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704.739.3611
106 East Mountain Street
Kings Mountain, NC
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Worker
found dead
Tuesday at local plant
The investigation into the death of a man
killed while working at his job Tuesday at Hi-
Tex Inc. in Kings Mountain Industrial Park was
underway by the NC Labor Department’s Oc-
cupational Safety and Health Administration at
the Herald's press time Tuesday.
Kings Mountain Police were called at 1:59
a.m to assist Emergency Medical Services who
found the man dead at a tenter frame, a ma-
chine used to dry upholstery and fabric.
Hi-Tech called in the state OSHA to help in-
vestigate the workplace death.
Chip King, Hi-Tex vice president, declined
to give the employee's name but told The Her-
ald that the man's family is in his and the com-
pany ’s prayers.
+ Hi-Tex, Inc., located in the Gaston County
portion of Kings Mountain off Highway 161,
does printing and embossing on plastics and
fabric.
Armed
robbery
at Wendy’s
Police seek help identifying suspect
Kings Mountain Police need the public's
help in identifying a man who they say robbed
Wendy's Monday morning.
The incident was reported at 12:44 a.m. at
Wendy's restaurant, 113 York Road, according
to Det. Sgt. Lisa Proctor.
Detectives say a man robbed ‘the store at
gunpoint and forced one of the employees to
See WENDY'S, 8A
Boyles reflects
on job change
Dr. Bruce Boyles took the Cleveland
County Schools superintendent job in 2006
after working nearly 30 years in the
Mooresville School System, in Iredell County,
including roles as teacher, Jim
band director, assistant su-
perintendent and superin-
tendent.
Boyles retired from
Cleveland County’s top
education job June 30. J
He’ll take a position at
Gardner-Webb University
in August as a full-time in- Dr. Bruce Boyles
structor in the Boiling Springs’ college school
of education.
The Herald caught up with Boyles between
the two jobs to ask him his thoughts on the job
he’s left and the one he’ll begin soon, and what
he’s been up to this summer so far.
How do you think schools in Cleveland
County are positioned for success in the fu-
ture?
We’ve done a lot of work in recent years on
See BOYLES, 7A
Il 00200" 1
kmherald.com
Volume 126 Issue 29 ¢ Wednesday, July 16, 2014
PAY
tain
15¢
Beach Blast is Saturday!
gm ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
The water, the sand, the sun, the music
and the fun — that's life along the Grand
Strand. And, this Saturday it will also be
the life in downtown Kings Mountain.
For the 15th year, Kings Mountain
will feel more like Ocean Drive as the
city celebrates Beach Blast and brings the
beach experience to Patriots Park.
Beach Blast will begin Saturday at 10
a.m. and Carolina shag fans can dance
See BEACH BLAST, 7A
Get ready for the Teenie
Weenie Bikini contest!
Rayann Campbell took 1st place in the
2013 girls 0-3 division of the Teenie
Weenie Bikini contest.
Kids, get your bikini ready. The
children's Teenie Weenie bikini con-
test, always a crowd-pleaser at the an-
nual Beach Blast, promises to be a big
treat this Saturday.
Children newborn to age 6 will be
competing for the grand prize but all
participants in the event, free to babies
up to toddlers in one category and
ages four to 6 in the other category,
will be recognized.
Parents and grandparents can reg-
ister the youngsters at the information
booth near the entrance of Patriots
Park from 10 a.m. until 11:45 a.m.
Saturday morning.
The parade of children begins at
noon with Teen Miss Cleveland
County Erica Carpenter and Miss
Shelby Outstanding Teen Rachel
Mower introducing each child in front
of the Gazebo stage area.
First place winner in each category
will receive a $25 gift card to Toys R
Us.
You can find more information on
Beach Blast on page 3B of this edi-
tion.
These children enjoyed cooling off at ye splash al during the 2013 Beach Blast.
KMH File Photos
Learn more about
‘Liberty Mountain’
Liberty Mountain, a new
play and revolutionary
drama about the Battle of
Kings Mountain by play-
wright Bob Inman, will be
presented by the Kings
Mountain Little Theatre this
October.
Want to be a part of
Kings Mountain history?
The Kings Mountain Little
Theatre and Battle Drama
committee invites you to an
informational meeting about
“Liberty Mountain," the up-
coming production slated
this fall.
Both Bob Inman and the
director Caleb Sigmon will
be at the Joy Performance
Center at 7 p.m. on Monday,
July 21, to answer questions
about the production.
Members of the Battle
Drama committee will up-
date those attending about
plans for the world premiere
in October and the first sum-
mer productions slated for
opening on June 26, 2015.
The meeting will be of par-
ticular interest to the com-
munity, civic organizations,
area businesses and local
community leaders. If you
are unable to attend and
would like information, con-
tact Jim Champion at jim-
champion@carolina.rr.com
or 704-692-2897.
Auditions begin July 28
Kings Mountain Little
Theatre is conducting audi-
tions for 40 plus roles for
men, women and children in
the upcoming world premiere
of Bob Inman's new play
about the Battle of Kings
Mountain.
No experience on stage is
required and there are many
speaking parts and moments
for people who enjoy dancing
and stage combat.
The auditions will be held
Monday, July 28, and Tues-
day, July 29 and will begin
promptly at 7 p.m. at Joy The-
atre. Wear comfortable clothes
you can move in and, Jim
Champion of the Little The-
atre says, “most importantly
come out and have fun.”
Casino critic says development
would bring unfairness, inequality
s DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
When the Kings Mountain Awareness
Group, a vocal opponent of a proposed
Catawba Indian gaming resort, meets
Thursday it will play host to the leader of a
national group that works to stop develop-
ment of government-sponsored casinos.
Les Bernal, the executive director of
Stop Predatory Gambling, an advocacy
group based in Washington, D.C., and Mas-
sachusetts, said that what’s going on in
Kings Mountain is part of a larger story in
the United States. “Las Vegas is coming to
Main Street,” he said a few days ahead of
his trip to Kings Mountain. “Government
sponsored casinos
have created unfair-
ness and inequality.”
He cites the explo-
sion of regional casi-
nos ~— there are
currently more than
300 casinos in Amer-
ica — as evidence that
the big money behind
casino operators has allowed gaming inter-
est to mow over what is best for ordinary
citizens.
“This is a wealth transfer from the have
nots to the haves,” said Bernal, who has led
Stop Predatory Gambling for seven years.
“The casino operators have almost unlim-
Bernal
ited money to push their agenda.”
Bernal said the Kings Mountain Aware-
ness Group — which meets Thursday at 6:30
at Family Worship Center on Shelby Rd. --°
reached out to him to help it get that mes-
sage across to people in this area. The
stated hope of the anti-casino group is to
educate residents about the destruction that
regional casinos can bring. Bernal believes
that an outpouring of visible opposition to
the project can stop it in its tracks. He also
refutes the conventional wisdom that locals
don’t have the power to stop a proposed
casino.
“One of the easiest ways to take away
people’s power is to convince them they
See AWARENESS GROUP, 7A
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To schedule an appointment contact Baker Dental Care today! Call 704-739-4461
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Ag
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