In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – March 27, 2013, Scout: The bridge over Bulldog Drive near Murphy High School was reopened after collapsing in the flooded Valley River several months before.
- Hiwassee Dam High School basketball standout Kendall Haney was named the Little Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year. On the boys side, senior point guard Orrin Moore was co-conference player of the year.
- Local students got a chance to speak with best-selling author Peter Jenkins, whose book A Walk Across America includes him staying in Texana for several months.
March 21, 2013, Journal: The Andrews Chamber of Commerce honored Margaret DeLuna with the town’s Businesswoman of the Year award.
- Beloved town historian Dee Whitt Sharp passed away. Few people knew as much about Andrews and the people who lived there than the former owner of Dee Whitt’s Teen Center.
25 years ago – March 25, 1998, Scout: Officials from Cherokee County, Andrews and Murphy met to discuss what path would be best to take in order to control animals. The Tri-County Humane Society’s reaction was to say “more power to them.”
- Cherokee County Manager Rick Honeycutt decided to retire after serving for three years. Commission Chair Eugene Morrow said he hoped finance officer Randy Wiggins would accept the position. Update: Wiggins did accept, then left for a while and came back again as county manager.
- A Hiwassee Dam family was left with only a temporary tarp over their heads after a tree crashed through the roof of their home and landed on the bed Brett Clinger had left just moments before.
March 26, 1998, Journal: The Andrews Board of Aldermen passed a law making it illegal for some large tractor-trailers to drive on town streets.
- A baby colt was born at Steve and Valerie Hall’s Valley River Farm with the help of a local veterinarian, Dr. David Ackerman. The mother, Prissy, was happy and healthy as a horse after the long night.
50 years ago – March 22, 1973, Scout: Monica Clark, 11, of Murphy, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Clark, died when she was struck in the head by a .22 rifle bullet accidentally fired by her brother.
- Thieves broke into White Church School and a new store in Ogreeta, leaving broken glass in their wake after stealing record players, a typewriter, food and a dozen cartons of cigarettes.
- Murphy police officers stood guard with “submachine guns” as Wachovia Bank personnel moved bags of money across the street to a new building downtown.
March 21, 1973, Journal: In a front-page editorial, the Journal declared that school controversies here were “coming to a boil” after not all principals respected the system’s new counselor, Ruth Pullium of Andrews.
- Mrs. Emma Nichols Adams of Andrews, the longest-lived person in town, celebrated her 98th birthday.
– Publisher David Brown