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Volume 136 • Issue 35
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
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City of KM hosts Sign Ordinance Workbench Session on September 5
Mountaineer Days Heritage Festival is Back!
T h e City of K i n g s Mountain will hold two Workb e n c h Sessions on the proposed sign ordinance changes on Thursday, September 5, featuring the City of Kings Mountain’s Planning Director, Henry Earle. The first session will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and the second is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Both sessions will be held at the Patrick Senior Center, 909 E. Kings Street in Kings Mountain.
The City of Kings Mountain is proud to bring back a beloved festival, the Mountaineer Days Heritage Festival, scheduled for October 12, 2024. The festival kick-off will begin Friday, October 11th, at 7 p.m., when country music artist, author, and Kings Mountain Native Jimmy Wayne will perform at the Joy Performance Center. On October 12, the fun will begin in Patriots Park at noon, with activities at the Patriots Park Gazebo, Liberty Falls Amphitheatre, and Heritage Village. Live music, local cheerleading troupes, contests, exhibitors, best beard, goatee, and mustache
The city seeks stakeholder engagement on the proposed sign ordinance changes and urges everyone impacted to participate. The planning director will review the proposed sign ordinance changes, followed by a question-and-answer session. The sign ordinance will impact anyone in Kings Mountain with signage, including businesses, schools, churches, and non-profits. These sessions allow those affected by the new ordinance to have input on the final proposed ordinance.
Diaper Run September 7 CPS Construction is hosting the first annual Diaper Run on Saturday, September 7. This event is supporting the One More One Less Project and their effort to support foster families and other families in need of diapers in Cleveland County. This free event consists of a motorcycle ride, starting at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Kings Mountain and will end at Shelby Mission Camp. At the Shelby
Mission Camp, there will be free food, prizes, a cornhole tournament, and a performance from Cleveland County’s Lindy Bryson. Registration is required to participate and you can register on our website (www.cpsconstruction. com). Participants are encouraged to bring diapers for donations. Motorcycles are not required and participants can join in cars. The event will be family friendly.
KM Woman’s Club call for vendors for Fall event By Loretta Cozart GFWC NC Kings Mountain Woman’s Club is hosting its Fall Vendor Event on Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the clubhouse at 108 E. Mountain Street. If you are interested in being a vendor, please
send a private message to Denise Cobb via Facebook and include a description of the items you offer, including your phone number. During this event, the Woman’s Club strives to keep duplicate items to a minimum.
URGENT: KMPD issues APB for prior police chief photos By Loretta Cozart Attention all residents: KMPD Chief Childress urgently needs your assistance in acquiring photos or portraits of former police chiefs. The community is hereby asked to actively participate in this search by providing any relevant images. If you possess such pho-
tographs and wish to retain them, please promptly visit Mauney Memorial Library. Upon your arrival, the library staff will efficiently digitize the photo and promptly return it to you. When you arrive at the library desk, specifically request to speak with Jasmine or Christina Martin. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. KMPD thanks you for your prompt attention in this matter.
competitions are just some of the activities attendees can enjoy at this event. The musical line-up for this event will be announced soon. Great contests, food, music, special guests, and much more! Admittance and parking are free! You don’t want to miss this special event! For more information, call the City of Kings Mountain’s Marketing, Tourism, and Events Department at 704730-2101, or visit their website at www.KingsMountainEvents.Com. See more upcoming festival events on page 3A
Kings Mountain’s beloved Mountaineer Days is back. Look for contests and fun ways to get involved this year! Photo by City of KM Marketing, Tourism, and Special Events.
Cabooses off to new homes By Loretta Cozart The two cabooses that were at the depot from February 1, 1977, to August 21, 2024, were sold to new owners and moved last week after the city council approved the sale earlier this year. Bids were accepted until 3 p.m. on June 28. Mickey Simmons and Tom Carlton were awarded the bid individually, each receiving one caboose. Mickey Simmons of Simmons Structural Movers, Inc., of 2138 Wesson Road in Shelby, moved the first caboose last Wednesday. Tom Calton of All Rail, Inc., located at 289 Calton Hill Road in Rutherfordton, subsequently took ownership and moved the second caboose.
Norfolk Southern caboose 388 on its way to Shelby last Wednesday. Photo by Tim Gibby In their proposals to the city, both expressed their intentions to convert the cabooses into Airbnb-type rentals. Despite popular belief, the cabooses have not been a part of Kings Mountain’s his-
tory throughout their lives, or even served this area when they rain on the tracks. Both were in service near Raleigh until they were decommissioned. On February 17, 1977,
businessman Haywood Lynch presented to the city a vintage red caboose he bought on Dec. 22, 1976, from Southern Railway System, Washington, D. C., for the historical museum at the Old Depot. A report by Kings Mountain Herald’s newspaperwoman Lib Stewart shared the rationale behind bringing the cabooses to Kings Mountain. The 100,000-pound retired Northern-Southern bay-window-type red metal caboose cost four cents per pound, $4,000, and is being renovated by Mr. Lynch at cost of about $2,000 before the formal presentation to the city and dedication rites at which Mr. Lynch will hang a plaque bearing the names of See CABOOSES, Page 5A
Liberty Mountain Drama offers field trip opportunities to students By Jeremy Homesley Liberty Mountain, The Revolutionary Drama has been around for a decade now. This live performance was born in the fall of 2014 to align with the October 7th anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain, and returned to the fall in 2023 to coincide with the school year. At the heart of this company is the desire to educate about a piece of local history with national significance. The Battle of Kings Mountain is a story worth telling. Starting the second weekend in September and running through October 6th, Liberty Mountain will bring the Carolina Backcountry of the eighteenth
century to life for audiences in the Joy Theatre in downtown Kings Mountain, NC. Weekend performances happen at 7:30pm Friday and Saturday, and matinees are at 3:00pm Saturday and Sunday. But it is the new weekday morning shows that are really special. This
year we’re offering nine select performances tailored for field trips and school groups across our entire area: public school classrooms to homeschool clubs and student groups can book field trips to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, live-theater event and become eye-
witnesses to local history through live performance. School Shows happen every Tuesday through Thursday morning starting September 17th through October 3rd, and the battle begins at 10am. And an optional living history exhibit is offered afterward in the Joy Garden next to the theater. The benefits of students attending a live performance are exponential, as many students study the Revolutionary War and the involvement of the Carolinas in the American Revolution as part of their core curriculum. An experience with Liberty Mountain using professional actors and historical reenactors, pyrotechnics, special See TRIP Page 5A
We Would Like to Welcome Robert Baker to Our Professional Staff
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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