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Thursday, September 12, 2019
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Volume 85 • Issue 37
Good news for great people! • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, September 12, 2019
South Point and Belmont host Patriotism Bowl by John Wilson John.Bannernews@gmail.com
When the final seconds ticked off the clock at Lineberger Stadium the 8th Annual Patriotism Bowl came to an end with Clover beating South Point 34- 7. While things didn’t turn out as the Red Raiders may have hoped, the Patriotism Bowl was still an overwhelming success for the Belmont community. As it turned out, the Patriotism Bowl was more than just a football game it was a celebration of America. The game was a chance for two communities, one from North Carolina, the other from South Carolina, to come together and share
in an atmosphere filled with civic pride and love of country. Things that should unite all Americans. The Patriotism Bowl is sponsored by the Carolinas Freedom Foundation. The Carolinas Freedom Foundation was established with the goal of promoting citizenship, patriotism, and appreciation for the nation’s law enforcement veterans and first responders. The Carolinas Freedom Foundation also sponsors the Patriotism Bowl to help fund scholarships and charities dedicated to helping veterans. Normally the game is held as close to the anniversary of the September 11th attacks as possible. So far the game has
featured schools from Mecklenburg, Iredell, Union, and Cabarrus counties. Preparation for the game began six months ago when the Patriotism Bowl contacted South Point athletic director Kent Hyde about the possibility of South Point hosting this year’s game. The Patriotism Bowl had heard about South Point’s rich football tradition and were interested in possibly expanding the game into Gaston County. “Six months ago they asked if we were interested,” Hyde said. “Then they asked about our schedule.” See PATRIOTISM, Pages 10 & 11
Jacob Henderson and his daughter Hampton enjoying the South Point High Patriotism Bowl last Friday. Photo by John Wilson
Hurricane Dorian spares our area By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
First Baptist Mt. Holly Rev. Kendell Cameron (left) and church reconstruction project chairman Reeves McGlohon standing under the steel beams that will support the new roof. Photo by Alan Hodge
Rebuild of First Baptist Mt. Holly well under way By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
Actual construction work to rebuild First Baptist in Mt. Holly has at long last started. July 21, 2019 marked the third anniversary of a fire that destroyed the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Mount Holly and damaged its Education Building. The fire was one of the biggest in Mt. Holly history and took 150 firefighters from 16 dif-
ferent departments several hours to control. The fire was eventually blamed on a propane torch used by a crew repairing the roof. The sanctuary building was gutted but the exterior walls stood firm. Work took place last year to clear the twisted rubble from the sanctuary interior and allow structural engineers to assess the building’s integrity. The cleanup took six months. The Fellowship Hall of
the church was not damaged and now serves as the hub of activity for the First Baptist congregation. After the fire, the First Baptist congregation overwhelmingly voted to use, to the extent possible, the remaining walls of the structure in the rebuilding process. The architect chosen by the church, WKWW Architects of Charlotte, created a design that blended the old and See FIRST BAPTIST, Page 12
Last week’s visit to our area by Hurrican Dorian was a merciful one and we only experienced blustery winds and skittering clouds. Of course other places like the Carolina coast didn’t fare as well and suffered severe flooding, wind, damage, and storm surge. It seems like the month of September and hurricanes have a history around here. Almost exactly this time last year, September 14 to be exact, Hurricane Florence brought torrents of rain to Gaston County. As usual, before the storm even got here, folks rushed to stores and stripped the bottled water and other drink supplies shelves clean. Local municipalities braced for the blow and made contingency arrangements early in the week. Local fire and police departments made preparations by beefing up their staffing. The City of Belmont had
Sam Stowe of Belmont is seen beside the huge tree that fell on his Central Ave. property during Hurricane Irma. The giant oak knocked down several other smaller trees while it was at it. Photo by Alan Hodge staff start cleaning storm drains in preparation for the heavy rain. The Emergency Operations Team met and reviewed emergency procedures in order to be prepared to service citizens. Ashbrook High opened its gym as a shelter for hurricane victims. All week prior to Florence’s arrival, weather fore-
casters scratched their heads trying to figure out where the storm was headed and what would happen when it got there. On September 13, winds starting to pick up. The morning of the 14th brought showers and winds. Sunday the 15th saw more rain and winds of over See DORIAN, Page 4