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kmherald.com
Volume 127 o Issue 37 » Wednesday, September 16, 2015 J 5
Walegas take
$10,000 grand prize
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @ gmail.com
Get ready to pay sales tax
on car repair and appliance
installation in a
compromise bud-
get announced by
state lawmakers
Monday but good
news was that in-
come taxes would
be cut and the
two-year budget
agreement also
would restore
completely an
income deduction for med-
ical expenses that had been
repealed in 2014. The tax
provisions were added in
11th-hour weekend negoti-
ations between NC House
TIM MOORE
Speaker Tim Moore and Sen-
ate leader Phil Berger.
The new budget, which
must meet the Governor's
approval, was good news for
‘teacher assistants and
driver's education pro-
grams in the schools,
all of which will be
funded. There is a stip-
ulation that the school
districts must use the
money for those spe-
cific programs.
Moore, of Kings
Mountain, R-Cleve-
land, told reporters that
“We recognize that we've
been here awhile because
we have dealt with a lot of
chronic problems. I believe
we have a very good work
product in the end."
The budget bill would also
set aside $225 million over
two years for the expected
Medicaid overhall legislation
and $600 million for fiscal
emergencies and building
repairs.
The personal income tax
would drop from 5.75 per-
cent to 5.499 percent starting
with 2017 income. Starting
this year, the standard deduc-
tion, or the amount of initial
income in which no taxes are
paid, would increase across
the board by $500.
Beginning next March,
the expanded sales tax base
would cover installations,
maintenance and repairs of
tangible personal property
such as cars and appliances.
Local governments
Over 20 years
experience!
Call for Af appointment today! 704.473.4048
786 Bell Rd. Kings Mountain
Changes coming in new state budget
would get an additional $85
million as part of the sales
tax deal, with the money
distributed so the small and
rural counties get more to
use for schools and infra-
structure. The change is
considered a departure from
a previously proposed Sen-
ate sales tax redistribution
plan that also would have
left many urban areas get-
ting less.
Governor Pat McCrory
has criticized lawmakers
over the sales tax plan, call-
ing it a tax increase.
“We're hopeful that the
governor, after having an
opportunity to review this
budget, will very quickly
embrace it and sign it into
law," Moore said.
Wendy and Jeff Walega celebrate on winning the $10,000
grand prize at Saturday's Kings Mountain Historical Mu-
seum fundraiser, a 1 in 300 chance and their first time to
participate in the event which drew crowds to the H. Law-
Officials wait for pool insurance settlement
That was the message
that John Yarbro, the school
DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald@gmail.com
a fourth of the swimming
facility’s roof in July. Now
age occurred.
“They still haven’t fi-
rence Patrick Senior Life & Conference Center.
Photo by DON CRAWFORD
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Wendy Walega didn't
realize she and her hus-
band, Jeff, had won the
$10,000 grand prize in the
Kings Mountain Historical
Museum fundraiser Satur-
day night until her husband
kissed her and said, “Babe,
we won.”
“I am still in shock and
we won't be able to claim
our prize together until next
Tuesday because my hus-
band works a 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
shift," she said this week.
Jeff Walega has worked for
Emerson Process Manage-
ment for 37 years as a bee-
keeper. The couple have
been married 33 years.
Saturday was the first
time that Wendy and Jeff
Walega had bought a ticket
and attended the fundraiser.
It was at the urging of
Museum President Susan
Champion, a good friend
of the couple. “We wanted
to support Susan and Jim,"
said Wendy, whom they
met when they became ac-
tive in the Kings Mountain
Little Theatre. Wendy has
directed KMLT shows and
is looking forward to direct-
ing “Have A Nice Day,” a
musical featuring great 70's
music in March. Jeff helps
See WALEGAS, Page 7A
Citizens remember
dark day in history
ELIZABETH STEWART
. lib.kmherald@gmail.com
With heads bowed
during a moment of silence,
Kings Mountain citizens
marked a dark day with sol-
emn ceremonies Friday at
noon in City Hall Plaza.
Mayor Rick Murphrey,
who made the address at
the 911 service, said that
14 years ago Friday terror-
ists hijacked four passenger
planes and rammed two of
them into New York City's
World Trade Center and a
third into the Pentagon out-
side the nation's capital. A
fourth jetliner crashed into
525700200
an empty field in Pennsyl-
vania.
By the time the carnage
was over the hijackers had
killed 2, 977 people in the
deadliest attack ever on
American soil.
“We watched from our
television sets in horror as
people, buildings and air-
planes fell from the sky,"
said the mayor. But he said
that Americans united on a
day that changed the world
forever. “Our nation found
unity and strength from the
tragedy of 911 and emerged
a stronger nation," he added.
The mayor stressed that
citizens must be vigilant as
evil is still present and must
continue to stand together
for God and country.
The short service hon-
ored local firefighters, po-
lice, the highway patrol,
sheriff's department, first
See CITIZENS, Page 3A
Major repairs to Kings
Mountain High School’s
Katherine Neisler Natato-
rium are on hold as school
officials wait on a settle-
ment from insurers.
district’s assistant super-
intendent of facilities, pre-
sented Monday to members
of the Cleveland County
Board of Education.
A fleeting but powerful
windstorm peeled off about
school officials are looking
to do a full roof replace-
ment. The pool has been
drained and closed since the
storm damage. A temporary
roof was put in place in the
days after the weather dam-
nalized their settlement,”
Yarbro said. “At this point,
the insurance company is
still talking to contractors
and working out the details
See POOL, Page 7A
CANDIDATE PROFILE - Fourth in a series
Holmes pushes
anti-gay message
DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
Eugene Holmes, who is
running for mayor of Kings
Mountain, bluntly states
that he doesn’t want the job.
“] don’t want to be mayor
no more than I want to fly,”
said Holmes, who on the
ballot lists his first name as
“Sherlock,” a reference to
the fictional detective.
He also concedes that
he has little idea how much
support he will be able to
generate by Election Day
on Nov. 3
“I don’t know about my
chances in this thing,” said
Holmes, who is making his
first fully realized run for
public office. “I’m a new-
comer -- and I don’t give
one hoot about politicians.”
EUGENE HOLMES
What motivates Holmes
to be in the public eye — if
not public office — is his
vocal and unbending rejec-
tion of the so-called homo-
sexual lifestyle.
“In my administration
I would do just like Mrs.
Davis did in Kentucky,”
said Holmes, referring to
See HOLMES, Page 7A
27 candidates respond
to Saturday forum
A total of 27 of 32 can-
didates for city offices and
the board of education have
responded to the Kings
Mountain Woman's Club's
invitation to participate in
“Meet the Candidates” Sat-
urday morning at 9 a.m. at the
Woman's Club.
The public is invited to
hear 3 minute platform re-
marks from each candidate
and then to ask questions at
the end of the full presenta-
tion.
Prior to the forum, a light
breakfast will be served to
candidates.
Rene Bost and Jane Al-
exander are co-chairmen for
the forum. Ann Gamble will
present each candidate and
remarks will be timed.
Patrick Center’s Thornburg
announces retirement
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
Monty Thornburg, who
started young in a career
that has dealt primarily with
the old, has announced his
retirement from his position
as director of the H.L. Pat-
rick Senior Center.
Thornburg, who is 55,
has worked for the city-op-
erated center since he was
23 and basically right out of
college.
“I was always the young-
est person at aging confer-
ences,” he said of the earlier
MONTY THORNBURG
years in his career, which
began with a brief stint as
an outreach coordinator in
See THORNBURG, Page 7A
Water pipe project complete
The 36 inch waterline project has been completed as the final
pipe was installed on North Cansler Street Sept. 1. Pictured
overseeing the work are, left to right, Mayor Rick Murphrey,
Director of Water Department Dennis Wells and Engineer Joel
Wood.
The last section of 36-
inch iron ductile pipe has
been installed that brings
the long-awaited 36 - inch
water line from Moss Lake
to Kings Mountain.
Mayor Rick Murphrey
says the completion of this
Photo by HALEY WILSON
project guarantees a better
flow pressure and consis-
tent water delivery for water
users for the next 100 years.
The new pipe replaces
the worn, 24 - inch pipe
that was put in use in the late
See WATER PIPE, Page 7A
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