In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – June 25, 2014, Scout: Zachary Heath Golden, 19, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter nearly two years after the stabbing death of Bill Ray Arp of Ranger. Golden was sentenced to 5-7½ years in prison
- With no change in the millage rate, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a $35,313,605 budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The budget increased from $30,506,794 in 2006-07. The county’s payroll also went up, from having 256 full-time and 24 part-time employees in 2007 to 259 full-time and 78 part-time employees in 2014.
- The Cherokee Scout’s “Our View” editorial called for more professionalism on public boards after spats involving Cherokee County commissioners as well as the Andrews mayor and board of aldermen. An excerpt: “The ends never justify the means if that also means the government is not operating in the open.”
June 26, 2014, Journal: Andrews Mayor Nancy Curtis said Aldermen Gary James and Ray Frazier were hurting the town by declining to even apply for $50,000 in state grants to repair town sidewalks.
- Anna Grace Davis of Hayesville was selected by Principal Andy Pyle as Marble Elementary School’s Volunteer of the Year for her work with students as well as in the community. Update: While Marble Elementary closed, Pyle moved on to become principal of Nantahala School.
25 years ago – June 23, 1999, Scout: Complaints about the way the Cherokee County Jail was being operated led a representative from N.C. Prisoner Legal Services to meet with county commissioners in search of solutions.
- Jeremy Paul Barmmer, 21, of Cherokee County, pleaded guilty to indecent liberties with a child and was sentenced to no less than 15 months, and no more than 18 months, within the N.C. Department of Corrections.
- Murphy High School seniors earning honors included Ray Gutierrez, calculus; Rachel West, English and Spanish; Jesse Schwalm, journalism; Daniel Murphy, art; and Travis Kephart, chemistry and physics.
June 24, 1999, Journal: David Ray Luther, 49, of Andrews, admitted to authorities that he robbed First Citizens Bank in
Hayesville only 30 minutes before he was stopped by a patrol officer. He was taken into custody while driving with a revoked license near Christian Love Ministries in Peachtree.
- Twins John and Jack Raxter, who coincidentally were married to women both named Lucille, became parents of sons, which was featured in the June 23, 1959, edition of the Journal – the first copy of the local newspaper off the press.
50 years ago – June 27, 1974, Scout: While state officials in Raleigh tentatively turned down plans for building a new, long-awaited hospital in Peachtree – a decision the Murphy Hospital Authority was protesting – state officials did approve a 120-bed nursing home project.
- The feature film Billy Jack – “just a person who protects children and other living things” – was playing at the Murphy U.S. 64 Drive-in Theatre in Peachtree, just across from Tri-County Community College. Update: The closest drive-in to Cherokee County today is in Blue Ridge, Ga.
- You could feed a family of four at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Murphy for just $5, according to an advertisement in the Scout. That included nine pieces of chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls.
June 26, 1974, Journal: Sadly, this edition is missing from our files.
– Publisher David Brown