Council moves July 10 to accept $400K bid on museum building

In other business amends zoning ordinance Pt. 5; Sect. 5.2.3(b) and AIA grant of $300K for water/sewer study

by MICHAEL E. POWELL Editor michael@cfmedia.info

Two Gaston representatives reach finals of Miss NC pageant

by TODD HAGANS

Special to The Eagle

Two of Gaston’s representatives in the recent Miss North Carolina/Miss North Carolina’s Teen pageant reached the finals of the state competition.

Miss Gastonia’s Teen Ava Socarras and Miss Gaston County’s Teen Madelyn Evans were among the top 16 semifinalists who made it to the final round of the Miss North Carolina’s Teen program, which was held concurrently with the Miss North Carolina competition June 22-24 at the High Point Theatre.

Socarras, who won the evening gown award, and Evans were two of the 42 contestants in the teen division; there were 45 young women competing for the Miss North Carolina title. Also representing Gaston County in the pageant were Miss Gastonia Haley Price, Miss Gaston County Erin Emiroglu, Miss Mount Holly Jaime Logan, and Miss Mount Holly’s Teen Reece Williams.

From the field of 87 participants, Miss Statesville Taylor Loyd, a 21-yearold opera singer who attends UNC - Chapel Hill, was

See PAGEANT, Page 4

Board of Education approves bonus incentive plan for new teachers

Offering the bonus is designed to entice teachers to come work in Gaston Co, Schools

by TODD HAGANS

Chief Communications Officer

The Gaston County Board of Education has approved a bonus incentive plan that is designed to entice classroom teachers to come work in Gaston County Schools. The bonus is for teachers who are new to the classroom and/or new to Gaston County Schools.

To receive the bonus, a teacher must be: a classroom teacher (a teacher of record for Gaston County Schools K-12 students); newly-hired as a classroom teacher for the 2023-2024 academic year (not employed as a classroom teacher in Gaston County Schools during the 2022-2023 academic year); a full-time permanent employee in Gaston County Schools; and employed in Gaston County Schools by September 15, 2023.

Teachers who qualify for the bonus incentive plan will receive a $1,000 signing bonus, which will be paid on September 27, 2023, and a $1,000 retention bonus, which will be paid at the end of the first semester in December 2023. Further, an additional $1,000 bonus will be paid on Sept. 27, 2023 to teachers who qualify for the bonus plan and teach one of the following hard-to-fill subject areas: exceptional children, secondary math (grades 6-12), or secondary science (grades 6-12).

Currently, Gaston County Schools has 135 See BONUS, Page 9

The city council had a lot of items on their Monday night, July 10 regular session agenda and tackled them head-on as the night progressed.

After the standard work of approving the night’s agenda, approving the minutes of two previous council sessions (June 12 and June 23), they heard Mayor Beam’s comments.

“I just want to say,” noted Mayor Beam in those comments, “our July Fourth celebration was, by all accounts, a huge success this year. We had, again, by many accounts, more than 5,000 people come out to watch our fireworks and to enjoy a safe July 4th celebration at Rudisill Stadium.

In addition to all of our city staff and employees who worked so hard on that event, I also want to thank Mr. Patrick O’Leary who so graciously sponsored the event.”

He continued, “Also, last

by ALEX BALTZEGAR Carolina Journal

On Tuesday, July 11, for the second year in a row, North Carolina earned the top spot in CNBC’s annual “America’s Top States for Business” rankings out of all 50 states. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wasted no time taking credit in an interview with CNBC. However, N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said there’s more to the story.

“If you look at what I believe have been the biggest factors that have really improved the state – fiscal accountability, lower taxes, lower regulations – many of those things had to be done or were done in spite of the objections from (Cooper),” Moore told Carolina Journal. “In all fairness, I don’t think he can take credit for those.”

Although Moore wouldn’t give him credit for creating a favorable business environment, Moore did give Cooper credit for helping recruit those businesses to North Carolina.

“Certainly, when it has come to working to recruit companies to come to the

Friday, Council members

Malcolm Parker and Jon Abernethy and I all filed to run for re-election.”

Mayor Beam spoke about the new welcome sign at Depot St., and Main St., nearing completion, thanking the Beam brothers for building it. Beam also mentioned the city’s listing in World Atlas as having one of the best Main Streets in the South.

“Thank you to all of those involved in any way in the Main Street Project for their tireless work in making that happen,” he said.

The Mayor gave special recognition to Cherryville Police Department Patrol Officer Vince Burleson for his five (5) years of service to the city, the presented Second Consecutive Year Gold Awards from the NC Department of Labor to the City of Cherryville’s Police Department and the Public Works Department. Accepting for the CPD was Chief Brandon Hunsucker and accepting for Public Works Director Chris King was Kevin Abernathy. Under the Citizens to be heard section of the meeting, Mike Dellinger spoke first, repeating what he has stated before in previous meetings, that any amount of money is worth giving up

See COUNCIL, Page 2 state, the governor has absolutely worked with the General Assembly on those,” Moore said. “So, you know, I think there have been those items where we have agreed and it’s paid off, and I think there’s times where we ha- ven’t agreed and it has still worked out to the benefit of the state.”

Sitting in front of Asheville’s Biltmore House, Cooper spent nearly his entire CNBC interview criticizing the direction in which the

General Assembly wants to take North Carolina.

“We are not here to fight Mickey Mouse,” Cooper said, implying the General Assembly is taking a similar approach to social issues as See NC, Page 9