10 years ago
* Robbinsville High School’s graduation rate of nearly 94 percent was leading the state, according to the recent report. With the state graduation average being 80.2 percent for the 2011-12 school year, “the school received a phone call from State Superintendent June Atkinson, congratulating us,” said Graham County Schools Superintendent Chip Carringer. “I think a student’s success in high school has to start in elementary school. We will be recognized later this year.” The 2011 school year met or exceeded state testing expectations, as there were 17 state-mandated tests and Robbinsville was at — or above — average in all but two.
* The Robbinsville Black Knights held their own in a scrimmage against Enka. “I’m very pleased with what I’m seeing on the field and the way this team is playing,” said Robbinsville head coach Dee Walsh. The scrimmage opened up with each team having 10 offensive plays. After both teams scored, the scrimmage switched to game situations. The game ended in a 21-21 tie and gave the coaches a look at what needs to be worked on before their next game against Hapeville Charter, a school they had beaten 20-6 the previous year. Update: Walsh is still at the helm of Robbinsville High football today.
25 years ago
* County Commissioner Raymond Williams appeared before the Graham County school board as a parent. “My son has done nothing wrong,” Williams said. What his son, Raymie did was to be chosen to compete in the Junior Olympics Wrestling event in Charlotte. This meant that Raymie would miss 3-6 days of football practice and according to coach Bruce Snyder, it wasn’t fair to the other players. In the previous year, Raymie was allowed to play football after his competition in Junior Olympics, only having to miss the first game. Superintendent Donald Andrews replied “Yes, in football season,” after the board was asked if they wanted to send out this type of message to the people of Graham County. Williams began the appeal for Snyder’s decision. Raymie placed seventh in his weight class at the national competition.
* Carandee Wachacha, a student at Robbinsville Elementary School, won a gold medal in the karate competition at the Junior Olympics. She and her brother Randy were no strangers to the competition. Though they received only two years of karate instruction together, they had earned 23 medals in tournaments throughout the Southeast. Both 11-year-old Carandee and 13-year-old Randy planned to pursue their black belts to the highest level, which required them to study for at least a year in Japan. Very dedicated to her training, Carandee would not be eligible for the World Cup Competition until she was 13 as well.
50 years ago
* A Snowbird tour was enjoyed by many from the western North Carolina area, as the community was a winner of the Western North Carolina Community Development Program. The families of Snowbird completed an impressive list of projects in winning first-place honors in the rural improvement program. The program was in the 23rd year. It covered 18 western counties, with 84 organized communities participating in 1972.
* Two young Robbinsville girls – Donna Crisp, 17 and her sister Joan, 5 – were injured in a farm tractor accident on Old Tallulah Road. Donna was the driver of a Massey Ferguson tractor and was going to her grandparents house about a mile away, so she put her sister in her lap. The tractor went out of control and hurled down a 50-foot embankment, then continued on another 50 feet before coming to a complete stop. Both girls were thrown from the tractor. Their brother, 12-year-old Ross Jr., arrived on the scene immediately. After taking Joan home, he was able to call the operator to send an ambulance. Both girls were admitted to Andrews Hospital.
-Compiled by Diane West