Public gun range to open April 19 The 55-acre Cleveland County Foothills Public Shooting Range, the largest public shooting facility in the state and possibly in the Southeast, will open Tuesday, April 19 with ribbon-cutting at noon and range demonstrations and activities until 3 p.m.



The shooting range is located off Cherryville Road near the Cleveland County Waste Management Facility.



The shooting range is an estimated $3 million dollar project with $2 million from the North Carolina Wildlife Association and monies coming from donors.



“North Carolina Wildlife made it happen,'' county commissioner Johnny Hutchins said recently and “it's a dream come true.” Hutchins, of Kings Mountain, has spearheaded the project for seven years.



He said the county has stood out among others in its drive to build a full-service range with a 3-D archery range with 20 stands for archery, a 250 yard rifle range and three pistol target shooting bays. The range features two skeet trap facilities and two 50-yard utility ranges. A house on the property houses the administrative offices and plenty of room for gun safety classes and training exercises for law enforcement agencies and Boy Scouts. Hutchins said multiple safety classes are in the works as possibly a pistol match for youth and adults later in the year.



Invitations have gone out to a number of dignitaries to attend the event, including Governor Pat McCrory, NC Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Commissioner of the North Carolina Wildlife Commission and other local and area government officials.



The opening day event will feature demonstrations from law enforcement.



Officials remind that this is a COLD range, visitors should leave all firearms at home. — KM Herald