Press Release | Gabriel Thomas, Communications Specialist, City of Kings Mountain and Lance Hamrick, Asst. Chief, Kings Mountain Police Department | Cleveland County Schools Kings Mountain, N.C. — At approximately 1:37 p.m. today, the Kings Mountain Police Department (KMPD) received an initial report of a bomb threat directed toward Kings Mountain High School. Upon arrival at Kings Mountain High School, KMPD began evacuating students to the school's football field while law e

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Dr. Chris Bennett speaks from the podium as the Board of Education listens, with Gloria Sherman and Kenneth Ledford pictured. | Chuck Thompson EDUCATION – In a special called 11 a.m. meeting on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, the Cleveland County Board of Education voted 6-3 to hire Dr. Chris Bennett as the new permanent CCS Superintendent. After Chairman Joel Shores called the meeting to order and asked for a motion, Board Member Ron Humphr

Staff Reports | Pinnacle Classical Academy EDUCATION — Pinnacle Classical Academy's proficiency rate on required state tests in 2025-26 exceeded the proficiency rate of 111 of the state's 115 K-12 local school districts, according to data released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Pinnacle Classical Academy's proficiency rate also exceeded that of all five UNC system laboratory schools. Pinnacle Classical Academy had a higher proficiency rate than every

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Cleveland County Board of Commissioners in public session, Sept 15, 2026. | County video feed screenshot Government and Education — At Tuesday evening’s September public meeting, the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners restored the $500,000 originally pulled from Cleveland County Schools in the FY2026-27 County Budget. Never mentioned, but buried in the consent agenda, Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners sai

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Gardner-Webb University pictured in July, 2026. | Chuck Thompson BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – More shakeups are happening at Gardner-Webb University (GWU) as the school announced it had laid off roughly four percent of its workforce at the end of last week. After a university meeting on Thursday, layoffs commenced. Of the roughly 400 people employed at GWU, approximately 14 employees were no longer employed by the weekend. These layoffs,

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square file graphic | The Shelby Independent State / Affects Local – Twenty years since launch with four scratch-off instant games, the North Carolina Education Lottery and its policy objective have reached a new crossroads courtesy of online slot machine gaming offering an 87% payout rate. In a performance audit report from first-term Republican state Auditor Dave Boliek, he and his staff have recommended the Republican majority chambers of the Ge

Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College Cleveland Community College N. Post Road entrance. BUSINESS / EDUCATION — Cleveland Community College, as part of the Cleveland County NCWorks team, has been supporting the workers affected by the layoffs at Electric Glass Fiber America/NEG as part of the state workforce system’s “Rapid Response” program. The company filed what is generally called a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice with the state on July

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Schools Board of Education press release EDUCATION — The Cleveland County Board of Education is proud to share the outstanding academic progress achieved during the 2025–26 school year, following the official release of accountability data by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. District-wide Grade Level Proficiency rose by 7% compared to the previous 2024-25 school year, with Cleveland County Schools outperforming the North Ca

The Scholarship honors the legacy of paramedic Mary Elizabeth Jolly and supports future EMS professionals Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College Education – The Cleveland Community College Foundation has received a $34,000 donation from the Jolly Good Samaritan Scholarship LLC to establish the Jolly Good Samaritan Endowed Scholarship, dedicated to supporting students enrolled in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programs at Cleveland Community College. The gift includes a

Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College Education — Cleveland Community College President Dr. Jason Hurst has announced the President’s and Dean’s Lists for the Summer 2026 term. To be named to the President’s List, students must carry a minimum of 12 credit hours and receive a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average. The following students were named to the President’s List (listed alphabetically): Betsabe Arroyo Ramirez Payton Beaver Abigail Bennett Kierra Boylston Lynnlee Br

Staff Reports | Pinnacle Classical Academy Brooks Education — The board of directors of Pinnacle Classical Academy announces that headmaster Angela Brooks will become the school's leader on Sept. 1, with the retirement of CEO Dr. Shelly Shope. Angela Brooks began her teaching career in 2004 after graduating as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She started in education as a high school social studies teacher at North Gaston Hi

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Chief Financial Officer of CCS, Rob McDaniel, center white shirt, talks about the concerns of operating with $500,000 less than what the county gave CCS last year with state mandated pay raises during the Finance and Personnel committee meeting last Wednesday. However, the state did not supplement more money to the school systems to cover the raises this school year. | Chuck Thompson, Shelby Independent. Education — As summer ends

Staff reports | Cleveland Community College SHELBY, N.C. — Cleveland Community College (CCC) has been selected as a workforce development partner in the NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas, known as the Carolinas Grid Engine, a regional initiative that could bring more than 10,000 jobs to the Carolinas while modernizing the nation’s electric grid, strengthening domestic energy supply chains, and preparing workers for high-demand energy careers. "As an organization

Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College S. Post Rd entrance of Cleveland Community College | Chuck Thompson Shelby, NC — Cleveland Community College is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the expansion and renovation of the Bailey Allied Health and Science Center, increasing the college’s capacity to train the next generation of healthcare professional

Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein takes a photo with CCC students. | Courtesy photo, CCC SHELBY, N.C. — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein visited Cleveland Community College on July 13 to tour the Careers Electric Summer Electrical Academy, one of only 12 academies being hosted on community college campuses across the state this summer. The governor's visit spotlighted the innovative workforce development program, which provides local

Staff reports | CCS Board of Education Education – Cleveland County Schools Board of Education released a statement Tuesday evening about the ongoing superintendent search. Dr. Stephen Fisher is scheduled to step down at the end of June and Dr. Brian Hunnell will assume the interim superintendent responsibilities until a permanent hire is found and settled into the position. In the statement, The Cleveland County Schools Board of Education stated it “is pleased to announce th

Staff reports | Cleveland Community College Cleveland Community College’s Small Business Center is proud to announce that local entrepreneur Stacie Norris-Humphries of Boiling Springs has been selected as a finalist in the inaugural SBCN Startup Showdown, a statewide competition hosted by the North Carolina Community College System. Norris-Humphries earned her place among the statewide finalists after working closely with CCC Small Business Center Director Stephen Lancaster,

By Chuck Thompson | the Shelby Independent Dr. Stephen Fisher is awarded the honor of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Jack Copeland, Executive Director of NC School Superintendents Association. | Chuck Thompson Education – Monday’s Cleveland County Schools (CCS) Board of Education meeting was Dr. Stephen Fisher's last official regular scheduled public meeting as superintendent. At the June 8 meeting Dr. Fisher gave his last superintendent update to the board. On Feb. 27, 2

Staff reports | Pinnacle Classical Academy Pinnacle Classical Academy Class of 2026 Education – Sixty-eight seniors graduated from Pinnacle Classical Academy on May 30 in a ceremony in the school's gymnasium. Twenty-two of the 68 were part of the school's first kindergarten class in 2013, and 75% of the graduates received an associate's degree or certificate from Cleveland Community College along with their high school diploma. Commencement speaker Jeremy Tate, CEO of the C

Staff Reports | Cleveland Community College Jordan Diggs, has been selected by North Carolina State University as a Goodnight Transfer Scholar. | Cleveland Community College Cleveland Community College – CCC is proud to announce that Jordan Diggs has been named CCC’s first-ever Goodnight Transfer Scholar. Diggs was selected as part of North Carolina State University’s Goodnight Transfer Scholars Program Class of 2028 and will begin at NC State this fall, majoring in Chemical