Gastonia mother s tears in court painful reminder of loss of son
A mother s sobbing provided a painful reminder of what brought two families to Gaston County District Court Tuesday. Liam was our whole world. Our family s whole world. He touched a lot of people s lives, Brandi Birrittier would say moments after court proceedings had ended.
Attorneys speak in a deadpan, matter-of-fact voice as they describe legal matters in a courtroom setting.
With no intent of disrespect, attorney Larry Hoyle was emotionless as he described to a judge how an action by his client, 20-year-old Gracie Malayna Eaves of Bessemer City, led to the death of 6-year-old Liam Lagunas during an alleged street racing incident that ended with a three-car wreck.
Sounds of rock ‘n’ roll tunes, smells of deep-fried foods and sights of smiling faces emerged throughout downtown Bessemer City Saturday for the first time in more than a year.
It was the annual Down Home Festival, which has drawn as many as 5,000 people to Virginia and Pennsylvania avenues each year over the last 33 years.
At the hand of the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of Bessemer City and the surrounding area went more than a year without attending annual festivals, celebrations and other traditions based in the region.
“We’ve been cooped up for a year,” said Denice Talbert, a 62-year-old Kings Mountain resident who works in Bessemer City and has attended the festival regularly in its history.