In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – March 4, 2015, Scout: A Cherokee County native, Lisa Loudermilk, died at the hands of her husband, D.J. Loudermilk, in what the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office called a murder-suicide, leaving behind three children and shocking family members who loved them.
- N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Robbie Ellison was out looking for stranded motorists when he rescued a mom and her baby who were forced to pull off N.C. 141 in Marble during a snowstorm. “I am so blessed to know there are still people like that in the world,” said Brandy Bailey of Murphy, who was en route to taking her 6-month-old son to Murphy Medical Center in Peachtree.
- A Martins Creek woman was in stable condition after her truck rolled over her head and parts of her body in a fluke accident that occurred on her icy driveway. “God is great, and I know He was with me,” Racheal Woody said.
March 5, 2015, Journal: The Andrews Board of Aldermen hired Ed Burchins of Wilmington to be town administrator at an annual salary of $59,900. He replaced Blake Proctor, who resigned.
- The Town of Andrews wanted the state to reimburse it for $650,000 in losses that occurred after the N.C. General Assembly approved a bill that essentially ended Andrews Broadband Network.
25 years ago – March 1, 2000, Scout: The Cherokee Scout was honored by the N.C. Press Association as the best newspaper of its size in the state after winning first place in General Excellence. The Scout also won first place for Best Overall Use of Photos, while Pat Love of affiliate newspaper the Andrews Journal won a photography honor.
- District Attorney Charles Hipps would not allow David Clinton England of Murphy to recant his guilty plea in the death of 5-year-old Jared Stanley Krause, who an autopsy showed died from massive head trauma. England’s appeal was dismissed.
- The Dots, a north Georgia-based polka band, was presenting a free concert at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. The show included folk, old-timey, Celtic, jug band, sacred harp, renaissance and baroque music.
March 2, 2000, Journal: The Andrews boys varsity basketball team clinched the 1A West title with an 82-81 victory over East Wilkes, the first time in 16 years the Wildcats’ boys advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs. Brandon Brown hit a free throw with seconds left on the clock for the win.
- Andrews Middle School passed an evaluation to become accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools through its Commission on Elementary and Middle Schools. Cherokee County Schools assistant superintendent Jeanette Hedrick said all county public schools were now accredited.
50 years ago – March 6, 1975, Scout: The Murphy Hospital Authority was given a total of $15,000 by Cherokee County, Andrews and Murphy leaders to help build a new hospital to serve the entire area. Update: Murphy Medical Center, now Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, was later built in Peachtree.
- A display advertisement sought investors to buy property and finance improvements for a Hardee’s hamburger restaurant in Murphy. The total investment was said to be about $200,000. Update: A Hardee’s was built in downtown Murphy but later closed. However, the Hardee’s built in Andrews is still open today.
March 5, 1975, Journal: David Stanley, 21, of Andrews, and Kathy Waldroup, 17, of Bryson City, who were planning to get married at Mountain View Baptist Church, died in a two-vehicle collision in the Nantahala Gorge. Two others among the six total people in the vehicle were seriously injured. Andrews Rescue Squad Commander Dennis Hughes called it the worst wreck in years.
– Publisher David Brown