In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – Aug. 7, 2013, Scout: The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ purchase of land to build Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel just outside Murphy was completed. This was Cherokee County’s largest construction project since Hiwassee Dam was built in 1936.
The First Friday Art Walk got spooky, as the Cherokee County Paranormal Society took more than 50 people on a Ghost Tour of downtown Murphy featuring (possibly tall) tales of the supernatural.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission was ordered to reimburse People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals a total of $75,000 in attorney’s fees, resulting from an appeal of a court ruling invalidating permits for the New Year’s Eve Possum Drop in Brasstown.
Aug. 1, 2013, Journal: John B. Mitchell III, 22, of Nantahala and the U.S. Air Force, happily surprised his family on his return home. He was injured when a rocket went off only 10 feet away from where he was stationed in Afghanistan.
Kandy Barnard’s “Journaling” column shared the history of the building that once housed the Lay’s 5&10 Store in downtown Andrews. Update: Kandy is still sharing stories from Valleytown, past and present, every other week in the Cherokee Scout.
25 years ago – Aug. 5, 1998, Scout: Former Cherokee County tax office employee Rex Kephart sued the county and several officials, claiming they changed his property revaluations and discriminated against him due to his disability. The county denied his allegations.
The N.C. Department of Environmental & Natural Resources was finally going to give residents the Hot House area a public hearing on a proposed rock quarry on 60 acres off of U.S. 64 West.
The first day of Cherokee County Schools was delayed by two weeks due to ongoing construction challenges at several campuses, particularly at Murphy High School.
Aug. 6, 1998, Journal: Andrews water customers complained in droves after some received bills as much as 80 percent higher than usual. Town aldermen blamed it on $3 million needed for repairs and upgrades.
Cherokee Scout newspaper carrier Jason Savugot, 20, of Murphy, and three other people were taken to Murphy Medical Center in Peachtree, treated and released after two trucks collided on N.C. 141.
50 years ago – Aug. 2, 1973, Scout: The Murphy Town Council was considering an anti-pornography law to control obscene movies and magazines inside the town limits. Town clerk Charlie Johnson called it “a moral concern.”
Murphy police officers charged two teenage boys – Bill McKeon, 19, and Charles Trantham, 18 – with possession of marijuana after two shopping bags were filled with weed coming from property in Copper Creek.
You could buy four tubeless, whitewall Goodyear tires of any size from Carolina Tire Co. in Murphy for only $99. Update: You can’t usually buy one new tire for that price today.
Aug. 1, 1973, Journal: Andrews was refusing to pay about $20,000 to two firms for work done to the town’s sewer system, claiming the work had been mis-engineered by the company’s workers.
An advertisement for U.S. Savings Bonds contained some interesting verbiage: “There’s a word for the kind of woman who has control over everything but her money. Dumb.”
– Publisher David Brown