In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – April 24, 2013, Scout: Dustin Lee Adams, 22, of Murphy, and Brandon Patrick Trantham, 22, of Ducktown, Tenn., for impersonating N.C. Wildlife Resources officers. Update: Adams was also charged with impersonating an officer in 2007 as part of the infamous “blue light bandits,” a ring of four people who robbed motorists at gunpoint.
- Precious, a sheltie at the Valley River Humane Society’s animal shelter in Marble, was nursing four kittens – in addition to her own puppy – after their mother died from an illness. Update: Dogs are the best.
- Students at Martins Creek School learned how to make their very own flute using PVC pipes from instructor Mickey McMasters, hopefully starting a lifelong love of making music.
April 18, 2013, Journal: Andrews Mayor Johnny Brown responded to a lawsuit filed by Ricky and Kandy Barnard, saying heavy rainfall led to the problem with sewage backup.
- Andrews High School was designated as a place of refuge during a disaster as the town began planning what to do if a tornado strikes the town, which happened in Murphy only a year before.
25 years ago – April 22, 1998, Scout: Cherokee County Commissioner George Postell and his brother were charged in Macon County with illegal hunting of wild turkey, using baits to lure the birds.
- The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners proposed taking out a $3.7 million loan to construct a sewer line along U.S. 64 West and help build a new Andrews Middle School. A public hearing was set.
- Josh Trantham, a, first-grader at Murphy Elementary School, was asked: “If you were a professional football player, how much would you want to be paid?” His answer: “$20.” Update: The minimum NFL salary in 2023 is $750,000 per season.
April 23, 1998, Journal: Robert Dyer of Sylva caught a record 24.65-pound brown trout in the Nantahala River, beating the old state record by nearly 10 pounds.
- Andrews officials were told that the sewer system and wastewater treatment plant were in dire conditions, with one section that was hazardous to employees.
50 years ago – April 19, 1973, Scout: After 13-year-old Clyde A. Dockery Jr. slipped on a slick rock and tumbled into a deep pool of water on the Hiwassee River, 14-year-old Vic Haigler dove in and rescued his friend during a Boy Scouts camping trip at Fires Creek.
- A thief made away with 38 white marble grave markers from the Ogreeta Baptist Church cemetery.
- The price the Cherokee Scout was paying for newsprint rose to $168 per ton, the second increase in a year. Update: The Scout has paid more than $900 per ton for newsprint in recent months.
April 18, 1973, Journal: The Andrews Development Corp. heard the bad news that no federal dollars were available to help build a new recreational complex in town.
- The Pisgah Road home of Keith Wilson completely burned, with only some family possessions being saved. The fire’s origin was unknown.
– Publisher David Brown