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MIRROR-HEHOD
15
iNO. 32_
Reinstated, Then He Resigned
’‘Cleveland County's Moslem Neivsneekly"
mountain, north CAROLINA 28086 THURSDAY, AUGUST21, 1975
T. F. King In Job Controversy
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, Mirror-Herald
li* Sgt. Tommy King was reinstated to the KMPD force
![iill rank and pay in a special dty commissioner meeting
■day night, then submitted his resignation to theboard.
1 resignation was accepted with the stipulations that his
file be wiped clean of derogatory allegations against
and that he receive full back pay plus pay for any accrued
lie is due. , ^
lliough the reinstate motion, second and vote and the
nation acceptance motion, second and vote was done
limes, this entire action took all of eight minutes, then
leeting was a^oumed
waver, the two decisions on the action taken Tuesday
[were made following two days of negotiations between
itycommissioners, mayor and city attorney and Sgt. King
kis attorney, F. Pat Cooke of Gastonia,
dthereinstatanent and resignation came following two
itivesessions, one illegal and one legal, of the board and a
wait of two hours by an overflow crowd in the commissioner
chambers and corridors at city hall.
Following the meeting King cwnmented “Now, I’m
^employed.” Then he announced to the news media that he
was going to file tomm-row (Wednesday) to run for com
missioner in ^strict four. After I file I’m going to pound the
pavement and hunt me a job.”
Just prior to the adjournment Tuesday night an unidentified
man came forward to present the mayor and board with
Mother petition supporting King and asking reinstatement.
The man said there “are 4(X) signatures on this petition” as he
turned it over to the mayor.
Tuesday night’s special meeting was set on the Wednesday
momi^ before. That afternoon Police Chief William Roper
nred King from the force “in view of previous numerous
complaints, personnel problems and insurbordination ”
Last Thursday morning Chief Roper told The Mirror-Herald
I came to the conclusion this is my (police) department and I
had steps to take, so I did it.”
Roper said King came on duty at2p.m. Wednesday (the day
he was fired) and was told he was wanted in the chiefs office.
Lt. Bob Hayes was also present in Roper’s office. Hayes is the
unit commander to which King had been transferred earlier
following his demotion to patrolman following a fellow of
ficer s report that King had taken gasoline from the city pump
without authorization.
“King came on duty still wearing his sergeant shields,”
Chief Roper said. “I asked him where he had been since the
Friday before. He said he was on regular two day break. I
reminded the officer that he had had his two day break
following his two day suspension, which was July a-29.1 also
reminded him that his two days off (July 30-31) led into his
r^ular one week’s vacation (Aug. 1-7) and that he had been
notified he was to report at 2 p. m. on Fri., Aug. 8 on Lt. Hayes’
shift.”
(Please Turn To Page lOA)
CD Grants Are
Approved By HUD
ByTOMMcIN'TYRE
E^tor, Mirror-Herald
Photo By Tom McIntyre
TfflFROM PRESIDENT — Richard receiving community development block
* mud representative, and grants. The official announcement of approval
onnH. Moss display the letter from for |1,040,000 this year was made Friday at city
WGeraldFordcommendingthecity on hall.
Reading a letter from
President Gerald Ford here
Friday, Richard B. Barnwell
officially announced that
Kings Mountain has been
approved - for a grant of
$1,040,000 under its com
munity development act
applications.
Barnwell, director of the N.
C. Area Office, Department of
Housing and Urban De
velopment (HUD), came to
the city from Greensboro last
Friday to present the letter
fiom President Ford and to
make the formal announce
ment of the grant approval.
The $1,040,000 is the first
year’s grant under a $4,160,000
hold harmless grant approved
for Kin^ Mountain to be
spreadovera five year period.
In his letter to Mayor Moss,
President Ford asked the
mayor to ensure “Total public
participation” as the com
munity development plan is
carried out. The President
said the 1974 law, under which
the plan was submitted “is de
signed to change the old sys
tem of helping United States’
cities grow.” He said the new
act “is designed to let the
cities and counties of our
nation set their own priorities
with maximum discretion to
adolress problems of blight
and decay in our cities and
towns within broad federal
^iolelines.”
The letter went oxi “ap
proval is only the first step. I
urge that you enlist all your
citizens in helping to carry out
this idan. 'This is a new
oiirection in federal policy and
requires total public par
ticipation if it is to succeed.”
TTie CD funds will sponsor 13
civic projects during the
coming year in Kings Moun
tain. There were 13 applica
tions submitted originally.
(Please Turn To PageSA)
New Industry
Coming To Town
Buckeye Fire Equipment
Company, of Cleveland, Ohio
has announced plans to open a
58,000 square-foot manu
facturing facility in Kii^s
Mountain to produce com
mercial and industrial fire ex
tinguishers.
Buckeye president Thomas
J. Bower said, “We have
decided to expand to North
Carolina because of the
availability of raw materials
and labor and, most im
portantly, to better serve our
customers in the Southeast.”
Bower added, “We’re in
debted to the Economic De
velopment Department of
First Union National Bank for
providing us with invaluable
assistance in finding a suita
ble location.”
The plant, located in the old
Kinder Manufacturing
Company at 102 Industrial
Dr., will ultimately employ
125 people and begin full
production Oct. 1. Buckeye
will manufacture a complete
Photo By Tom McIntyre
ATTORNEY-CLIENT — F. Pat Cooke, a Gastonia attorney,
chats with Tommy King at Tuesday’s special commissioner
meeting here in which the officer was reinstated, then
resigned. King was fired from the fwce last Wednesday after
this week’s public meeting was already set.
Senior Citizens Day
A special day for senior citi- be jumping to the sounds of a
zens is planned at the Kings quartet singing and musicians
Center playing. Following the enter-
tainment will be a free lunch
(Please Turn To Page 5A)
Aug. 28 from 11 a. m. until 1 p
m.
The Mountaineer Room will
( Please Turn To Page 2A)
One For Mayor^ Four For Commissioner
Candidates
™mber of candidates
Mcipal offices have
“to 19 with the filing of
"two incumbent
Nner Uoyd Davis,
■'commissioner Jonas
''o fnd newcomers
Tommy King,
and Everette
« Hamrick, amther
Mwcomer to local
Wed to sedc elect as
week.
Unannounced candidates
expected to file before the
Sept. 5 deadline are incum
bent Mayor Jdm H. Moss and
district four incumbent
Commissioner Don McAbee.
Kings Mountain Elections
Board secretary Betty Mer-
cier is on duty at city hall from
9a.m.-5 p. m. Monday through
Friday to file local candidates
throu^ the Sept. 5 deadline.
Filing fee for mayor is $10, for
commissioner $5.
If potential candidates do
not find Mrs. Mercier at city
hall, they can contact her at
her home, 902 Monroe Ave., at
739-2192.
Kings Mountain Board of
Education candidates must
file at the Cleveland County
Elections office, Shelby.
Filing for the two trusteeships
begins at noon Fri., Sept. 12
and ends at noon Fri., Oct. 3.
To date three candidates
have filed for the two
education seats now held by
Chairman George Mauney
and J. E. Herndon Jr. The
candidates are Herman
Greene, Charles Mauney and
Kyle Smith.
The county elections board
announced today that Mar
garet White, 102 S. Piedmont
Ave., has been appointed
r^istrar for the Ea^ Kings
Mountain p-ednct. Geraldine
Myers, 317 Scotland Dr., con
tinues serving as registrar
for West Kings Mountain.
The registration books are
now open, with the closing
date set for 5 p. m. Sept. 8.
Voters may register by calling
r^istrars and making ap
pointments. Mrs. White’s
number is 739-4019 and Mrs.
Myers’ number is 739-9188.
Under a 1975 General
Assembly law local elections
judges who have been sworn
in may also register voters for
coming electiais.
LLOYD DAVIS
Lloyd E. Davis filed for re-
election Monday.
The incumbent district two
commissioner is married to
the former Mary Bennett and
is the father of one son,
Kenneth Davis, and one
daughter, Mrs. Wayne Rus
sell, both of Kings Mountain.
The Davises, who reside at
411 Bennett have three
grandchildren, Kenny Davis
and Mark and Karla Russell.
The commissioner is a
member of First Wesleyan
Church.
In his filing statement,
Davis said, “lam completing
two years as commissioner
under the John H. Moss ad
ministration. I also served two
years under the Garland Still
administration in 1953-54.
“One of my opponaits has
already stated that the
present administration has
accomplished nothing in the
past two years,” Davis con
tinued. “In the coming wedcs
prior to the Oct. 7 municipal
election I will show my op
ponent and the public the
accomplishments and pro
gress made for Kings Moun
tain during the past two
years.”
JONAS BRIDGES
Jonas Bridges is a former
commissioner in district five.
(Please Turn To PageSA)
9AVIS
JONAS BRIDGES
TOMMY KING
GILBERTHAMRICK
CHARLESPARKER
PAULLEDFORD
BILL SELLERS
EVERETTE PEARSON