THE SHELBY INDEPENDENT

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Deb Hardin Deb Hardin, a candidate for and a current County Commissioner, is on the last lap of her second term. If reelected, she will begin her third term in December. That means Hardin has served on the board through massive changes across Cleveland County, from the Justice Center to the new Board of Elections building, the 911 Center and Two Kings Casino. Through all these projects, she said she has been concerned about the walle

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Laura Boggs Tharrington Laura Boggs Tharrington has called Cleveland County home since 1980 when she took her first breath as a newborn. This is her home. A 1998 graduate of Burns High School, she graduated from Gardner-Webb University and currently teaches at Crest High School. She teaches business principles, which includes being trustworthy, preparedness, integrity and all the ethical principles. "That's something important to me

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Denise Wright Denise Wright is a candidate for Cleveland County Commissioner . She’s just one of seven candidates vying for two seats up for election. She also ran for commissioner in 2024, jumping into the race a little late; she managed to finish in a strong fourth place out of three seats up for election in many of the precincts. Wright grew up on a small farm in Upper Cleveland County. Her husband works for the City of Shelby, an

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Ronnie Grigg If you haven’t heard of Ronnie Grigg, at least recently, then you’re possibly hiding under a rock, or have just avoided all the political drama as long as possible. Grigg, an incumbent on the CCS Board of Education, is currently running for reelection.    Having four daughters of his own, who graduated from Cleveland County Schools, he wants every parent to see their children receive the best education possible. “I didn

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Rodney Fitch   R odney Fitch, who just recently turned 60 while on the campaign trail for school board, has been a resident of Cleveland County his entire life. He served on the school board once before and is now looking to rededicate his time, in retirement, to serve as a member of the board of education once again. A native of Upper Cleveland, and a graduate of Burns High School, Fitch recently retired from the Cleveland County S

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Shelia Canipe Shelia Canipe wasted no time, immediately starting the interview by stating, “It bothers me that at one time we had nine underperforming schools, and now it is much better than that, but we still have kids graduating that can’t read, write, or count. She continued, “I know adults that, if it weren’t for technology they couldn’t count – they can’t make change at a cash register. I’ve been in a store where I have had to

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Pres. Donald J. Trump and Wayne King courtesy photo Editor’s note: This interview was first published on Dec. 5, 2025. For the candidates willing to participate that have interviews released / being released before the March 3 primary, it was deemed only fair to re-release this feature with all other “Facing the voters” articles. Wayne King, a Cleveland County native and lifelong Kings Mountain resident , is no stranger to wheels o

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Rep. Tim Moore Editor’s note: This is from an interview with Congressman Tim Moore in November 2025, but still holds relevant to this election. Keep in mind this was published 11/25/2025. It’s only fair to republish this interview with the Congressman since The Shelby Independent interviewed his opponent in a “Facing the voters” feature, for the 14 th  Congressional District race. In an exclusive local interview, Congressman Tim Moor

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Josh Biddix There’s the saying, “Once a Marine, always a Marine” but Josh Biddix is also aiming at being a county commissioner for the people of Cleveland County. A husband, father of two, and a former police officer (on top of his military service), Biddix sat down with The Shelby Independent to discuss the issues currently facing Cleveland County, concerns of his own, and the hope he has for the future of the county. A Crest High

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Rep. Kelly Hastings EDITOR’S NOTE: The reporter for this article does not live in the 110 NC House District. Also, in a previous version of this article, a typo made it seem he had endorsed his opponent which he clearly stated he had not. This “was” has been changed to “wasn’t” - the correction has been made. Rep. Kelly Hastings grew up in Shelby; his wife, Anika, is from Cherryville , which is where they live today. Hastings is the

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Dr. Caroline Eason EDITOR’S NOTE: The reporter for this article does not live in the 110 NC House District. Caroline Eason is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is not only a third-generation independent community pharmacist, but also is a Republican running for the 110 NC House seat. The district is one of 120 districts in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Eason, an Upper Cleveland native, with a

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Brandon Bridges Brandon Bridges, 36, is running for school board . I sat across the table from him at a café, as he explained why he was running for the Cleveland County Board of Education. “I think I can make a difference,” he said as he chowed down on some French fries, relaxed, personable, answering any question thrown at him. It may not be the answer you agree with, but he didn’t hesitate in having a response. (Since two candidat

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Aaron Bridges Aaron Bridges is the youngest Republican currently on the school board , and the second youngest republican candidate currently running. (Since two candidates have the last name Bridges, Aaron Bridges will be referred to by his first name, as the customary way of referring to the subject of a print interview is to use their last name). Aaron currently sits on the Cleveland County Board of Education and serves as the vic

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Grigg. Calm seas only last but so long in the dramatic ocean of politics. In the ongoing soap opera of the Cleveland County Board of Education, a new plot twist reared its head Friday, the day after the calm and professional school board candidate forum debate – call it a smear campaign, hit piece, attack, or just the truth – the focus was recently shifted onto current school board member, and candidate for the CCS Board of Education

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Dr. Tim Sims, (center right) Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Shelby, leads a group of Wayne King’s supporters in a moment of prayer. Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent With candidate filing well underway, many Cleveland County residents, both current elected officials and new hopefuls have stepped forward to throw their hat into the ring for elected office. Wayne King, a Cleveland County native and lifelong Kings Mountai

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent In an exclusive local interview, Congressman Tim Moore, of the 14 District, spoke with the Shelby Independent, discussing issues that affect both the district (especially Cleveland County) and the entire nation. From the the topic of the government shutdown, to the murder of Iryna Zarutska, holding judges and magistrates accountable for allowing violent repeat offenders back on the streets – an issue that can affect any of us here in

By Lauren Becatti | The Shelby Independent From left, Bailey, Stella, Jada, Charlette, Sara, Addi, Morgan, Sandy and Kaitlyn of Center City, formerly Hats Off Salon. Submitted courtesy photo To celebrate Charlette Terry's purchase and rebranding of Center City Salon (formerly Hats Off Salon), there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The staff will be present for a meet-and-greet, and there will also be vendors present, along with refreshments and a

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Phil Dee file photo Editors note: Phil Dee is one of the several at-large candidates running for city council, along with Bruce W. King, Jason Nail, Scott Neisler, and Curtis Pressley. Candidates for K.M. Ward 2: Mike Butler, Tyler Fletcher, and Tim Sanders. The candidates for Ward 3: Heather Lemmond, Chris Pullen and Ke'Shawn A. Strong. The Shelby Independent wishes all these candidates the best of luck Tuesday.   Phil Dee h

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Cribb's debut book, 'Attract Don't Recruit' is filled with valuable information for chambers and nonprofits alike. For anyone that doesn’t know Christine Cribb, they’re missing out. Social networker, public speaker, consultant, Chamber of Commerce extraordinaire, book author, Cribb is anything but dull. In fact, The Shelby Independent just met her Friday and is already a fan of Christine Cribb. “Adrenaline on overload” as she de

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Davis Editors’ note: Marty L. Thomas and Patrick Litton are also candidates for town council; both are running for reelection. On Tuesday, Nov 4., registered municipal voters will cast their votes for the candidate(s) of their choice. Justin Davis, a Boiling Springs native and candidate for Boiling Springs Town Council, is one of those determined few that will find out after the election on Tuesday if he has the honor of serving on t