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VOLUME 94, NUMBER 28
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1981
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
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Four Men Indicted
In Bomb Incident
Four men have been indicted culminating in the death of a
by a federal grand jury on
charges of manufacturing and
possessing an “over the counter”
explosive that sparked an erup
tion of gunfire here last summer
woman and injuries to three
men, including KMPD Sgt.
Johnny Belk.
Indicted Monday in Charlotte
were Paul Dean Gann, of 306 ,
Seed Project
Still Undone
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Co-Editor
GROVER—A controversy
developed at Monday night's
Town Board meeting over street
improvements and drew loud
complaints from Mrs. Martha
Hicks Turner and Mrs. Dick
Eaker with strong rebuttal from
street commissioner Juanita
Pruette. Mrs. Turner said after
the meeting that the problem has
not been resolved.
Mrs. Turner contended, and
showed minutes of an Oct. 8,
1979 board meeting, to verify
that back-filling and seeding was
to have been included in a
$24,600.00 verbal contract that
then-street commissioner
Hoover Herndon executed on
behalf of the board with
Spangler’s for curbing and gut
tering at 16 residences on
Walnut and Chestnut Streets.
Mrs. Turner wanted to know
why the work had not been com
pleted at her residence. ‘This Itas
gone on long enough,” she told
ttie txjard,
Street Commissioner Juanita
Pruette disagreed with Mrs.
Turner'that the town was to pay
the bill. She said that all property
owners, with the exception of
Mrs. Turner, signed a petition
circulated on Sept. 11,1979, the
day after a Sept. 10,1979 regular
meeting in which the board had
initially made its recommenda
tion that the town install curbing
and guttering on portions of
Chestnut St. and Walnut St. and
that the cost include the backfill
ing and seeding. The petition
stated that “it is understood that
it will be the responsibility of the
property owner to fill in their
yards to the height of the curb. It
is understood that all of the work
necessary to construct this curb
ing and guttering adjacent to my
property will be done in
workmanlike manner with the
least inconvenience to my pro
perty as possible.”
However, the later minutes of
Oct. 8, 1979 are contradictory.
Those minutes, attested by Clerk
Gloria Aorton, said that “upon
motion of Comm. Herndon,
seconded by Comm. Tommy
Keeter, vote unanimous to curb
and gutter Walnut and Chestnut
Streets, to contract the work
with Spangler Concrete Co. of
Shelby with total cost of the pro
ject to be $24,600 and Spangler’s
to do the backfilling and seeding.
This action was taking by the
Board in consideration of the
petition from the residents from
Walnut St. and Chestnut St.
presented to the board on June
11, 1979.”
Clerk Gloria Horton said the
board did not execute a written
contract with Spangler’s and
that the paving company denied
the inclusion of the back-filling
and seeding its original verbal
contract with Commissioner
Herndon. Further confusion
developed, according to Mrs.
Horton, when Herndon was
replaced as street commissioner
by Joe Boheler who resigned.
Mrs. Pruette became the town’s
third street commissioner, ail
_ wMiftJh9..past-yMH'and a half.
Further confusing the issue,
according to Mrs. Pruette, was
the report from several citizens
that back-filling at some proper
ties had been furnished with
truck loads of dirt provided by
Mayor Bill McCarter. “1 didn^
know a thing about this business
until 8:30 last Sunday night”,
she told the board, asking Mr.
McCarter to give her street im
provements report. Mrs. Horton
said the Mayor provided the dirt
for the back-filling job at his own
expense. She said that dirt was
not hauled to the residence of
Mrs. Turner. “A lot of people are
mad at me”, said Mrs. Pruette.
Hoover Herndon, who was
present at the meeting, said that
“at no time did the Grover Board
promise back filling and seeding
in addition to the free curb and
gutter work”, then acknowledg
ed that he had supplied dirt from
Spring Acres properties he owns,
along with Bob Hambright.
Comm. Pruette said that “all
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Industry Leaders Meet
Fourteen representatives of
local industry met Tuesday mor
ning for breakfast with the
Mayor’s committee to help find
employment for Vietnam
veterans. The breakfast was held
at Holiday Inn.
Luther Bennett, spokesman
for Burlington Mill’s Phenix
Plant, said that Burlington has
always put emphasis on hiring
veterans and the handicapped
and estimated that Burlington
receives about 65-80 new ap
plications each month but that
only two of three are from Viet
nam veterans.
Jerry Schweiner, Vice Presi
dent and General Manager,
representing Carmet, said that
his company “definitely
welcomes this program” and
noted that Carmet, a Kings
Mountain business citizen for
four years, has an internal train
ing program for employees in ad
dition to a tuition refund pro
gram which allows them to at
tend technical schools for
specialized training. Fifty-six
percent of the employees at
Carmet are females and 20 per
cent of them operate machines
and drill presses and with initial
ly little experience. He said that
if a person has the ambition and
the desire to succeed there is an
opportunity for him to get to the
top.
Mayor John Henry Moss said
that the local veterans commit
tee, co<haired by Aud Tignor of
the American Legion and
Dickey Burgess of the VFW
with assistance from Arlene Bar
rett, Clara Rhea and Lib Stewart
of the Legion Auxiliary, and
Peggy Guin of the VFW Aux
iliary, has received 14 applica
tions from Vietnam veterans,
some of whom are now
employed but in seasonal work.
“Some of our Vietnam veterans
are under-employed and these
young people need the leader
ship and the assistance to find
better jobs.” said Burgess.
David Harrison said that
Eaton Corporation actively
recruits veterans and one
employee of four at the Eaton
plant on Grover Road is a
veteran. “We welcome this pro
gram to become in contact with
more veterans, and especially the
Vietnam era veterans”, he said.
Legion Commander Aud
Tignor commented that “It does
my heart good to see leaders like
you interested in veterans.”
Ray Thomas of Commercial
Shearing said that additional
employees are expected to be
hired this summer and “we at
Commercial Shearing welcome
the introduction to these
people.”
Mayor Moss told the group
that the Committee would
broaden its application program
and seek to present the program
to the Kings Mountain Person
nel Association composed of
leaders of most businesses and
industry at a future time. “We
haven’t scratched the surface yet
but we wanted to get your sup
port”, said the Mayor, who add
ed, ‘There is a desire on the part
of these veterans who have had
intensive training to go up and to
broaden their talents and
abilities. There are also those
Vietnam veterans in our area
without jobs. We want to help
them get one.”
Gaston St. in Kings Mountain,
James Ernest Mauney, of Route
3, Blacksburg, S.C., formerly of
Kings Mountain, Arnold
Eugene Mauney, of 1017
Plymouth St. in Gastonia,
formerly of Kings Mountain,
and Keith Freeland Ramsey of
402 S. Cansler St. in Kings
Mountain.
Federal indictments based on
an investigation by the Federal
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms charged Gann,
Ernest Mauney and Eugene
Mauney with two violations,
making and possessing an illegal
explosive device, and Ramsey
with aiding and abetting the
three. The felony counts carry a
maximum of 10 years in prison.
The four men are scheduled
for arraignment at 10 a.m. Fri
day, April 17th, in Asheville, ac
cording to federal court officials
in Statesville who were drawing
up the summons papers Wednes
day.
Ernestine Mauney, 22, died of
shotgun wounds to the chest, the
two Mauneys indicted Monday
were wounded, and Police Sgt.
Johnny Belk was hit in both legs
by shotgun blasts which erupted
at the 50-unit public housing
complex on Margrace Road the
morning of Monday, July 7th.
Kings Mountain investigators
who still can’t explain the reason
for the outburst of violence at
the apartment complex say that
a bgmb explosion 'oetaweat twft
project buildings sparked the
gunfire. The explosion itself
caused no injuries.
“A lot of people tried to say it
was a racial thing”, said Police
Chief J.D. Barrett, “but what
happened was that a big party
had been going on that day
when something erupted.”
Sgt. Belk was among the of
ficers who raced to the complex
when the gunfire started and
ordered the residents to stop
shooting. He was hospitalized
and out of work for 10 weeks.
Henry Boone, of Forest City,
described as a friend of the dead
woman’s mother, was charged in
the shooting death and is serving
a 12 year prison sentence.
Federal officials said the type
of bomb used at the housing
complex was an “over the
counter” explosive used to clear
stumps and burrow ditches. It
had a destructive power of two
sticks of dynamite and was
allegedly set off by touching a
television antennae wire to a bat
tery.
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PLANT TREES - Students at Kings Mountain
lunior High School planted two dogwood
trees Wednesday morning in memory oi lefi
Wood and Rod Lewis, who died in a fire Sun
day morning, and Frankie Patrick, who died
in a hunting accident last year. All three
young people were students ot the junior
Dogwoods
Memorial
To Youth
Kings Mountain Junior High
students planted dogwood trees
on the school lawn early
Wednesday morning in memory
of three students who died
" ffdgically.' - - -
A “Dedication Ceremony”
honored Jeff Wood and Rod
Lewis, who died in a Sunday
morning fire, and Franklin
Patrick, who died in a hunting
accident last year. All were ninth
graders.
Students collected $105 from
fellow students Monday to pur
chase funeral wreaths for Wood
and Lewis and purchased two
dogwood trees to memoralize the
three deceased classmates.
Heading up the project were
Kim Hawkins, Lisa Wright,
Shane Absher, Todd Cloninger,
Jeff Lynn and Phil Robinson.
The entire 700-member stu
dent body turned out for the
brief ceremony, which included
short talks by Assistant Principal
Richard Hamrick and members
of the student body, a silent
prayer, and the planting of trees.
Present at the ceremony were
Marvin and Catherine Wood,
parents of Jeff Wood, Jeffs
brother Curt and his wife
Sharon, and other members of
the Wood family.
Lewis’s parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Gerald McMahan, and other
members of his family were in
•Marion, where his funeral ser
vices were conducted Wednes
day afternoon.
Photo by Gary Stewart
high. Left to right ore loe Champion of Cham
pion's Landscaping, and students Kim
Hawkins. Lisa Wright. Phil Robinson. Brad
Reynolds. Todd Cloninger and Shane Absher.
The entire 700-member student body turned
out for the brief ceremony.
Funeral Rites
Held For Three
Funeral services for the three
teenage victims of an early Sun
day morning fire were held
Wednesday.
The bodies of Todd Barrett,
17, of 902 Lee St., Rodney Car-
■toH Lewis, "16, of 320 Amhurst
Dr., and Jeffrey Wood, 15, of
900 Lee St., were discovered
Sunday in the charred remains
of an abandoned barn near the
KM Junior High School and a
short distance from the homes of
the youths.
According to investigating of
ficers the boys were apparently
sleeping in the loft of the barn
and died when a fire they built to
warm themselves burned out of
control.
KMJH students planted
dogwood trees in their memory
early Wednesday.
Memorial services for Rodney
Lewis, a 9th grader and a
member of the Patriot Football
Team, were held Tuesday after
noon at 4 p.m. from the Chapel
of Masters Funeral Home by
Rev. Clyde Bearden. Funeral
services were held in Marion
Wednesday at 2 p.m. from Mc
Call Funeral Home and inter
ment was in Nebo Cemetery in
Marion. Pallbearers, were six
KMJH Patriot Team members,
including Todd Cloninger, Brad
Reynolds, Heath Chapman,
Quinton Rikard, Curt Pressley
and Jamie Black.
Surviving Lewis are his father,
Roy Lewis of Marion; hismother
Mrs. Iris Pyatt McMahan of
Kings Mountain; his stepfather,
Gerald McMahan of Kings
Mountain; two brothers, Roy
Lewis and Grant McMahan,
both of the home; and a sister.
Sherry Lewis of Marion.
Funeral services for Todd
Steven Barrett, a KMSHS senior
and a member of David Baptist
Church, were held Wednesday
at 4 p.m. from David Baptist
Church by Rev. Scott Carpenter
and Rev. M.S. Hardin, inter
ment following in the church
cemetery.
Barrett was active in campus
activities, including the Senior
Class Play, and was employed by
McDonald’s. Surviving are his
parents, Charles Steven Barrett
and Patsy Bolin Barrett, both of
Kings Mountain; a halfbrother,
Bryan Barrett of Kings Moun
tain; paternal grandmother, Mrs.
Biddie Barrett of Kings Moun
tain and maternal grandmother,
Mrs. Hester Bolin of Kings
Mountain.
Funeral rites for Jeffrey Eric
Wood, a KMJH 9th grader and
a member of Trinity Church of
the Living God, were held
Wednesday at 2 p.m. from Trini
ty Church of the Living God by
Rev. Ozie Montgomery, inter
ment following in Mountain
Rest Cemetery.
Wood was a member of the
KMJH Patriot Football Team
and active in Band. Surviving
are his parents, Marvin and
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INDUSTRIES SUPPORT PROIECT - Local in-
duotry loadora mot Tuoodoy with tho Mayor'*
committoo to holp local Viotnam votorans ob
tain jobs. From loit, Mr*. Claro Rhoa, Mr*.
Photo by Lib Stowart
Arlono Borrott Mr*. Poggy Guin, roprooontlng
votoron* orgoniiotion*. Roy Thomo*. David
HorrUon and loo Hornby.