Aug. 14, 1986
* To combat a lingering drought, over 400 bales of hay were shipped to Graham County. Eleven livestock handlers received the first shipment, while one person later was given 80 bales and two received 70 each. The Graham County Extension Service received applications for the emergency hay and determined eligibility based on acreage, field conditions and the amount of feed on-hand.
* U.S. Rep Bill Hendon told almost 100 members of the North Shore Cemetery Association that a $9.5 million settlement could be reached soon with Swain County, if the association would cease its opposition to placing 44,000 acres of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Association members wanted to ensure no roads would be built on the north shore of Fontana Lake. The dispute had began 43 years earlier, when Fontana Dam was built and N.C. 288 was flooded, blocking access to 26 cemeteries and nearly 1,000 graves. A 34-mile road was supposed to be built along the north shore to fix the problem, but never came to fruition. Update: Today, the North Shore Cemetery Association hosts annual decorations at those very cemeteries, with the majority launching from the Cable Cove Boating Access Area in Graham County.
Aug. 14, 1980
* Circumstances surrounding the incident were being kept quiet, but Robbinsville's Tony Phillips was expected to come home within the next week after he was critically stabbed in the abdomen. Phillips was transported to Swain County Community Hospital for treatment. Graham County Sheriff Fred Anderson said the department had completed its investigation, but released no details.
* Town of Robbinsville Public Works Supervisor Eugene Hooper said the water reservoir was at a dangerously-low level. Hooper asked town residents to refrain from washing cars, watering lawns or allowing children to play with hoses to cool off until the level could rise back up.
Aug. 14, 1970
* Graham Star editor Stella Sawyer suffered a broken arm when she was tripped up by her poodles while cooking dinner in her kitchen. Despite the break, a temporary splint allowed the latest edition to still make the presses. Update: That is dedication to your craft.
* The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite was set to air a feature on the final days of the Sidewinder Engine 1925. CBS News Commentator Charles Kuralt spent two days in Robbinsville filming one of the train's last journeys, which included a trek to Topton.
-Compiled by publisher/editor Kevin Hensley.