Feb. 29, 1996
* Marshall McClung, along with 38 other local “Community Hero’s,” including Sidney Wilkey – a Robbinsville native – were awarded the honor of carrying the Olympic flame through Western North Carolina, on its way to the 1996 Olympics. A total of 147 judging panels across North Carolina were formed to select 5,500 hero torchbearers.
* Maps of the Corridor K project, showing the plan for the proposed roadway and the right-of-way to be purchased, was presented to a packed house at the old Stecoah School. Concerns were about the homes and land that might be taken for the expansion of Hwy. 28. A public hearing officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation said that Corridor K, between Almond and Andrews, was the missing link to connect I-75 in Tennessee and I-40 in North Carolina. Update: The project finally broke ground in October 2022 – and residents along Sweetwater Road are all-too-familiar with the increase in the daily commute as a result.
* Plans for a new town hall in Lake Santeetlah were finally progressing. The first deed given to the town was for a section of land already owned by the town, but according to mayor Bill Wood, “everything had been straightened out by the attorney’s office,” so the town could proceed with their plan. The new town hall would be just downhill from the existing one and will include a parking area.
-Compiled by Diane West