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Photo by ELLIS NOE
King's killers
sentenced
Thelma and Michael King
ws ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
How does one react to a brutal murder
or the disappearance of a loved one on a
Caribbean Island far from Kings Mountain?
Jerry King says that some days are bet-
ter, other days it’s just like the horrific mur-
der of his son and daughter-in-law just
happened.
Jerry and Jane King didn’t return to St.
Maarten Island for the trial of the three men
charged in the brutal killing Sept. 11, 2012
but family was there May 8 when a judge
imposed a life prison term on a 29-year-old
man who fatally stabbed Michael and
Thelma King during a robbery at the Mount
Pleasant, SC’s couple’s island villa. His co-
defendants received lesser jail sentences
because they were believed to have played
a lesser role in the actual killings.
“My whole family was impressed with
the hard work of the prosecutors and the
judge on the case and our kids have been
there for Mike and Thelma and we hope
that the outcome of the case can bring us all
some closure,” said King.
Hilbert Haar, Editor-in-Chief of The
Today Newspaper in St. Maarten, said “We
expected anger, bitterness, frustration and
outrage. Instead, the Kings showed a pro-
found connection with the loved ones they
lost in such a gruesome and senseless man-
ner.” He continued, in a newspaper article,
“They did not blame St. Maarten. The Is-
land did not do this, they said. It was just
three guys and they are liars, thieves and
murderers. People get killed in America
too, but we don’t hate America. We don’t
hate St. Maarten.”
Haar continued in his story “Relatives
put on another display of unparalleled
greatness when they decided to honor all
promises Michael had made in a rum fac-
tory venture and also set up the Michael
and Thelma King Foundation to help St.
Maarteners and Americans who end up in
a similar situation.
The legacy of the couple that was so
brutally robbed of their lives will live on
See page 44 for more information on the
sentencing of the King's convicted killers.
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all for their country.
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Memorial Day services Monday at 10 a.m. in,
Patriots Park in Kings Mountain will be a time of
remembrance of men and women who gave their
The City of Kings Mountain-sponsored service
will pay honor to 39 local men — 31 who were
killed in action during World War II and eight who
died in battle in Korea - their names imprinted on
two beautiful markers erected in the center section
of the memorial wall which was dedicated initially
‘Remembering those who served
Memorial Day Services set for Monday in KM
ELIZABETH STEWART
on Veterans Day last November.
“We encourage families of these brave soldiers,
sailors and Marines to attend the ceremony and
place a white rose at the monument,” said Ellis
Noell, the city’s Director of Special Events.
Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Karnes, 878th Engineer-
ing Company, North Carolina National Guard, will
make the keynote address.
Mayor Rick Murphrey and WWII veteran Sid-
ney Dixon will unveil and dedicate the World War
IT and Korean War Memorials and family mem-
bers will place white roses at the markers. Special
See MEMORIAL DAY, 6A
Rain doesn’t dampen [rests not
triathlete’s spirits!
«= DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
Over 350 racers swam,
biked and ran through the area
Saturday in damp, rainy con-
ditions for the 14th annual
Over The Mountain Triathlon.
Elite athletes and fitness
junkies from nine states lined
up to compete in the Olympic-
length event, which has partic-
ipants traverse a one-mile
segment of John H. Moss
Lake, then pedal from the lake
through the countryside to the
Kings Mountain National Mil-
itary Park in S.C. and back
north into town. The last leg of
the race is a 10-mile run
through downtown and Phifer
Rd.
This year’s race was
marked by persistent rain and
drizzle.
“It wasn’t too bad - I took
it easy on the corners,” said
6th place finisher Donny
Forsyth, referring to the wet
and slippery roadways he en-
countered on the biking seg-
ment. Forsyth, 46, is no
stranger to the Over The
Mountain Triathlon. .The
Charlotte running store owner
also competed in 2009.
“I’ve got 21 years of racing
under my belt.”
John Allen, 54, of Charlotte, is just steps from the finish line
Saturday morning. With a time of 2 hours and 28 minutes, Allen
finished 17th overall. He finished 10th overall in 2010’s Over the
Mountain triathlon.
The overall winner, 24-
year-old Charlottean Tyler
Jordan, seemed unfazed by the
exertion and yet excited by his
accomplishment.
“I feel good,” he said, min-
utes after coming to rest for
the first time in 2 hours and
eight minutes. “The rain ...
photo by DAVE BLANTON
actually cooled it down. It
wasn’t so hot out there today.”
It was Jordan’s first stab at
the grueling Over the Moun-
tain contest, but he, like most
racers at the event, trains year-
round and participates in as
many triathlons and
See TRIATHLON, 3B
‘Pigging Out’ BBQ to benefit Davis
By all accounts young
Travis Davis, 8, is a real
trooper.
He hates needles, he loves
Chestnut Ridge Baptist
Church and school but he’s
missing special events now
because he’s fighting a very
rare - inherited immunodefi-
ciency disorder diagnosed Jan.
8.
His Mom, Ashley Melton,
says about two in one million
boys have X-linked Hyper
IgM Syndrome which happens
when the body fails to produce
certain types of antibodies
causing frequent and severe
infections.
Travis, nicknamed ‘Pig,’
will undergo a bone marrow
transplant in late June at
~ Levine Children’s Hospital in
Charlotte where he will also
' be taking chemotherapy. prior
to the transplant and hospital-
ized for 6-8 weeks after the
transplant.
He says he doesn’t look
forward to a two-hour transfu-
sion every Friday, called
SQIG, which his mother ad-
ministers at home or the six
doctor appointments every
month but he laughs and says
he doesn’t freak out.
“We will be isolated about
6-8 weeks a fter the transplant
and it will be 2-3 years before
we know if everything
works,” said his upbeat Mom.
She compares the disease to
“bubble boy disease.”
Chestnut Ridge Baptist
Church is “pigging out for
Pig” on June 8 and barbecue
with all the trimmings will be
sold at $5 a plate to help the
family with expenses. A yard
sale will begin at 7 a.m. and
the benefit will continue until
4 p.m. at the church. A bank
account has also been opened
at Wells Fargo Bank in Kings
Mountain where donations
can be deposited to help the
A benefit dinner will be held
June 8 for eight year old Travis
Davis who is battling a rare
immundeficiency disorder.
family.
Travis has a 7-year old sis-
ter, Trinity Davis who did not
inherit the disease but her
mother says that the genetic
disease could be passed in fu-
ture years to a son born to
Trinity.
related to
school events
we DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
An off-campus brawl involving at least
seven students at Kings Mountain High
School that resulted in arrests days later at
the school sparked a tense week for students
and school officials as police beefed up its
presence at the school following the arrests.
Although the altercation and arrests in
the week before the senior prom set some
students and parents on edge, police and
school officials say there has been no vio-
lence at the school.
And police reported no incidences at Sat-
urday evening’s prom, which was held at
Cleveland Community College; s LeGrand
° Center in Shelby.
“(Friday) was much better,” said Donna
Carpenter, the director of public information
See ARRESTS, 7A
Grover facing
revenue cuts
- ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
GROVER - With the departure of
sweepstakes the town will see a $15,000
shortfall in business licenses, a sharp cut-
back in revenue in the proposed 2013-2014
budget.
Town commissioners took a first look at
the proposed budget Monday night for
which public hearing and formal adoption is
set June 24 at 6 p.m.
Mayor J. D. Ledford said the cut back in
revenue is due to loss of business licenses
“from sweepstakes operations. Last year a
total of $24,300 was derived from licenses
paid to the town by sweepstakes owners and
the year prior was almost double, $41,240.
No sweepstakes operations are in town
now. “For rent” signs are posted on all the
now empty former businesses on Main
Street.
Good news for citizens is that the 38
cents per $100 property tax valuation will
remain — 29 cents for the general fund and
.09 cents for utilities. The rate has been the
same for a number of years,
The highest chunk of the budget ex-
penses will be for water and sewer improve-
ments, upgrades to the former Grover
Industries Wastewater treatment plant — a
total of $350,510.
The budget estimated revenue is
$651,765, which includes. $276,505 for the
general fund; $2600 for the cemetery fund;
$22,150 for Powell Fund; and $350,510,
water and sewer.
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