This Week in Local History

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In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:

10 years ago – March 21, 2012, Scout: Students at Mountain Youth Center in Martins Creek talked about how to deal with bullies, especially online. Update: The alternative school has been rechristened The Oaks Academy and moved to Marble.

  • A 55-year-old local woman drowned after the boat she was riding in with her husband overturned in Lake Hiwassee. She was not wearing a life jacket.
  • Karen Hope Stewart, 61, of Peachtree, was killed when her car left Greenlawn Cemetery Road and hit a tree. She was not wearing a seat belt.

March 22, 2012, Journal: The Andrews Chamber of Commerce was preparing for the first Hot-Air Balloon Festival at Bear Ridge Mall.

  • A special report showed more children were living with their grandparents in the Andrews Valley.
  • William Smith, 53, of Marble, was charged with raping a Peachtree woman.

25 years ago – March 19, 1997, Scout: U.S. Air Force veteran Paul Mansour and his passenger, Connie Snyder, were killed when their plane crashed in a mountainous area near Andrews. Update: The Federal Aviation Administration came to Cherokee County to investigate the accident.

  • Two area residents – Bob Grove and Donna
  • Crisp Higdon – were injured when a dump truck hit a guard rail, rolled onto its side and spilled 16 tons of stone across U.S. 19/74 at the intersection with Ingles in Murphy.
  • The N.C. Board of Education approved the charter school application for The Learning Center in Murphy, which went public after operating as a private school.

March 20, 1997, Journal: The Valleytown Rural Fire Department was finally getting the 1980 Ford 1,000-gallon pumper truck it wanted.

  • “Bring Your Pet to School Day” was a loud success in Ms Coffey’s kindergarten class at Andrews Elementary School, with puppies, hamsters, fish and even an iguana on display.

50 years ago – March 23, 1972, Scout: Two murder cases were getting ready to be heard in Cherokee County – Howard Radford, 45, of Unaka, charged with using a rifle to slay his father and sister; and Leonard “Bud” Adams of Marble, charged with killing his 13-year-old daughter with a hammer.

  • Murphy volunteer firefighters responded to calls at the old McComb someplace on Cherry Street as well as at the Hitchcock Corp. talc mine, with no firm causes established.
  • An all-weather, four-ply Blackwell tire could be had for only $10.95 at Carolina Tire Co. in Murphy.

March 22, 1972, Journal: Any patient with an outstanding balance at District Memorial Hospital may be required to make an advance deposit of $150 to receive health care in the future.

  • Owner Jack Sutton advertised that his Spur Station in Andrews had the “lowest gas prices in town,” and somewhat amazingly he was open until 11 p.m. every night.

– Publisher David Brown