THE SHELBY INDEPENDENT

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 lay-offs

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

North Carolina is among 22 states alongside the Federal Trade Commission filing litigation against Amazon, a company the state and Richmond County have been happy to welcome with a $10 billion data center investment.

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

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Shelby Police Chief Brad Fraser shakes hands with District Director for U.S. Congressman Tim Moore (NC-14) as Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman looks at the American Flag presented to him that flew over the Nation's Capitol. Sept 1. 2026. | Chuck Thompson Boiling Springs Police Chief Brian DiYorio and Sgt. Chris Williams at the appreciation lunch Sept. 1, 2026. | Chuck Thompson Feature Story / CLEVELAND COUNTY — It was a

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

Staff Reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Jackson CRIME — Investigators with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by patrol deputies, located and arrested a suspect wanted in connection with multiple felony fraud offenses. On Sept. 1, 2026, investigators received information that a vehicle associated with John Clay Jackson had returned to Cleveland County. Jackson was previously identified as a suspect in multiple incidents involving an individual represent

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Bobby Floyd and Logan Clark were given the honors of washing down Tanker 24 from the old tanker it is replacing. | Chuck Thompson POLKVILLE — Polkville residents and the volunteer fire department had a lot to be thankful for this weekend, as they dedicated a new 3,000 gallon water tanker truck, Tanker 24. After 42 months, or about three and a half years of waiting on the arrival of the new tanker, Polkville Volunteer Fire Department

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square A USPS mail truck parks along a residential street as the postal carrier makes deliveries. | Joel Moysuh / Unsplash AFFECTS LOCAL / STATE – On-time delivery of the mail by the U.S. Postal Service in North Carolina was among the worst in the nation in the second quarter, a report from the agency’s dashboard says. North Carolina was No. 44, with on-time service percentage of 78.2%. That’s well below the target of 87% and the national norm of 8

Staff Report | The Shelby Independent SI's Week in Review for Aug. 16-22, 2026. CLEVELAND COUNTY — Welcome to 'SI's Week in Review' where we sum up the week's headlines that were covered in The Shelby Independent and on social media. The ALWS wrapped up this week with a grande finale of Veteran parachutists landing on Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium, and a couple of HELOs landing in the outfield to hand off the official game ball. Congratulations to Lincoln, NE, POST 500 on

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — You might want to pay attention to your speed and slow down traveling through Boiling Springs from now on. A reduction in the speed limit in one part of town has been enacted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). On Friday afternoon, The Town of Boiling Springs released a statement noting that the area on N Main Street between Ingles and Ramsgate Drive has been reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph.

By Ron Humphries | Contributing Columnist for The Sunday Column OPINION — Growing up in an era defined by black-and-white TV news broadcasts, I vividly recall the authoritative voice of Walter Cronkite, whose signature sign-off, "And that's the way it is," epitomized his commitment to pure journalism. The role of the Press was pivotal in shaping democracy, and the Founding Fathers understood this, viewing a free press as essential for an informed citizenry and a healthy gover

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 | 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 Tickets for 'Echoes From the Void' can be purchased by clicking / tapping on this movie poster or the link at the end of this article. ENTERTAINMENT – This Saturday Aug. 8, 2026 (today) An indie film ‘Echoes from The Void’ will premier at Don Gibson Theater. What makes this movie so special is that it was produced by a local filmmaker and shot mostly here in Cleveland County. Brad Hord, writer, producer and composer of the film, is a

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent It may not be a secret, but the county government was not posting, promoting or talking publicly about the line-by-line cost of the new furniture for the new $210 million Justice Center, when Cleveland County Commissioner candidate, and front-runner, Wayne King filed a formal public records request for the cost of the new furniture near the end of July. In the documents, he discovered one floor of Cleveland County’s Justice Center wi

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Shelby police Chief Brad Fraser with some of the dedicated officers of The Shelby Police Department | Photo by Chuck Thompson Shelby City Park – Once again, the rain showed up for National Night Out as it did last year, but that didn't keep first responders and families away from the fun at The Shelby City Park. Less than perfect weather caused vendor and organization booths to be moved indoors, but the rain dwindled to a sprinkle

Staff reports | Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Photo courtesy of The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office. CRIME – Cleveland County is a safer place thanks to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). On Aug. 1, 2026, The CCSO Interdiction Team assisted Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) crime, gun and suppression unit with a narcotics investigation involving Walter AJavier Villeda-Ayala. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office Community Interdiction Team obse

Overcoming the fear of public speaking and building the confidence to seize the speech By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Toast of the town: The local Toastmaster chapter helps people overcome their fear of public speaking. From left, Mike Whitt, Emily Lesalle, Bill Jobe, Rich Taylor, Cynitra Stewart, Kim and Rod Powell. | Chuck Thompson Feature – Some may not think twice about it, but public speaking is a real fear for many people. Toastmasters is an international organi

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