Cherryville Fire Department Awards ceremony held Feb. 21 at First Baptist Church

City Manager Brian Dalton: “The Cherryville Fire Dept. always goes above and beyond what is asked of them by the City of Cherryville and the community.”

by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info

The Cherryville Fire Department was pleased to host their Award Ceremony once again after a hiatus and a virtual ceremony one year. Said Chief Jason Wofford, at the Tuesday, Feb. 21 event held at Cherryville’s First Baptist Church.

“I believe we skipped a year there one year and had a virtual ceremony also, both as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chief Wofford. The chief was one of many who welcomed firefighters and their families and friends to the 2022 Award Ceremony, held this year in First Baptist’s sanctuary. First Baptist pastor and CFD fire chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Vince Hefner opened the ceremony with a word of prayer and Chief Wofford, after his welcome, asked Cherryville City Manager Brian Dalton to speak.

“The Cherryville Fire Department always goes above and beyond what is asked of them by the City of Cherryville and the community,” noted Mr. Dalton. “We can always depend on them, the whole department, and on any organization they belong to.”

Assistant Chief Colby Heffner gave a department update by noting, “The year 2022 was a successful year for the Cherryville Fire Department. We totaled out the year with 1,174 calls for service, which was up 218 calls from the previous year. We will likely see this number continue to climb as our city experiences exponential growth. In the year

2022, our members logged

6,159 training hours and multiple members received new certifications and education which are as follows:

Driver/Engineer Doyle Brown completed his NC Firefighter Certification; Assistant Chief Heffner obtained an NC Fire Inspector Level III Certification; Captain Bowman and Assistant Chief Heffner both received an NC Pyrotechnics Operator certification; and Captain Bowman completed his Associates degree from Cleveland Community College.”

See AWARDS, Page 9

Human Resources Director Amia Massey

Budget Analyst Elizabeth McGee Chief of Staff Justin Amos

Three county employees named to National List of Top 100 Local Government Influencers

The Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) organization recently announced its Top 100 Local Government Influencers for 2022, with a record three Gaston County employees making the list:

Human Resources Director Amia Massey, Budget An- alyst Elizabeth McGee, and Chief of Staff Justin Amos.

Each year, ELGL seeks nominations for the list and selects leaders who serve their communities with excellence and have a positive

See INFLUENCERS, Page 2

Parents Bill of Rights passes NC Senate; all Democrats vote ‘no’

by ALEX BALTZEGAR Carolina Journal

The North Carolina Senate passed a bill last Tuesday evening establishing rights for parents with school-aged children.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights