A ladies county-wide Bible study will begin  at Pfeiffer Cafe & Confections, located at 116 E. Warren Street, Shelby on Wednesday, September 7 through October 12 from 9 AM-11AM.
Best selling author and local Cleveland County native Cindi Wood will be leading  the six-week study "Anonymous" .
Reserve your spot by texting your name and contact info to: 704-418-1199. Bible study books will be available for  $15 which includes registration.
Cindi recently began exploring the idea of doing a county-wide Bible study with her friends. Their goal was to reach out to women to share their intense love for Jesus and the joy that He infuses into their lives. They wanted the location to be centrally located in the county, so that people from all over could get there easily. It needed to be a fun place to meet where women could feel comfortable, have fun conversation and good food to eat.
Steve and Vicky Knapp, owners of Pfeiffer Cafe &
Confections welcomed the
opportunity to offer their restaurant as a place to meet before they open for lunch.
Cindi shared, "The main purpose for the study is to feed our souls. Never has there been a  time when so many are disheartened and discouraged and need hope.
We want this to be a time that those who are in relationship with Jesus would come and join in and be encouraged. We also welcome those who have never explored this relationship, to join the group and learn what having fellowship with Jesus does for you. He is the answer to everything you are going through. It will be a wonderful time of gathering.
The foundation of the 'Anonymous' study will be in scripture. We will take a look at the lives of four nameless women in the
Bible whose lives were radically changed when they came in contact with Jesus.
If you know Him, be there. If you don't know Him, come and find out about Him. God has great things in store. I can sense that God is ready to do a mighty work in those who turn to Him. There is still time to register.
If you have done the 'Anonymous' study before, please come anyway, as there will be fresh new teaching. If you are hesitant about being in a crowd of women you don't know, don't worry, God will make it ok."
Cindi is a sought after speaker and Bible teacher, guiding women to deal with daily stress by experiencing a practical and deep relationship with Jesus. To view Cindi's personal message about the "Anonymous" study  go to: https://www.facebook.com/CindiWoodMinistries/videos/414352487242063 or to view her latest book "Blood Clots" visit her website at: www.frazzledfemale.com.

Hospice Cleveland County was recently named “Non-Profit of the Year” at the Cleveland County Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet. The event was attended by Chamber members, board members, present and future officers, and ambassadors. All guests enjoyed a lively night of celebrating the local business community.
“Hospice Cleveland County is honored to win this prestigious award voted on by members of the Chamber,” said Myra McGinnis, Hospice Cleveland County President. “It is a privilege to provide end-of-life care for people in our community. This special recognition is a tribute to the exceptional services delivered by our dedicated staff members.” said McGinnis.
Pete Brunnick, Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region CEO, also attended the event, along with several Hospice Cleveland County staff members. Hospice Cleveland County merged with Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region in 2020 to prepare for significant changes in healthcare, including the spread of for-profit hospices.
“Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region has a strong presence in both Carolinas and frequently competes against private equity backed hospices. The private equity model puts a lot of pressure on the organization to produce a profit. Being a not-for-profit allows us to invest more in our organization and direct our efforts towards patient care. For us, the reward is providing great care and knowing that we have made a difference in our community, we have made a difference in the care of families and patients, and the community is a better place because we’re here.”
Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region serves thousands of patients in 27 counties across the Carolinas. It operates three hospice houses in Mecklenburg County and one in Laurens County, SC. Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region also operates multiple offices in nearby counties. It was North Carolina's first hospice.
Hospice Cleveland County serves individuals in Cleveland, Gaston, Rutherford, and Burke counties. Hospice care is provided to people at home, Wendover Hospice House in Shelby, Testa Family Hospice House in Kings Mountain, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities. More than 16,000 people have been served since its inception in 1985.
If you would like to know more about Hospice and Palliative Care Services, or advance care planning, please visit our website at www.HospiceCares.cc or contact us at 704-487-4677.    

Community and mill grocery stores were places folks in Kings Mountain shopped prior to bigger chain stores came to town. Even so, many of these stores thrived until the 1980s. The following article, written by Lib Stewart, is reprinted from a June 21, 1979, Kings Mountain Herald.
It was 1932 and the heart of the big depression that Gene Roberts joined his father in the operation of the family grocery business on North Piedmont Avenue.
That was 47 years ago when Roberts, now 70, was 28.
The familiar landmark will bow to changing times and the U.S. 74 Bypass of Kings Mountain. Roberts Grocery delivered the last load of groceries Friday.
Mr. Roberts, whose youthly appearance and wit, belie his age, speaks philosophically about leaving the site, only a block from his residence.
“I’ve always believed in accepting things as they are,” he laughed, recalling the good times he had experienced in the white frame store and the “good people” with whom he had been in contact.
The price of groceries does not compare, of course, with today’s prices but Roberts recalled how “times were hard” and it was just as difficult to have money in your pocket to buy pinto beans at five cents a pound, eggs at ten cents a dozen, fatback meat at five cents a pound, and gasoline at 17 cents a gallon.
Many of his first customers were credit customers who paid for groceries by the week or month. Some of the early purchases included cordwood, which sold for the unbelievable price of $5 per cord, and chickens and turkeys, your choice of live birds or dressed.
Many of his first customers were credit customers who paid for groceries by the week or month. Some of the early purchases Included cordwood, which sold for the unbelievable price of $6 per cord, and chickens and turkeys, your choice of live birds or dressed.
Ken Roberts, who started working in his father’s store at about the same age that Gene started work in the old Cora Mill store at 14, recalls taking live chickens and turkeys from penned-in “coops’ at the back of the store and dressing them while the customer waited.
Ken claims to have started working at age eight or nine, answering the phone for his father and making deliveries on his bicycle. He hopes to repay the favor in mid-July. Gene Roberts will be reporting to work for his son in a brand-new convenience store now under construction across from the KM Depot Center.
Bom on First Street in Kings Mountain, Roberts, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Ross Roberts and next to the oldest of four children, has lived only a short distance from his birthplace all his life. Roberts was away from Kings Mountain while attending Mars Hill College and worked in Charlotte for a food chain.
The stretch of North Piedmont Avenue which passes his store was a dirt road until 1936 when it was resurfaced by work crews from the Works Progress Administration of the state. Roberts recalled how the workmen used pick and shovel to clean out the ditches and were paid 12.50 per week, not with cash, but with food coupons. They came across the street to his store or went to other stores in the neighborhood to get their groceries. Roberts recalled that in the early days other grocers were Cora Mill Store, Lum Gantt’s, which is now Pauline Store on Waco Road, B.A. Smith’s where the In and Out Store is now on Cleveland Ave. (now Linwood Mart), and John and Doc Mauney’s store which was located across the street from Smith’s.
   For six days a week Gene Roberts opened every morning at 6 a.m. and closed on Fridays and Saturdays as late as midnight, on many occasions. Kenneth recalled that when he went to work full-time 16-years ago many folks preferred to do their shopping on Saturday, which was the only day they came to town.   Some customers took their families to the Saturday night movies and shopped for groceries afterwards.
   Gene and Louise Hambright Roberts were married April 12,1936. They are parents of five children, Kenneth, of Kings Mountain, David of Gastonia, Diane Roberts (Mrs. Sammy) Houston of Thomasville, Linda (Mrs. Ed) Talion of Columbia, S.C., and Glenn Roberts of Kings Mountain. There are seven grandchildren.
   The Robertses have long been active in Kings Mountain Baptist Church where Mr. Roberts is a deacon and teaches a Sunday School class.
   Over the years he has seen his business grow from a small beginning with very little stock into an expanded grocery store, both in size and in trade.
   If he had his life to live over, would he do anything different? Does he have any immediate plans for retirement?
   No, he enjoys the grocery business, whether its cutting meat, helping a customer, or sweeping the floor.  And he likes people, swaps stories with them about the “good ole days,” and never meets & stranger. His sense of humor keeps him young.
   Mr. Roberts, who walks to and from work every day, expects to get in a little more walking when he moves several blocks down the street to the new location. It will be a brand-new experience because for the first time in 47 years Roberts will be working for someone else. In fact, a new generation of Robertses will be working in the new store. Sixteen- year-old Craig Roberts is following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.

By Loretta Cozart

This Thursday, July 14, Earl Scruggs Center Stage Concert Series features Wyldwood String Band from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Wyldwood Stringband is the collaboration of Caroline Tanner, Sarah Hollis, and Phil Lanier. Each of them separated by a decade, but with the same passion, the evolution of bluegrass and old-time folk music. Sarah’s father and Phil’s uncle played in a bluegrass band together “Bitter Creek” in the 70s, they are from right here where the music began in North Carolina.
Caroline in from western Canada and fell in love with bluegrass on Vancouver Island before moving the heartland of the music that stole her heart. Bringing their various backgrounds together Wyldwood Stringband strives to honor the traditions from which the music came, while pushing it forward and having a good time along the way.
All tickets are General Admission for $10 and a cash bar is available.

The Cleveland County Arts Council announced a new exhibit that includes work from more than 25 artists from North Carolina’s Triangle Book Arts created to communicate and express hope during the isolation of the Covid 19 pandemic.
These artists will share work shown last summer in a group exhibit at Duke Hospital, which was open only to caregivers, patients, and their families; art they sent to each other in the U.S. Mail (“Mail Art”); and works they have made more recently during this uncertain time of emergence. The artwork ranges from charming and playful to the serious, beautiful, disturbing, and thought provoking.
The exhibit is on display at Cleveland County Arts Council, 111 S. Washington St., Shelby. The exhibit will remain up through August 11.
   Accordion books, button books, collages, printmaking, retablo installation, books in boxes, postcards, and bookmarks are just some of the forms of art that members of North Carolina’s Triangle Book Arts (TBA) have created to communicate and express hope during the isolation of the pandemic. Accustomed to sharing their work and meeting to share skills, swap supplies, and show their latest work in community workshops, the group sought ways to communicate and share in new and challenging circumstances.
Book art embraces a surprising array of skills and approaches from letterpress printing to origami, collage, painting, and photography. TBA members define “book art” widely, from art that uses and plays with forms of the book as a medium of expression to any work that refers to the book as an idea or form of inspiration.
   The Arts Council is open Mon. – Friday, 9:00 – 4:00 and Saturday from 10:00 – 2:00. For more information, call 704-484-2787 or visit www.ccartscouncil.org or https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandCountyArtsCouncil.

With the July 4m weekend approaching, Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman asks all citizens to join him in making this Fourth of July holiday happy, enjoyable, and safe for everyone.
Cleveland County citizens should remember that fireworks, as enjoyable as they are to watch, can be dangerous and should only be handled by professionals.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, there are nearly 13,000 emergency room-treated injuries associated with fireworks a year. You can enjoy a safe Fourth of July by following these safety tips:
• Make yourself familiar with GS 14-414 for allowable fireworks (remember fireworks that detonate, explode, or propel themselves through the air are illegal)
• Never give fireworks to small children
• Stay at least 500 feet away from professional fireworks displays.
• Leave any area immediately where untrained amateurs are using fireworks.
Sheriff Norman also wants citizens to use caution when swimming at a pool or driving on busy streets and highways. Sheriff Norman said, “Sadly, most deaths from drowning occur within a few feet of safety.” The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. The Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To find out where lessons are offered, or to enroll in a CPR/AED or first aid course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
At a swimming pool, take the following precautions:
• If no lifeguard is on duty, do not let children swim unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult who knows lifesaving techniques and first aid.
• Post CPR instructions and directions to call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number in the pool area.
• Look around the pool area to be certain lifesaving devices are readily available for emergency use.
• Be sure covers are installed on all drains of a swimming pool or in a wading pool. The suction created by the pool’s circulating pumps can be dangerous unless it is reduced by covers.
• Take frequent breaks (about once an hour) where everyone gets out of the water, drinks water, reapplies water resistant sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and rests.
• If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.
• To reduce the risk of eye, ear, nose or throat infection from contaminated water, swim only in pools in which water quality is properly maintained. The water should appear clear, be continuously circulated, and be maintained at a level that allows free overflow into the gutter or skimmer. There should not be a strong odor of ammonia or chlorine.
On the highways, follow these safety tips:
• Always shift your attention every few seconds, constantly scanning the road ahead and behind you. Never blankly stare ahead nor fix your gaze on one point on the road.
• When passing an automobile, always glance at the ground beside the front wheel of the car you intend to pass. You will know instantly if the car is about to veer - giving you extra seconds to respond.
• You should pull out into the opposite lane of traffic when passing while you are still well behind the car in front. This should give you some time and space to build up speed and will enable you to pull back into your own lane should the need arise. Never cut abruptly out of your lane into the opposite lane when passing.
• Always signal your intentions with your brake lights, turn signals, horn and/or headlights so that other drivers will see you well before you change course.
• Drivers should always “aim high” in steering. That is, you should glance frequently at points well ahead of you. Not only will this help your steering, but it will also help you check the position of vehicles in front of you as well as on-coming ones.
• Never follow too close. Remember that, as your speed increases, it takes you longer to stop. Also remember that it is good to have an extra cushion of space in front of you if you are being tail-gated, on a slippery road, or in low visibility conditions.
   “Lastly, I would remind all motorists to practice the Golden Rule when driving. Be courteous and tolerant of other drivers. Please don’t get angry with bad drivers or reckless ones - just get out of their way.”
   Sheriff Norman said in closing, “Following these precautions will help the children and citizens of Cleveland County stay safe and healthy this holiday weekend and throughout the summer.”

Upcoming Special Events:
• Medicare Scams and Frauds: Tuesday, July 5, 11-11:30 a.m. (also available via Zoom). Call to sign up.
• Gerd and Acid Reflux Presentation by Mountain Street Pharmacy: Thursday, July 7, 10-10:30 a.m. Call to sign up.
• Voter Registration: Friday, July 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Red Cross Blood Drive: Friday, July 15, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Please call Karen Grigg at the center to schedule an appointment.
• Local Authors’ Fair, hosted by the Mauney Library: Monday, July 18, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Ongoing Activities at the Patrick Center
• Ceramics: Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Facebook Chat: Mondays, 10-10:45 a.m. (online via Facebook)
• Color Me Calm: Mondays, 10-11 a.m.
• Seniors in Motion: Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes begin July 6. Suggested donation of $1 per class for non-YMCA members.
• Quilting: Mondays, 12:30-3 p.m.
• Beginner Quilting: Thursdays, 1-3 p.m.
• Intermediate Line Dance (Dance Floor Rockers): Mondays, 1-3 p.m.
• Intermediate Line Dance (Southern Class): Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m. *(on hiatus until after Labor Day)
• Clogging: Mondays, 3:30-4:30 p.m. and Thursdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Knitting: Tuesdays, 8:30-10:30 a.m.
• Veterans Meeting: 1st Tuesday, 9-10 a.m.
• Dutch Lunch Bunch: 2nd Wednesday, July 13 – Red Lobster in Gastonia (Sign up required. Pay $1 transportation fee plus cost of your lunch)
• Tai Chi for Arthritis: Wednesdays, 9-10 a.m.
• Bible History: Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m.
• REFIT Dance Exercise: Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• Monthly Birthday Celebration: 4th Tuesday, 10-11 a.m.
• Canasta: Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m.
• Chair Yoga: Wednesdays, 11:45-12:45 p.m. (fee required)
• Blood Pressure Clinic: 1st Wednesday, 10-11:30 a.m.
• Food Giveaway: 3rd Wednesday, 1-2:30 p.m. (registration required)
• Caregiver Support Group: 4th Wednesday, 1-2:30 p.m.
• Healthy Lifestyles Class: Thursdays, 8-9:30 a.m.
• Gentle Exercise: Thursdays, 9:30-10:15 a.m.
• Bingo: Thursdays, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
• Coffee & Conversation: Fridays, 8:30-10 a.m.
• Chorus: Fridays, 10-11 a.m.
• Friday Lunch: Fridays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. (Call to sign up by Thursday at Noon. Cost is $3.)
• WII Bowling League: Fridays, 12-1 p.m.
• Chair Volleyball: Fridays, 12-2 p.m.
• Ping Pong/Corn Hole: Fridays, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Silver Strength by Lisa Medlin with Home Instead: Fridays, 3-4 p.m.
The Patrick Center is a SHIIP site and can help with Medicare questions and check to see if you qualify for Extra Help with your drug costs. We can also assist with transportation, loan equipment, incontinence supplies, nutritional supplements, and other services.
Please call the center at 704-734-0447 for more information or to sign up for programs. Programs are open to people ages 55 and up unless otherwise noted.

Anna Holder, a student at Kings Mountain High School, recently served as a Page for the North Carolina House of Representatives. She is the daughter of Grant Holder and Angela Holder and was sponsored by Speaker Tim Moore. Ms. Holder was appointed and introduced to the Members of the House during session on Monday night.
The North Carolina House Page Program offers a unique and firsthand experience to students from across the state. Each year, the program provides a captivating insight into government by connecting students with elected leaders of North Carolina.
Pages are given the opportunity to observe North Carolina lawmakers, lobbyists, staff, and constituents working together in the legislative process. The Pages witness and learn how a bill becomes a law, the structure of state government, and the legislative process. House Pages attend session and committee meetings each day. House Pages are also given the opportunity to provide office assistance to members and staff of the House of Representatives.

Andrew Ruppe will be North Elementary School’s new principal, after the retirement of Principal Allen. “I am extremely excited to be taking over as principal of North Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year,” Ruppe said. “North has a long history of being an excellent school. I look forward to continuing that tradition into the future!”
Mr. Ruppe is a Cleveland County native and a current Kings Mountain resident. His entire career has been spent in the Kings Mountain Zone for Cleveland County Schools. “I was an 8th grade teacher for 6 1/2 years at Kings Mountain Middle School. I served as an assistant principal at KMMS for 3 1/2 years. For the past five years, I have served as the assistant principal of Bethware Elementary School.”
His wife, Nicole, is a teacher at Kings Mountain Intermediate School and they have one daughter that will be two in August.

Historians agree that the Battle of Kings Mountain in October 1780 turned the tide of the American Revolution and began the series of victories that led to the British surrender at Yorktown a year later. The rugged Patriot frontiersmen who defeated a larger, better-trained force of Loyalists at Kings Mountain secured for all of us the freedoms we enjoy today.
We will soon begin our seventh season of “Liberty Mountain,” the Revolutionary War Drama, at the Joy Performance Center in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. It’s a compelling story of the settling of the Carolinas by pilgrims from the Old World who came to our land to build new lives, raise good families, and worship as they pleased. Our production is an action-filled 90 minutes that intimately portrays the lives of these hardy men, women, and children. It is an immersive experience of special effects, sights, and sounds. Audiences in our previous seasons have come away entertained and inspired.
“Liberty Mountain” features a cast of more than 30 actors in a fast-moving, action-packed drama. Playwright Robert Inman says, “The talented cast and crew bring our audience a production that is true to history, highly entertaining, and inspiring. Every American should know the story of Kings Mountain and the crucial role it played in granting us the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Director Caleb Sigmon has been guiding “Liberty Mountain” since its premier in 2014. He says, “We use the entire auditorium to bring the story to life. We immerse the audience in the action. It’s great entertainment for the entire family.”  The play incorporates authentic weapons and costumes.
“Liberty Mountain” opens on Friday, June 24, with performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, July 17. Fridays and Saturdays have 7:30 p.m. performances. Matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays begin at 3:00 p.m. Monday, July 4 will have a matinee only at 3:00 p.m. The box office opens 1 hour before each performance. Tickets are available online, by phone, 704-730-9408, or at the box office for walk-ups.
Come 30-minutes early to attend our educational weapons display and other activities or stay after the show to “Meet the Cast” for autographs and photos. Adding to your “revolutionary” experience is a display of Revolutionary War historical portraits by renowned artist, Thomas Kelly Pauley.
Liberty Mountain is produced by Kings Mountain Little Theatre, Inc. with Gilbert and Jancy Patrick as the Presenting Sponsor and is also funded in part by a grant from the Kings Mountain Tourism Development Authority. Questions should be directed to jim@kmlt.org or call the box office at 704-730-9408.

By April Shauff
Special To Community First Media

Over the past couple of years, the walls of an enlarged facility for adult daycare have slowly been taking shape on the Kings Mountain Boulevard. In just a few weeks, the construction will come to an end, and a dream that started six years ago will finally be a reality.
“It was in 2016 that our board decided to proceed with a 10,000-square-foot addition to our 14,000-square-foot facility,” says Life Enrichment Center (LEC) Executive Director Toni Camp.
In November of 2019 the Kings Mountain LEC broke ground. Things were going along quite well – for a while.
“Then Covid happened,” says Camp. “What were we to do?”
The need was too great to be ignored, says Camp, and families were struggling more than ever to find relief from the grind of in-home caregiving.
“So we continued with construction,” says Camp. That commitment proved difficult at times during the past two years, but the process is finally nearing completion.
With locations in Shelby and Kings Mountain, the LEC offers adult day care services to the aging population as well as younger adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
When it opened in 2004, the Kings Mountain location served six participants. By the time the renovation was approved, it was serving 65 participants a day with a growing waitlist.
“There were just so many families who needed our services,” says Camp.
The LEC got its start in 1980 in a Sunday school room at John Knox Presbyterian Church, and it grew from there.
The first center, located in Shelby, was built in 1995, and was eventually replaced by a new, 25,000-square-foot facility in 2011.
The new addition will allow the Kings Mountain facility to echo the Shelby location’s ability to serve younger and older adults in different areas of the same facility.
The calendar at both LECs keeps participants busy with activities like horticulture, talent shows, cooking and music therapy.
Sara Renner knows first-hand how amazingly helpful the LEC’s services can be. Her 22-year-old daughter, Mary, has been a participant at the Kings Mountain facility for more than two years.
“I just love the staff there – I can’t say enough wonderful things about them,” says Sara Renner. “They provide so many activities – it has allowed Mary to develop her skills and keeps her active and happy. Many times she doesn’t even want to come home!”
The enlarged Kings Mountain LEC is located at 222 Kings Mountain Boulevard, and the Shelby LEC is located at 110 Life Enrichment Center Boulevard. For more information about either of the LEC locations, visit the organization’s website at
www.LifeEnrichmentCenter.org.

Amy Brooks, a junior at Pinnacle Classical Academy, has been named to the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Student Advisory Council (SSAC).
The daughter of Derrick and Angela Brooks of Earl, Amy is Pinnacle Classical Academy's Student Government Association Communications Coordinator, a member of National Honor Society, and a member of Spiritual Soaring Ministries, a student Christian organization.
“Today’s students are tomorrow’s future,” said North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt, “and if we are going to keep them at the center of every decision, we need to ensure they have an opportunity to directly share feedback, provide recommendations, and give perspective on our state’s education system. I am thrilled to have such an impressive group of students convened as members of the Student Advisory Council, and I look forward to seeing the proposals they put forth.”
The Department of Public Instruction said that the SSAC is a strong and diverse group composed of 12 high school students from across the state’s eight education regions, with eight juniors and four seniors. The two-year appointment to the SSAC provides student advisors the opportunity to meet twice per month to discuss education issues affecting students, advocate on behalf of their peers and ultimately advise decision makers in state public education.
During their service, Amy Brooks and the other student advisors will develop two proposals for the state Superintendent’s Office and the State Board of Education to address issues that the students would like to see changed, either through policy or legislation. SSAC advisors have the opportunity not only to share their perspectives as current students but also to provide invaluable insight to state leaders on how to make positive changes within North Carolina’s education system.

 Kings Mountain High School Custodian, Stephanie Hopper was selected as one of KMHS’ March Employees of the Month for March. According to the schools’ Facebook page, “Stephanie is the person who puts everyone else before herself. She always has a smile on her face, she cares about what she does, and she is always working extremely hard.”
The post continues, “In addition to her hard work, she is constantly asking what she can do for you, and she is never upset or thrown off when something is needed quickly. She is an asset to our school because of her positive attitude, her strong work ethic, and her love for people. Congratulations, Mrs. Hopper.”
Hopper received a Walmart gift card, KMHS travel mug, commemorative certificate, and Papa John's coupons.

James Welsh, fourth grader in Mr. Hamrick's class, represented North Elementary School well in the County Spelling Bee.
He placed second on the competition. Students watched the live feed from their classrooms and cheered James on all the way.
James was greeted at North to a hallway full of staff and students clapping and cheering his name. “We are so proud of James,” said Teacher Assistant Anna Hughes.

By Loretta Cozart

Last Fall, Tiana Roberts started Girl Talk Ministry, a program that allows minority girls to discuss everyday life challenges and empower one another on ways to rise above adversities. The program allows adolescent girls to transform their mind and enhance a better life through Christ.
We caught up with Tiana last weekend to learn about a new event she is facilitating with Cleveland County Schools. Tiana told the Herald, “Whenever you follow His will for your life, He will make sure what you need will come to you, or that you are attracted to people you need in order to fulfill the calling He has for you.”
Recently, she became reacquainted with a person she had known years before, a woman who had her own organization. Due to COVID, that woman’s path changed. The two exchanged numbers and went on their way. Months later, the woman called saying she had 20 prom dresses she needed to give away.
Tiana thought, “What am I going to do with 20 prom dresses?” So, she reached out to counselors at Kings Mountain High School for suggestions. When she did not hear back, she reached out to counselors at Shelby High School who suggested she sponsor an event. She discussed the idea with the clinical supervisor for her licensure who suggested she use the event to broach other important topics like safety recommendations and etiquette. “By the grace of God, everyone was in my ear at that moment,” Tiana said.
But she did not stop with just 20 dresses. She posted a flyer on social media, and before she knew it, people started donating. Eventually she collected over 90 dresses. And Quickway Cleaners in Gastonia agreed to deep clean the dresses.
This year, four schools are involved in the program: Kings Mountain High School, Cleveland County Early College High School, Crest High School, and Shelby High School. Burns was already partnering with another group and plans to participate next year. Each school identifies the girls who participate in the program and the program for this year is full.
The first event will be held Saturday, March 26 at the Cleveland County Chamber, from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. for Crest and Shelby. The second event will be held on April 9 from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Vestibule A.M.E. Zion Church for Kings Mountain and Cleveland County Early College. The girls come in groups of six in half-hour intervals and get one-on-one attention in choosing their dresses.
The joy could be seen on Tiana’s face when she said, “It is every girl’s dream to go to prom and be cute and experience those memories. It is amazing just being able to let them shine for that moment and allow them to feel loved and be seen. I am excited to give back and bless someone who needs it and I give God all the glory!”