriate
student/staff
relationships
rare in our area
BY ALAN HODGE
Alan.bannernews @gmail.com
In addition to the other things par-
ents have on their minds when they
send their kids off to school are those
disturbing cases where teachers or
other staff members engage in what
are often termed “inappropriate rela-
tionships” with students.
Fortunately, cases where school
staff members prey on students in a
sexual way in Cleveland and Gaston
counties are rare.
“Cleveland County Schools has
.had no teachers suspended or fired for
this reason in recent years,” said
Donna Carpenter, director of public
information for the district.
In Gaston County, a case in Janu-
ary-saw a Bessemer City High School
bus driver, 33-year-old Kwanda Car-
penter, charged with two counts of
sexual activity with a student by a
school employee after allegedly en-
gaging in a sex act off campus with
two boys, ages 16 and 17, last Octo-
ber. The male students allegedly tried
to extort $60 from Carpenter via a
Facebook post but they ended up
being charged with blackmail.
“Carpenter was dismissed from
her bus-driving duties effective Janu-
ary 11,” said Gaston County Schools
spokeswoman Bonnie Reidy.
The only other recent case in Gas-
ton County where a teacher was dis-
ciplined for alleged sexual activity
with a student or students took place
in February 2012-when East Gaston
High teacher Bradford Wayne
Mulkey, 32, was arrested and charged
with indecent liberties with a child.
See STUDENTS & STAFF, 5A
Relay sets
goal of 100K
Kings Mountain Relay for Life
will have a goal of $100,000, accord-
ing to Co-chairman Frank Burns,
Chief of the Kings Mountain Fire De-
partment.
“We’re aiming high and we can
make it,” said Burns who is co-chair
with Tammy Wyatt.
Team captains will choose their
members from interested citizens at
Monday night’s 6 p.m. meeting of the
planners at Fire Station I beside of
City Hall downtown.
The closest amount raised to the
goal of $100K from Relay for Life
Montonia: Road, the old city water
lake area and all the way to the South
Carolina line - has been put in a Class
10 designation by the state Depart-
ment of Insurance. Insurance compa-
nies are canceling fire insurance
policies and costs to residents are sky
rocketing.
Kings Mountain Fire Chief Frank
Burns says he is sympathetic with the
residents. Burns said the city has
been in negotiations with county of-
ficials for months and offered a con-
tract to provide fire protection for the
area.
Chamber Awards
Kings Mountain has had a mutual
aid agreement for years with Bethle-
hem Fire Department, the primary re-
sponder to the 161 area, and responds
to fire calls. “We can get there first
because it’s closer,” he said. “But if
a fire occurs there and in Kings
Mountain at the same time KMFED is
primary responder to Kings Moun-
tain. Our first responsibility is to
Kings Mountain taxpayers.
“We haven’t been sitting around
here doing nothing, we’re working on
a resolution to your problem,” mayor
pro tem Rodney Gordon exclaimed.
Several other residents of the out-
side city fire district were in the au-
dience last Tuesday at city hall as
Badger and Maner spoke of the com-
munity’s plight.
“We want to be in the Kings
Mountain fire district,” said Badger.
‘We eat, work, own businesses here
and we’re neighbors to Kings Moun-
tain.”
Burns explained that the 161 (off
York road) area has been served by
the county’s Bethlehem Fire Depart-
ment once considered by the state’s
insurance department a district six
miles from the houses it served. That
all changed when insurance compa-
nies started using gps locators and
found the distance from Bethlehem in
the county was more than six miles.
Insurance Service Office (ISO) set
the insurance rates which went from
a class 9 to class 10, policies are
being canceled and rates went up.
“These folks want the county to con-
“tract with the city for fire protection,”
he added. ?
Chief Burns held in his hands a
sample contract that is still to be con-
sidered by the county.
City receives
See the full story on page 8A.
Dr. Steve Baker, left, and Dr. Brian Baker of Baker Dental Care are pictured
with their Emerging 10 award which they recieved at the Cleveland County
Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Banquet held on January 24.
Photo by BETH BROCK
Hannah Yarborough is sworn in as a Kings Mountain police officer by Mayor Rick
Murphrey January 31.
Yarborough sworn in
faithfully perform my duties to the best
of my skills and abilities and comply
with rules and regulations of the Kings
Hannah Lee Yarborough, 25, became
the third member of her family sworn in
as a police officer Thursday when she
joined the Kings Mountain Police De-
partment.
“Yarborough’s father, Kevin Yarbor-
ough, who retired after serving 36 years
in law enforcement in Newton, pinned
the badge on his daughter’s uniform as
other family members looked on. Han-
nah’s grandfather, the late Jessie Cole-
man, also served as a police officer for
many years.
“I grew up in law enforcement and
there hasn’t been a day that I didn’t want
to be a cop,” said Yarborough as she took
the oath from Mayor Rick Murphrey.
Mountain Police Department,” the new
patrolman was all smiles as she joined
the mayor in reading the police core of
values, the law enforcement code of
ethics and the department’s mission
statement.
“You are joining the best of the best,”
said the mayor, adding, “they keep us
safe.”
* Murphrey commended police for
commitment and dedication. “Police risk
their lives every day,” he added.
Chief Melvin Proctor and other po-
lice department staff participated in the
10 a.m. ceremonies at city hall council
clean audit
. The City of Kings Moun-
tain has received a clean
(perfect) audit of its books
for the 14th straight year.
Aaron Smith, accountant
with Martin Starnes & Asso-
ciates, CPAs, P.A., told city
council last Tuesday night
that the audit is an unquali-
fied opinion of the city’s fi-
nancial statements which is
the best opinion that can be
given in an independent
audit.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
credited the record to the
strong commitment of em-
ployees.
Smith discussed some of
the financial highlights for
fiscal year 2012 for city
council, including informa-
tion on property taxes, fund
balance and current year rev-
enues and expenditures.
“This is a year-long
process,” he said, displaying
statistics on a PowerPoint
presentation.
Smith said the total fund
balance in the general fund
had grown from $2,889,804
in 2010 to $3,267,677 in
2011 and $3,934,583 in
2012. The available fund
balance in 2012 was 33 per-
cent, compared to 23 percent
in 2011. He noted the in-
crease in available fund bal-
ance from $707,588 in 2011
to $859,746 in 2012. Avail-
able fund balance as a per-
cent of expenditures in 2012
was 33 percent compared to
23 percent in 2011. General
See AUDIT, 5A
YMCA to host gala
The annual YMCA
‘Moon over the Mountain’
gala, billed as a ‘celestial’
event to benefit Kings
Mountain Family 'YMCA’s
Community. Outreach will
be held Saturday, Feb. 9, be-
ginning at 6:30 p.m. at the
Duke Energy Training Facil-
ity, 1040 Beason Creek Road
(in Cleveland County Busi-
ness Park on Highway 74
West).
A reception and opening
of the silent auction will
kick-off the gala. A seated
dinner and live auction will
start at 7:30 p.m.
All proceeds will benefit
the local Kings Mountain
YMCA’s We Build People
funds and initiatives such as
Summer Outreach, Open
Doors program, Diabetes
prevention, Live STRONG
at the 'Y, scholarships for
teens and youth sports.
More than 75 items will
be up for bids and some of
these include: items from
Dellinger’s jewelry, Disney
World and Sea World tickets,
golf at Quails Hollow, 10
year membership, sports
memorabilia, Great Wolf
Lodge package, Dollywood
package, celebrity auto-
graphs, books and much
more.
Presenting sponsors are
First National Bank and
Duke Energy.
Harvest Moon sponsors
are Carley Family Care,
Cleveland County 'Health-
care Systems, and John O.
Harris Interest.
Crescent Moon sponsors
are Brinkley Financial
Group, Dilling Heating and
Air, Florrie and Larry Ham-
rick, Jr, Harris Funeral
Home and Kerns Trucking.
New Moon sponsors are
Adventures. in Advertising,
Phil and Sandi Dee, Scissor-
Smith & Company Salon,
and Pete Douglas Signature
Meals.
“In the Y Spirit we wel-
come everyone to join us in
this gala,” said Senior Exec-
utive Director Kevin D. Os-
borne.
For tickets ($120 couple
and $60 single) and/ or infor-
mation on the gala call the
YMCA at 704-9631.
King named senior advisor
Top-ranking Republican Wayne King |
has been named senior advisor to US |
Congressman Mark Meadows.
Swearing -to “faithfully and impar-
A “I am honored,” said King, vice-chair |
tially execute the duties of my office,
of the state GOP. “I feel a deep connec-
tion to Western North Carolina and cer- |
tainly look forward to helping serve the
citizens of Western North Carolina and
was four years ago. Last year Kings chambers.
Mountain citizens raised $56,000.
The Relay for Life celebration will
be held May 3 at the Kings Mountain
Grover takes steps toward drainage project
Walking Track.
GROVER — Town board Monday
night contracted with West Consultants
for engineering design for what will be
a big street and drainage improvements
project on Dogwood Drive, Briarcliff
Road and Ivy Street.
“We need to get the ball rolling on
Obrien who made the motion to pro-
ceed. The $25,000 allotted for the pre-
liminary work is the first step in the
project for which the town is looking for
grants to help pay the cost. Councilman
Bill Willis voted against, saying that
“we aren’t ready to nail down an
all of North Carolina.”
King, who assumed duties Feb. 1, will
King
spend most of his time in the 1th Dis-
trict focusing on constituent service and working with busi-
nesses, industries and local elected officials while also having
input on operations in Washington.
Meadows said of King, “Wayne’s a straight-shooter and
this project,” said Councilwoman Cindy will tell you what he thinks.”
9g528 002001
See GROVER, 5A
FREE Dental Exam
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To schedule an appointment contact Baker Dental Care today! Call 704-739-4461
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