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Volume 135 • Issue 40
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
75¢
KM to receive $ 39.385M for water and sewer upgrades By Loretta Cozart Several weeks ago, the NC General Assembly approved the 2023 Appropriations Act, which included $39.385 million to the City of Kings Mountain for water and sewer upgrades and to expand capacity for future growth. Kings Mountain City Manager Jim Palenick shared, “The City of Kings Mountain recently received word that the finalized and approved FY23-24 State of North Carolina Budget included a grant of $39,385,000 to the City of Kings Mountain, as part of some $1.9Billion in NC State awards for Water and Sewer infrastructure projects throughout the state,
City Manager Jim Palenick said. “This newest allocation combines with an earlier, $39,000,000 Grant of Federal ARPA Funds provided to the City to now total $78,385,000 for improvements and expansions to the Wastewater treatment and collection systems serving both the City boundaries and an expanding area of properties beyond the City. Specifically, these funds will allow the City to now: Work with the Town of Grover to abandon and decommission their failing wastewater treatment plant and have the full Grover Town collection system be treated by the City of Kings Mountain; design and add a See UPGRADES, Page 5A
Candidates for the City of Kings Mountain municipal races and Cleveland County Water Board Commissioner shared their platforms with attendees. (Photo by GFWC NC Kings Mountain Woman's Club)
Women’s Club Candidate Forum By Loretta Cozart GFWC NC Kings Mountain Woman's Club hosted the annual candidate forum on Monday evening, September 25, at 6 p.m. at the clubhouse for local candidates to be on the November 7, Cleveland County ballot. Ten of the fifteen invited candidates came and gave a three-minute platform for the office they seek.
Deputy Director of the Cleveland County Board of Elections Renee Bost updated the attendees on the changes in the N.C. Voter ID laws. She also gave the dates for Early Voting to begin on October 19 through November 4, to be held in the basement of Cleveland County Board of Election's Office, 215 Patton Drive, Shelby, N.C. Attending candidates run-
ning for the City of Kings Mountain Mayor were George Scott Neisler and Robert Charles Wagman. Running for the office of City of Kings Mountain City Council At-Large were Keith Edward Miller and Shearra Beachum Miller. Candidates running for City of Kings Mountain City Council Ward 1 was Annie Cole Thombs; running for
City of Kings Mountain Ward 5 were Merrill Jones Rhodes, Jr., and Mark Andrew Wampler; running for Cleveland County Water Board Commissioner were William Ralph Cameron, Jr., Pamela Parker Maddox, and Kenneth Bruce Martin. A time of Meet and Greet the Candidates was held after the forum.
2023 Municipal Election Albemarle and Caterpillar join efforts to establish first-ever voter registration deadline approaching zero-emissions lithium mine site
Voter registration deadlines are approaching for eligible individuals who wish to vote on Election Day for municipal elections on November 7 in North Carolina. • The regular registration deadline for the November 7 municipal elections is 5 p.m. Friday, October 13. Under state law, the regular voter registration deadline is 25 days before an election. To be eligible to vote in a municipal election, you must be a municipality resident. Working at a place
of employment within city, town, or village limits does not make a voter eligible to vote in municipal elections. Similarly, while a voter’s postal address may indicate a municipality, that does not always mean their residence is within the incorporated boundaries of the municipality. See VOTER, Page 2A
Albemarle Corporation signed agreements on Wednesday, September 27, with Caterpillar Inc. to collaborate on solutions to support the full circular battery value chain and sustainable mining operations. The collaboration aims to support Albemarle’s efforts to establish Kings Mountain, N.C. as North America’s first-ever zero-emissions lithium mine site. These efforts include the utilization of next-generation, battery-powered mining equipment. Caterpillar and Albemarle signed an agreementto make Albemarle’s North See SITE, Page 2A
Robert Hoenes shakes the hand of Anita Natesh after both company representatives sign the contract between Albemarle and Caterpillar. Pictured L-R: Rob Hoenes, Caterpillar senior vice president of Resource Industries Operations and Products; Rod Shurmwan, senior vice president of Electrification and Energy Solutions at Caterpillar; Eric Norris, Albemarle’s Energy Storage President; and Anita Natesh, Albemarle’s Commercial VP for North America, Europe, and India for Energy Storage. (Photo by Loretta Cozart)
The Davidson Association in Kings Mountain recently donated a month’s supply of reusable grocery bags to the Patrick Senior Center to fill with food for the monthly food distribution to local seniors in need. “The Patrick Center appreciates the generous donation made by the Davidson Association. It welcomes other community partners who would also like to donate bags or give monetary donations toward food purchases,” Senior Services Manager Tabitha Thomas said. The center gives away See DONATES, Page 2A
Pictured, not in order: Katherine Pendergrass, Karl Pendergrass, Valerie Boyd, Geraldine Dye, Randy Miller, Betty Jordan, Deborah Morgan, Melba Clinton, and Tabitha Thomas. Photo by Patrick Senior Center
Mountaineers for a Better Community The Davidson Association donates to Patrick Sr. Center to host candidate forum By Loretta Cozart On Monday, October 9, at 6 p.m., Mountaineers for a Better Community (KM Better) will host a candidate forum at Central United Methodist Church’s Christian Activity Center at 113 S. Piedmont Avenue in Kings Mountain. KM Better is a non-profit and nonpartisan organization encouraging community education and transparency to promote a forward-thinking vision for the future of Kings
Mountain. The forum will include mayoral and city council candidates, providing an excellent opportunity for citizens to learn more about the city's issues and how each candidate plans to address those challenges while keeping the growth of the local economy at the forefront. The forum will also allow candidates to share their vision for Kings Mountain and why they are See FORUM, Page 5A
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