In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – June 18, 2014, Scout: A heated Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting resulted in the gavel being forcefully taken from Chair David Wood by Commissioner Steve Jordan before Wood stormed out of the room. That’s when Commissioner C.B. McKinnon was appointed as the new chairman of the board.
- Cherokee County Schools officials asked county commissioners for $455,000, about half of what the county provided the year before – in order to replace $1.5 million in small schools funding cut by the state.
- Hiwassee Dam baseball standout Chance Roberts, a 6-foot-2 lefty, was traveling to the Dominican Republic to play baseball over the summer, along with playing in the N.C. State Games.
June 19, 2014, Journal: Administrative Police Chief Andrews DeLuna chronicled all of the issues he saw with the Andrews Police Department in a detailed memo to the board of aldermen. Among other challenges, “The majority of evidence was improperly managed and packaged, and the chain of custody was absent,” he wrote.
- Bob Ferreira, director of the Andrews Valley Initiative, was hired as Andrews’ temporary director of planning and economic development by the board of aldermen. He also volunteered to be interim town administrator. Update: Always an advocate for Andrews and the arts, Ferreira recently passed away and will be missed.
25 years ago – June 16, 1999, Scout: Within five minutes after the gavel dropped to open the meeting, the Murphy Town Council approved a $2,227,320 budget that contained no new tax increases during the next fiscal year.
- The Cherokee County Economic Development Commission organized a tour of the closed Levi’s plant in Murphy. Chair Tom O’Brien wanted everybody to see the 77,000-square-foot building vacant to make a visual impact.
- Anthony Brett Chapman, 23, of Marble, was arrested after Cherokee County sheriff’s deputies said they found two marijuana plants in plain view at his residence. Chapman was released on $8,000 bond.
June 17, 1999, Journal: Warrants were issued for Jessie Sowerby, 17, of Nantahala, who was wanted in vandalism that occurred at the Andrews ABC store, Andrews Fire Department, Andrews Rescue Squad and N.C. Department of Transportation.
- John Lush Day, 65, of Andrews, was out on $10,000 bond after he was charged with having 12 pounds of marijuana at his Gray Squirrel Lane residence. The pot had a street value of $22,000.
50 years ago – June 20, 1974, Scout: Licensed pharmacists Bill and Eddie King opened a new drugstore, King’s Pharmacy, in Murphy. Update: While the store later moved and was recently renovated, King’s Pharmacy remains a fixture in downtown.
- Cherokee County commissioners met to talk about which gravel roads were going to be paved as well as other road needs with a traveling group of state highway officials.
- Cherokee Scout Publisher Jack Owens said newsprint prices were rising again, this time in excess of $234 per ton compared to $175 per ton a year ago. Update: Newsprint was as expensive as $900 per ton during the COVID-19 pandemic and aftermath.
June 19, 1974, Journal: Four Square Community Action and 37 other agencies statewide sued Gov. James Holshouser from diverting federal funds from local agencies into his own proposed program.
- The Andrews Rescue Squad and Valleytown Fire Department responded to what turned out to be a false alarm in Junaluska, only to be greeted by about 30 automobiles and a large crowd that gathered just to see what’s up. Officials asked folks afterward to please not rubber-neck at potential emergency scenes.
– Publisher David Brown