* 2022 Year in Review
From the first legal alcohol sales within Robbinsville since 1948, to newly-elected officials; individual state champions to lawsuits with widespread impact, The Graham Star ends 2022 by digging deep into its recent archives and looking back at 10 of the most-significant stories of the year.
Beer, wine sales
After Robbinsville voters approved the first legal sales of beer and wine in the town since the 1940s, the town was just getting started with the paperwork when 2022 dawned.
Ingles later became the first location to sell beer and wine in March, with other businesses – such as the Shell and Sunoco gas stations on U.S. 129 – soon following suit.
The debate over beer and wine sales had fluctuated over several decades, but never garnered enough steam to overturn the ban until a group called the “Prosperity Committee” began advocating in 2020. Public debate ensued just before – and even during – the start of the pandemic. The board of commissioners unanimously declined to place the topic up for vote, but Robbinsville town aldermen voted to allow the debate to be settled on the 2021 municipal ballot.
The vote changed Graham County’s status from a “dry” county to “moist.”
COVID-19
The year started the way one would expect over the past couple of years – with an Omicron-led spike in COVID-19 numbers. The Graham County Board of Education begrudgingly resumed mandatory masks in January and by month’s end, the county’s post-holiday COVID-19 spike was three times worse than January 2021.
With COVID-19 numbers in the county declining, the board of education voted in February to remove the mandatory-mask requirement and make masks optional.
North Carolina ended its COVID-19 state of emergency in August, as well and the Graham County school year started under normal conditions for the first time since 2019
‘Ella’
In November, the board of commissioners – which also serves as the county’s health board – voted for the Graham County Public Health Department to continue making Ella available. Ella is an emergency contraceptive that critics consider a form of drug-induced abortion.
The build to the vote proved to be a divisive issue for county residents.
Graham County Land
Stricken by COVID-19, a declining economy and issues getting paid by its customers, Graham County Land Company collapsed and was liquidated to repay its own creditors. The process started in 2021 and culminated in an equipment auction and settlement agreement between key execs and Flexible Funding, Graham County Land Company’s biggest lender.
Flexible Funding discovered that two key company officials sold a 32-acre parcel off Tapoco Road for $1.313 million without giving the money to the creditor. Located on the banks of the Cheoah River – the land was purchased by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Plans are to build an expanded Junaluska Museum along with other amenities that will have a huge, beneficial impact on Graham County.
A court-appointed receiver proposed a distribution of assets from the Graham County Land Company liquidation in April, before executives for the company reached individual settlements in August with Flexible Funding.
‘K’ finally begins
In August, the N.C. Department of Transportation announced that letting was to begin for construction on Corridor K, a project that will expand Graham County highways and improve access to the state’s most-remote mountain county. Some 57 years after it was conceived, Corridor K got its groundbreaking during a September ceremony at Robbinsville High School. The 12-mile project connects Robbinsville to the four-lane at Wolf Creek, with an expanded roadway and nature bridge at Stecoah Gap.
In August, Franklin-based Watson Contracting won the rights to construct “Section A” – from Five Points Road in Robbinsville to Beech Creek Road on N.C. 143. Sevierville, Tenn.-firm Charles Blalock & Sons was awarded “Section B” – from Beech Creek Road to Stecoah Gap – in September, before local company Adams Contracting received the contract for “Section CC” on Dec. 20, which extends the improvements to Stecoah Road on N.C. 28.
The final leg to Wolf Creek General Store – “Section CD” – will be letted in October 2023.
New officials
One local incumbent lost in the May 17 primary: county commissioner Dale Wiggins to challenger Natasha Williams. Sheriff Jerry Crisp and former sheriff Russell Moody went to a Republican-nod runoff. Williams ended up winning the seat by one vote against Andy Lynn.
In a July runoff, Moody beat Crisp for the nomination, but lost to Unaffiliated Brad Hoxit in November. Hoxit is the first independent sheriff in Graham County history.
The November election saw Williams get the seat on the board of commissioners, as other commissioner incumbents Jacob Nelms and Lynn Cody won comfortably. Debra “Hank” Dinschel came in second for the two board of education seats in the Republican primary and beat Democrat Maria Shook – after two recounts – in the November general election. Clark “Chip” Carringer was re-elected to the other seat.
Sesquicentennial
The anniversary date of Graham County’s founding was Jan. 30, but COVID-19 delayed planning until a group of volunteers gathered at the Graham County Community Building to get things started.
The county finally celebrated its sesquicentennial in August. The party spanned two consecutive weekends: one for Stecoah and Fontana Dam, followed by a weekend centered in Robbinsville, the county seat.
In October, The Graham Star released a 60-page commemorative magazine to help chronicle the history of the county. Extra copies can now be purchased for $10 apiece at the Star’s office on Tallulah Road.
State champions
Between 3 ½-4 hours from home, nine Robbinsville High School athletes collected 1A state medals in three different sports.
The sprint began in Greensboro, with senior grappler Aynsley Fink (107 pounds) capturing her second-straight women’s invitational title Feb. 5. Just six days later, Zoie Shuler became Robbinsville’s first-ever female, indoor-track state champion by scooping up the 1A/2A long-jump crown. A return to Greensboro one week later added Kyle Fink (182 pounds); Kage Williams (195), Ben Wachacha (220) and Alexis Panama (106) to Robbinsville wrestling’s state-title lineup.
The Knights made waves at the outdoor-track championships May 21 as well, with Brock Adams prevailing in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles to collect gold. Shuler leapt to 1A titles in both the long and triple jumps.
Shuler, Williams, Panama and Adams are all set to defend their championships this year.
Urgent care
The Bryson City-based Smoky Mountain Urgent Care runs a clinic and imaging services in a Graham County facility. The practice leases the space, but Graham County threatened to evict the practice for reasons the county was initially vague about.
The practice filed a lawsuit against the county in February and obtained a restraining order – preventing eviction. Court files showed that Smoky Mountain Urgent Care had a three-part contract and was in breach of contract in two of them. Smoky Mountain Urgent Care lost its lawsuit in August, but a stay was issued pending appeal.
Voter challenge
In July, the Graham County Board of Elections held a 3-hour preliminary hearing over contested votes from the town election in November 2021, in which a slate of three candidates – Tina Emerson, Connie Gross and Ralph Mitchell – were swept into office with write-in votes, many of which were cast by part-time residents.
The board ruled that there is sufficient evidence to proceed with an evidentiary hearing, but the challenge against Emerson was dismissed after a 10-hour September hearing.
Challenges against Tina’s husband John – as well as the six-member Hutsell family – should play out in 2023.