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Volume 135 • Issue 38
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
DIRTY GRASS SOUL
75¢
THE MAIN EVENT BAND
Dirty Grass Soul to appear at Patriots Park Kings Mountain is proud to welcome Cleveland County's finest, Dirty Grass Soul to Patriots Park, on Saturday, October 14. Formed in 2011, Dirty Grass Soul has earned a reputation as one of the southeast's emerging Southern Rock/Alt. Country bands with their
music falling somewhere between country, bluegrass, and southern rock and roll, reminiscent of acts like The Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band. “We are very excited to bring DGS to play in Kings Mountain,” states founder and lead singer Kevin Ded-
mon. “Anytime we get to perform close to home is a bonus, and Patriots Park has a great amphitheater where folks in Cleveland County can bring out the entire family to watch a show.” CBMA nominees, The Main Event Band, and DJ Drew Fulton will open the
show. The event will start with a cruise-in and pre-show at 5:00 pm, followed by the concert at 6:00 pm. Patriots Park is located at 220 South Railroad Avenue, Kings Mountain. As always, KM events are FREE! Upcoming events include:
• September 15th-October 8th, Liberty Mountain-The Revolutionary Drama-Joy Performance Center • October 28th, Adventure to Oz 6-9 pm-Patriots Park • Oct. 31st, Great Pumpkin Parade 10 am-12 pm-City Hall • Nov. 22nd, Christmas
Tree Lighting-Patriots Park • December 2nd Christmas Kings Mountain Parade and Festival-Downtown Kings Mountain For more information, contact the City of Kings Mountain's Marketing, Tourism, and Events Department at 704-730-2101.
City Council discusses KM Housing Authority By Loretta Cozart During the city council’s September 14 work session, Kings Mountain Housing Authority (KMHA) was a major topic of conversation. While the
Volunteers gather for a photo after installing smoke detectors in neighbor’s homes. Photo by Loretta Cozart
Volunteers, partners, and donors sound the alarm
Smoke detectors save lives By Loretta Cozart On Saturday, September 16, Kings Mountain residents received free smoke detectors installed in their homes in a program spearheaded by the American Red Cross and Kings Mountain Fire Department and sponsored by Albemarle Lithium. The Blue Ridge Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross coordinated the effort.
Volunteers, firemen, Albemarle Staff, and Red Cross staff gathered for breakfast and a briefing at Albemarle’s Project Center at 129 W. Mountain Street before hitting the roads at 10 a.m. with red wagons filled with smoke detectors in various neighborhoods. Three teams walked on foot to greet neighbors and offer them free smoke detectors. Some residents already
had smoke detectors, while others did not. Several had no idea how old their smoke detectors were or if they worked. Some were skeptical but soon learned no strings were attached to receiving the smoke detectors. They just had to agree to allow the team to install the equipment. Did you know you have See LIVES, Page 5A
city council took no action, the history and future of the fifty-six-year-old authority were discussed at length. City Attorney Mickey Corey shared that the Kings Mountain City Council created the KMHA on December 17, 1966. The organization
has five board members appointed by the mayor, and no board member can serve more than five years. Since the city council created the authority, Attorney Corey said they could See HOUSING, Page 5A
Current water projects in KM The City of Kings Mountain is constructing two new lift stations along KM Blvd to assist with future economic development in the Western portions of the city. Project Major’s lift sta-
tion will be located on the Casinos’ property near I-85 and is primarily funded by private developers to provide sanitary sewer along KM Blvd from I-85 north to Beason Creek. This project
includes a new 600,000-gallon-per-day lift station, gravity, and force main sewer. Project Interceptor’s lift See WATER, Page 5A
City of Shelby selects Assistant City Manager City Manager Rick Howell has appointed Justin Longino as the newest LONGINO member of the City’s management team. Mr. Longino will serve as
Assistant City Manager. “I’m excited to have Justin join our Administrative Team,” Howell stated. “He is very well-qualified and brings a solid background of local government management experience to the city’s day-today operations.” As Assistant City Manager, he will report to the City Manager and plan, direct,
control, and evaluate the operation of programs, projects, and assigned departments. “I am excited to take on new challenges in Shelby and am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to working with the experienced and professional staff and serving the citizens in my new role,” Mr. Longino stated. See CITY MGR., Page 5A
DOD enters agreement to expand domestic Lithium mining for Brad Fraser appointed US Battery supply chains The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, entered an agreement with Albemarle Corporation to support the expansion of
domestic mining and production of lithium. The $90 million agreement, entered into under Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities and utilizing funds appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act, will help support Albemarle’s planned re-opening of their Kings Mountain, N.C. lithium mine to increase domestic production of lithium for the nation’s battery sup-
ply chain. Albemarle estimates that Kings Mountain will be operational between 2025 and 2030. “The agreement with Albemarle demonstrates the DoD’s ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of our warfighter, today and in the future,” said Mr. Anthony Di Stasio, MCEIP Director. “This investment directly supports President Biden’s See BATTERY, Page 5A
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new Shelby Police Chief C i t y M a n ager Rick Howell appointed Brad Fraser as the next Chief of Police FRASER for the City of Shelby. Chief Fraser has served as the Interim
Chief of Police since April 1, 2023. “It is an honor to serve alongside the men and women of the Shelby Police Department in this role as we continue our commitment to excellence in service to our community,” Fraser stated. Fraser has over 25 years of experience with the Shelby Police Department. He completed his Basic
Law Enforcement Training at Gaston College in 1997 and earned his associate in applied science degree in Criminal Justice in 2007. Fraser went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina University in 2011. Fraser’s professional awards include an See CHIEF, Page 5A
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