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Volume 129 • Issue 33
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
kmherald.com • 704-739-7496
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Albemarle Corporation expansion will add 170 new jobs in KM North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced Monday that Albemarle COOPER Corporation will expand its Operations Center in Kings Mountain with salaries for 170 new Cleveland County jobs averaging $78,225 once all positions are filled. The company is expected to invest approximately $20M in new capital investment, which is an
results for these two North Carolina locations,’’ said the Governor. “The Charlotte Chamber’s economic development team recruited AlbeKISSAM REESE HOLBROOK NEISLER marle’s headquarI n ters to Charlotte updated figure that exceeds Kings Mountain, Albemarle in 2015 and CCEDP has their original projection of Corporation is the location been highly engaged with $10.5 M. Albemarle Corpora- of the former Foote Min- their team behind the scenes tion will add a variety of eral and Rockwell Lithium while working on the exjob functions at its existing Plant. The company pro- pansion projects for both plant, including operations cesses lithium for the na- locations. Together, over tion’s consumer electronics the last few years, we have and engineering services. strategically discussed The expansion will also and electric vehicles. “The regional economic unique approaches to this create 30 new jobs at their headquarters in Charlotte. development efforts net big project as we were trying
to convince the company to expand operations in Cleveland County and Charlotte. Those conversations have been a great testament to a special type of urban-rural spirit of regionalism that exists here, yet doesn’t necessarily exist in most locations across the United States. So today, we also want to offer our congratulations to big city neighbor on their win, as well as thank them for their support throughout this project,’’ stated Kristin Reese, Executive Director of Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership. “Albemarle is pleased
to build up our recent corporate headquarters relocation to Charlotte and invest in expanding our footprint in Kings Mountain,’’ said Luke Kissam, Albemarle’s Chairman, President and CEO. “The functions we are adding at Kings Mountain will enable us to grow key business functions that support current global operations and position Albemarle to pursue growth opportunities. We appreciate the strong support of the state of North Carolina, City of Kings Mountain and Cleveland County for this project.” See 170 JOBS, Page 7A
Governor taps Rick Moore North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has appointed K i n g s Mountain businessMOORE man Rick Moore to the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board. The board of 19 members, of which Tammy O’Kelley, of Heart of North Carolina Visitor’s Bureau, is chairman, held its first meeting Tuesday morning at the North Carolina Zoo at Asheboro. The Governor said in his letter to Moore, “Thank you for your willingness to serve on North Carolina’s Travel and Tourism Board.” The board advocates the
sound development of the travel and tourism industry in North Carolina and advises the Secretary of Commerce on policy matters related to tourism. Moore currently serves as a member of the Kings Mountain Tourism Board of which city councilman Rodney Gordon is chairman and other members are Kemp Mauney, and representatives of the Holiday Inn Express and Quality Inn. Ellis Noell, former City of Kings Mountain Events Director, also serves in exofficio capacity. Moore served 12 years on Kings Mountain city council and is the new Commander of Post 155 American Legion. He is a Kings Mountain native, owner and operator of Timms Furniture.
Great American Eclipse Monday By LORETTA COZART On August 21st at 2:40 pm, we’ll witness the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in the COZART United States in 99 years. In Kings Mountain, the moon will obscure approximately 98.6% of the sunlight. If you’d like to see the total eclipse, you’ll need to travel south to Greenville, SC. If you do, you won’t be alone; lots of folks are traveling to get a better look. Most hotel
rooms are already booked to capacity and there aren’t any solar eclipse glasses to be found anywhere. The full shadow of the moon, or Umbra, will travel three times the speed of sound (about 2,000 mph) across the country. The path will be 70 miles wide and can be seen from Oregon to Columbia, South Carolina over a span of 90 minutes. From your vantage point, it will only last a few minutes. So, plan-ahead so you don’t miss it. Because the path travels across the United States in North America, this is expected to be the most viewed eclipse of all time. The media is warning that traffic could be a nightmare, with sightseers See ECLIPSE, Page 7A
Jenna Putnam is pictured in the library she has created in her math classroom at West Elementary School. Jenna Putnam is ready to help math students at a small group table, an ideal place for students to study and work at erasable boards from their seats.
‘Leadership is a hoot’ is the theme of one exhibit Amber Neill’s reading students will find exciting when they return to books on Aug. 28.
Teachers are back to school today Teachers will be back in their classrooms today working with team teachers and putting up posters and other eye-catching materials on the walls and bulletin boards to excite their young charges. Jenna Putnam third grade math teacher at West School, is enclosing a li-
brary corner and a small group table in her classroom where “Leadership” is the theme to compliment the overall school motto, “We dream, we believe, we achieve.” She works with two team members. Casey Mauney is the content teacher and Tamra Greason is the reading teacher.
At West Elementary, teachers will begin the day at 8:30 a.m. with a faculty meeting. Orientation Day for West, like most schools in Kings Mountain and Cleveland County, will hold Orientation Day on August 23. ‘Leadership is a Hoot” in the West School fourth
grade classroom where Amber Neill is reading teacher and owls are used to enhance the theme. “Owl be a leader’’ is one of the catchy statement complete with colorful pictures. Working with Neill are team teachers, Kelly Patrick, math teacher, and Lexi Poston, content teacher.
Buy Booster Club More pocket change for county teachers Parking passes The Kings Mountain High School Booster Club is selling parking passes for this year’s football season. The parking pass allows the holder to park in the parking lot next to the new fieldhouse. Parking passes are $20.00. This includes membership in the Booster Club. The passes will be
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sold at the first home game. You may purchase a pass in advance from Coach Grayson Pierce at KMHS, the office at KMHS, or Mark McDaniel The Booster Club has supported young athletes at Kings Mountain High School for over 35 years.
Teachers return to school Wednesday (today) at schools in Kings Mountain and Grover and all over the county in preparation for arrival of students on Monday, Aug. 28. They return this school year with a little more change in their pockets – a 3.5 percent average raise approved by the board of education. Cleveland County Schools’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year is focused on increased compensation.
“Our teachers do an exceptional job every day,’’ says Communications Director Greg Shull. In the Spring of 2016 the Board of Education voted to convert the teacher supplement scale from a range to a percentage of salary and to increase the local supplement over the next three years from that point. As the scale was converted, the transition to the percentage scale raised See POCKET CHANGE, Page 7A
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