In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – Feb. 10, 2016, Scout: Union General Hospital CEO John Michael Gowder of Blairsville, Ga., was arrested, along with five others, on charges stemming from an alleged drug conspiracy over several years that crossed state lines.
- Cherokee County native Gregory Lloyd, a 2010 graduate of Murphy High School, was seeing the world as part of his military service with the U.S. Navy. The 23-year-old logistics specialist was stationed in Japan at the time.
- Tom Bennett of Martins Creek wrote in his column The Far Blue Mountains that people who just finished dining were leaving behind the most litter, judging by the increasing number of fast-food wrappers disgracing local highways.
Feb. 11, 2016, Journal: Beloved veterinarian and 15-year Cherokee County Board of Education member David Ackerman and his family were moving to Elkin after living, working and volunteering in Andrews for the last 23 years.
- Andrews police arrested a local man for allegedly striking two women with a baseball bat and punching a man during a brawl at a mobile home. One of the victims sneaked out of the home and called 911.
25 years ago – Feb. 14, 2001, Scout: Black History Month in Texana was dedicated to the average people whose lives affected everyone in the community, local folks like Arthur Allen, Bergin Moore, and James and Alice Fullwood.
- Cherokee County commissioners decided not to reappoint Russ Worthen as tax assessor. County Manager Randy Wiggins said the board wanted to make sure the three tax departments worked together in a more cohesive manner.
- The Rev. Clyde Faulkner, 89, of Brasstown, went on his 12th foreign missions trip with a group from Western North Carolina United Methodist Building Team’s Volunteers in Mission. He proved to be an asset on the job despite his age.
Feb. 15, 2001, Journal: Water flow from the Dan Holland reservoir came to a halt when a 16-inch line broke. Since Andrews crews got the Beaver Creek reservoir on line in short order, there were no service interruptions.
- The price tag for Outboard Motor Corp., which included a plant in Marble, was determined to be $95 million after stakeholders accepted a joint bid from two other companies to continue making Evinrude and Johnson boat motors.
50 years ago – Feb. 12, 1976, Scout: The bicentennial U.S. World Bicycle Race featuring a total of 15 six-person teams was shaping up, with ABC’s Wide World of Sports set the cover the event, which was scheduled to start in Murphy.
- New Cherokee County Republican Party Chairman David White came out strongly against vote buying. White, who said he was a Christian, didn’t want to get involved in any “dirty political wars.”
Feb. 11, 1976, Journal: Sadly, this edition is missing from our files.
– Publisher David Brown