Shelby Shopper Shelby NC
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1238841
Page 8 - shelby shopper & info - 704/484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Thursday, April 23-April 29, 2020 As you know, the Sheriff's Offi ce has continued an aggressive campaign to rid Cleveland County of as much narcotics as possible. As we continue to make our community as safe as possible please note our slogan listed below. ATTENTION DRUG DEALERS ARE YOU LOSING MONEY TO YOUR DRUG DEALING COMPETITION? WE OFFER A FREE SERVICE TO HELP YOU ELIMINATE YOUR PROBLEM! REPORT YOUR COMPETITION SPEAK ANONYMOUSLY WITH A NARCOTICS INVESTIGATOR CALL 704-484-4831 CLEVELAND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SHERIFF ALAN NORMAN WE'RE OPEN: PLEASE CALL FOR SERVICE HOURS To protect everyone's health and wellness, clients who feel unwell, especially those experiencing, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptoms Fever • Cough • Sore Throat Please refrain from entering the offi ce. There are other ways we can fi le your tax- es. Please give us a call at 704-487-9160 or 704-730-0772 and together we will fi nd the best solution for you. 704-487-9160 • 233 East Marion St., Shelby, NC Most offi ces are independently owned and operated. JacksonHewitt.com By Loretta Cozart On Feb 21, the Grand Princess cruise ship left San Francisco on its way to Ha- waii. The boat had just re- turned from a 5-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera when it ported just long enough to drop off some passengers and pick up new ones. There, Sam Ballew, along with her sister Lynn Yarbro and husband Don, and fourteen other people from Kings Mountain and Gastonia boarded Grand Princess cruise ship for an adventure in Hawaii. After two days at sea, a 71-year old passenger had to be airlifted by helicopter off the ship to a hospital, where he later died. He was Cali- fornia's first COVID-19 fa- tality. After testing everyone aboard, 19 crew members and two more passengers tested positive for Corona- virus. The ship was carrying a total of 2,422 guests and 1,111 crew members. "We were told to stay in our staterooms. If we needed towels or linens, the crew would bring them in a bag, drop them at the door, knock and run." "Before long, we were running out of food; it was horrible. Every meal had a salad, and the lettuce was turning brown. Most meals were served cold and tasted horrible," said Ballew. "If it weren't for the roll and a pat of butter, I wouldn't have had anything to eat. The last five days aboard ship, I felt like they were struggling to feed us." "Eventually, everyone with inside cabins was al- lowed to go up on deck for 30-minutes. It was hard be- cause then we had to return to our rooms," Ballew said. "I'm amazed more people didn't get sick because the air in the staterooms is fil- tered room-to-room. If you didn't have a balcony, that's all the air you got." "I am very disappointed with the cruise line. When the captain learned the airlifted man had died, they should have turned the ship around right then, but they didn't," she said. The cruise ship was eventually allowed to dock in San Francisco as America watched on television. Doc- tors checked everyone's temperature and asked about symptoms as they disem- barked. Lynn Yarbro and her friend had contracted bronchi- tis, so both stayed behind. The remaining 15 passengers from the group went to Ft. Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia for two weeks of quarantine. "When we arrived at the base, the team that met us wore Hazmat suits. But, they were very nice to us and the food was 20 times bet- ter there. We ate Chicken so much, though, I don't want any more chicken for a year," she said. "The place we stayed had a temporary fence around it with patrol cars parked out- side. I guess they were afraid we'd try to leave. The first room we had shared a bath- room with another room. After three days, the situa- tion improved, because some states allowed their citizens to return home, so we didn't have to share after that. We were able to go outside to and that was nice." "We reached out to Gov- ernor Roy Cooper asking if we could go home, and he said no. The states of Ken- tucky, Pennsylvania, and Georgia all allowed their peo- ple to go home. But, not North Carolina," said Ballew. "Governor Cooper didn't want us back. We also reached out to Tim Moore and Patrick McHenry and got no response from them either. I'm going to write a strong letter to the governor about how poorly we were treated by our own state." "Of the 17 people from Kings Mountain and Gas- tonia, all had screenings for Coronavirus and two tested positive," Ballew said. When asked how they were doing now, Ballew answered, "They're doing just fine." As for what she did when she got home, Ballew said, "We got home at midnight, and I went right to the grocery store. We had been gone for weeks and had nothing in the house to eat. I have only been out one time since." "We finally got home, only to be asked to stay at home." Reflecting upon her Hawaiian adventure, Ballew adds, "You have to laugh about it, or you'd cry." Hell on the high seas Fifteen Kings Mountain and Gastonia residents were quarantined at Fort Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia after disembarking the Grand Princess cruise ship in San Francisco. Ten are pictured here. Photo provided Classifi ed Advertising Classifi ed Advertising ATTRACTS BUYERS ATTRACTS BUYERS Looking To Sell You Used Car, Television, Sofa, Baseball Looking To Sell You Used Car, Television, Sofa, Baseball Cars or Anything Else Under the Sun??? Place An Ad Cars or Anything Else Under the Sun??? Place An Ad In The Classifi eds! It's A Fast And Easy Way To In The Classifi eds! It's A Fast And Easy Way To Make A Profi t From Your Unwanted Merchandise! Make A Profi t From Your Unwanted Merchandise! Call Today 704-484-1047 or email at classifi ed@shelbyinfo.com