Press Release | Kings Mountain Po;ice Department Ahmad Rashad Leggett Jr Kings Mountain, NC — At approximately 4:48 p.m. on April 3, 2026, officers with the Kings Mountain Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the Silver Express gas station located at 506 E King Street in Kings Mountain. Upon arrival, officers determined that the suspect had fled the scene prior to law enforcement arrival. Detectives with the Kings Mountain Police Department responded and

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office | Press release Smith is being held at the Cleveland County Detention Center under no bond. SHELBY, NC – On April 2, 2026, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) concluded a multi-agency narcotics investigation resulting in the arrest of a Spindale man and the seizure of a six ounces of methamphetamine. The operation was a collaborative effort between investigators with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the CCSO C

Staff Reports | Cleveland County sheriff's Office | Press Release Trenity Glenn Campbell and Angel Lee McManus, both of Bessemer City were arrested for the bomb threats. Two suspects are behind bars after making threats to the clerks office in the Cleveland County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon. On April 1, 2026, the Cleveland County Clerk’s Office received two bomb threats within approximately one hour of each other. In response, the building was immediately secured

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office A still-frame from a surveillance camera of the suspects CCSO needs the public's help in identifying or their whereabouts. courtesy photo One of the alleged suspects in question walking into a store. Courtesy photo, CCSO. Another bomb threat plagued Cleveland County Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, at approximately 3:04 p.m., the Cleveland County Clerk’s Office received a call stating a bomb was in the courthouse.

Road to Hope and Crime Stoppers' Easter Bunny fundraiser continues this weekend By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent The Easter Bunny poses for a photo with road to Hope and Crime Stoppers members. From left to right, Robert Medlin, Zach Stearns, Mr. Bunny, Cheryl Yates, Jeff Yates, and Scott Howell. They will be at the mall again this Friday and Saturday only, for photos and raffle entries. Cleveland Mall – The Easter Bunny was such a big hit this past weekend, that a

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Boiling Springs – A single car accident on Gaffney Road, just south of Boiling Springs, near Broad River, sent one to the hospital on Saturday night. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol reports, around 8 p.m., Saturday, a maroon 2001 Toyota Corolla was traveling south on 150 / Gaffney Road, at unsafe speeds, passing several other vehicles when the driver lost control in a curve, traveled off the right to the right, hit a ditch

Take a photo with the Easter Bunny, and enter for a chance to win a 70" TV By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Officer Randy Conner, left, and Cleveland County Crime Stoppers Chairman Jeff Yates show one of the two TVs that will be raffled at the Cleveland Mall. | Chuck Thompson Cleveland Mall – The Easter Bunny will be at the Cleveland Mall giving away two 70” televisions in a raffle drawing, thanks to Cleveland County Crime Stoppers and Road to Hope - Shelby. B

Staff Reports | City of Kings Mountain file photo graphic. The Shelby Independent. Kings Mountain, NC — At approximately 7:52 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, a call was received by the Kings Mountain Police Department’s Telecommunications Office reporting motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian struck. Upon arrival at the scene, responding officers determined that a fatality had occurred as the result of a hit-andrun incident. The victim has been identified as “Kenneth Ray Mill

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent The Cleveland County Administrative Building | Chuck Thompson An alleged botched protocol after a bomb threat and a late county audit put County Manager David Cotton in the hot seat last Tuesday evening.   The March Cleveland County Commissioners’ meeting was going as expected until during the public comments section, Angelica Haslam spoke to the commissioners about the prank bomb threat made to the county administration building,

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Crest fb page public courtesy photo CREST HIGH SCHOOL – A potential gunman at a school or a tornado; either one would frighten students, teachers and parents alike, but for both to happen at the same time, is both scary and yet a sigh of relief, once it was discovered the incident at Crest was a false alarm.   As the skies swirled above southwest Cleveland County, an active shooter alert sounded in the classrooms at Crest High Scho

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office | The Shelby Independent Cleveland County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at 2247-B Flint Hill Church Road. Courtesy photo CCSO. (NEAR) BOILING SPRINGS – Several arrests were made and an alleged drug house was shut down after the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant following an extensive narcotics investigation on Tuesday. On March 10, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office executed a sea

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent file photo A shooting ended with one arrested and one hospitalized yesterday afternoon. On Monday, March 9, The Shelby Police Department responded to a reported shooting at the 800 block of Logan Street at 3:55 p.m. In a statement released by Shelby Police Chief Brad Fraser, it stated, “Upon arrival, officers discovered an individual had been shot and already transported to the local hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injur

Staff Reports | Boiling Springs Police Department Leach was charged with Misdemeanor Death by Motor Vehicle. BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The pedestrian hit by a car last week in Boiling Springs has died from his injuries and the driver of the vehicle has been charged. In a new statement released by the Boiling Springs Police Department, they provided an update on the investigation. “A vehicle, operated by 47-year-old female Quantina Leach of Shelby, was traveling North and turni

Staff Reports | Kings Mountain Police Department KMPD officers discovered an indoor marijuana grow operation within the business. KINGS MOUNTAIN – On Feb. 19, 2026, Vice and Criminal Investigators with the Kings Mountain Police Department executed a search warrant at the commercial property known as “Ole Skool Hemp,” located at 243, 245, and 247 S. Battleground Avenue in the downtown area of Kings Mountain. The investigation began after officers received information regardin

By Annie Dance | WCAB News A deputy takes the suspect into custody. Courtesy photo ELLENBORO – A pig that wandered into a local home was safely taken into custody and later returned to its owner after what deputies called “one of the more unusual calls for service.” “ Not every call is the same… Bacon and Entering suspect taken into custody. On 02/16/2026, our communications center received one of the more unusual calls for service. A pig had made its way inside a home i

Staff Reports | Press Release Courtesy photo CCSO On Tuesday, Jan. 20, deputies with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office Community Interdiction Team conducted a traffic stop on South Post Road, near East Dixon Boulevard, for a vehicle registration violation. During the stop, a Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was deployed and gave a positive indication for the presence of narcotics. Based on this indication, deputies conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. As

Staff Reports Odoms On Jan. 13, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office arrested 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐬 following a narcotics investigation conducted by CCSO investigators. The investigation led to a vehicle stop and the execution of search warrants on both Mr. Odoms’ vehicle and his residence. As a result of those searches, investigators seized approximately 𝟖𝟑𝟎 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 (𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 $𝟐𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎.𝟎𝟎), 𝟗

Staff reports | The Shelby Independent In public documents obtained by the Shelby Independent, Kings Mountain City Council Member Scott Neisler, 71, of Kings Mountain, was charged in Cleveland County with one count of alleged common law forgery. While the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, public documents show Neisler received a criminal summons on Dec. 10, 2025. The document alleges that on Oct. 10, 2025, Neisler, “On or about the date of offense shown and

Staff Reports Kings Mountain, NC - Monday evening, Jan. 5, officers with the Kings Mountain Police Department responded to a reported armed robbery in the parking lot of Kentucky Fried Chicken, located at 409 E. Kings Street. During the incident, two dirt bikes were taken by the suspects. Responding officers quickly located the stolen dirt bikes and attempted to intercept them. During the encounter, one of the suspects intentionally laid down the dirt bike, causing it to col

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Steven Robinson, owner of Angelos Pizza, stands in the kitchen of his business as he talks about the escaped convict he captured in 1983. photo by Chuck Thompson PATTERSON SPRINGS – Have you ever found a convict hiding in your car and then held him at gunpoint until the police arrived? If one thing is certain, it doesn’t happen often – at least not to most of us; not around here. But for Steven Robinson, owner of Angelo’s Pizza