In this week’s archives of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal:
10 years ago – Jan. 22, 2014, Scout: For its 50th birthday, the Scout wrapped up a two-part series on the past, present and future of Tri-County Community College based in Peachtree.
- U.S. marshals arrested fugitive Adam Reece Taylor, 35, of Farner, Tenn. Taylor went on the run after he was given a suspended sentence upon being convicted of sexual battery in 2009.
- The Scout’s Hillbilly Ranger columnist, Wally Avett, shared how Big Tobacco finally apologized after causing an untold number of deaths from people using their poison.
Jan. 23, 2014, Journal: Aaron William Davis, 29, of Marble, faced charges in the robbery of the Big D convenience store on U.S. 64 West in Murphy. He was held down by another person until police arrived.
- The Macon County Board of Elections office was closed, and the State Bureau of Investigation was on the scene, after District Attorney Mike Bonfoey requested an investigation into the office.
25 years ago – Jan. 20, 1999, Scout: The long-proposed Corridor K project suffered yet another setback when the alternatives for a four-lane connector highway between Andrews and Robbinsville were no longer included in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s building schedule.
- Cancer rates in Cherokee County were lower than both state and national averages, according to the N.C. Central Cancer Registry. From 1993-97, the county suffered 288 cancer-related deaths, an average of 149.9 out of every 100,000 people.
- Members of the Cherokee County Board of Education said they would considered a request to add soccer to the list of sports available to area high school students. Update: Though there have been some ups and downs per school, soccer is being played today.
Jan. 21, 1999, Journal: Evidence showed that Olympic bombing fugitive Eric Rudolph may have dug a bunker in the Nantahala National Forest in order to avoid detection by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners hired Bill Block as finance officer at an annual salary of $44,800, and Randy Wiggins as county manager at a salary of $41,200. Update: Wiggins left for a time to work in the private sector, but has since come back to serve as county manager – albeit at a higher salary than 25 years ago.
50 years ago – Jan. 24, 1974, Scout: A total of 71 new garbage containers were delivered and put into place across Cherokee County. Within 24 hours, the first Dumpster that was opened – on U.S. 64 West – was filled to overflowing.
- Westco and Western Carolina telephone companies planned to spend a total of $1,665,988 on a massive five-year building program in Cherokee and Clay counties. Update: Frontier operates using some of those same phone lines today.
- Murphy star running back Willie Brown was one of 30 All-Americans honored by state in Who’s Who in National High School Athletics. Brown, an 18-year-old junior, rushed for 1,836 yards and scored 29 touchdowns this season.
Jan. 23, 1974, Journal: Local residents got together to presents arguments for and against a plan to abolish all three districts for Cherokee County commissioners and create new ones.
- “All the news that fits!” proclaimed the Journal’s masthead. And, regardless of how much local news was in the newspaper that week, they were exactly right.
– Publisher David Brown