At the School Board meeting, there were three speakers during Public Participation. All three gave reasons for why they were against the implementation of the Mask Mandate. Two stated that their children were being bullied and embarrassed in class because they were exempt from wearing masks. One speaker called for the resignation of a Board Member that she did not identify. One speaker stated that CCS was refusing to give her daughter her medications while at school.
Superintendent Dr. Stephen Fisher gave the COVID Update and said several interesting things. Like:
Home Test kits are not very accurate
There were 477 positive test results-90% from students 10% from Staff
Quarantines ranges from less than 1,000 to a little over 1,250 (from 7% to 9% of all students)
There were 157 actives Positive Covid cases as of that day 9-13-2021
Whole COVID “processes” were full of “holes”
Danny Blanton commented that communications between what the Board voted on and meetings and what was happening in the classroom was disconnected. Fisher said he would take care of that. Luke Queen gets on Blanton for bringing that up. A lady in the audience asks “Can I ask a Question? Luke Queen immediately barks out a gruff “NO MAM!”
After some discussion with some Board members wanting to tighten up the Mask requirements, a Motion was made to leave to present mask mandate policy as is. The Vote was 5-3 to leave the Mask policy in place. Members Glover, Hunt and Green voted No. Board Member Rodney Fitch was absent-in the Kings Mountain Hospital with COVID. Had been turned away from the Shelby Hospital because there were no beds available.
Also note that Danny Blanton remarked during the meeting that he had heard of a device that could be installed ibn the HVAC ducts that would kill COVID and other airborne diseases. Nobody seemed to care. That device is called a High Intensity Ultraviolet Light. I discussed this further in my recent article about my inspection tour of the Cleveland Community College facilities.
Basically, on September 14, 2021 there seemed to be no sense of urgency about COVID. But, as I watched other news reports about massive surges in COVID cases across North Carolina and the United States, I just had a feeling that something in Cleveland County was wrong. Bad wrong and it was being kept from the people. I started putting 2+2 together and was coming up with 3 for an answer. Go back to My article published September 18, 2021 titled Looking for Truth, Looking for “Sign.” COVID, Commissioners, School Board and CCC.
What I did not know, was that I was 100% right and something very bad was happening. I received a call on Monday Morning September 20th and what I thought was bad was WAYyyy worse.
My trusted source told me that she had information that the there were meetings going on over the weekend regarding COVID. Discussions like:
Limiting the Attendance at all High School Friday night Football Games to only half of the Stadium capacity-or less at Luke Queen’s discretion.
Calling in the National Guard for setting up surge tents at the Shelby Hospital.
Calling a press conference Monday (September 20th) at 2:00PM at the LeGrand Center and have School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen make announcements that the School Board (Robert “Luke” Queen personally) was in control of the happenings at Cleveland County Schools and all of Cleveland County too.
That County Manager Brian Epley, along with CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher were scripting the whole Press Conference thing
That Facebook folks had already learned that the Atrium Hospital in Shelby had already ran out of space to hold all the dead bodies that were accumulating at the Hospital. They even had pictures of the portable “morgue(s)” posted on Facebook.
That various Mayors of the larger cities in Cleveland County had already been notified and the mayors would be at the press conference.
So, folks, you know what I did. Without further ado, and although I had NOT been officially notified or invited even; I cut a trail for the LeGrand Center with only minutes to spare.
When I arrived at the LeGrand Center, I found the room where the “event” (for the lack of a better word) was being held. I met Commissioner Chairman Doug Bridges at the door. I asked what the heck is going on? Commissioner Bridges told me that they “were just doing what I always said they needed to do, Be Transparent.” My comment was “What about accountability? When will the Health Department finally take charge and be accountable for the Health of Cleveland County?” Bridges did not comment on that and I did not reveal any of the details I had been told about the Press Conference. Perhaps my source was wrong” I would soon learn something, although I had no clue what it would be. There were only a very few chairs spread way apart in the room. Most of the front row seats were not taken so I took one, front and center as I usually do.
I looked around and Counted six bigtime professional video cameras with camera operators and reporters. All set up in a row. I saw County Manager Brian Epley siting in the second row close to the door. I thought he looked like he had just seen a ghost. And that look was NOT about me being there.
There was a line of tables sitting all in a row at the front of the room. They all had name tags. One the right pone side of the speaker’s Podium were nametags for Tiffany Hansen, Doug Bridges. Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Nessler and Robert “Luke” Queen. On the Left side of the Speaker’s Podium were Name tags for Inga Pitts (Atrium), Lamont Littlejohn, Boiling Springs Mayor Tommy Green and Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony. The big projection Screen behind the row of tables said COVID Presentation. When the meeting actually started, the lead in slide read COVID Discussion. My impression was this had all been thrown together and something was wrong.
I looked around the room and noted one other Commissioner, Johnny Hutchins, was there as well as School Board members Phillip Glover, Luke Queen, Danny Blanton and Dena Green/ Apparently making sure that NO QUORUM of Commissioners of School Board members was present. That meant that nothing would be officially voted on at this meeting, presentation, discussion or whatever this gathering was all about. Assistant County Manager Kerri Melton, CCC President Jason Hurst, CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher were also there. Former Commissioner and now the LeGrand Center Director and Casino Coordinator for Cleveland County Jason Falls was there. Along with news reporters from Charlotte and other places. Greg Tillman of CCC was there operating one of the big cameras. Although small in comparison with the big professional cameras of the Major Charlotte TV News stations. I did not recognize any member of the Cleveland County general public as being there. Except for myself. Whatever this was, there was little to no attempt to invite the citizens of Cleveland County.
