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Volume 136 • Issue 6
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
75¢
KMPD seeking two for fraud at Dollar General Kings Mountain Police Department asks for the public's help identifying two suspects involved in Fraud at Dollar General on Shelby Road on December 29th. If anyone can identify these individuals or has any
information regarding the incident, please contact Detective R. M. Hoyle at 704730-2119 or email robert. hoyle@cityofkm.com. You can also submit a tip using the QR code.
Cozart selected as Kings Mountain Forward Director Kings Mountain Forward (KM Forward), an emerging economic development organization in the region, announces the appointment of Loretta Husky Cozart as its first Director. With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience and a diverse background in management, fundraising, finance, public relations, business development, retail, economic development, communications, and marketing, Cozart is poised to lead the organization. Cozart's career has been highlighted by successful roles as an Executive Director in various Chambers of Commerce, including the Greater Pineville Chamber of Commerce, Matthews Chamber of Commerce, and Kings Mountain Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Cozart was responsible for managing membership recruitment and retention, organizing events, and collaborating with local and regional media outlets for promotional activities. She founded and managed the Greater Pineville Chamber of Commerce to foster business relationships in Charlotte's then-evolving Ballantyne area, eventually
This suspect is wearing a blue hoodie and pants with a unique pattern. Photos by KMPD
LORETTA HUSKY COZART merging the organization with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce to establish the Perimeter South Area Council, now the Ballantyne Area Council, and served on the Board of Advisors for four years. She has also demonstrated her expertise in finance and accounting as the CFO, VP/Accounting, and Co-owner at CC Communications, Inc., an online marketing, application development, and web design firm in Charlotte. In addition to her professional expertise, Cozart has been actively involved in various activities. She founded Matthews Executive Group, an alliance of business professionals, to create opportunities for See COZART, Page 5A
The suspect is wearing light-colored sweatpants and a puffer jacket.
Catalytic economic development drives KM downtown boutique hotel By Loretta Cozart Kings Mountain City Manager Jim Palenick’s February 1 “Update with the City Manager” outlines plans for the new Cobblestone Hotel project at 200 E. Gold Street in downtown Kings Mountain. He started the presentation by sharing, “Let me tell you a little bit about that project and why that makes sense, what it is, and maybe more importantly, what it isn’t.” He explained that it is necessary to bring more people downtown to experience economic growth, “Essentially, when we talk about how we help downtown thrive and prosper,
there is one critically important thing that has to be in evidence, and that JIM PALENICK is you have to have significant numbers of actual residents.” “So it’s important as we move forward to try to work to get some new development of urban-scale apartments and condominiums being built in and around downtown, some new apartments, particularly the ones that can be above the retail and commercial on some of the existing commercial
buildings.” He shared, “A downtown hotel can serve as a critical catalyst for revitalization and economic activity. It can and does bring large numbers of recurring overnight lodgers, and with them comes disposable income that they will then spend in immediate proximity to that lodging facility. And that’s the primary reason you want to see this downtown.” Palenick explained that Cobblestone Hotel serves a small urban city niche market using a turnkey template model. The company normally engages SHG to manage its Cobblestone Hotels for efficiency, economies of scale, quality assurance, and
consistency. To test the feasibility of such a hotel here, Kings Mountain engaged Core Distinction Group in 2023 to do a study conducting separate demand generator interviews within local businesses and industries. From those interviews, it was determined that the project would be financially feasible, made sense, and should move forward. So, what will the hotel look like? Palenick described it as a four-story tall hotel with 76 units. The three top floors would each have 24 units. The lower level would have four ADA-accessible units, an See HOTEL, Page 5A
Farce of Habit KM Historical Museum exhibit celebrates auditions at KMLT Kings Mountain’s 150th anniversary
Join Kings Mountain Little Theater for its upcoming auditions at the Joy Performance Center for the hilarious “Farce of Habit” production! Comic fireworks explode in FARCE OF HABIT, an absurdly funny Southern-fried romp that takes us back to the Reel ’Em Inn, the finest little fishing lodge in the Ozarks. The proprietor, D. Gene Wilburn, looks forward to a peaceful weekend on the lake. But there are only two chances of that happening: slim and none. If you enjoy gloriously preposterous hilarity, then laughing your way through the take-no-prisoners lunacy of a Jones Hope Wooten comedy is one habit you’ll
By Loretta Cozart
never want to break! Audition dates will be (only need to attend one): • Saturday, Feb 24th at 10 am • Monday, Feb 26th at 7 pm • Tuesday, Feb 27th at 7 pm The cast includes four men and five women. Performance dates are June 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and June 16 and 23 at 3:00 p.m.
To celebrate the City of Kings Mountain’s 150th anniversary, the Kings Mountain Historical Museum has displayed in its lobby artifacts from the centennial celebration held in 1974. Kings Mountain was incorporated on Wednesday, February 11, 1874. Visit the exhibit to see how Kings Mountain residents celebrated this momentous occasion 50 years ago with week-long events that included several fondly remembered activities, such as a rocking chair marathon, Brothers of the Brush beard contest, youth tennis competition, centennial dance, art awards, car pounding, guitar clinic, Karate display, street sketches, fashion See MUSEUM, Page 8A
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The entire community purchased and cherished centennial artifacts. Women wore long dresses and bonnets, as their ancestor mothers might have worn. (Photos by KMHM)
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