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www.KMinsure.com Volume 130 • Issue 2
January 10, 2018
kmherald.com • 704-739-7496
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North School opening in August
Schools made progress in 2017
KMEC CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS –This photograph was taken in December 2017 and shows that the plant off Dixon School Road is now 90 percent complete and the progress within the last year. Two more photographs are on page 3 and note the construction status in January 2017 to compare with this photograph taken in January 2017 provided by Jim Medford of NTE. See more photos on page 3A.
Commercial operations start in July
T h e new North Shelby School located on the campus with J a m e s Love ElMILLER ementary Chairman is scheduled to open in August of 2018 and was one of the major projects of Cleveland County Schools in old year 2017. Shearra Miller of Kings Mountain, who served as chairman of Kings Mountain District Schools board
four years b e f o r e merger of the school system and the newly-elected chairman of the HOOKER c o u n ty Vice-Chairman school board, said “We’re excited that this special purpose school designed for students with significant physical or cognitive disabilities is almost ready to welcome students. Miller said the co-location of North Shelby and James Love schools
will allow for innovative approaches of the inclusion of students with disabilities. Mrs. Miller was elected chairman of the board and Richard Hooker was elected vice-chairman at a recent meeting of the school board. During the 2017-18 school year students in grades 10 and 11 were provided with a Chrome Book to enhance their digital learning opportunities. “We’re looking forward to providing every high school student with a digital device during the 2018-19 school year,’’ she added. See SCHOOLS, Page 7A
KMEC is 90% complete Services Monday honor
Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) is currently scheduled to start commercial operations this coming July and begin providing power to the City of Kings Mountain on Jan. 1, 2019. Jim Medford, Project
Development, said that construction is now approximately 90 percent complete as of Dec. 31, 2017. Medford said that over the next seven months the primary focus will be on startup/commissioning of
the plant’s systems. ‘’Construction of the NTE Energy’s Kings Mountain Energy Center, a 475 MW combined cycle electric generating plant, made great progress during 2017,’’ said Medford.
6 days into New Year 3 fatalities in KM area Six days into New Year 2018 three people from K i n g s Mountain have died in vehicle MARTIN accidents. A 35year old mother, Brandy Ramsey Helms, and her 10-yearold daughHELMS ter, Makala Martin were killed Saturday, Jan. 6 at 5:15 p.m. in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 216, (S. Battleground Road, Kings Mountain) and Bethlehem Road. Two days into the new year Hank Fender, 24, of Kings Mountain, died from injuries sustained in a one-vehicle wreck on Oak Grove Road. On Jan. 2 about 6:40 p.m. Fender was driving a Ford Mustang, veered off the Oak Grove road, hit a ditch and a tree. He died of his inju-
ries at CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia. He and his wife, Jenna, have a 1 ½ year old son and are also expecting another child. He was a 2012 graduate of Kings Mountain High School and attended Cleveland Community College. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Eugene Fender of Kings Mountain. “That’s three fatalities in 2018 in Cleveland County,’’ said Trooper J.E. Dowdle. According to First Sgt. J.E. Dowdle of the N. C. Highway Patrol, a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta operated by Julia Poole, 18, of Rock Hill, SC, stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Bethlehem Road and Highway 216 and pulled into the path of the 2003 Honda operated by Brandy Ramsey Helms. Brandy Campbell and two children were passengers in the Helms vehicle and were treated for injuries. Two passengers in the Poole vehicle were not injured. Poole has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to yield right-of-way. Makala Martin, 10, was a student at East Elementary School in Kings Mountain. She was the daughter of Jeffrey Scott and Brandy Ramsey Martin of Kings Mountain. In addition to her
father, Mikala is survived by her sisters, Kami Martin of Kings Mountain and Taylor Painter of Grover; her uncle Ricky Ramsey of Lenoir; and her grandfather, Terry Lee Stamey. Brandy Ramsey Helms is survived by her husband, Richard Helms of Gastonia; her brother, Ricky Ramsey Jr. of Lenoir and her daughter, Taylor Painter. A double memorial service will be held Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 5 p.m. at Ollie Harris Memorial Chapel at Harris Funeral Home. Rev. J. R. Robbins will officiate the service. Visitation is from 3-5 p.m. at Harris Funeral Home prior to the service. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Brandy Helms memorial fund, in care of Harris Funeral Home, PO Box 639, Kings Mountain, NC 28086 and also to Makala Martin memorial fund, in care of Harris Funeral Home, PO Box 639, Kings Mountain, NC 28086. GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the cost of the funeral of Hank Fender. The Celebration of Life service for Mr. Fender was held at 5 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2018 in the Chapel of Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home and Crematory in Shelby.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Three events are planned Monday in celebration of the legacy of service of the late Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 2018 annual breakfast sponsored by Bynum Chapel AME Zion Church will be held at 8 a.m. at the Bynum Chapel Family Life Center, 310 Ellis Street. Breakfast is a $5 donation from adults and free to K-12 grades. Rev. William Thompson, pastor of St. Peter Baptist Church, Grover, will make the address. Bynum Chapel Pastor the Rev. Dr. Vernon F. Stinson Sr. invites everyone to attend. The City of Kings Mountain-sponsored event
will be held at 6 p.m. at Joy Performance Center in downtown Kings Mountain. An inspirational evening of song, worship and dance is planned. Rev. G. M. Floyd, pastor of Vestibule AME Zion Church of Kings Mountain, will be keynote speaker. In Shelby, the Cleveland County Branch NAACP will host a service at 12 noon Monday at Malcolm Brown Auditorium
at Shelby High School. Rev. Jarett Fite, pastor of New Mount Olivet AME Zion Church of Rock Hill, SC will be guest speaker. All students/youth attending are asked to wear their school colors or their church colors. A Cleveland County Unity Walk will also be held on Monday and sponsored by the Cleveland County Branch NAACP. Marchers will meet at the Courthouse parking lot in uptown Shelby and release 100 balloons in honor of Dr. King’s birthday. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929 and was assassinated April 4, 1968.
Maude McCarter honored on her 103rd birthday Maude Owens McCarter, 103 on Jan. 2, native of Kings Mountain, was presented a proclamation from Mayor Scott Neisler and a key to the city. She blew out a candle on her birthday cake at her party at the Patrick Senior Center.. “I have had a cherished and happy life,’’ she said. Maude and Kelly McCarter were the proud parents of two daughters, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Mrs. McCarter worked in the textile industry at Lambeth Rope Corporation and she and her friend Ruth Beam and the McCarter daughters traveled to Hawaii and Italy, among other places. She became active in the Kings Mountain Senior Center when meetings were held at The Depot and as-
Mayor Scott Neisler presents Maude McCarter a key to the city and a proclamation on her 103rd birthday January 2. sisted in the planning of the first annual Christmas party which is a tradition. She continues to participate in activities at the Patrick Senior Center with her daughter, Kay Carlisle, with whom she resides.
The mayor declared Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 as Maude McCarter Day in Kings Mountain and offered congratulations to her as he presented her the key to the city and a framed proclamation.
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