Local

Santeetlah council has not met since mid-November

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Lake Santeetlah – The Town of Lake Santeetlah Town Council is having a hard time getting together. The council has cancelled every meeting since November, either because of procedural issues, prior commitments, illness, scheduled vacations, or combinations of these.
Following a public hearing in November, the N.C. Department of Transportation has opted to replace this aging bridge on Lower Mill Creek Road, instead of the original plan to remove the bridge and construct two turnarounds. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Following a public hearing in November, the N.C. Department of Transportation has opted to replace this aging bridge on Lower Mill Creek Road, instead of the original plan to remove the bridge and construct two turnarounds. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Lower Mill Creek Bridge will be replaced

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Tallulah – They listened. Officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation were greeted by a large turnout of opposition to a Nov.

County closing in on new urgent care contract

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Robbinsville – Graham County commissioners were expected to make final decisions after Wednesday’s press deadline on a contract with Dr. David Booth to take over urgent care operations in the county. The board of commissioners were scheduled to meet in closed session at 5 p.m.
Robbinsville Middle School Principal Tonia Walsh (right) leads a tour of officials Tuesday, including county project manager Jason Marino, county finance officer Becky Garland and interim county manager Kim Crisp (from back). Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville Middle School Principal Tonia Walsh (right) leads a tour of officials Tuesday, including county project manager Jason Marino, county finance officer Becky Garland and interim county manager Kim Crisp (from back). Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

$4.5 million well spent

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Robbinsville – School officials officially unveiled the new Robbinsville Middle School addition Tuesday, a $4.5 million structure intended to relieve overcrowding at the high school/middle school complex off Sweetwater Road.

Smith named interim health director

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Robbinsville – Graham County commissioners appointed Meggan Smith – a Robbinsville-based family nurse practitioner – to fill in as interim public health director, following Beth Booth’s impending departure from the Public Health Department on Feb. 3. The Board of Commissioner recessed from its Jan.
Crews begin to extract a Toyota Highlander from Lake Santeetlah around 5 p.m. Jan. 19, after the SUV crashed into the water during the early-morning hours. Jose Alfredo Moreno-Romero, 23, passed away in the accident, while the driver and a rear-seat passenger managed to escape. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Crews begin to extract a Toyota Highlander from Lake Santeetlah around 5 p.m. Jan. 19, after the SUV crashed into the water during the early-morning hours. Jose Alfredo Moreno-Romero, 23, passed away in the accident, while the driver and a rear-seat passenger managed to escape. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

County rocked by fatal SUV crash into lake

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 26, 2023
In this photo from the Feb. 9, 2017 edition of The Graham Star, Freddy Romero erupts in jubilation after securing the state dual-team, championship-clinching pin for the Robbinsville Black Knights. Romero was honored before Jan. 19’s match against Swain County and Andrews.
An SUV was pulled from Lake Santeetlah around 5 p.m. today, after crashing into the water overnight. The N.C. Highway Patrol confirmed to The Graham Star on Thursday evening that 23-year-old Robbinsville resident Jose Alfredo Moreno-Romero passed away in the accident. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

An SUV was pulled from Lake Santeetlah around 5 p.m. today, after crashing into the water overnight. The N.C. Highway Patrol confirmed to The Graham Star on Thursday evening that 23-year-old Robbinsville resident Jose Alfredo Moreno-Romero passed away in the accident. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Local man passes away, two survive wreck into Lake Santeetlah

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Lake Santeetlah – A Robbinsville man was killed – but two others survived – when an SUV crashed into Lake Santeetlah off Thunderbird Mountain Road early Thursday morning.

Big Brothers Big Sisters emerges from pandemic

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Robbinsville – In Graham County, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina has been in a COVID-19-induced hibernation over the past couple of years. But that’s coming to an end. The organization has a new Graham County program coordinator for the first time in a number of years.

Health board meeting short, contentious

Randy Foster
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Robbinsville – Graham County commissioners summoned the Graham County Health Advisory Board for a special meeting on Jan. 10, but it didn’t go quite like expected and lasted around five minutes.