“It's All About the Music" portraits by Bonita Lowe at Southern Arts Society

Bonita Lowe has always been drawn to art. As a young child she watched her father draw and paint, and he inspired her artistic curiosity. Mostly self-taught, she has pursued studies in life-drawing, design and painting which expanded her knowledge greatly. Another person who influenced Bonita was AB Mauney Snow, the founder of Southern Arts Society. AB wanted to retire from working as a colorist in the textile industry at Dicey Mills and saw the potential in Bonita’s work. Bonita then took over for AB at Dicey and worked there for 20 years before retiring herself.

N ow Bonita lives in Mount Holly where she works in her home studio. Her primary medium is graphite pencil, which she uses to create detailed, highly realistic See MUSIC, Page 7A

Just

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Linda Baity Bennett

Linda Baity Bennett, 87, passed away on February 27, 2023.

She was born in Kings Mountain, NC. Linda was the beloved daughter of the late Bonnie Eloise Early Baity and the late Arthur P. Baity, Sr.

She was also preceded in death by her husband, Jack Donald Bennett; brother, Arthur P. Baity, Jr. and brother David (Dave) Jake Baity.

She is survived by her sister, Valerie Coleman (Don) and sister Deborah Austin (Rod) and several nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews. A memorial service will be held later in the summer at a location to be determined.

Linda worked in the insurance business in Kings Mountain her entire adult life. Helen Hay, owner of

■ POLICE

CITATIONS

FEB. 20: Kevin Wayne Anthony, 45, 1060 Barnette Drive, expired tag.

FEB. 23: Tyrance Rhodes, 46, Grover, altered tag.

FEB. 23: Michelle Ann Jones, 36, Belmont, failure to decrease speed to avoid collision with another vehicle.

FEB. 24: Kalyn Breann Teasley, 26, Clover, SC, possession marijuana.

FEB. 24: Jesus Berral, 23, 125 Country Creek Drive, failure to stop at scene of a crash resulting in property damage, no operator’s license.

FEB. 24: Landon Benton, 42, 113 Fulton Street, expired tag.

FEB. 24: James Timothy Johnson, 61, 133 York Road, revoked license, no liability insurance, no vehicle inspection, no vehicle registration.

FEB. 24: Brittany Charmaine McCluney, 31, Shelby, no operator’s license.

FEB. 24: Anthony Bernard Davis, 42, Gastonia, revoked license, no vehicle insurance.

FEB. 24: Natalie Lynn Halsema, 47, 807 Katherine Avenue, expired tag, no vehicle inspection.

FEB.25: Jon Anthony Hoyle, 37, Belmont, no operator’s license, expired tag, no vehicle inspection.

FEB. 25: Danny Joe Bridges, 828 N. Piedmont Avenue, revoked license. He was cited on Feb. 23 for shooting a pistol within the city limits, violation of city ordinance.

FEB. 26: Kayla Elizabeth Cline, 23, Bessemer City, expired tag, no vehicle inspection.

FEB. 26: Sabrina Matthiesen Wright, 47, 1547 N. Piedmont Avenue, expired tag.

FEB. 26: Gabriel Josiah Greeley, 20, Bessemer City, expired tag, no vehicle inspection.

FEB. 26: Alfred Lamar Gardia, 50, Lowell, no vehicle insurance.

FEB. 26: Brittany Elyse Miller, 32, Shelby, revoked license, no vehicle insurance.

FEB. 27: Shannon Christopher Holder, Greenville, SC, failure to yield right-ofway and failure to stop at an intersection, no liability insurance.

FEB. 27: Angela Lynn Mullinax, 44, 500 Crescent Hill Road, no rear stop lamps, revoked license.

FEB. 27: Jesus Bravo, 49, Bessemer City, no operator’s license.

FEB. 27: Marvin Garvin, 34, Bessemer City, revoked tag, red light violation.

Feb. 27: Abagail Faith Soyak, 44, 716 Bridges Drive, revoked license, expired tag.

FEB. 28: Christina James, 30, Grover, failing upon approach of police with lights and siren to immediately drive the vehicle to the righthand edge or curb and stop until police vehicle passes, no vehicle registration.

WRECKS

FEB. 23: Officer Butler said Jonas Mejia of Gastonia, operating a 2020 Nissan, traveling south on Oriental Avenue, reported that his vehicle was damaged after he drove into an open manhole. Property damage wa estimated at $2,000.

FEB. 23: Officer Hoyle said vehicles operated by Michelle Ann Jones, Belmont, and Kendall Grace Parker, 422 Oak Grove Road, collided at the light in the intersection of W. King and N. Sims Streets. Property dam- age was estimated at $5,000.

The Arthur Hay Insurance Agency, recruited Linda directly after graduation. She worked for Helen until Helen sold her business to John Warlick and retired. Later on the business became Warlick and Hamrick and Linda worked there until she retired. She loved her family, her friends, her work and her town.

Linda was a very special loving and caring person and will be terribly missed by all those who loved her. The sparkle of life, light, humor and joy that was Linda and that she found in everyday life has been dimmed for those left behind. The family’s loss is immeasurable.

FEB. 24: Officer Medlin said Morris Calvin Harris, 117 Trotter Lane, operating a 2011 Chevrolet, traveling north on Kings Mountain Boulevard, crossed the center line and exited the roadway on the left side. The vehicle struck a culvert and went airborne for 15-20 feet and came to rest after traveling 224 feet in total after leaving the roadway and was 34 feet from the roadway. Harris was transported by Cleveland County EMS. Property damage was estimated at $8,000.

FEB. 24: Officer Medlin charged Jesus Bernal Garzon, Greenville, SC, with hit and run after an accident on Country Creek Drive. An unoccupied vehicle was parked in the roadway in front of 117 Country Creek Drive when it was hit by the 2010 Hyundai operated by Garzon. Property damage was estimated at $10,000.

FEB. 24: Officer Black said a parked vehicle was blocking the view of two drivers who collided in the parking lot at 225 Cleveland Avenue. Molly Self, Gastonia, was operating a 2002 Chrysler and Elizabeth Robinson, 2601 Sparrow Springs Road, was operating a 2019 Nissan. Property damage was estimated at $3,000,

FEB. 27: Officer Geissinger charged James Henry Hughes, 710 Groves Street, with DWI after the 2005 Chevrolet he was driving struck a 2007 VW operated by Stephanie Pruitt, 4004 Chestnut Woods Drive. The accident happened on US 74 Business. Property damage was estimated at $6,000.

NC Governor and Attorney General file amicus brief in partisan gerrymandering case

Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein filed an amicus brief on Friday, March 3, in the partisan gerrymandering case currently before the North Carolina Supreme Court for a rehearing after the Court’s composition changed in January. The brief urges the Court to leave in place its rulings from February and December 2022, which correctly recognized that North Carolina’s constitution guarantees the right to vote on equal terms and that electoral maps adopted by Republican legislators in 2021 are unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders. The newly constituted Supreme Court agreed to rehear the case in February at the request of Republican legislative leaders.

“The Court should reject this shameless partisan effort to overturn Supreme Court decisions that protect the ability of voters to fairly