Gaston County’s
The Banner News / banner-news.com
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Thursday, February 27, 2020
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News from a neighbor!
Volume 86 • Issue 9
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, February 27, 2020
New Miss Mount Holly eyes the Miss N.C. crown By TODD HAGANS Special to The Banner-News
Anne Marie Hagerty, the new Miss Mount Holly, has set her sights on the Miss North Carolina crown. Just weeks after winning the local pageant title, Hagerty is already preparing for the June competition when young women from across the state converge on Raleigh to find out who will be chosen to represent North
Carolina at Miss America. She’s also planning an appearance schedule that will keep her busy attending Springfest, the Friday night concert series, and other events around town. “I am ready for a great year representing Mount Holly,” said Hagerty. “I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to connect with the community, promote my social impact initiative, and compete for Miss North Car-
olina. Ultimately, I would love to go all the way to Miss America.” Hagerty lives in Charlotte, but her job as a reporter for WBTV brings her to the Mount Holly area on a regular basis. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in broadcast journalism and a double minor in history and music. Her community service program is titled “A Higher Purpose,” and it focuses on freeing people from
drug and alcohol addiction and helping them to seek a higher purpose in life. A classical pianist, Hagerty topped the field of five contestants that competed on Saturday, February 8 for the Miss Mount Holly 2020 title. The other contestants were Jada Carter, Hollis Brown, Maddy Wilson, and Olivia Foy. See CROWN, Page 2
Anne Marie Hagerty (left) was crowned Miss Mount Holly 2020, and Micah Eustache (right) was crowned Miss Mount Holly’s Outstanding Teen 2020. They will go on to the Miss North Carolina competition this June in Raleigh.
Former slave Ransom Hunter left his mark on Mt. Holly Last in a series of stories remembering influential and pioneering African-American citizens from our area. By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Mt. Holly’s Land Use Plan also takes into account its already vibrant downtown area. Photo by Alan Hodge
Mt. Holly council gets land use plan update By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
The Mt. Holly city council received an update on the municipality’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan at its Feb-
ruary 10 meeting. The firm of Kimley Horn has been working on the plan since June 2019. The idea behind the Land Use Plan is to “provide general guidance as land use decisions are considered in the future”.
The plan will also “reflect the vision from the Strategic Vision Plan Update and land use principles that provide broader direction for the future of Mt. Holly”. See LAND USE, Page 2
Ransom Hunter rose from the bonds of slavery to become one of Mt. Holly’s leading businessmen and citizens and though he died a century ago, his name is still remembered to this day. Hunter was born a slave on a plantation near Charleston circa 1825. As a boy he
was sold to the Hoyle family who owned a large farm near Dallas and Stanley in Gaston County. Just before the Civil War broke out in 1861, Hunter’s owner set him free and gave him a plot of land near the Catawba River that Hunter named “Freedom”. It is believed that Hunter was the first free black in Gaston to own property. Though the land was rugged, Hunter pitched in and through his sweat and sinew created a prosperous farm. See HUNTER, Page 7
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