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704-466-6008 Volume 134 • Issue 12
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
kmherald.com • 704-484-1047
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Albemarle Lithium invites citizens to community meeting on March 28 By Loretta Cozart Albemarle Lithium invites the public to a community meeting on March 28 at 7 p.m. at City Hall in Kings Mountain to discuss the possibility of reopening the lithium mine just behind the Gateway Trail/ Hounds property along Battleground Avenue. The original mine was open from the 1940s until it closed in the 1980s. It went by various names over the years, Foote Mineral, most recently Rockwell Lithium, which was acquired by Albemarle Lithium. The company’s property stretches from the Gateway Trail down to Tin Mine Road and is bounded on
both sides by Battleground Avenue and I-85. That property encompasses approximately eight hundred acres. Another four hundred acres lies across I-85 on Galilee Church Road, North of Carolina Power Partners. The demand for lithium for energy storage has skyrocketed due to the nation’s goal to make significant strides toward electronic vehicles by 2030, and the increasing popularity of Electronic Vehicles (EVs). Recently, Toyota announced its Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, where Toyota will build a $1.29 billion, first-of itskind battery factory to meet demand for its growing
The lithium mine in Kings Mountain has been closed since the mid-1980s, but the new owners are considering reopening it and want the public’s input at a scheduled community meeting. (Photo provided) fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles. Manufacturers are now looking for a U.S. supply chain for lithium. And
Kings Mountain’s Lithium deposits are ranked among the top ten in the world. During the community
meeting, Albemarle Lithium will share with citizens the history of the mine. The company will soon begin a
viability study to determine if they should resume mining in the original mine to See MEETING, Page 5A
Citizens attend second Project South meeting By Loretta Cozart
Brianna Baity is currently tied for second in her class for the national championship and rides a Yamaha Raptor 125. Photo by Mark Baity
Baity to compete in world’s premier off-road racing series event Kings Mountain resident Brianna Baity will compete with the best off-road racers in the world on Saturday, March 26. The 10-year-old ATV racer will compete at the Tiger Run GNCC, in nearby Cross Anchor, SC, round four of the 13-stop Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship. More than 1,500 racers are expected to compete over the weekend, as the event includes four-wheeled ATV racing on Saturday and dirt bikes on Sunday. Classes range from riders as
BRIANNA BAITY young as four and as old as the 60-plus divisions. The top GNCC pro classes feature some of the world’s top riders, including talent from England, Europe, and Australia. See BAITY, Page 5A
The second informational meeting for Project South, the proposed wastewater treatment facility in the Dixon Community, was held Tuesday, March 15 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Senior Center in Kings Mountain. Citizens from the Dixon Community and other impacted areas questioned municipal employees from Grover and Kings Mountain, along with consulting engineers, regarding the placement of rights-ofways and planning behind the location of the proposed project. Not all attendees left the meeting satisfied. Most guest questioned the placement of pump stations and the location of the wastewater treatment plant itself. That decision has not yet been made. Other residents are concerned for the type of waste the project will process, along with odors the plant produces. The new wastewater treatment plant will allow for further growth in Kings Mountain and the Town of Grover and facilitate expansion of both industrial and residential growth in that area. According to Assistant City Manager Nick Hendricks, no other meetings are planned to discuss the project at this time. Hendrick also explained in an See PROJECT, Page 5
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Assistant City Manager/Energy Services Nick Hendricks discusses the placement of sewer lines and pump stations with Dixon Community resident Eric Moore. Photos by Loretta Cozart
Citizens gather to ask questions about Operation Maintenance, Wastewater lines, and the proposed Water Treatment Plant with city employees.
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