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The plan to expand the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail recently got a boost.

The governing board of the Thread Trail recently approved $752,500 for the Carolina Thread Trail to help expand and improve access to public trails in 15 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina. And a project in Kings Mountain is one of the recipients.

The city will receive $30,000 for a study to create an extension of the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail to the Crowders Mountain Boulders Access parking area.

“The Kings Mountain Gateway Trail and the city of Kings Mountain planning department partnered to submit a grant application to the Carolina Thread Trail,” said Kings Mountain City Manager Marilyn Sellers. “On Jan. 20, the Carolina Thread Trail announced 16 new partner grant recipients. When complete, the new trail will provide several more miles, perfect for walkers and bikers. The Kings Mountain Gateway Trail has been in the Kings Mountain Master Plan for nearly 20 years.”

The Gateway Trail opened in 2009.

Kings Mountain Senior Planner Kimberly Herndon stressed the significance of partnerships and bringing those plans to life.

“We are excited by the possibilities brought about through partnerships,” said Herndon. “The Carolina Thread Trail is a great partner in helping the city of Kings Mountain and the Gateway Trail bring long standing hike and bike plans a step closer to reality for the citizens of the community.”

Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler backed the plan, saying it is imperative in supporting long-term health.

“The Gateway Trail and its proposed extension is a big tourism attraction and a great option for a healthy lifestyle activity for all using the trail," said Neisler.

The Thread Trail’s Implementation Grant Program provides funding to communities and nonprofit organizations to support trail construction, design, land acquisition and corridor planning. Over the past 11 years, the Thread Trail has awarded nearly $8 million in catalytic grants to communities.

Shelby's rail trail which is currently being constructed got an even bigger boost to the tune of $200,000 which will be used to construct a 0.8-mile segment of rail trail that will connect an existing Thread Trail to uptown Shelby. This is the first phase of an eventual 11-mile rail trail connection from Shelby to the South Carolina state line.

Currently, 350 miles of greenways and trails, as well as 170 miles of blueways, are open to the public within the Thread Trail system.

More trails

Other communities that benefited from the recent grants include:

BELMONT: $30,000, to help with land acquisition for the construction of Abbey Creek Greenway, which runs parallel to Wilkinson Boulevard and will connect to Loftin Park on the Catawba River.

BESSEMER CITY: $15,000, to conduct a trail corridor study to determine the best alignment for a trail extension at the South-Ridge Parkway Industrial Park that will serve residents and employees and approach the western side of Gastonia with an eventual connection underneath I-85.

CATAWBA LANDS CONSERVANCY: $5,000, to construct a new canoe/kayak launch at Spencer Mountain River Access, the northern-most paddling input along the South Fork Catawba River Blueway. The launch will improve safe access to the blueway for residents and visitors to Gaston County.

CONCORD: $30,000, to design an extension of Irish Buffalo Creek Greenway, connecting Caldwell Park to Lincoln Street and Melrose Drive.

CRAMERTON: $86,000, to improve the Rocky Branch Trail at Stuart Cramer High School, which provides a critical trail connection between Cramerton and Belmont.

GREAT FALLS, S.C.: 30,000, to design the 3.5-mile Great Falls Rail Trail along the Catawba River, which will provide important pedestrian and bicycle access to the future Dearborn Island State Park and its recreational opportunities.

IREDELL COUNTY: $30,000, to design a 1.4-mile extension of Fourth Creek Greenway between Big Leaf Slopes Park and Greenbriar Road, where it will also connect to the future extension of the Broad Street segment of the Statesville Greenway resulting in seven miles of continuous trail.

LOWELL: $8,000, to fund the design of a potential future extension of the South Fork Trail, which facilitates an eventual connection to Poston Park.

MARSHVILLE: $14,500, to fund construction of the town of Marshville Connector trail. Funding will improve the trail within the Municipal Park, improve crosswalks, and expand the trail by connecting to a nearby neighborhoods.

MOUNT PLEASANT: $47,000, to expand the existing parking lot at Buffalo Creek Preserve, therefore increasing access to the preserve and and existing Carolina Thread Trail.

ROCK HILL: $30,000, to design a 0.2-mile extension of the Jack White Trail along Dave Lyle Boulevard, which facilitates a connection of the Manchester Creek trail corridor from the Catawba River to downtown Rock Hill.

SPENCER: $50,000, to construct the Yadkin River Park Trailhead and Greenway Connector, a first step toward providing a connection between Spencer and Salisbury and across the Wil-Cox Bridge to Davidson County.

STANLY: $100,000, to construct the 2.75-mile Tom Webb segment of the Falcon Trail, extending the existing trail from Richfield Park.

WAXHAW:, $50,000, to fund construction of the 12 Mile Creek Greenway, formerly a private trail that will be improved and made accessible to the public. The trail will expand the existing portion of the 12 Mile Creek Greenway, which crosses the North Carolina-South Carolina state line.

Latrice Williams can be reached at 704-669-3339 and lwilliams6@gannett.com.

When you're looking for a fun trip that the whole family can get excited about, visiting a national park is always a good bet. These destinations have lots to recommend them, including plenty of outdoor attractions plus fresh air, learning opportunities, and room to roam. We've rounded up a few of the best national parks in South Carolina to inspire your next trip to the Palmetto State. Whether you're looking for trails to hike, historical info to absorb, or picnic spots where you can sit awhile, there's a spot on this list for you. This is just a small selection of South Carolina's parks, and you can learn about the rest at nps.gov. Read on for an introduction to a few of the South Carolina state parks that are well worth a visit this season.

Those who love spotting wildlife will enjoy a trip to Congaree National Park. The National Park Service explains that "astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States." There, you'll find rivers including the Congaree and Wateree, as well as opportunities for camping, fishing, and paddling canoes and kayaks.

The historical significance of this site dates to the American Revolution, when a battle was fought here. According to the National Park Service, "A pasturing area at the time of the battle, this Revolutionary War site commemorates the place where Daniel Morgan and his army turned the flanks of Banastre Tarleton's British army. This classic military tactic, known as a double envelopment, was one of only a few in history." You can find videos of past guided walks of the 845-acre park online.

Charleston, South Carolina

When you visit Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, you can learn about the American Revolution and the Civil War through tours, exhibits, and the resources available in on the grounds and in the The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square. You can reach Fort Sumter, an island in Charleston Harbor, by ferry, while Fort Moultrie is located on Sullivan's Island.

This national park commemorates an important battle of the American Revolution. The National Park Services describes it, saying, "The battle of Kings Mountain, fought October 7th, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1780." You can take hikes through the park during the day and see an array of the plant and animal life that calls the park home.

This National Historic Trail stretches across four states. It runs 330 miles through Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and according to the National Park Service, it "traces the route used by patriot militia during the pivotal Kings Mountain campaign of 1780." Set out on mapped highways to follow the route, or walk some of the 87 miles of walking trails to see the sights. The South Carolina stretch runs through Kings Mountain, a park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, and you can find maps of the area available online.

This historic site examines the life of Charles Pinckney and preserves Snee Farm, one of the plantations he owned in the Charleston area. Visitors can learn about the site's history and the lives of the African people he enslaved through the site's interpretive signage, educational exhibits, and films. According to the National Park Service, "Congress established Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in 1988 to preserve the site of Pinckney's former home […], and to interpret his life, the lives of Snee Farm's free and enslaved inhabitants, and the early history of the United States." The site is also part of the Gullah Geechee National Cultural Heritage Corridor, which, according to the NPS, "preserves and interprets the unique local culture of descendants of enslaved Africans."

Visit this National Historic Site in South Carolina's Piedmont region to learn about the 18^th century history of the Palmetto State. The programming here explores the original frontier settlement that was established here—which included an earthen star-shaped fort—as well as the South's first land battle during the Revolutionary War. According to the National Park Service, "The unusual name [of the town] was given by Charleston traders in the early 1700's because they thought it was the estimated remaining number of miles from here to the Cherokee village of Keowee in the upper South Carolina foothills."

The Best Resorts To Stay In Across South Carolina

A multimillion-dollar sewer project could benefit parts of Kings Mountain and Grover, but some community members aren’t happy about what it could mean for their property.

On Tuesday, the city of Kings Mountain hosted a public meeting to lay out what it has dubbed Project South, which aims to bring new sewer systems to Kings Mountain and Grover.

The project is being funded by a $45 million grant from the state and is part of a larger project to prepare municipalities for growth and economic development from Charlotte down to Greenville, South Carolina.

The project would see sewer lines added from the area around Exit 5 of Interstate 85 through Dixon School Road area and would connect to existing services in Grover.

Officials with the city of Kings Mountain say the project would be considered a boon for future economic development, as well as projects already in the works.

“We are trying to get ahead of the game and prepare for the influx of people coming to North Carolina,” said Assistant City Manager Nick Hendricks. “The city is being inundated by developers and by new land sales. There are around 3,000 homes on the books to be built.”

Along with that growth, the city is going to need to increase its capacity for wastewater management, said Joel Wood, an engineer at Joel Woods and Associates.

“Based on our work with staff and with the county, we believe in the next 15-20 years we will need additional capacity of about 4 million gallons per day, with the ability to expand a treatment plant up to 6 million gallons,” said Wood.

Roy Dyer, Grover mayor, said the project would allow his town to finally upgrade from an aging and failing infrastructure.

“For the last eight or nine years we have looked for grants and loans to addresses the failings in our system,” said Dyer. “I can’t put into words how much this means for our town.”

What's happening in Grover:Grover mayor talks about projects for 2022

Kings Mountain in 2022:Kings Mountain mayor talks about expectations for 2022

The project calls for new gravity and force main systems to be built along a yet-to-be-determined route, along with three lift stations and a wastewater treatment plant.

The ideal route, presented at Tuesday’s meeting, would travel down Dixon School Road and along Kings Creek, with a treatment facility around the Jim Patterson Road area.

Hendricks stressed on Tuesday no final route has been selected, and there are still some unknowns about where sewer lines could go.

“We won’t know until we can get out there and do land surveys,” he said.

No matter what surveys determine, the city will need to seek permission from property owners along the route to install sewer lines.

After hearing plans for the sewer project, residents along the Kings Creek and Dixon School Road expressed concerns ranging from impact on local wildlife, odor from the treatment center and concerns about broken pipes or leaks.

And some, like Randy McDaniel, a farmer in the Dixon Branch community, said they just don’t want to see more development in their area.

McDaniel currently has multiple easements made on his property for natural gas and power lines. If the new sewer lines are installed, McDaniel said he would not be able to access them without digging underneath the gas lines.

“And the red tape on that just won’t allow for me to do that,” he said. “This is not going to benefit me none and a lot of the land owners next to me are in the same situation.”

A member of the Farm Bureau board and chair of Cleveland County Soil and Water Board, McDaniel said he also has concerns about the continued loss of farm lands across the state. By adding sewer lines and trying to make the area more appealing to developers, McDaniel said the city is encouraging development that could cost Kings Mountain some of its rural identity.

“I am passionate about farm land. I’ve got four grandkids who work on my farm. They go to the creek and play. They raise and play with the calves they want to take to the fair, to ride their four-wheelers around. That is something they get to do, and I just hate to see them lose that,” said McDaniel. “I am not against economic development, but I wish our leaders would be more compassionate about what is going on.”

Tuesday’s meeting is the first in what will be a series of meetings on Project South. As meetings are scheduled, the city will mail letters to people living in areas around the project, and post announcements on its social media channels.

Dustin George can be reached at 704-669-3337 or Dustin.George@ShelbyStar.com.

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (AP) — A new federal law affirms the operation of a casino in North Carolina by the South Carolina-based Catawba Indian Nation, ending a yearslong dispute between the tribes.

President Joe Biden signed the The Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act, which was included in a larger piece of legislation authorizing military spending, on Monday.

The Catawba Indian Nation will oversee the $273 million Catawba Two Kings Casino with plans for 2,600 permanent jobs and revenues for the tribe. There is already a temporary, preliminary operation up and running at the site off Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Charlotte.

Spurned by South Carolina in previous efforts to offer gambling other than bingo in their home state, Catawba members sought to build a casino in North Carolina, citing what they call its historical and ancestral ties to land in the state. The U.S. Interior Department agreed in early 2020 to put 17 acres in Cleveland County into trust for the project.

The new law clarifies that the tribe, which has a 700-acre (283-hectare) reservation in upstate South Carolina, is subject to tribal gambling laws and affirms the Interior Department’s actions.

Catawba Chief William Harris said the bill was “the final step in a decades-long fight” to receive federal support for the casino project, The Rock Hill Herald reported.

The passage of the bill is a setback for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which operates two casinos in far western North Carolina. The competing tribe sued the Catawba and the Interior Department in federal court last year to try to stop the Kings Mountain casino, but a federal judge sided with the Catawba.

“The courts have been reviewing the legality of the Catawba casino, but this legislation will end that process,” said Richard Sneed, the Eastern Band’s principal chief, in a statement. “We are disappointed to not be granted the ability to defend our position in the courtroom.”

Catawba officials hope the casino will help lower the tribe’s high unemployment and poverty rates.

In Kings Mountain, Utz Quality Foods, LLC has acquired a 125,000-square-foot snack food manufacturing plant. The subsidiary of Utz Brands, Inc. plans to expand the North Carolina facility and expects to add more than 115 new jobs.

Utz acquired the facility from Evans Food Group Ltd., which does business as Benestar Brands, for $38.4 million. The transaction includes an existing building, land, and pork rind production equipment. Utz plans to convert the facility into a fully operational snack food manufacturing plant later this year, with the capability to expand the facility to 200,000 square feet.

“With continued growth and excitement for our snack food brands, we are very excited to expand our roots in North Carolina, where we will be adding over 115 new jobs over time,” said Cary Devore, chief operating officer of Utz Brands, Inc. “This is a strong step forward in optimizing our plant and logistics network, and it will allow us to in-source manufacturing across several product types that we currently outsource to some degree. This transaction increases our operational flexibility and will contribute to higher long-term margins over time, based on identifiable, multi-faceted cost synergies.”

The new Kings Mountain facility will support increased demand for Utz’s brands in the Southeast, Northeast, and Mid-South regions, which grew 14.4%, 14.5%, and 15% respectively for the 26-week period ending March 20, 2022.

Acquiring the recently constructed facility is quicker and more cost-effective than building from the ground up or renovating an existing facility, according to Utz. The new facility contains state of the art high-speed pork find manufacturing lines and will enable multi-line production across Utz’s key sub-categories in the near future.

The company intends to enlist Benestar as a supplier of pork pellets.

“As a vertically integrated manufacturer, we believe our operations will be optimized by supplying Utz with our Chicago-based pellet production, while selling the downstream manufacturing operations to Utz,” explained Bruce Myers, president of Benestar. “This type of partnership will only enhance operations of both companies going forward.”

D’Artagnan To Invest $4M In Granville County

In Granville County, D’Artagnan, Inc. recently announced a project that will create 23 new jobs. The specialty food company distributor will invest more than $4 million to locate a warehouse and distribution facility in the City of Oxford.

“Our whole team is excited about developing our sales in this beautiful region!” said Ariane Daguin, CEO of D’Artagnan. “We have closely followed the food scene in the Carolinas and are very happy to be able to contribute to it!”

New Jersey-based D’Artagnan provides high-quality meat, produce, and delicacies to high-end hotels and restaurants across the U.S. As the largest distribution site outside of New Jersey, the new Oxford location will support D’Artagnan’s expansion into the Southeast market.

“We are glad to welcome D’Artagnan to Granville County and North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Our East Coast location and capable workforce will greatly benefit the company’s operations and growth here in the Southeast.”

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina worked with the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Vance-Granville Community College, Kerr-Tar Council of Governments, Granville County, Granville County Economic Development, Granville County Chamber, Granville County Public Schools, the City of Oxford, and the NCWorks Career Center Oxford to support D’Artagnan’s North Carolina expansion.

“We are extremely excited that D’Artagnan has selected Granville County to expand their company with this new distribution warehouse,” says Granville County Economic Development Director Harry Mills. “We have created a hub for food distribution and processing in Granville County that is attracting the attention of companies around the world. D’Artagnan choosing Granville County shows how integral our location and workforce is in the global food supply chain. I would like to thank the members of the Granville County Board of Commissioners, the Granville County Economic Development Advisory Board, Wills Hancock and his team at Century 21 Hancock Properties, and the City of Oxford for their hard work and support to attract a company like D’Artagnan to our county.”

Although wages will vary for each position, the average annual salary for the new positions is $46,170, which exceeds Granville County’s overall average annual wage of $45,096. The new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $1 million.

A performance-based grant of $50,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with D’Artagnan’s location to North Carolina. D’Artagnan must invest $3.7 million to receive One NC grant payments. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“North Carolina is within a day’s drive of more than 170 million customers in the United States,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “When you combine our location with a transportation infrastructure and a skilled pipeline of talent, distributors across all industries have the winning ingredients for success.”