In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – March 11, 2015, Scout: State Rep. Roger West (R-Peachtree) filed a bill that would make Cherokee County Board of Education races partisan – even though his father, Herman “Bull” West, was the legislator who wrote the bill making the school board elections non-partisan in 1969. Update: Some people speculated that former school board member Erik Brinke’s loss in the 2014 race was a factor in this decision. The bill passed, even though school board members at the time unanimously voted to opposed it.
- The Hiwassee Dam girls basketball team ended a magical season with a 29-2 record after falling to Winston Salem Prep 52-39 in the fourth round of the state 1A playoffs. Leading the team were six seniors – Ashley Crisp, Shelby Crisp, Jesse Crowe, Morgan Helton, Morgan Nichols and Tara Raper – along with coach Ray Gutierrez.
- Thanks to an online fundraiser started by life skills teacher Rachel Payne, children from the Exceptional Education Program at Murphy Middle School were able to play on an inclusive new playground with equipment made to help students with special needs.
March 12, 2015, Journal: A mother and son were arrested after a local woman claimed they stole her purse on Main Street in downtown Andrews.
- The Andrews Chamber of Commerce announced a new brand for the town – “Come to Andrews, it’s worth the trip!” – at the annual dinner meeting.
25 years ago – March 8, 2000, Scout: Wayne Henry Burchfield, 32, of Hanging Dog, and Eddie D. “Red” Carringer, 31, of Hayesville, were charged with shooting into the Southeast Bomb Task Force’s Command Center in Andrews, the base for hunting fugitive Eric Rudolph. An FBI agent was almost shot in the incident.
- Two 19-year-old inmates – Kevin Cornwell and Randy Poole – were back behind bars after briefly escaping from the Cherokee County Jail in downtown Murphy. “It would be nice to have a more modern facility to minimize this occurrence,” Sheriff Alan Kilpatrick said. Update: A new detention center was finally built eight years later.
- Cleveland (Tenn.) Oldsmobile-Cadillac-GMC was selling a brand new and fully loaded Olds Aero Sport GX for $14,995. Update: Good luck finding anything at that price with less than 100,000 miles on it today.
March 9, 2000, Journal: Andrews town attorney Zeyland McKinney said many allegations made against Mayor Jim Dailey and the board of aldermen were irresponsible. Opponents of annexing 200 acres into the town limits had been filling the Andrews Journal with letters to the editor.
- The Andrews Chamber of Commerce was in dire need of a cash infusion, which as a result was putting Executive Director Jackie Lancaster’s job at risk. “There are no hard feelings,” she said.
50 years ago – March 13, 1975, Scout: National Health Care based in Atlanta and the Murphy Hospital Authority signed a letter of intent to build a new 50-bed hospital, 120-bed nursing home and doctors’ clinic off U.S. 64 East in Peachtree at an estimated total cost of $4 million.
- The Murphy Town Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting the discharge of firearms inside the town limits. Council members said the new law is designed to “stop people from shooting squirrels.”
March 12, 1975, Journal: The Andrews Police Department arrested 28 people the previous month, including nine for driving under the influence of alcohol, six for public drunkenness, five for larceny, five for traffic violations and one each for non-support, writing a worthless check and carrying a concealed weapon.
– Publisher David Brown