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Volume 116 • Issue 42
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
75¢
Council votes on a couple of rezoning issues; water interconnection agreement Told that 21 new businesses have come to Cherryville since August 2022 by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
At the Monday night, Oct. 10, 2022 city council regular session, Mayor H.L. Beam, III, under the Mayor’s Comments section of the meeting, informed council he attended a recent Lincoln/Gaston County MPO where they discussed utilizing some of the $100 million in grant funding for improvements to sections of I-85; specifically increasing the traffic lanes of a 10-mile section from six to eight lanes. “They also discussed adding pedestrian and bi-
Cherryville Realtor, Mrs. Vicki Spurling, speaks to the City Council about all the new businesses that are going into the downtown. (photos by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media) cycle lanes to the section as well as EV (electric vehicle) charging stations along it,” added Mayor Beam. Mayor Beam also noted the grant is only for NC and is “… one of the largest” the state has received for that sort of
thing so far. He also noted he attended the 100th birthday celebration of Mrs. Beulah B. Reynolds, adding what small percentage of the world’s population makes it to the “milestone age”.
Mayor H.L. Beam, III, presents Cherryville Police Department patrol officer, Jessica Richardson, a certificate congratulating her on her five years of service with the city. “Also,” said Mayor Beam, “the Main Street revitalization should be over by the end of October, weather permitting.” As there were no citizens to be heard, council re-
ceived an update from Mrs. Vicki Spurling on what is going on with some of the downtown buildings. Mrs. Spurling noted the new building that was formerly the Belk building is
at full capacity with all four apartments leased and the downstairs part of the building also leased by a new 3D printing company, Reggie Walker’s Unishippers, and See COUNCIL, Page 6
NC-made film, “Charles Sloan” wins Best Feature Award at film/art festival Movie wins first award to kick off festival season
Brandon and Allison Abernathy at Brandon’s Thursday, Oct. 13 retirement party. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)
Abernathy retires after 29-plus years of service to City Started as a meter reader in 1993; worked his way up by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Cherryville Public Works Director Brandon Abernathy knows what it is like to work your way up to the top position in a job – he did just that way back in 1993 while he was in school. Said Brandon recently at his Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 retirement party at the Cherryville Community Building,
“I have been with the City for over 29 years. I started in 1993 as a meter reader while I was in college.” Abernathy, born and bred a Cherryville boy, said he attended Gaston College after graduating CHS in 1992, and though not an engineer, he majored in Computer Programming while there, which helped him in his future position with the City of Cherryville. Additionally, Abernathy said, “I hold an ‘A’ certification in Water Distribution and a Grade 4 in Collections along with a cross-connection backflow given by the State of North Carolina.” After starting out literally fresh out of high school, he started, as he noted, reading See ABERNATHY, Page 9
RALEIGH, NC – The producers of the North Carolina film “Charles Sloan” announced on last Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, that their film received the Best Feature Award at the Raleigh Film and Art Festival. The film, which was shot on location in Cherryville and King’s Mountain, NC, was one of six in the running for best feature. The three-day festival screened more than 200 films from 20 countries. The 80-minute film, which stars SAG-AFTRA actor Mark Costello as the title character, tells the story
Behind the scenes of the movie, ‘Charles Sloan’, shot a few years back outside Cherryville’s Home Folks Café. (photo provided) of a man who receives a compassionate release from prison after more than 30
years of incarceration. With no money, no prospects and a terminal illness Sloan
tries to reconnect with his estranged family and See FILM, Page 10
Plans for CHS Outdoor Learning Space moving forward CHSEF approved $100,000 toward the grant; pledges to use fundraising to fulfill remaining balance by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info
Cherryville High School Principal Shawn Hubers and Cherryville High School Education Foundation spokesperson Nan Davis recently said they are both glad to see things are moving along with the school’s proposed CHS Outdoor Learning Space. Mr. Hubers said of the spot, planned for the area behind the school’s main building currently occupied by the gazebo, is pretty sim-
ple. “We plan on moving the gazebo farther out to the around the edge of the school’s practice field. I want to try and have the students in one of the building classes do that,” said Mr. Hubers. “That said, this Outdoor Learning Space will be available for all our students to use. Teachers will be able to take their classes to this space to provide their students with a change in scenery from the traditional four walls of the classroom.” Hubers continued, “There have actually been some recent studies done that show students are more attentive See OUTDOOR, Page 10
CHS Principal Shawn Hubers motions toward the area out toward the edge of the school’s practice field where the present gazebo (seen here) will be moved prior to starting work on the proposed new Outdoor Learning Space. (photo by MEP/The Eagle/CF Media)
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