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704-466-6008 Volume 135 • Issue 3
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
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Catawba Nation Group wants change in files an appeal voting for city council races By Loretta Cozart
By Loretta Cozart Catawba Nation has confirmed filing an appeal after being notified of a notice of violation (NOV) last December. They were given 30 days to file an appeal. Catawba Nation Marketing and Communications Manager Tylee Anderson issued the following statement confirming the appeal, “The Catawba Nation has filed an appeal of the notice of violation issued by the National Indian Gaming Commission as we work to resolve issues regarding lease agreements with Sky Boat Partners for our casino resort project. The issues don’t involve current casino operations.” On December 7, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission
(NIGC), E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) against the Catawba Indian Nation, Kings Mountain Sky Boat Partners, LLC (Sky Boat), and Sky Boat’s owners, officials, managers, and consultant. The NOV resulted from a thorough investigation by the NIGC Washington, D.C. Region
Office that identified multiple violations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and NIGC regulations. As set forth in the NOV, the investigation found the Nation allowed Sky Boat to manage in part the expansion of Catawba Two Kings Casino without an See APPEAL, Page 5A
C.A.R.E. holds first hike of 2023 By Loretta Cozart Clifford's Army Rescue Extravaganza, C.A.R.E., held their first hike of the year at Kings Mountain’s Gateway Trail on January 15 for dogs in their care. C.A.R.E. is a group of volunteers organized to provide support for the homeless animals in the area, including animals at county run facilities, thus increasing their chances for adoption and/or rescue. This support can include but not limited to medical expenses, preventive veterinary care, adoption events, beds, blankets, food drives, vaccines, all needs for the welfare of these animals. We will also rescue from said shelters. As a registered 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, your donations to C.A.R.E. could be tax deductible. Using social media, they network the animals for exposure and to help raise money for their wellbeing. We will also do several on site fundraisers throughout the year to support this cause. They also help the people in our community by providing assistance and education to those unable to afford food, vet care including spay/neuter and any other
Mountaineers for a Better Community wants to see change in the way Kings Mountain citizens vote for city council. They suggest an amendment to the city charter opening voting for all five council seats to the entire city, rather than just limiting the voting to each candidate by ward. They propose no change to the method of electing at-large councilmembers, however. Currently, a member of city council must live in the ward in which they run and must be elected by voters from citizens in that ward. Under the proposed plan, a member of city council must live in the ward in which they run, but voting would not be restricted to citizens living in that ward. Anyone voting in a municipal election would vote for each ward race. While it seems like a dramatic shift in voting for ward representation, but historically it is not. Prior to a change in the city’s charter in 1991, Kings Mountain citizens voted in all city council races. That year, Ward 1 was created to allow for better minority representation. At the same time, the charter’s wording
was changed to allow those living in a ward to vote only for their specific representative. Essentially, each council member is accountable to their constituents in the ward. However, as a board they make decision that impact everyone’s day-to-day lives, including utility rates, planning and zoning decisions, staffing of police and fire personnel, taxation, and city budgets, to name a few. According to Mountaineers for a Better Community, of North Carolina’s 533 municipalities, only 23 elect their City Council using KM’s current method. Of those cities, only seven municipalities in the state of similar size to KM still use this method. Mountaineers for a Better Community states, and the Herald has verified with Cleveland County Board of Elections, “In the last four City Council elections, an average of only 319 votes were cast in elections for
city council wards (districts).” Therefore, only 21 percent of voters in a district are voting and approximately 80% of eligible KM voters are left out of these important decisions. Mountaineers for a Better Community Kings Mountain residents to sign their petition to put this amendment on the ballot and up to a vote and need 1,000 physical signatures to move this process forward. Do you live in city limits? Want to learn more and sign the petition to get this change on the ballot in November? Then visit one of these local businesses for more information and petition forms: • Big Reds/Patriot Jacks • The Imperial Mercantile • Uncommon Artisans • Ingrams Barber Shop • Trackside Bourbon, Beer and Vino • Parkers Amoco • Linwoods
NC House Elects Tim Moore as Speaker for a record 5th consecutive term Representative Tim Moore, Republican - District 111, Clevel a n d , RutherTIM MOORE ford counties, has once again been elected Volunteers prepare for the hike at the Gateway Trail in Kings Mountain last Saturday. Photos by Clifford's Army Rescue Extravaganz
GiGi is ready for a walk.
Phoebe is ready to for her hike.
needs for these animal(s). They thank all those who came out to their first hike with the CARE dog-
gies. They are already looking forward to the next one. Future hikes will be held in the next few months.
Speaker of the North Carolina House. Nominated by his colleagues, Moore was elected Speaker by a vote of acclamation on the House floor. Rep. Moore, a native of Kings Mountain, NC, was first elected to the House in 2003. He became rules committee chairman under
then-Speaker Thom Tillis in 2011 and succeeded him as Speaker of the House in 2015 after Tillis was elected to the U.S. Senate. Speaker Moore will now serve his 5th consecutive term leading the state House, making him the longest-serving Speaker in North Carolina history.
Governor bans TikTok, WeChat on state devices On Thursday, January 11, Governor Roy Cooper signed an Executive Order prohibiting the use of certain GOV. COOPER applications and websites on state devices including computers and mobile phones. The Order directs the state Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) to develop a policy within 14 days that prohibits the use of Tik-
Tok, WeChat and potentially other applications on state agency information technology systems in a manner that presents an unacceptable cybersecurity risk. “It’s important for us to protect state information technology from foreign countries that have actively participated in cyberattacks against the United States,” said Governor Cooper. “Protecting North Carolina from cyber threats is vital to ensuring the safety, security, privacy, and success of our state and its people.” Cybersecurity professionals have identified
TikTok and WeChat as high-risk applications due to their lack of sufficient privacy controls and connections to countries that sponsor or support cyber-attacks against the United States. Several government entities in the United States, including multiple branches of the United States Military, the Transportation Security Administration, and other states, have banned TikTok, WeChat, and other applications on federal and state government information technology. See TIKTOK, Page 5A
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