Bessemer City News

Medic officials are reporting that one person has been found dead at a home on Maine Avenue in Bessemer City, and another has been airlifted to Carolina Medical Center. via WCNC-TV Charlotte

“Our reputation is only as good as the last tomato that was sliced and put in a salad”

Marvin A. Owings Jr Agriculture Food safety is paramount to all growers whether it's apples or vegetables. via HendersonvilleNews.com

“It's great for their self-esteem”

My wife thinks I have too many T-shirts.

This is the rule: If I buy a new one, an old one has to go.

That's hard. All of my T-shirts have special meaning -- from the one I got at the Alamo to the latest Merlefest edition. No matter how ragged and worn they get, I try to hang on to them.

But I'll have to part with an old T-shirt soon. I want to make room for a new one plugging the 12th annual Gaston County Toy Run for Kids by local motorcycle riders. It'll be a collector's item.

The reason: The artists who designed the shirts. They're young adults in the Holy Angels Art Club in Belmont, most with mild to moderate mental retardation and living in group homes run by the Sisters of Mercy. Read more

Newton-Conover City Schools recently celebrated Fire Prevention Month. The theme was 'Practice Your Escape Plan.'

The Newton and Conover fire departments gave tours and visited schools to stress the importance of developing an escape plan and more importantly, practicing it.

Shuford Elementary kindergartners were treated to a visit from Patches the Fire Dog, who taught them how and when to dial 911, to 'get low and go' and to stop, drop and roll if their clothing should catch on fire. Read more

“We don't want it to get to the fight.”

The start of the school year is often when many conflicts happen, said Gaston County Police Capt. via The Gaston Gazette

Halloween haunts have successful run this year There were plenty of treats for area haunts aiming to raise money this Halloween. via The Star Online

“Mr. Pettis had stopped at the sign and he was trying to go east on 74”

Two people were hospitalized after a Saturday afternoon crash in Kings Mountain. via The Star Online

“We feel like growth is coming and this is the way to get ahead of it”

Residents can learn about proposed development regulations for growing Gaston County tonight after work and still make it home for "My Name is Earl" on NBC. via The Gaston Gazette

Betty Anne Cloninger of Dallas, also known as "Queen B" of the Red Hat Hotties of Gaston County and a proud member of the Bessemer City Heart Throbs, has had a recipe published in the new Red Hat Society's ... via The Gaston Gazette

Some of tonight's footbal games have been postponed due to rain. A.L. Brown at Porter Ridge - Saturday 8 p.m. Bunker Hill at Newton Conover - Monday 7:30 p.m. East Rowan at N. Cabarrus - Monday 7:30 p.m. Hunter ... via Lincoln Tribune

“We want to focus heavily on sidewalks, on landscaping and building facades, and the UDO accomplished that for us.”

The night Gaston County first agreed to have zoning, hundreds of protestors swarmed the courthouse meeting room. Police surrounded elected officials to protect them. As county land-use administrator Ron Smith recalls, angry residents threw stones at the building.

That was 25 years ago.

But say 'zoning' in the county and some people still get skittish. So for the current major overhaul of the county's zoning ordinance, planners have been getting the word out.

Developing projects in Gaston County can be tricky, planners say. With 13 municipalities, property often crosses jurisdictional lines -- meaning several different sets of rules. Read more

Carolyn Joan Haney Payne, 56, of Gastonia, went to be with her Lord on Oct. 24, 2007, at Gaston Memorial Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer. via The Gaston Gazette

A Gaston County man serving a 22-month sentence for larceny and drug possession ran away from his work release job in Catawba County on Tuesday. via The Gaston Gazette

“We're in a situation that we've never seen the likes of here”

The number of North Carolina water systems that are near a crisis-level shortage has nearly tripled in recent days, the state's top drought expert said Tuesday. via WFMY 2 Greensboro

K9 Colby, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever trained to detect accelerants, is Gaston County's newest weapon in fighting arson.

Representatives from Erie Insurance introduced Colby to the public during a news conference Oct. 15 at the Gaston County Fire Marshal's office.

A $5,000 contribution by Erie Insurance will help fund the canine arson detection program for up to three years.

Get reflective tabs for kids' shoelaces

The Lincoln County Sheriff is giving away reflective tabs for shoelaces to help kids stay safe while trick-or-treating.The reflective tabs are available on a first-come, first served basis 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays in the lobby of the sheriff's office, 700 John Howell Memorial Drive, Lincolnton. Read more

Lincolnton High School held its annual Homecoming parade 4 p.m. Friday. Exclusive Lincoln Tribune video shows the band and cheerleaders performing on West Courtsquare at the beginning of the parade. via Lincoln Tribune

“I like the intense feeling you get in knowing that it's all up to you”

More than 180 high school and middle school students and parents attended the Health Care Career Day at Gaston Memorial Hospital on Oct. via The Gaston Gazette

“It doesn't really matter when you're on the other side of the road”

A wreck on County Line Road resulted in the death of two people Wednesday. Jeff Melton / The Star Missy Lowery wasn't surprised to hear about the fatal wreck on County Line Road Wednesday. via The Star Online

“It's so bad that I tell my Mom whenever she comes to visit to be careful and watch out for people coming at her in the turns”

The Highway Patrol released more information on the two people killed Wednesday in a wreck on County Line Road near Kings Mountain. via The Gaston Gazette

Two people were killed Wednesday in a wreck on what one N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper called 'a bad stretch of road' in Kings Mountain.

The section of N.C. 216 where the wreck happened has had three deaths in the past seven months.

On Wednesday, a Ford pickup driven by Michael Brandon Randall crossed the center line just before 5 p.m. The 25-year-old Cherryville man's truck collided with a Toyota Corolla driven by Carmen Rogers Welch, 41, of Bessemer City, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J.E. Deaton. Both died at the scene. Read more