Sports...............1B Spikers 6-1 • Netters win 2 JVs rout Forestview 40-20
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Kings Mountain Herald
kmherald.net
Volume 125 • Issue 37 • Wednesday, September 11, 2013 •
75¢
Application filed for casino and resort ELIZABETH STEWART lib.kmherald@gmail.com
The recruitment of a new regional economic project kept under wraps for several months by local and county leaders and tagged “Project Schoolhouse� is identified by the Cleveland Chamber on its website this week as a proposed state-of-the-art world class resort and entertainment venue being eyed on Dixon School Road in Kings Mountain by the Catawba Indian Nation. It has a proposed start-up date of 2015.
Monday the Associated Press reported that the Catawba Indian Nation is filing the application with federal officials to buy the land for the planned gambling casino and asking the agency to put 16 acres into trust for the tribe. The application is in the very early stages. Cleveland Chamber also on Monday posted pictures of the proposed project, announcing this full-scale venue would include a 220,000 square foot gaming facility and 750 guest rooms split between two hotels,
restaurants, retail stores and the tract several months ago much more and would reto general business on reWhere do our portedly bring over 4,000 quest of Trent Testa. Survey legislators stand? crews were at the site for jobs to Cleveland County. Several weeks ago the about a week. The “for sale� property that the Catawba Find out on page 9A sign has been removed from Nation was looking at was the property. identified as a 44-acre site owned by the Jim County officials have said that no investTesta family adjacent to the Testa Roadside ment or tax incentives are needed from the Truck Plaza on Dixon School Road. The county for the project. The Catawba Nation Governor’s senior advisor has visited the is eyeing a portion of the Testa parcel for a site. Kings Mountain City Council rezoned See CASINO, 9A
$10,000 raffle this Saturday Tickets still available!
Unlike a traditional school lunch hour, Smart Lunch lets most students spread out across campus to get in a workout at the gym, brush up on assignments or take make-up tests in class while they eat, among other options. Photo by DAVE BLANTON
A new spin on lunch at KMHS DAVE BLANTON dave.kmherald@gmail.com
The Kings Mountain High School is taking a fresh approach to the lunch hour in a program that administrators hope will let students squeeze in more extracurricular and academic activities during the school day while still providing a breather from classes. The initiative, called Smart Lunch, provides a 50-minute period from roughly 11 a.m. to noon where students have the opportunity to attend tutorials, club meetings or simply jump in a game of pick-up basketball or volleyball to blow off steam. Upper classmen with good disciplinary records and a high enough GPA may leave campus to eat elsewhere or
run errands. Still, students must seek notarized approval from parents. School officials say Smart Lunch is a solution for many students who because they required busing were locked out of the ability to get afterschool help from teachers or participate in clubs that have traditionally met after school. “I’ve had a lot of students tell me they work to support their families,â€? said Marcie McReady, an English teacher at the high school who said she think Smart Lunch is a good fit for many students. “We can’t help many of them after school ‌ and now that we can that can be key to their success.â€? Smart Lunch is only in its third
week, but so far it has been a smooth transition from the conventional lunch periods, which shipped a third of the school population off to lunch in shifts and allowed time for little other than eating. “I think it will really pay off,� said KMHS Assistant Principal Jeremy Shields. “We’re working out the kinks and we may have to tweak it a little here and there, but I see a lot of positives in it.� In the new program, students are tipped off by a bell at 10:57 that Smart Lunch A has begun. For students who have no meetings planned or mandatory tutorials to attend, this means they are free to head to the See KMHS, 7A
Big Daddy Weave coming to CC Fair Christian Freedom Baptist Church, along with local businesses and individual sponsors, will bring the Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian band Big Daddy Weave to headline “The Only Name Tour� community concert at the Cleveland County fairgrounds Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. Tuesday night the steering committee for the big concert will host a special praise and worship service for the community at 7 p.m. at LeGrand Center in Shelby. The purpose of this service is to encourage individuals and churches to pray throughout the following 40 days leading up to the con-
cert. “The idea for this event was birthed after spending much time in prayer and reading God’s word, searching for direction on how to be effective in reaching our community with the gospel,� concert chairman Mike Reynolds said. We see this concert as a chance for our community to come together in one accord with no denominational labels but just to celebrate the only name of Jesus,� he added. Mike Chambers has served as senior pastor at CFBC for more than 20 years. He says he hopes the concert will help convey a deep love for those who are hurting. “Cleveland County is our mission field,� said Chambers. “It is here that we have been called to share the good news that God has a desire to heal the brokenhearted.� Briefly stated, he said the goal is to “present Christ to our community.� General admission tickets are $10 with Artist Circle seats available for
$20 each. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.christianfreedomchurch.com or by calling 704-7394152. Between 150-200 volunteers from several area churches have committed to helping with the concert but additional volunteers and sponsorship opportunities are still available. To become involved, contact Mike Reynolds at 704-470-5551 or email mikereynolds_tmr@live.com. Big Daddy Weave will hit the road to launch “The Only Name Tour� in 30 cities beginning Sept. 13 in Statesville and featuring Chris August and “Unspoken.� The release of their current Top 20 single, “The Only Name (Yours Will Be)� also the namesake for the tour, comes on the heels of the massive success of their No. 1 hit song, “Redeemed� and marks the second single from their 9th album “Love Comes to Life.� In addition, the group and their smash hit “Redeemed� just received four Dove Award nominations.
Tickets are on sale for the Kings Mountain Historical Museum’s Annual Reverse Raffle & Auctions on Saturday, Sept. 14. The new location this year is the H. Lawrence Patrick Senior Life & Conference Center at 909 East King Street. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Looking for a nice evening out? Join your community for a fun night in support of the museum. With your $100 ticket purchase you not only get dinner for two, but a chance to win the grand prize of $10,000. Tickets will also be drawn for many great door prizes. All paid ticket holders are eligible and need not be present to win. Whether you want to start your Christmas shopping early or you are looking for that one-of-a kind item for yourself or a loved one, be sure to check out both the live and silent auctions. There is something for everyone this year, from
stunning diamond bracelets to sports memorabilia signed by your favorite players. An array of delicious homebaked cakes will also be up for auction. Kings Mountain Historical Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret history through exhibits, educational programs, tours and other means in order to foster a deeper understanding of the history of our community and the region. Funds generated from this event allow the Museum to continue to fulfill its mission and to meet diverse needs of the community through a variety of quality programs and services. To find out more about the event, please visit the Reverse Raffle & Auctions page on the Museum’s website www.kingsmountainmuseum.org and Facebook page, or call (704) 739-1019.
Gateway Fest set for Oct. 12 Calling all crafters to the Gateway Festival Oct. 12 at Patriot Park in Kings Mountain. The Gateway Festival features a variety of activities to draw guests from across the region and is a celebration of Kings Mountain music, art, history and culture. In its 11th year, the Gateway Festival features artisan and craftspeople from across the region. Crafts feature everything from primitive wood crafts to handmade jewelry, homemade soaps and personalized children’s books. “This isn’t a juried event,� says Loretta Cozart, “but we bring in a good representation of crafts from our area. In the past we’ve had wonderful items offered including homemade See GATEWAY FEST, 7A
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