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Volume 84 • Issue 44
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Town of Cramerton honors Veterans See pages 8 & 9
News from a neighbor! Thursday, November 1, 2018
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Derek Rumfelt followed in his father Barry’s flying footsteps By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
There are a lot of interesting stories about military veterans in our area, but the adventures of father/son Barry and Derek Rumfelt has got to be one of the most unique. The Rumfelts both forged careers flying in C130 aircraft with the Charlotte-based NC Air National Guard 145th Airlift Wing, 156th Airlift Squadron. Together they racked up around 15,000 flying hours (11,000 Barry, 4,600 Derek) and a total service time of 68 years (40 Barry, 28 Derek), traveled to exotic places, and had an overall exciting time together serving our state and nation. At the time of their retirements, 2002 for Barry who is 79, and December 2017 for Derek who is 49, both had risen through the ranks. Barry ended up as a Chief Master Sergeant and Derek as a Senior Master Sergeant. Their tale takes off in 1965 when Barry joined the NCANG as an aircraft mechanic crew chief. He served in Vietnam and then went on to become a flight engineer. Derek graduated from East Gaston High in1987 and joined the NCANG in 1989 also as a crew chief. Just like his dad, Derek became a flight engineer. “I always knew I wanted to be in the Guard because of dad's involvement,” Derek said. Being in the Guard at the same time afforded the Rumfelts the opportunity to see and experience things together that most folks can only imagine. See RUMFELT, page 2
Retired NCANG members and father/son team Barry (left) and Derek Rumfelt with Barry’s mom the late Ruby Rumfelt. Barry and Derek served a total of 68 combined years with the 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas airport. Photo provided by Derek Rumfelt
Stanley Fire Department receives big federal grant
New House of Mercy President brings global HIV/AIDS perspective
By Alan Hodge
The House of Mercy recently welcomed Emily E. Chambers Sharpe as its new President/CEO. Sharpe is a visionary leader who brings to the House of Mercy varied experience working to support people affected by HIV/ AIDS. She has worked for the US Department of State’s Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, as the Team Lead for President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in Southern Africa. Most
alan.bannernews@gmail.com
The Town of Stanley Fire Department recently received a whopping $164,381 grant from the federal government and is already putting the money to good use. The grant is from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Local departments applied for the grants from the program, which is administered by the Grant Programs Directorate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. Grants may be used for equipment or vehicle acquisition or for regional, multi-agency requests. According to Stanley's assistant fire chief Michael Hullett, the money was used to purchase 23 new air packs, 46 air pack bottles, 23 air pack
Stanley Fire Department assistant chief Michael Hullett and some of the new air packs that were purchased with a $164,381 federal grant. Photo by Alan Hodge masks, and 23 voice amplifying microphones for the masks. “Fire chief Will Keller and I have been here since 2015 and this is the largest grant we have received in that time,” said Hullett. “The
grant is a huge benefit for the fire department and the taxpayers of Stanley. It's like we won the lottery.” The Stanley Fire Department was founded back in See GRANT, page 3
Edited by Alan Hodge
recently she worked for the Swiss humanitarian aid organization, Medair, as a Senior Health and Nutrition Advisor, advising projects that provided community-based, primary healthcare services and therapeutic feeding for the malnourished in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Somalia. Her first experience with HIV/AIDS was during a Emily E. Chambers Sharpe college volunteer mission in which she worked in a recovery home for women. There cation to keep their disease she saw people living with from progressing to AIDS. HIV without access to medi- See HOUSE OF MERCY, page 4
Belmont American Legion ceremony Belmont’s American Legion Post 144 will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at the Legion building located
at 202 Park Drive near Davis Park, on Sunday, November 11th at 11:00am. Retired Brig. General Outwater will
be the guest speaker. Luncheon will follow. The public is invited.
Mt. Holly Veterans Day program The Mount Holly Historical Society is hosting a Veterans Day program at the Mount Holly First Presbyterian Church on Sunday,
November 11 at 3pm. Following the program, there will be a reception at the Historical Society Museum See VETERANS, page 3
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