In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – Dec. 31, 2014, Scout: A special guest was excited at the 21st annual Possum Drop in Brasstown, where People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were not welcome after blasting the New Year’s Eve event.
- Rick June of Murphy, a U.S. military veteran, shared the story of his close relationship with his “hero” service dog, Cowboy.
- The new Cherokee County Board of Commissioners wanted to keep strip clubs out of Cherokee County with an adult entertainment ordinance, but what exactly to keep out was under dispute.
Jan. 1, 2015, Journal: Nearly 100 people came out to honor the family of the late Joe El-Khouri, who had a new bridge named after him by the N.C. Department of Transportation. El-Khouri was an entrepreneur and volunteer leader in Andrews for many years.
- Father George Byers, who studied and taught around the world, was named the new full-time priest at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Andrews.
25 years ago – Dec. 29, 1999, Scout: Local shops were conducted business as usual despite the threat of Y2K looming ahead.
- The Valley River Humane Society opened a new 3,700-square-feet animal shelter on U.S. 19/74 in Marble complete with 34 dog kennels and a separate holding area for cats.
- Walmart super center’s expansion in Murphy added 200 jobs to the local economy, as the popular store was going from 16 to 35 registers for checkout.
Dec. 30, 1999, Journal: Local historian Dee Whitt Sharp invited people to a showing of his film A Stroll Down the Valley River at Dee Whitt’s Teen Center in downtown Andrews.
- A Christmas night fire at a house on Pisgah Road in Andrews left the Mobley family without many of life’s essentials for the couple and their three daughters.
50 years ago – Jan. 2, 1975, Scout: In a widely expected move, the new Democrat-controlled Cherokee County Board of Commissioners let several Republican county employees go while filling their jobs with Democrats. The commissioners had been criticized for not making the moves earlier.
- There were 1,029 Cherokee County residents receiving unemployment benefits on the week before Christmas, with 388 coming in that week alone due to temporary layoffs at local plants.
Jan. 1, 1975, Journal: Sadly, this edition is missing from our files.
– Publisher David Brown