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

By Wes Westmoreland | Special Guest Op-Ed Columnist for The Shelby Independent OPINION – Ink-stained hands methodically distributed lead soldiers into the wooden case. Robert Bell had known tough times in Scotland, and even tougher times in Dublin, but these times were different. It had been only five years since he arrived in Philadelphia and set up a press. In those few years, he had become a widely recognized printer and publisher, creating a market by offering low-cost

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Opinion – Wow! it's been quite a year! The plan was to look back at the most memorable news stories from the past year, but a little thing called a heart attack prevented me from completing that special news story this past week. Maybe it’s best. Maybe I’ll get to it later this month. We’ll see... To say The Shelby Independent almost didn’t make it to its first anniversary is putting it lightly. However, today isn’t about what almost hap

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square The North Carolina Legislative Building, home to the General Assembly, stands on Jones Street in Raleigh, N.C. Photo: Alan Wooten / The Center Square Affects local – Lawmakers in North Carolina this week are expected to have a vote on the state budget, a two-year spending plan that was due to be implemented on July 1 of last year. One year late, the proposal is expected to be a compromise of the Senate and House of Representatives. Once appr

By Wes Westmoreland | Special Guest Columnist for The Sunday Column Wes Westmoreland | The Sunday Column An excited John Adams wrote to his beloved Abigail: “The Second Day of July 1776… ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews (shows), Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever

By Lori Gordon Hendrick | The Sunday Column | Special to The Independent Opinion – In towns like ours, graduation season is more than a ceremony. It is a turning point that ripples through families, churches, ballfields, classrooms, and Main Street storefronts. We cheer as seniors cross the stage because we know the hard work behind that moment. But as we celebrate them, we should be honest about something too often left unsaid: there is no single right way to build a good li

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square North Carolina could be competing against Nashville, TN for a spot. | graphic by The Shelby Independent. SPORTS – Stopping short of saying spend taxpayer dollars, North Carolina’s legislative upper chamber leader says he favors the General Assembly doing all it can to help land a Major League Baseball expansion franchise. Whether it’s Raleigh or Charlotte, Rockingham County Republican Sen. Phil Berger said he’s “agnostic.” He was also noncom

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine were confiscated. photo provided by CCSO CRIME – Cleveland County streets are a little safer after three different types of illegal drugs and one controlled substance were seized and several were arrested on alleged trafficking charges. On June 16, 2026, investigators with the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division concluded a multi-month conspiracy drug investigation that

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent County Commissioners in session, June 16, 2026. Cleveland County – A swift breeze through the consent agenda filled with budget amendments and other items, along with a recognition for service, a grant for upper Cleveland and an educational historic gift were the focus of Tuesday night’s Cleveland County Board of Commissioner’s meeting. May 2026 collection report, May 2026 abatements and supplements, late applications for exemption /

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent City of Shelby employee Ben Yarboro provides the city council with updates Monday evening, June 15, 2026. | City of Shelby video feed screenshot. Economic viability and a new water line replacement were the main discussion of Monday's city council meeting, with a brief discussion about A.I. use by city employees at the end of the meeting. The City of Shelby City Council meeting started with Mayor Stan Anthony requesting to amend the

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Margaret Hager Greene CRIME – Cleveland County is a little safer and a woman is behind bars after a seizure of narcotics this past Friday by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office Community Interdiction Team (CIT). In a press release sent to media on Monday evening, it stated of a vehicle search which resulted in a reported arrest of Margaret Hager Greene. On Friday, June 12, members of the CIT encountered a suspicious vehicle