Cherryville Eagle 7-20-22

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704-466-6008 Volume 116 • Issue 29

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Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Council recognizes Gaston County DA; City safety award winners at meeting Public hearings set for Aug. 8 for proposed annexation; two Planning and Zoning proposals by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info

At last Monday night’s regular City Council meeting, the Council heard from Mayor Beam during his comments section of the meeting about a couple of city projects that are either finished or almost done, one being Stroupe Park (finished) and the back alleyway on the north side of Main Street’s businesses (almost finished, or nearly complete). He also noted

what a success this year’s Independence Day celebration at Rudisill Stadium was, saying it was “a tremendous success.” “I was told, and saw for myself in some cases, that we had about 8 to 10,000 in attendance. We want to especially thank Gaston County Schools for allowing the use of Rudisill Stadium and I personally want to thank the Cherryville Fire and Police Departments for what they did to make this a successful experience, and I want to thank all of the city staff and employees as well for all their hard work.” Next up was Mr. Glenn Bratton, of Dallas, N.C., who is running for the Gaston County Board of Education, Dalla Township position

come November. Bratton, who is a North Gaston High School graduate, and has a master’s degree from UNC-Charlotte, was there with his wife Dorene, letting people know about his desire to serve on the Board of Education. He said he is a retired Gaston County Police Officer, a former DARE officer, and was an SRO at Ashbrook High School. “I was also a Compliance Officer who has worked closely with various local police departments in the county as well as with Chief (Cam) Jenks of the Cherryville Police Department in the past. I am here to let you know that See COUNCIL, Page 10

Cherryville native son and Gaston County District Attorney Travis Page speaks at last Monday, July 11’s City Council meeting. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)

Lincoln County woman missing for eight years It’s been eight years since Toasha Nicole Rice, also known as Nikki Green on her Facebook page, left a friend’s home on Eaker Rd. Cherryville, got into a black four-door sedan with an unidentified white woman and vanished. That was on May 26, 2014 and she has not been seen since. Over the years Lincoln County Sheriff’s detectives have interviewed family members and people she was known to associate with but no one has been able to provide creditable information about the missing woman. In the months after Toasha went missing, officers used a K-9 search team in a large wooded

TOASHA NICOLE RICE area off Sorrells Baxter Rd., and Eaker Rd., in western Lincoln County, around the old Massapoag Mill in Lincolnton and several other locations outside Lincoln County. All leads were ex-

hausted with no signs of the woman. Sheriff’s detectives are seeking new clues into the woman’s disappearance. Toasha is a white female and was 27 years old when she disappeared. She is five feetsix inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. Anyone with information on the unidentified female Ms. Rice left with or any other information on the case is asked to contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (704) 732-9050, the Lincoln County Communications Center at (704) 735-8202 or Lincolnton/Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at (704) 736-8909.

Every school has their own “spirit rock” and W. Blaine Beam Intermediate is no exception. New Principal Joshua White stands by it, knowing it will give a whole new group of students inspiration for the new school year! (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)

Cherryville’s own Joshua White, new principal at WBBI He is looking forward to the start of school, which is Wednesday, Aug. 17 by MICHAEL E. POWELL

From left: Unspoken Tradition’s Zane McGinnis and Ty Gilpin; Mountain Home’s Jon Weisberger; and Unspoken Tradition’s Sav Sankaran, Audie McGinnis, and Tim Gardner. (photo by Ken Voltz)

Unspoken Tradition celebrates No. 1 song, album release In a June 22 media release, Mountain Home Music Company congratulated Unspoken Tradition on the

success of their single, “California,” which reached No. 1 on the “Bluegrass Today” chart, during their album release show at 185 King St., in Brevard, N.C. “‘California’ comes to us from our buddy Thomm Jutz, and was chosen specifically

because it’s a tremendously well-written song with a feel that we’ve never explored as a band. It immediately stood out to me, and I’m glad it didn’t take much convincing to get the guys on board See UNSPOKEN, Page 4

Editor michael@cfmedia.info

Cherryville’s W. Blaine Beam Intermediate – home of the Falcons – has a new captain at the helm of the ship, or chief Falcon, if you will, in the person of principal, Joshua White. He is quick to tell you he is looking forward to the start of school, which is Wednesday, Aug. 17, so he can meet some of the students and introduce himself. Mr. White is a Cherryville native, and admits becoming an education professional was not his first choice, originally, for

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a profession, so far as he was concerned at the time, way back in his high school days. “If you would have told me back then that I would come back here as a principal, I would’ve definitely laughed at you (and, he added, so would his teachers)!” Joshua said he grew up on Sellerstown Road and Academy Street before graduating from Cherryville High in 2005. He is married to his wife, Betsy (11 years) and they have a 5-year-old daughter, Kassie, who he noted “… starts kindergarten this August.” The couple still reside in Gastonia, he said. He continued, “After graduating from CHS, I ended up at UNC-Charlotte majoring in finance and

banking. While on a Summer mission trip where I got to teach and coach, I felt led to (the field of) education so I changed my major when I got back home and never looked back. I finished at Charlotte with a degree in history and education.” White said he began his educational career in Gaston County Schools as a teacher assistant at Lingerfeldt Elementary. “That really prepared me to have my own classroom, and in 2013, I began teaching history and coaching football, basketball, and baseball at Southwest Middle School in Gastonia. In 2018, I began as an assistant principal at Southwest and remained there for four years before being appointed principal at W.B. See WHITE, Page 9


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