Making a difference one tip at a time By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Cleveland County Crime Stoppers Board poses for a photo after their July meeting. | Chuck Thompson CRIME / FEATURE – Rebooted in 2022 after a dormant period of several years in Cleveland County, Crime Stoppers has been making a difference across the county by encouraging people to call in tips that lead to arrests, making the streets safer for residents across all four corners of Cleveland Count

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent OPINION — In the wake of a legal letter written by the county, earlier this week the county held a tour of the long-anticipated new Justice Center, the largest and most expensive project ever conceived and constructed by Cleveland County government. However, in its intent to rein in public scrutiny, after having the panel of a local political show first try to cover for an embarrassing reveal of information, the county then published

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

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION – After the Civil War (a name that incorrectly identifies this pivotal historical event), many of the former Confederate Generals waged a war of ink and paper against each other, many in Northern newspapers, accusing one another of treason (of all things), incompetence, and several other personal traits that go beyond the full measure of battlefield decisions. If only these 19th Century Southern celebrities, who held the populace’

Staff reports | Cleveland County Government press release SHELBY, NC – As the largest and one of the most significant capital investments in County history, the Cleveland County Justice Center represents a major commitment of public resources. As such, since 2019, the Justice Center has been a topic of discussion on the Board of Commissioners’ meeting and work session agenda(s) twenty-six (26) times; since 2021, the Justice Center has appeared twenty-three (23) times as a new

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent From left, back row, BSPD Officer Fields, Chief DiYorio and Detective Paz, with Sarah, Tucker and Josie, at Scoop-A-Doodle-Doo on Thursday. | Haley Martin, Town of Boiling Springs. BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Despite the rain on Thursday evening, there were no meltdowns at the first Cops and Cones event in Boiling Springs, hosted by The Boiling Springs Police Department and Scoop-A-Doodle-Doo. Kids and cops alike poured out for the fun e

See the previous news story about the Cleveland County Justice Center July 8 letter for more information.

By Chuck Thompson | Exclusive to The Shelby Independent The Justice Center construction rises from behind the current courthouse, still far from completed, on July 20, 2026. | Chuck Thompson Editor’s note: This legal letter dated July 8, 2026 was discovered in a public records request by The Shelby Independent. This is a developing news story about the information within a letter and the information researched from other documents and previous news reports. A second part wi

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

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Hendrik Hagenkord, left, with BSPD Chief Brian DiYorio inside the Boiling Springs Police Department. | Chuck Thompson Boiling Springs, N.C. – Schützen und dienen. Protect and serve. You can say it in any language, and the motto remains the same. That was something Hendrik Hagenkord, a German police officer, discovered when he visited Boiling Springs, North Carolina, recently. Hagenkord is from the city of Wuppertal, Germany. Located

Originally published July 29, 2025 By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent The logo for the podcast seen on podcast platforms. Editors note: This feature was originally published July 29, 2025. Since this was published during the infancy of The Shelby Independent I thought now would be a good time to share this feature again for those readers that missed it the first time. Other articles from last year will be published again from time to time, due to the large number of n

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Government Photo courtesy of Cleveland County Government SHELBY, NC — Cleveland County Animal Services recently announced a strategic integration of its community cat initiative (the Trap, Vaccinate, and Release program), establishing a fully centralized system designed to maximize public safety, enhance animal welfare, and ensure strict fiscal accountability for taxpayers. The updated framework transitions the program into a fully in-house, s

By Chuck Thompson | The Sunday Column OPINION — Recently, I learned that in North Carolina it is illegal to play bingo for more than 5 hours in a row… My question is, why would anyone play bingo more than 5 hours in a row and what happened at the 5 hour mark to come up with that rule? So at 4 hours and 55 minutes, everything is fine, but at five hours Gertrude had a fit of rage and flipped the tables over? What’s with the 5 hours… Personally, I think it should be illegal to

In loving memory... Lawndale — Ashley Marie Moore, whose vibrant spirit illuminated every space she entered, passed from this world on July 6, 2026—just a day after celebrating her 37th birthday. Born on a summer day, July 5, 1989, in Cleveland County, North Carolina, Ashley’s legacy now resonates, echoing through the hills and communities that shaped her. From her very first moments, Ashley was a force of nature—a guiding light radiating warmth, kindness, and an infectious j

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Christine Hayes waves as others throw candy from the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church wagon float during the Lattimore 4th of July parade OPINION – Lattimore is the small-town place to be. It really is. The 4th of July in Lattimore felt like one of those movie towns. It almost didn’t seem real – but it was, it is. Having just been less than two weeks out since I had a heart attack, I wanted to go to the parade but knew I had to take it easy

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent and staff reports | Cleveland County Government A tragic accident on Highway 74 on Monday morning claimed the life of a Cleveland County EMS paramedic, who also served as a field training officer. According to reports, the accident happened sometime around 8 a.m. this morning, in Gaston County, near the Gaston-Cleveland County line. Paramedic / Field Training Officer Ashley Moore, 37, was killed in the accident. Cleveland County governme

Staff Reports | Kings Mountain Police Department Kings Mountain, NC – UPDATE: The City of Kings Mountain has released the name of the pedestrian struck by the train: McKenzie Gibson Coleman, 28. Early in the morning of Sunday, July 5, at 4:56 a.m., Kings Mountain Police Department officers, along with Kings Mountain Fire Department and Cleveland County EMS, responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a Norfolk Southern train approximately one-half mile south of the W. Gol

By Jeff Yates | The Sunday Column | Special Guest Columnist Cleveland County Crime Stoppers Inc is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation serving the residents of Cleveland County through our partnership with all four of our Law Enforcement Agencies: Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby Police Department, Kings Mountain Police Department and Boiling Springs Police Department. Our partnership is based on technology that allows a person (tipster) to anonymously provide inform

By Wayne King | Special Opinion Guest Columnist to The Shelby Independent Wayne King, special guest opinion columnist. Courtesy photo. OPINION – As we gather with family and friends this Independence Day, we celebrate more than fireworks, cookouts, and parades. We celebrate the birth of the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known. This year carries even greater significance as our nation begins commemorating America's 250th anniversary—a milestone that