In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – Nov. 11, 2015, Scout: Students at Murphy Middle School built a memorial for Leah Brown, who died of a blood clot in her brain before she could celebrate her 14th birthday. “We will see Leah again,” said her mother, Jamie Mae Pace Bateman.
- Almost a year after recovering from a state-mandated shutdown, the Valley River Humane Society in Marble was alive and well. Manager Mark Brousseau said the shelter passed a recent state inspection with no demerits.
- Cherokee County Schools announced Paul Wilson of Martins Creek School as Principal of the Year, while Julie Hughes of Murphy Middle School was named Teacher of the Year for her work with fourth-graders.
Nov. 12, 2015, Journal: Andrews Town Administrator Ed Burchins ended the town’s on-again, off-again K-9 unit. The one remaining dog was to be turned over to the police officer who was the dog’s handler or the Valley River Humane Society in Marble.
- A front-page photo in the Journal showed Trey Dover, 16, giving his grandfather, Larry Feek, an emotional hug at the end of the Andrews Schools Veterans Day Program. Feek served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
25 years ago – Nov. 15, 2000, Scout: Parents of students at Andres Elementary School pleaded with the Cherokee County Board of Education to build a gym and make other improvements to the campus.
- The FBI’s Southeast Bomb Task Force made its annual appeal to local hunters to be on the lookout for 34-year-old Olympic bombing suspect Eric Rudolph, formerly of Nantahala, who was thought to be hiding in mountains nearby.
- The Cherokee Scout was publishing a series of articles on local veterans. This week’s report was on Gordon Schlienz of Murphy, who drove tanks in the 7th Armored division during World War II.
Nov. 16, 2000, Journal: After Andrews received $6 million in grants for water and sewer projects over three years, an engineer with McGill & Associates said the money was being spent wisely to improve the town’s infrastructure.
- An entertainment hall was being planned next to the Hillbilly Mall off of U.S. 19/74 in Andrews. Update: The facility that became known as the “jamboree” is owned today by Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters, and music can still be heard coming from the building on occasion.
50 years ago – Nov. 13, 1975, Scout: The Murphy Town Council discussed whether to annex the Valley Village Shopping Center into the town limits. The cost of installing new sewer lines was a concern. Update: After much discussion over the years, the area off of Andrews Road was annexed into Murphy.
- Mayor Chloe Moore encouraged residents to write Continental Southwestern Lines to complain about bus service being stopped into Murphy. Update: You could still obtain bus service to Andrews in the 1980s.
Nov. 12, 1975, Journal: The Andrews High School Student Council proposed building an outdoor student center at a cost of $12,000. Students were trying to raise $6,000 in an effort to make the project happen.
– Publisher David Brown