July 3, 1997
* It was good news and bad news for Graham County Schools' bus garage, as David Sluder with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction praised Hubert Cable for his work. "I will put the mechanical condition of your buses up there with anyone else in the state," Sluder said. However, Sluder was quick to fault the district for a lack of facilities. "No one comes to working in the adverse conditions that (Cable) does." A new garage had been on the school's building plan since September 1996, but had yet to break ground due to budgetary restrictions. At the time, the shop needed a new roof, heating and cooling, re-wiring and "the walls themselves" were structurally bad, according to superintendent Donald Andrews. Update: A new bus garage was later built adjacent to Robbinsville Middle/High School.
* The Graham County Swim Team logged 11 first-place finishers at its season-opening meet against Franklin. The group was led by Josh Culbreath, who led the 11-12 division with four victories and set new program records in the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke and 100-meter freestyle. Other winners were Jesse Lovelace, 15-18 (100 free, 100-meter backstroke); Elle Perkins, 9-10 (100 free, 100-meter medley); Charles Powell, 9-10 (100 free); Luke Perkins, 6-8 (25-meter freestyle, 25-meter backstroke, 100-meter freestyle relay); Franklin McKinney, 8-10 (25 free, 100 free relay); Grant Powell, 11-12 (200-meter freestyle relay); Chadd Carpenter, 11-12 (200 free relay); Billy Underwood, 11-12 (200 free relay); Nicholas Franks, 8-10 (100 free relay); and Kris Carpenter, 8-10 (100 free relay).
July 3, 1986
* A single-engine plane crashed while trying to land on Sweetwater Road (N.C. 143), near Beech Creek Road. All four passengers survived, but were transported to area hospitals: pilot Richard Hoffman of Berea, Calif., was initially taken to Mountain Park Medical Center in Andrews before being airlifted to Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta. He was listed in serious condition. Hoffman's wife Patricia remained in the ICU at Murphy Medical Center, while Richard's brother Dennis and wife Sandra of Milford, Mich., were both transported to Mountain Park Medical Center. Eyewitnesses said the plane circled low around Robbinsville for roughly 30 minutes, before attempting to make two landings on N.C. 143. Each time, the plane had to pull up to avoid colliding with a vehicle. After the second attempt, the plane veered left, struck a tree roughly 40 feet above the ground, tore off its left wing, then flipped upside down before crashing. The individuals involved were said to be visiting Cherokee County when the accident occurred.
* Graham County School officials were set for a crucial meeting in Asheville, with members of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. In addition to the divisions of school planning and student information management recommending that the local district not be given the special small-schools teacher allotment for the 1986-87 year, there was also heavy favoritism from the state about closing Stecoah High School. Update: Stecoah High did indeed hold its final graduation exercise in 1987.
July 3, 1980
* A new musical group took the county by storm. Comprised solely of local residents, "Sweetwater" was set for weekly performances at the Fontana Village Recreation Hall, as well as the community square dance in Robbinsville. Band members were Robbie Hensley, Robert Mosley, Vance Trull, Mark Williams and Johnny Hensley. Update: The Hensley's are maybe 45th cousins to the editor to this publication, which explains his lack of musical acumen.
* The 23rd Annual Western North Carolina Wagon Train camped at Lake Santeetlah and the Robbinsville airport, before returning to Andrews on the final leg of its eight-day journey. Update: Yes, Graham County once had an airport.
-Compiled by publisher/editor Kevin Hensley.