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Volume 125 ¢ Issue 8 « Wednesday, February 20, 2013 » 75¢
Kings
kmherald.net
704.739.3446 or Mobile 704.29
Bridges faces child sex charges, exploitation of a minor
Computers were seized Thurs-
day at the home of a Kings
Mountain man and Cleveland
County deputies charged Charles
Kevin Bridges, 54, 1768 Bethle--
hem Road, with child sex
charges.
Captain Joel Shores said
Bridges faces three counts of sec-
Last chance
to see ‘Beauty
and the Beast’
“Beauty and the Beast” by the
Kings Mountain High School Per-
forming Arts Department returns to
Barnes Auditorium for shows on Fri-
day and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, at
7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for
senior citizens and Cleveland County
Renaissance Blue Black and Silver
card holders. Renaissance Gold Card
holders and children 5 and under get
in for free.
New trails
ready for
Gateway 10K
Two trails — the steep Cardio Trail
straight up the mountain behind
Timms Furniture and the new graded
trail to 1-85, will be ready for the
Gateway Trail 10K Run and 5K Run-
Walk March 2 at 8 a.m. on South Bat-
tleground Avenue.
Workmen will be putting the fin-
ishes touches, scraping and adding
gravel for the 5K run which will fea-
ture two loops, the Cardio and Plat-
inum, and for the 10K run on the new
graveled trail which leads to I-85.
A kid’s fun run will also be held
and medals will be given to each Fun
Run participant. Southern Arts Soci-
ety will add to the trophy presenta-
tions with unique pottery oak leaves
with the Gateway Trail logo.
Registration is underway and the
fees of $20 for 5K, $30 for 10K can
be mailed to PO Box 859, Kings
Mountain, NC 28086.. Registration
See TRAILS, 5A
Students to
fight hunger
Feb. 23
Fight global hunger by fasting.
That’s the plan of 38 middle and
high school students at Grace Chris-
tian Academy this weekend.
The youth ‘will drink water and
juice, eat no food, for 30 hours begin-
ning at 12:30 Friday and ending at
6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23. They
will gather at Christian Freedom Bap-
tist Church youth building.
Local resident Mike Reynolds, a
volunteer in the Cleveland County
Potato Project to help feed the hungry,
will talk about local hunger and how
the potato project and other efforts by
the community help families.
The students want to learn more
about global hunger and said this was
a project that would be an eye opener,
according to Susan Clary who is
heading up the project.
|
98525700200
lond-degree
exploitation
| of a minor
and three
counts of
third-degree
exploitation
Kevin Bridges
of a minor. He was arrested
Thursday, Feb.14, jailed at the
Cleveland County Detention
Center, and released on a half-
million dollar bond.
Multiple computers, iPads and
iPhones were seized from
Bridges’ home by deputies.
“We got involved in the inves-
tigation, which originated with
Gaston police who called in the
FBI, when we found Mr. Bridges
lived in Cleveland County,” said
Shores. He said county officers
assisted with the search warrants.
The equipment confiscated by
officers allegedly contained
pornographic videos of girls be-
The Ant of Business
The Southern Arts Society set up this beautiful display at the annual CC
Chamber Business Showcase. You can stop in and view all the displays at
the Kings Mountain City Hall through March 15. Photo by LIB STEWART
w= ELIZABETH STEWART -
a lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Entrepreneur Robert Bolin
is the Cleveland Chamber’s
Kings Mountain Businessman
of the Year.
The Kings Mountain busi-
nessman, 51, was recognized
for his leadership and success
in the business community and
characterized in the presenta-
_ tion as “an energizer who is al-
ways going.” The award was
made at the opening of the
15th annual Business Show-
case at Kings Mountain City
Hall Tuesday night.
Thirty-five businesses are
showcasing exhibits on the
theme “Art in Business.” Rib-
bons were presented to ex-
hibitors Tuesday night.” The
showcase remains open until
March 15 in the lobby area of
city hall during business hours
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Bolin, who was surprised
tween the ages of 5-14 years old
engaged in sexual activity with
adults or exposing body parts to
web cams, according to the war=
rants. In some videos, according
to the warrants, the girls had duct
tape covering their mouths.
The investigation is ongoing,
said Shores.
Robert Bolin named KM
Businessman of the Year
KM Businessman of the Year,
Robert Bolin.
by the presentation, had been
invited to the event to talk
about the Feb. 1 opening of the
former Battleground Steak
House, now 238 Cherokee
Grill. Bolin recently purchased
the property on Railroad Av-
enue (across the railroad tracks
from downtown Kings Moun-
tain) and appropriately is using
See BOLIN, 5A
City councilmen Dean Spears, Rick Moore, Tommy Hawkins and Keith Miller talk
and enjoy coffee before the start of the Chamber-sponsored legislative breakfast
Friday morning.
Photo by LIB STEWART
Legislators, business leaders
address state, local concerns
If Voter ID is approved it would not
be implemented before 2014,. Rep. Tim
Moore (R-Cleveland 111th district NC
House) said Friday morning at a Cleve-
land Chamber-sponsored breakfast at
LeGrand Center in Shelby attended by
local and county leaders.
Moore joined Rep. Kelly Hastings
(R-Cleveland/Gaston 110th district) and
N. C. Senator Warren Daniel, R- Cleve-
land/Burke 46 district) in addressing
some local and state concerns of area
government and business leaders.
Attending the breakfast were KM
Mayor Rick Murphrey and councilmen
Dean Spears, Rick Moore, Tommy
Hawkins, and Keith Miller. :
Highway funding was one of the
major concerns that Shelby Mayor Stan
Anthony brought to the table. “We have
120 miles of highway to maintain in
Shelby,” said Anthony. He noted the re-
cent economic-development industrial
announcement by KSM Castings, say-
ing the visitors from Germany noticed
needed road repairs as they traveled in
the county recently.
Responding to a question about the
progress on the US 74 Bypass of Shelby,
Hastings said the Shelby bypass will be
completed in 2030 and the bypass is
_ being constructed in phases.
Moore, rules chairman and also co-
chairman of the elections committee in
the N.C. House, responded to questions
of Debra Blanton, Director of the
County Board of Elections. He said be-
cause of low turnout a second primary
is extremely expensive and his commit-
tee is looking at shortening early voting
and also to remedy the problem of mili-
tary ballots coming in after deadline.
Reforming their state’s tax system is
also a priority of the N.C.House, he said.
He added that legislation is aimed at re-
ducing the tax burden on businesses in
the hope they will create jobs.
“We have asked the Secretary of the
Department of Human Relations to
streamline the agency spending but the
ball is now in the Senate for discussion,”
said Moore, also responding to health
care funding which he said the House
had passed a bill on regulations.
Sen. Daniel noted that some of the
questions being asked are issues that
must be answered by the federal govern-
- ment. He said the current gas tax system
won’t meet the needs of the transporta-
tion system and said the legislature is
looking at fracking to supplement dol-
lars.
Johnny Hutchins, chairman of the
See LEGISLATORS, 5A
KM biankeied by snow!
Snowflakes the size of quarters fell across the region Satur-
day. Some areas saw up to 1 to 2 inches before it ended as
seen in this photo of Christ the King Catholic Church in Kings
Mountain. Photo by JIM ZYBLE
Servpro scores in Top 10
Servpro, Kings Mountain area restoration specialists, have
been named No. 1 in the cleanup and restoration industry for
the 10th consecutive year.
The company also placed in the Top 10 overall of the En-
trepreneur Franchise 500 rankings for the third year in a row.
“Everyone at SERVPRO is proud to be associated with a
brand that consistently tops the rankings in our industry,”
said Rick Isaacson, Executive-Vice President of Servpro In-
dustries Inc. ‘Our local teams know they are part of a larger
team of Franchise professionals who consistently and pro-
fessionally — across the board- deliver world class service to
our customers.”
In addition to providing fire and water cleanup, restoration
and repair services, Servpro restoration professionals also
offer large loss, national storm response, mold remediation
and other property maintenance and restoration service to
both home and business owners in the Kings Mountain area.
Servpro professionals in this area include Ken Morris,
representing Lincoln and North Gaston counties, and
Michael Harris, representing Southern Gaston County.
>
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To schedule an appointment contact Baker Dental Care today! Call 704-739-4461
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»
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