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Volume 136 • Issue 20
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
75¢
Storm takes its toll on KM By Loretta Cozart
Drone shot of Albemarle KM’s mine pit and Martin Marietta. (Photo by Albemarle)
Albemarle and Martin Marietta sign innovative agreement Albemarle announced an innovative agreement with Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregate, cement, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt, to make beneficial use of extracted limestone material from Albemarle’s proposed Kings Mountain Mine project.
This agreement is part of Albemarle’s plan to resume lithium mining operations at the Kings Mountain Mine in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, including opportunities to repurpose byproduct material and enhance the economic benefits for the surrounding community. See AGREEMENT, Page 2A
On the afternoon of May 8, Kings Mountain experienced a severe thunderstorm with heavy wind and rain. Trees fell throughout the city, often onto vehicles and houses and across nearby roadways like I-85 North and Hwy 74 East. Though no tornadoes were reported in King Mountain, the closest one was just 9.5 miles away. The first tornado touched down at 3 p.m., ripping a 22-mile path of destruction between Polkville in Cleveland County to Cherryville in Gaston County before dissipating at 3:45 p.m. In Kings Mountain, trees toppled throughout the city, including major roads like Battleground Avenue and E. King Street. A large tree fell on the home at 106 N. Battleground Avenue, damaging the roof and HVAC system and causing a gas leak. The Kings Mountain Fire Department arrived at the scene, and city employees quickly cut gas service to the residence. A large Oak tree also fell at 809 E. King Street, creating a big hole in the ground and temporarily blocking E. King Street in both directions. City employees worked throughout the night to clear debris and restore power across Kings Mountain. At 3:40 p.m., the second tornado descended 3 miles west of Gastonia, moving eastward and reaching its peak intensity near the U.S.
A tree fell on the home at 106 N. Battleground, causing extensive damage. Photos by Loretta Cozart
The tree at 809 E. King Street tore a hole in the ground but spared the home. 321 and I-85 interchange. The tornado caused considerable damage by snapping power poles, uprooting trees, and
causing minor roof damage to several buildings. The twister continued its rampage, crossing I-85 into east Gastonia,
damaging a warehouse roof, and downing more trees in Belmont before finally See STORM, Page 8A
Northern Lights colored the night sky last weekend Customers shop for farm-fresh vegetables at the KM Farmer’s Market. See more photos on page 8A. Photos by Margo Plonk
KM Farmer’s Market kicked off May 4 May 4th was the perfect day to launch a new Foothill Farmers’ Market season in downtown Kings Mountain. Although the rainy weather ended the festivities early, the day extended warm hearts, smiles, and greetings with folks young and old -- all gathered to support local farmers and vendors. The farmer’s market is a healthy initiative hosted by the Davidson Association as part of its key initiatives and sponsored by Albemarle. It focuses on bringing fresh, affordable produce to the community along with other specialty items. This effort gained momentum last year and convened residents and nearby neighbors, primarily from Kings Mountain and Shelby. Individuals were vis-
iting from Charlotte and as far away as Cincinnati, OH, which was notable for this initial launch. Tamra Moody, organizer for the Davidson Association Health Committee, mentioned that Kings Mountain has been a food desert for quite a while. She expanded by saying, “The objective is to meet the community where they are. What better way to do that than to partner with the Foothills Farmers’ Market to provide fresh fruits and vegetable to the community, encourage the local farmers to plant more, and provide a meeting place for neighbors to come together every Saturday during the season.” Likewise, Margot Plonk, founding manager of the Kings Mountain branch of Foothills Farmers’ Market expressed, “It brings me joy to see the Market revitalized! See MARKET, Page 8A
By Loretta Cozart Last weekend, the citizens of Kings Mountain were treated to a rare and beautiful sight - the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis. The display was so remarkable that people from across the county shared photos online. Northern Lights are not typically seen this far south in the United States, making this occurrence all the more special. If you’ve ever wondered why the Northern Lights come in so many different colors, it’s because they are caused by different elements in the Earth’s atmosphere. Oxygen, the most common element, gives off a fluorescent green and yellow color when hit by electrons in the solar system. Nitrogen causes blue or red colors, sometimes pink, while neon turns orange. But what actually causes the Northern Lights to appear? According to Space.com, the Northern Lights result from a rather
Viviana Bedoya took this photo Friday night. See more photos on page 5A. violent event. Energized particles from the sun slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. The Earth’s magnetic field sends these particles to-
wards the North and South poles, resulting in a beautiful light show. On Thursday, May 9, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center observed a severe geomagnetic storm. Observations around 7
p.m. on Friday reached level 5 of 5 in severity. The last time a solar storm reached that magnitude was in October 2023, at level 4. Amazingly, such a violent event can produce something as beautiful as the Northern Lights.
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