Honest Work, at a fair Price Shop: (704) 739-5376 TIRES & ALIGNMENT Complete Automotive Repair
Lift Kits Performance Upgrades Exhaust Repairs
M-F 8am - 8pm • Sat. 7am to 12pm ronaldsgarageNC.com
Towing Service Available
904 South Battleground Ave. • Kings Mountain, NC
Volume 135 • Issue 36
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
75¢
Liberty Mountain KMFD hosts Patriot Day Observance opens for 8th season September 15 By Loretta Cozart The curtain will open on Friday, September 15, and Bob Inman’s play, Liberty Mountain: The Revolutionary Drama, will begin its eighth season. For the first time, Bob will perform the role of Reverend Samuel Doak. “I may be a little creaky, but I’ll be up there in some regard during the battle itself. I’m the oldest cast member this year, and my eighteenyear-old grandson, who plays Caleb Martin, is the youngest,” Bob shares with a smile. Liberty Mountain shares the personal trials many families faced during the Battle of Kings Mountain. When
asked why he wrote the play, Bob replied, “When I was in school, Revolutionary War history was all about Saratoga, Brandywine, Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Concord. There was nothing taught about the Southern campaign.” When he decided to write a play about the Battle of Kings Mountain, he, Jim Champion, and Caleb Sigmon agreed that the story See LIBERTY, Page 8A
City, KM Forward responds to story By Loretta Cozart On August 30, the Gaston Gazette published a story about the condemnation of the building at 124 W. Mountain Street in Kings Mountain. The story stated, “At The building located at 124 W. Mountain Street has been condemned by City of the July 25 meetKings Mountain. ing, Kings MounPhoto by Loretta Cozart tain City Council agreed to give pancy, and in such state of $2,500 to Lahti as ‘a busi- disrepair as to require City ness that had been displaced Council action to order reby city actions.’” pairs or face demolition, The Herald reached out I personally approached to City Manager Jim Pale- KM Forward, through their nick for comment regarding Board President, David the article and received the Stone, to inform him that following statement, “Upon the Businesses would have recognizing that the build- to find an alternate location ing that housed the Uncom- because City Council action mon Artisans and Medusa was likely imminent. Coffee Company businesses “I felt KM Forward was deemed to be unsafe, no was best suited to assist the longer allowable for occuSee STORY, Page 8A
Kings Mountain Fire Department will host its annual Patriot Day service, on Monday, September 11th. Beginning at 9:00 a.m., First Baptist Church leads the observance, presenting Patriotic music, followed by guest speaker United States Air Force Master Sergeant John Whitaker. Patriot Day is an annual observance held across America to remember those injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. This year marks the 22nd anniversary of those attacks. Kings Mountain Fire De-
JOHN WHITAKER partment is located at 106 Spruce Street. For more information on Patriot Day, contact the Kings Mountain Fire Department at 704-734-0555.
Patriot Jack’s Outfitters under new ownership By Loretta Cozart On Thursday, August 31, Jan and David Stone, owners of the Imperial Mercantile in downtown Kings Mountain, took ownership of Patriot Jack’s Outfitters at 832 E King St, Kings Mountain from John and Ashley Herndon. The Stones shared that they “are thankful to John and Ashley Herndon
and their contribution to keeping Patriot Jack’s a thriving business in Kings Mountain, NC, and are excited about this new venture and the changes in store!” Patriot Jacks Outfitters carries a variety of outdoor gear, clothing, and accessories and has been locally owned and operated at this location since opening in September 2010.
L-R: John and Ashley Herndon and Jan and David Stone.
Papers filed for 384-acre mixed use project in Dixon community Insignis Partners, an investment and real estate development firm, filed plans Wednesday with the City of Kings Mountain to rezone a 384-acre property along a growing economic development corridor. The request would facilitate a mixed-use project with up to 5 million square feet of new buildings and is one of the largest development proposals in the city’s history. The Dixon Ridge project envisions a vibrant mix of industrial, research and development, and residential space at a key intersection on Interstate 85 near Dixon School Road. Insignis' plans
include over 57 acres of open space, pickleball and tennis courts, parks, walking trails, and a greenway trail system for pedestrians and bicyclists connecting to nearby city-owned lake properties. The request includes an application to rezone the property to a new Planned Development District and a development agreement outlining terms between Insignis and the city. Insignis expects the project to exceed $750 million in value at full build-out. It has committed to developing the project exclusively within the City of Kings Mountain’s jurisdiction, ensuring
the city will benefit from property taxes and development and utility fees to be paid by the project. Both Insignis and Kings Mountain leaders are excited about how the project fits into the growth of Cleveland and Gaston counties. The project will help spur new economic investment and job creation, and Insignis views it as a collaborative effort with the city. "We’re excited to introduce Dixon Ridge to the Kings Mountain, NC market," Insignis Managing Partner and Co-Founder Paul Sparks said. "Submitting our application for this
project is such a significant step forward for something that’s taken us 18 months to create and fine-tune. And now, everything becomes a lot more real, which is exciting." Kings Mountain City Manager Jim Palenick joined the city last year after spending the past seven years in local government leadership positions in the Midwest. He's confident the proposed Dixon Ridge project will help fuel Kings Mountain's economy for years. "We see this development as truly transformational to the community and See DIXON, Page 5A
Mountaineers for a Better Community hosts candidate forum Thrive Kings Mountain opposes
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 ed-
Dixon Ridge development ucation 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 See FORUM, Page 5A
By Loretta Cozart Thrive Kings Mountain released a statement on Thursday, August 31, expressing their opposition to the proposed Dixon Ridge development. According to spokesperson Christina Hildebrand, the organization obtained the proposed plans and found them to be unfavorable. Specifically, Thrive
For Dental Implants Locally Here In Kings Mountain
Baker Dental Care Preventative, Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry
Kings Mountain opposes the proposed dense residential housing on the side of Shepard Mountain with access from Alex D Owens Drive, as well as the proposed over 3 million square feet of industrial and office space. The statement shared that the development “looks small, but these buildings will be HUGE…a football field is
57,600 sq ft. The industrial office space covers over 50 football fields. The residential area is over 40 football fields.” The primary concern for the Shepard Mountain community is that “the topography of this area with steep hillsides, creeks, and rock formations will require significant blasting of the hillside, which will cause severe ecological
damage to the area as well as reduce property values significantly.” In January, Thrive Kings Mountain opposed the 3.5 million square feet warehouse space proposed by development partners Insignis Partners and Panattoni Development Co. Inc. with more than 200 acres. The newly announced Dixon Ridge encompasses 300 acres.
Just a few benefits of Dental Implants: • Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. • Improved speech. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your dentures might slip. • Improved self-esteem. Smile again and feel better about yourself. • Durable. Implants are very durable and with proper care, can last a lifetime. To find out more about Dental Implants and schedule your next appointment
call us at 704-739-4461
703 E. Kings St., Suite 9, Kings Mountain • www.BakerDentalCare.com