THE SHELBY INDEPENDENT

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square file image (The Center Square) – Taxpayers in North Carolina have new levels in three areas impacting everyday life. Arguably the most times transacted against least noticed will be at the gas pumps. Starting on New Year’s Day and running to Dec. 31, the motor fuels and alternative fuels excise tax rate is 41 cents per gallon or gallon equivalent, the state Department of Revenue says. Individual and corporate income tax rates are also droppi

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Cleveland County Schools logo Crest Middle School – A firearm was discovered in a vehicle at Crest Middle School on Wednesday. According to school and law enforcement officials, a firearm was visible in a vehicle belonging to an employee of Crest Middle School. After concerns were lifted that someone who did not belong on school grounds might be on the property, it was determined the firearm did in fact belong to an employee, accordi

Dennis Charles Pail Sr., 82, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on Jan. 4, 2026, in Shelby, North Carolina. He was born on Dec. 25, 1944, in Somers Point, New Jersey, to the late Alberta and Karl Pail. Dennis dedicated a significant part of his professional life to the lawn care industry, serving as a Lawn Technician for A1 Wilson for an impressive 25 years. Prior to this role, he honed his skills as a Tile Setter for a decade, demonstrat

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square The North Carolina state flag. file photo (The Center Square) – Of the state’s more than 7.6 million voter registrations, 38.8% are not choosing any of the lawful parties with which to register – Green and Libertarian are the others, each with less than 1%. Democrats gained 290 voters, have a 30.3% share and are a mere 604 ahead of Republicans. The Grand Old Party picked up 339 voters and has a 30.2% share. The unaffiliated bloc – gaining

By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor Shelby Independent file graphic As 2025 draws to a close, North Carolina appears on track to finish the year with an unemployment rate that is better than the national average. (Continued below local sponsors) Statistics released by the state on Thursday showed North Carolina with an unemployment of 3.7% for September. That's unchanged from the month before and once again lower than the national average of 4.4%. North Carolina’

Staff reports | contributions by Town of Lattimore Lattimore Town council members from left, Brandon Ruppe, Vickie Jones, Mayor Pro Tem Jackson Martin and Mayor Alton Beal took their oaths of office Monday evening, officiated by Attorney Tom Martin. Courtesy photo Oaths of office, sewer lines and refreshments, were the highlight of the Lattimore town meeting, Monday night. The meeting began at 7 pm with the Board of Aldermen for the Town of Lattimore was sworn in

The Sunday Column, by Chuck Thompson OPINION / HUMOR – 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 ill

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Ahead of Giving Tuesday, the annual global philanthropic Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall said overall giving in North Carolina is up $21 million to more than $48.1 million for licensed fundraisers for charities. Charities netted more than $35.8 million of the overall giving for their programs, Marshall said in a release about the annual Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division Annual Re

By Alan Wooten | The Center Square U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaks at the Department of Agriculture in Washington on June 12, 2025. Photo: Tom Witham / U.S. Department of Agriculture via Flickr   (The Center Square) – North Carolinians receiving food assistance benefits from the federal government are yet to learn when and how their reapplication process will work. Or, according to a published report Thursday, if they even will have to reapply. In the interim

Staff reports | Atrium Health submitted photo More than 30 Atrium Health Cleveland and Atrium Health Kings Mountain teammates volunteered at Washington Outreach Ministry’s drive-thru food pantry event in Shelby earlier this month. The health care professionals — including doctors, nurses and hospital leaders — worked side-by-side with food pantry staffers to combat hunger in Cleveland County. Atrium Health teammates unloaded food trucks, organized donated items and handed out

By David Beasley | The Center Square (The Center Square) – Charlotte has landed its second new corporate headquarters in less than a week, thanks in part to taxpayer incentives. Couple with incentives from North Carolina's Queen City and Mecklenburg County, Danish global logistics company Maersk is in line for up to $9.8 million in taxpayer subsidies. A state board on Tuesday approved $7.9 million in state grants. Maersk plans to invest $16 million to make Charlotte its North

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Josh Queen, standing, shows a video explaining Community Connect, while Chairman Kevin Gordon and Commissioner Deb Hardin watch. Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent Imagine EMS or the fire department arriving to your home for an emergency, they know your security gate code, alarm system code to your house, how many people reside in the home, dogs, cats and even where hazardous materials such as gasoline or spray paint canisters ar

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent Crime Stoppers Board Member Cheryl Yates assists Michael and Katina with their BBQ order Saturday afternoon. Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent For anyone that says crime solving and BBQ doesn’t go hand-in-hand must have missed out on Crime Stoppers BBQ fundraiser. On Saturday, Cleveland County Crime Stoppers, in association with Black Hat BBQ, at First Presbyterian Church in Uptown Shelby, held their first ever sold-out BBQ pl

By David Beasley | The Center Square The North Carolina state flag is shown flying against a blue sky. Photo: Mark Stebnicki (The Center Square) – With 2025 drawing to a close, the North Carolina Legislature still hasn’t approved a state budget, making it only the state in the nation without a full budget for fiscal 2026, according to the National Association of State Budget officers. This year may seem unusual, but in recent years, operating without an approved budget has b

Staff reports | Cleveland County Government File photo courtesy Cleveland County Gov. SHELBY – Cleveland County Animal Services will host a free Rabies Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon at the Cleveland County Health Department, located at 200 S. Post Road in Shelby. This community event is designed to help residents protect their pets and comply with North Carolina’s rabies vaccination requirements. The clinic is free for Cleveland County reside

Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Tallent Hafer, 89, of Shelby, NC, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. She is survived by her husband, Roe Lemmuel Hafer of the home, her children, Tim Tallent and wife Teresa of Shelby, NC, four grandchildren, Ansley Tallent of Raleigh, NC, Matthew Tallent of Asheville, NC, Katelyn Tallent of Raleigh, NC, and Garrett Tallent and wife Emma of Italy, two great grandchildren, Peter Michael Tallent and Walden Tallent, and two treasure

By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent The Cleveland County Board of Education during their meeting Monday night, Nov. 10, 2025 as they weighed their decisions on the school calendar for the 2026-27 school year. Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent The Cleveland County Schools Board of Education voted in a contested 5-4 ballot Monday evening to approve the Calendar Option A which is a parent and staff favorite, and violates state law. Cleveland County Schools is jus

Veterans’ Day salute to my pawpaw

Press release | North Carolina State Government via Cleveland County On Nov. 5, the federal government directed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and other states to issue November 2025 Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) benefits at 35% below the maximum allotment levels. This change affects all households receiving FNS (formerly known as SNAP) benefits in North Carolina. What This Means for FNS Recipients" Because of the federal directive, mo

Staff Reports | Press Release, Cleveland County Government Cleveland County Finance and Purchasing Team. courtesy photo The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to Cleveland County for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024. This award recognizes governments that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally