CAROLINA TROPHIES “Awards for All Occasions” 12/31/25
704-482-2392
Volume 137 • Issue 8
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
www.carolinatrophies.com
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
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City of KM Spring EPA seeks return of $20 billion 2025 Public Safety in clean-energy grants Citizen’s Academy By Loretta Cozart
Applications are now open for the Spring 2025 Public Safety Citizen’s Academy. This amazing program gives you the opportunity to learn more about public safety operations and strengthens the relationship between the citizens within and surrounding the Kings Mountain community, and our public safety teams. The Kings Mountain Public Safety Citizens Academy is a series of interactive classes designed to teach participants about the City's Police and Fire Services and to develop future leaders through well-informed and engaged citizens. To be considered for the 2025 Spring Session, fill in the information
below and submit it before February 28th, 2025. All applications will be vetted and, if accepted for participation in this class, you will be contacted with further information. For more information on the Academy, call 704734-0444 or email one of our Community Resource Officers: robert.medlin@ cityofkm.com or Samantha.owen@cityofkm.com With more details on dates, times, and topics coming soon, spots are limited—so don't wait. You can APPLY NOW by scanning the QR code.
Visit the museum this Saturday and experience backcountry life in the Carolinas, right here in our own backyard! Photo by KMHM
Backcountry Life in the Carolinas at KMHM on Saturday By Loretta Cozart You are invited to an engaging journey back in time at the Kings Mountain Historical Museum, located at 100 East Mountain Street in Kings Mountain, this Saturday, February 22! From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., immerse yourself in the vibrant world of backcountry life during the American Revolutionary War. Experience firsthand what life was like for everyday people and those who bravely enlisted in the Revolutionary War. The program features fascinating demonstrations of 18th-cen-
tury hearth cooking, military drilling, encampment life, and artisan trades. This is a wonderful opportunity for families and history enthusiasts alike, and everyone is warmly invited to attend! Remember, the Kings Mountain Historical Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Don’t miss out on this incredible experience! To discover more about upcoming exhibits and events, please visit www. kingsmountainmuseum.org or call (704) 739-1019. We can’t wait to see you there!
New 5-mile stretch of the U.S. Hwy. 74 Bypass opening soon Residents and commuters in Cleveland County can look forward to significant improvements in their daily travels with the upcoming opening of a new section of the U.S. 74 Bypass. According to Jen Goodwin, communications officer
for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the approximately five-mile stretch of the bypass from east of N.C. 226 to east of N.C. 150 is nearing completion and is expected to open this spring. This new section aims to alleviate traffic congestion on U.S. 74 and improve See BYPASS, Page 5A
In a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency has discovered billions of taxpayer dollars held by a financial institution under the Biden-Harris Administration. Administrator Zeldin is calling for the termination of the financial agent agreement and the immediate return of the entire fund balance to the United States Treasury to ensure adequate EPA oversight. Administrator Zeldin also
EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN stated that he would refer this matter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Congress and that the agency would collaborate with the U.S. Department of Justice. “Roughly twenty billion of
your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA. This scheme was the first of its kind in EPA history and was purposefully designed to obligate all of the money in a rushed job with reduced oversight,” said Administrator Zeldin. “One of my top priorities at the EPA is to be an excellent steward of your hardearned tax dollars. There will be zero tolerance for any waste and abuse,” Zeldin continued. “We will review every penny that has gone out the door. The days of irresponsibly dispensing large sums of
cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over.” Two months ago, a video surfaced on social media featuring a Biden EPA political appointee discussing “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” highlighting the rush to disperse billions in tax dollars before Inauguration Day. During Administrator Zeldin’s confirmation hearing, he committed to working diligently to research and account for every dollar spent at the EPA, both during his tenure and from the previous See GRANTS, Page 5A
Albemarle awards first KM 150th grant to CC CrimeStoppers Last week, Albemarle awarded the first of 20 recipients of its KM 150th grants to Cleveland County CrimeStoppers for $5,000. In a press release, Albemarle stated, “Today, we’re proud to spotlight Cleveland County CrimeStoppers and were glad to have their team stop by our Project Center to receive their grant. We’re honored to support their mission of keeping Cleveland County safe. Thank you, Crime Stoppers, for your important work in our community! More information about other grant recipients will be shared in the months ahead.
Members of Cleveland County CrimeStoppers visited the Albemarle Project Center to receive the first KM 150th grant awarded and are pictured with Community Education Specialist Margo Plonk. Photo by Albemarle
Kings Mountain High School presents the musical Disaster! Kings Mountain High School will present Disaster!, a musical comedy created by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick. The musical originally debuted on Broadway in March of 2011. The story line follows a group of New Yorkers who attend the grand opening of a floating casino. This casino quickly encounters multiple disasters, from earthquakes, to tidal waves, to piranhas, rats, and even an inferno! This musical plays off of the various disaster films that were made in the 1970s. The music is all in a 1970s theme by using popular music from that decade The cast and orchestra at KMHS includes over 50 students. You won’t want to miss this event! Shows will be on Friday, February 28 at 7:00 pm, Satur-
L-R: Angel Connor, Krystaline Strickland, Tatyana Crespo, Sladen Mullinax and Luca Narciso. day, March 1st at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and Sunday, March 2 at 2:00 pm. Tickets
are $10 a person, and will be available at the door, or in advance by visiting: https://
my.hometownticketing.com/ agency/5f4c0c3c-f919-497e9b05-7d64ab3b3df5
We Would Like to Welcome Robert Baker to Our Professional Staff
DENTAL CARE General, Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry
Our Family Has Been Serving the Kings Mountain and Surrounding Communities for Four Generations with Six Dentists Since 1907. ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS: To schedule your appointment
call 704-739-4461
703 E. Kings St., Suite 9, Kings Mountain • www.BakerDentalCare.com
Dr. Robert Baker