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Volume 115 • Issue 1
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
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FOLLOWING THE BOOM! – Shooting in New Year 2021 in Cherryville Spirits in Cherryville; as far away as Lincoln County, and in Waco scared away so we can have a better new year! by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
“And for good luck we’ll fire our guns!” And so it begins; the shooting in of the New Year 2021, and blasting out of the bad, old year – 2020. Everyone’s following the boom, as some not in the “know” have described it. It is something we all need right about now, so the common consensus goes. Goodbye, and good riddance, to a bad and scary old year and hello to the hope of a new and better year. And, it is a long-lived tradition; one which no little knobby-skinned virus is going to stamp out any time soon, if you listen to what some of the life-long practitioners of this ages-old tradition say. That said, by all reports, each of the two Cher-
ryville-based groups had a great “shoot” and no injuries or strange goings-on. Oh, to be sure, much was different, what with the social distancing, masks and all. But, their members knew what was expected of them, and they all love the tradition so much, nothing is too difficult for them to adhere to so long as they get to go out and fire their muskets to honor this venerable, timetested tradition brought over from the old country by their ancestors. Safety was first and foremost on everyone’s minds; make no mistake of that! The weather, though forecast to be extremely rainy and damp, didn’t disappoint, though a wicked mist – similar to what one would find on the Scottish moors – stayed with everyone throughout the day. Nevertheless the stalwart men and women of the Cherryville New Year’s Shooters, Inc., and the Traditional New Year’s Shooters, stayed the course, moving about Cherryville and places in Gaston, Lincoln, and Cleveland counties, doing their duty and
Members of the Traditional New Year’s Shooter’s group line up along the railroad tracks at the Cherryville Train Depot Museum for their “shot” on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media and Susan L. Powell) scaring away the evil spirits of 2020 (and God knows they were Legion!), paving the way for a better, evil spirit-free, New Year, 2021. As was reported in a previous Eagle article, both
groups’ officers said things were indeed going to look different this year, what with all the Governor’s edicts, and general orders. To that end, plans were made by the groups and their leaders to
see to it their members, their hosts, and all involved could have a safe and good time at all costs. They feel, looking back on their “shot” of 2021, they succeeded. Rusty Wise, an officer
with the Cherryville New Year’s Shooter’s, Inc. group, said, “This New Year’s shoot went really well. We had only compliments on how smoothly everything See BOOM, Page 4
Looking back on 2020 – The Year of COVID-19 A year of losses, quarantines, masks, stayat-home orders; of lay-offs, a depressed economy, but also a fast-tracked, much-anticipated vaccine (Ed. Note: This is Part Two of a two-part series looking back on 2020 and how we dealt locally with the Eagle’s top stories and the COVID-19 pandemic. It covers the last six months of the year, July through December.) by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
JULY • COVID cases increase
in Gaston and across state. Officials urge public to stay vigilant as many counties across the state see significant increases in COVID-19 cases. • On Thursday, June 25, former Cherryville businessman William Richard Hilliard, Jr., 51, listed as a former resident of Cleveland County and Cherryville, and currently a Gastonia resident, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for secretly recording nude videos of underage females aboard his yacht. • Cherryville funeral director and Chamber Board chairman, John Pete Craft celebrates 25 years working in a job he loves. Serving oth-
Three from Cherryville indicted on Lincoln Co. drug charges LCSO says one suspect is already in custody In a Wednesday, Dec. 16, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) media release, three Cherryville people were part of a group of 11 indicted on drug charges by the Lincoln
County Grand Jury on Monday, Dec.14. One suspect is already in custody. The three from Cherryville are: Cohen J. Hill, 38, Wehunt Brown Rd., Cherryville. Mr. Hill is charged in connection with a Nov. 25, 2020 incident for possession of methamphetamine; Stephen Eugene Travis, 50, also of Wehunt Brown Rd., Cherryville, who is charged with possession with intent to sell See CHARGES, Page 2
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ers is, for him, answering the call of God to help people. • A generous donation of medical and testing supplies from Medical Center Pharmacy helps CHS and its athletics program this Fall. Principal Kevin Doran and Athletic Director and head basketball coach Scott Harrill surprised and greatly blessed by generous donation from pharmacy manager, Brian Kiser. • At the June 30, 2020 City Council work session Ms. Dana Patterson, a daughter of the late Harvey Lee Patterson, requests Council to change name of one of the See LOOKING BACK, Page 10
The Wednesday, July 22, groundbreaking for the Catawba Nation Casino gets under way. Nine men, representing the Nation and its leaders, the City of Kings Mountain, Cleveland County Commissioners, Delaware North, and Sky Boat Gaming ceremoniously get a shovelful of dirt to toss into a pile, signifying work is officially begun on the long-awaited casino. Left to right: Wallace Cheves (Sky Boat Gaming); Butch Sanders (Catawba Nation); Jason Harris (Assistant Chief of the Catawba Nation); Sam Beck (Catawba Nation Councilman); Johnny Hutchins (Cleveland County Commissioner); E. Brian Hansberry (Gaming President, Delaware North); Rodrick Beck (Catawba Nation Secretary/Treasurer), Scott Neisler (Mayor, City of Kings Mountain); and Catawba Nations Chief William “Bill” Harris. (Eagle/CF Media file photo by Michael E. Powell or provided)
CHS Health & PE classes rack up “Yards for Yeardley” miles Coach Tim Pruitt’s second and fourth period classes cover over 100,000 yards by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Head football coach and CHS and Health and Physical Education instructor Tim Pruitt always likes for his students to “pay it forward” in some way or another. One of those ways is
by having them take part in walk-a-thon of sorts, all about the “Yards for Yeardley” campaign to raise awareness for dating violence. “So, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, and Friday, Dec. 11, the Health and Physical Education classes at Cherryville High School participated in 'Yards for Yeardley’,” said Coach Pruitt. “This is a program that provides awareness for dating violence and the importance of healthy See MILES, Page 4
Some of the 32 students who took half of a class period in Coach Tim Pruitt’s Health and PE classes to take part in a 'Yards for Yeardley’ walk. (photo provided)
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