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Let your inner artist escape on the sidewalks in uptown Shelby as the Cleveland County Arts Council presents "Chalk Fest," a fun, family-friendly, sidewalk chalk competition on the Court Square, located along 100 Justice Place in Shelby around the Earl Scruggs Center, Saturday, Sept. 13, 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
This is an all-ages event. Children through adults, groups, and individuals are invited to sign up for an individual square on which to create artwork during the Chalk Fest event.

On Thursday, August 28, 2025 Cleveland Community College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new location of C19, the college's public access television channel.
During the event, CCC President Dr. Jason Hurst recognized Dorothy "Dot" Roark, whose leadership and vision were instrumental in the channel's creation more than 40 years ago.

The Kings Mountain Little Theatre is holding auditions for our upcoming Southern Fried Christmas Comedy "Dashing Through the Snow." Members of the community are invited to take part.

On Saturday, September 6th, 2025, the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum will sponsor a steam train excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. This is a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy the beauty of Western North Carolina while riding the rails behind a steam engine in vintage passenger railroad cars.

Pageant contestants competed in six age categories August 9th at the LeGrand Center for the Little Miss American Legion World Series.

$50,000 Grant From Hospice Cleveland County Foundation Helps EVERYONE EATS Emergency Food Fund Drive Cleveland County, NC.

The Board of Directors for Hospice Cleveland County Foundation recently awarded a $50,000 grant to support the Everyone Eats Emergency Food Fund Drive, spearheaded by Healthy Together Cleveland (HTC) to combat food insecurity in Cleveland County.

The Ocean Blvd. Band will perform during the Hot Nights Cool Rides Friday Kick Off Cruise In & Concert on Friday, August 15 at 7:30pm. The free concert will be held at Pavilion on Park Square (POPS) located at 153 Park Square in Forest City.

At the American Legion World Series Volunteer Meeting held at the Legrand Center on July 24th, Shelby American Legion Post 82 and Department Vice Commander Jimmy Sherman were awarded the American Legion Cash Leadership Award.

"Music is for everybody. It's a river we can all put our cups into, drink it and be sustained by it! ............ John Williams, composer of Star Wars
Did you know that Shelby has a music club???? Yes!

The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners is proud to reaffirm its commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of all members of our community, both human and animal. In a continued effort to support emergency preparedness and compassionate care, Cleveland County is pleased to announce the acquisition and distribution of WAG'N O2 FUR LIFE® Pet Oxygen Mask Kits.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into U.S. law on July 4 (Public Law 119-21), takes effect for 2025. It includes several tax breaks for working and senior Americans.
No Tax on Tips
Effective for 2025 through 2028, employees and self-employed individuals may deduct qualified tips received in occupations that are listed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as customarily and regularly receiving tips on or before December 31, 2024, and that are reported on a Form W-2, Form 1099, or other specified statement furnished to the individual or reported directly by the individual on Form 4137.
"Qualified tips" are voluntary cash or charged tips received from customers or through tip sharing.

In June, the Board of County Commissioners officially adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. This annual budget represents a collaborative effort involving the Board of Commissioners, County staff from every department, and community partners. The budget document serves as the most important annual planning tool for Cleveland County, allocating and aligning limited resources with the vision, priorities, and goals established by the Board of Commissioners.

On July 28, the Cleveland Community College (CCC) Advanced Technology Center #7270 will host a free Cybersecurity Workshop for Small Businesses. The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Aging is partnering with the N.C. area agencies on aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Caroline Sparrow is a rising 11th-grader at Kings Mountain High School. She has an interest in anesthesiology and wanted to find out if that's the right career path for her. The new Summer Bridge program held recently at Gardner-Webb University gave her a hands-on introduction to anesthesiology along with various other healthcare professions.

Cleveland County Animal Services, CCAS, is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 4 pm, and Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm at 1601 Airport Rd, Shelby, NC. During this time, you can:

In an effort to address rising rates of childhood physical inactivity in the United States, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in Forest City, NC, was selected as one of 35 schools nationwide to receive resources from the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, and the National Football League's NFL PLAY 60 program.

The Cleveland County Schools (CCS) began its Summer Meal Program for kids and teens on June 2. It will continue through August 1. Free, nutritious meals are available from June through August each year when traditional schools are out.

RALEIGH, NC --
HB 805, a bill aimed at ending exploitation in the pornography industry, passed in the North Carolina House of Representatives on a 113-0 unanimous vote. The bill now moves to the North Carolina Senate for consideration.
The "Prevent Sexual Abuse of Women and Minors Act" requires that pornography websites verify that people on their websites are at least 18 years old and have consented, in writing, to be there. It also makes a way for those who have been exploited by pornography websites to have content removed and provides significant financial penalties for violations.

Jeff Hayes, Camp Commander of Cleveland Regiment Camp 1663, places a wreath at the Confederate Monument in Uptown Shelby on Confederate Memorial Day, May 10th, 2025.Jeff Melton photo.

Congratulations to the Witherspoon Insurance Highlighters for their victory in the GCCSA U10 Tournament on May 6th and an undefeated Spring Season. We are very proud of this great group of young athletes for both their abilities on the field and their character on and off.
Submitted by Justin Witherspoon

Cleveland Community College's (CCC) Electrical Lineworker Academy has been recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Program by ApprenticeshipNC. This award highlights the academy's success in preparing students for careers in the energy sector through rigorous training, strong industry partnerships, and a commitment to workforce development.

The City of Kings Mountain, in partnership with the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail and presenting sponsor Albemarle Corporation and Metal Recycling Services, will host an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 12, to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Earth Day.

ast week, Cleveland County Schools announced that Beam Construction has generously donated $100,000 to its Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival has announced that Kares Smith, an eighth-grade student at Pinnacle Classical Academy, finished in third place in the essay division of its statewide 2025 Middle School Writing Contest.