ELIZABETH STEWART
“0 lib.kmherald @gmail.com
At a time when national
groups are questioning the
action of law enforcement
Kings Mountain city coun-
cil’s last meeting of 2014
last Tuesday brought com-
ments from several city
councilmen commending:
Kings Mountain police and
Chief Melvin Proctor “for
being the best in the coun-
try” while suggesting that
“although we are good, we
keep striving to get better.”
Ward I Councilman
Howard Shipp pointed out
in his remarks that “rac-
ism is alive and well in the
United States and we tend to
want to sweep it under the
rug and not talk about it,” re-
ferring to the recent protests
across the country.
“I’d like to see police
armed with tasers and body
cameras,” he said. “That
would avoid situations like
we are hearing about,” he
added.
Shipp also said he would
like to see committees made
up of people from all back-
grounds talking about issues
Sanctuaries at most Kings Mountain churches are lighted by candles and Chrismon trees in
kmherald.com
Council talks Ferguson, looks to new year
a
dealing with race.
“I agree with Commis-
sioner Shipp and I also think
our goals can be increased
communication and more
recreation for youth of our
community,” said Council-
man Pressley
In other business of the
meeting:
-Stella Putnam, repre-
senting the Kings Mountain
Crisis Ministry, presented
the mayor and council with a
plaque recognizing the con-
tribution the city makes to
the ministry which provides
fuel, food, clothing and ne-
celebration of the birth of Jesus. Central United Methodist Church sanctuary is lighted by
two Chrismon trees. A number of Kings Mountain churches are holding Christmas Eve ser-
vices tonight, including the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
Photo by LIB STEWART
Christmas events ....
lights, luminaries, church services
# ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @ gmail.com
Kings Mountain citizens
are getting ready for Christ-
mas.
Shoppers will be scurry-
ing around today, Christmas
Eve, making last-minute gift
purchases and good cooks
were already in the kitchen
preparing a feast for fami-
lies and friends.
The Christian celebra-
tion of the birth of Jesus
Christ was presented from
pulpits all over the city.
Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day services
will be held at some
Kings Mountain churches
Wednesday and Thursday.
Christ the King Catholic
Church celebrates Mass on
Christmas Day and a num-
ber of other churches hold
candlelight communion ser-
vices on Christmas Eve.
From any point inside
Mountain Rest Cemetery
the annual Christmas Eve
luminary service will be im-
pressive. From York Road,
travelers can see the entire
cemetery aglow with 5,000
lights. Residents who drive
through the cemetery each
year on Christmas Eve say
the sight is awesome.
Volunteers are needed
to light the candles begin-
ning at 2 p.m. this afternoon
(Wednesday.) Call Ceme-
tery Supt. Rickey Putnam
and Mayor pro tem Mike
Butler or meet them at the
cemetery if you can help.
Cars will enter the cemetery
at the West King Street gate,
See CHRISTMAS, Page 14
County
OKs bids for
gun range
DAVE BLANTON
aave.kmherald @gmail.com
The Cleveland County
Board of Commissioners
approved construction bids
and an updated agreement
Tuesday night between the
county and the N.C. Wild-
life Resources Commission
that will pave the way for a
See COUNTY, Page 4
98525"00200
City inks gas contract
“It’s a win/win situation
for the city and our 5,000
natural gas customers,’’
says Nick Hendricks, the
city’s Energy Services Di-
rector, of the city’s new
contract with Texla Energy
of Houston, Texas in an
asset management program.
Hendricks said under
this new agreement the city
will have an opportunity to
recover more of its fixed
costs to Transcontinental
Pipe Line for transportation
costs and both the city and
customers will profit from
the deal.
“We continually look to
our city department heads
to suggest cost-saving plans
and Nick Hendricks has
dene that in recommend-
ing this agreement which
city council approved last
week,’’ said Mayor Rick
Murphrey.
Hendricks explained
how the new agreement will
work to save the city money
and keep citizens from re-
ceiving any rate increases
for natural gas.
What the city will be
doing is releasing any ca-
pacity of gas it has in the
winter months and sell off
its capacity year round when
it’s not needed. With natu-
ral gas becoming a needed
See CITY INKS GAS, Page 4
cessities to needy Kings
Mountain and Grover fam-
ilies. The city recently pre-
sented a check for $10,000
to the facility.
- Mayor Rick Murphrey
recognized Chris Medlin,
sanitation equipment oper-
ator for five years service
with the city, and Diane
Whetstine, administrative
assistant in the gas depart-
ment, 10 years service.
-The mayor recognized
Nick Hendricks, Energy
Services Director, on his
election as one of eight
members on the board of
100 S PIEDMONT AVE
ElectriCities of North Caro-
lina. Hendricks will serve a
three-year term.
-Council approved 12
items by consent of the
seven member board, in-
cluding:
-set the regular meeting
schedule for the year 2015.
-budget amendment for
additional expenditures and
grant revenues in the amount
of $4,934 for LSTA EZ
Edge Technology Grant to
Mauney Memorial Library.
The grant has purchased a
Smart table for use with all
ages.
Hkh kok okkok kkk Fok skkk KE TRM 28086
4903 04-17-15 0024A00
MAUNEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
KINGS MOUNTAIN NC 28086-3450
BPI3S
Volume 126 Issue 52 ¢ Wednesday, December 24,2014 [5¢
-budget amendment to
cover an additional EPA
emissions upgrade to the
Peak Generation plants in
the amount of $246,329 not
expended in the 2013-2014
budget.
-budgeted additional cost
of $144,689 for repairs to
city property, labeled Flume
project.
-appointed Jim Burk of
the Moss Lake Homeowners
Association to fill the unex-
pired term of Dick Schafer
on the John H. Moss Reser-
voir commission for a term
See COUNCIL, Page 4
Amtrak mauls SUV
left on tracks downtown
wm DAVE BLANTON
wo dave.kmherald@gmail.com
A Dallas woman’s SUV
was no match for a north-
bound Amtrak train Friday
after she left the roadway
and drove it onto train tracks
near the intersection of Gold
St. and Battleground Ave.
There were no injuries in
the early morning accident
that left the 2006 Nissan
Murano demolished, awoke
many in the surrounding
neighborhood and now has
Jennifer M. Fralick, of 3574
Dallas High Shoals Hwy.,
facing a handful of charges,
including driving while im-
paired.
An accident report issued
by the Kings Mountain Po-
lice Dept. says the 36-year-
old Fralick was travelling
westbound ‘on’ Gold St.
when she reached the inter-
section of Gold and Battle-
ground. Instead of turning
left or right, she continued
through the intersection,
jumped a curb and climbed
the embankment that leads
Firefighters respond fo a late-night collision between an
SUV and an Amirak train. The driver of the SUV was un-
injured, but faces a number of charges stemming from the
incident.
to the railroad tracks.
Her orange SUV then
became stuck on the tracks,
at which point she was able
to exit the vehicle to safety.
Police did not say how
much time elapsed between
Fralick’s vehicle coming to
Photo courtesy of KM Fire Department
rest on the tracks and the
train’s arrival and noisy col-
lision.
Fralick -- who refused
the administration of a in-
toxilizer at the scene -- was
See AMTRACK, Page 4
Police, city, remember longtime
employee in bench unveiling
Mayor Rick Murphrey, left, and Jerry Blanton look at the hand-
some bench in front of Kings Mountain Police Department,
a memorial to Blanton’s late wife, Martha Wright Blanton,
longtime employee of KMPD.
ww DAVE BLANTON
© dave.kmherald@gmail.com
Marty Blanton worked
hard to make a difference in
people’s lives and went the
extra mile to put a smile on
coworkers’ faces in her long
career with the Kings Moun-
tain Police Department.
Photo by ELLIS NOELL
She was remembered and
honored Wednesday in a
sometimes tearful ceremony
that saw the dedication of
a handsome bench in her
honor on the front lawn of
the city department where
she served for 37 years.
See POLICE, Page 4
Withdraw
support
says church
groups
“You still have time to
withdraw your support of a
casino” was the message of
a standing-room-only crowd
representing four Kings
Mountain area churches at
last Tuesday night’s city
council meeting.
Two of the churches —
Love Valley Baptist Church
and Glory Land Baptist
Church — are located in the
area where the casino/resort
is proposed by the Catawba
Indian Nation. Glory Land
Church is across the road
from the I-85 Truck Stop
on Dixon School Road and
Love Valley several miles
away on Bethlehem Road.
Second Baptist and Em-
manuel Baptist Churches,
Kings Mountain, were also
represented.
Speakers Roger Hern-
don, Iron Station, who has
See WITHDRAW, Page 4
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