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Volume 137 • Issue 13
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
75¢
Earth Day Celebration April 12 The City of Kings Mountain, in partnership with the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail and the Albemarle Corporation, will host an Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 12th, to mark the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. Various community organizations and vendors will provide free activities.
Dino Encounters by Ross plans to bring some cool dinosaur friends to the event, including our friend Woody the Owl. Circle M Livestock Safari Park will debut at the celebration, bringing animals worldwide to the Gateway Trail. Outdoor enthusiast and educator See EARTH DAY, Page 5A
Join Woody the Owl for a Earth Day celebration. Photos by City of KM Special Events
The Butterfly release is a crowd-favorite tradition to welcome Spring.
City of KM announces line-up for “Live at Patriots Park” Concert Series Live entertainment is BACK at Patriots Park! The City of Kings Mountain is thrilled to return live music to Downtown Kings Mountain with the 2025 “Live at Patriots Park” Concert Series presented by the Albemarle Corporation. The series brings a talented group of entertainers to the Liberty Falls Amphitheatre, covering Beach, Rhythm and Blues, Soul, Classic Rock, and much more! Each concert will begin at 6:00 PM. The line-up for this series includes: • 5/3 Bantum Rooster http://www.bantumrooster. com/ • 6/7 Departure - The Journey Tribute- https:// thejourneytributeband.com/ • 9/6 Rivermist - https:// www.rivermistband.com/ Get your taste buds ready! Food trucks and an adult beverage garden, presented by the American Legion Post 155, will be on hand. Great food, beverages, and LIVE Music-Saturday
nights in Downtown Kings Mountain will be epic! Patriots Park is located at 220 South Railroad Avenue, Kings Mountain, NC. For more information on the concert series, contact the City of Kings Mountain’s Marketing, Tourism, and Events Department at 704-730-2101 or visit their website at www.KingsMountainEvents.com. You may also visit their Facebook page at @ COKMTourismandEvents.
BANTUM ROOSTER
RIVERMIST
DEPARTURE
Catawba Nation and ex-development partner clash over possible South Carolina casino On March 20, Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris issued a written statement accusing developer Wallace Cheves of attempting to “ramrod” a casino into South Carolina while the tribe has been prohibited from opening one in its
home state. According to reports by The State and The Rock Hill Herald, Cheves, a politically connected conservative megadonor and businessman, is pushing for legislation that would allow him to build South Carolina’s first legal casino. Cheves intends to build a $1 billion casino off Interstate 95 in Santee, a town between Columbia and Charleston in Orangeburg County. His development group pitched the casino as a “transformative” resort that could drive the econ-
omy in an underprivileged area without spending any tax dollars to get it started. The Catawba Nation sees the announcement as the latest in a series of attempts to exploit the tribe, according to Chief Harris. He complains that while businessman Cheves and the Santee Development Corporation, the development group leading the project, is pushing to build a casino in the Palmetto State now while the Catawba Nation has been mired in a lengthy process to launch its own South Carolina ca-
sino in Santee since the mid-2000s, Harris said. The Catawba Nation declined to provide The Rock Hill Herald additional information. Cheves did not respond to a request for comment. The South Carolina Legislature bill, called the “I-95 Economic and Education Stimulus Act,” would exempt impoverished counties along I-95 from South Carolina’s casino gaming ban to stimulate their economies. The Orangeburg Times and Democrat first reported the bill. The bill recognizes that
casino gambling might not suit every community in South Carolina. However, it highlights the potential for job creation and economic growth in the regions located along I-95. According to the bill's sponsor, Chris Murphy, R-Dorchester, Dillon, Marlboro, and Orangeburg are the only counties currently meeting that criterion. His bill would also establish a South Carolina gaming commission to award casino licenses and oversee the state’s gaming operations. Murphy said he had already been trying
to legalize sports gaming when Cheves approached him for support. But Murphy said his bill does not give preference to Cheves or any other developer. Anybody, including the Catawba Nation, could put in a bid for a casino in eligible counties. The Santee Development Corporation has suggested building the state’s first casino in Orangeburg County. They plan to use the abandoned Santee Mall Outlet site as the new casino location. According to See CASINO, Page 5A
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