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Patsy Owens Rogers (center) goes over high school yearbooks with Mountain View High School alumni Nahala Ayers Nichols (left) and Judy Williams Biddix during a reunion on Saturday. Rogers started the annual reunion in 2019 along with her late brother, Richard. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Patsy Owens Rogers (center) goes over high school yearbooks with Mountain View High School alumni Nahala Ayers Nichols (left) and Judy Williams Biddix during a reunion on Saturday. Rogers started the annual reunion in 2019 along with her late brother, Richard. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Keeping memories alive

Randy Foster
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Meadow Branch – More than 30 alumni of Mountain View School gathered for their annual reunion at the Meadow Branch Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday. Mountain View School didn’t exist for all that long. It opened in 1953 and operated only as an elementary school during the 1953-54 school year.
Members of the JV Black Knights – Tillman Adams (12), Kasen Buchanan, Isiac Collins, John Dominguez-Romero (74), Matthew Phillips (7) and Kellen Ensley (52) – were all smiles while jogging off the field after Collins connected on a rare JV point-after during Robbinsville’s 59-6 romping of Andrews on Sept. 22. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Members of the JV Black Knights – Tillman Adams (12), Kasen Buchanan, Isiac Collins, John Dominguez-Romero (74), Matthew Phillips (7) and Kellen Ensley (52) – were all smiles while jogging off the field after Collins connected on a rare JV point-after during Robbinsville’s 59-6 romping of Andrews on Sept. 22. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Complete tune-up

Kevin Hensley
Friday, September 30, 2022
Robbinsville – Just six days prior to challenging for a piece of the pie, the junior varsity Black Knights put on a showcase.
Not a Trojan was found in the path of senior fullback Turner Jackson on Friday, as he began a 58-yard scoring sprint during the Knights’ 40-7 squashing of Alleghany. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Not a Trojan was found in the path of senior fullback Turner Jackson on Friday, as he began a 58-yard scoring sprint during the Knights’ 40-7 squashing of Alleghany. Photo by Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Anything but a war

Kevin Hensley
Friday, September 30, 2022
Robbinsville – If you are a casual observer, you would have never known the Black Knights had not played a football game in two weeks. The Alleghany Trojans made a 4 ½-hour trip for Friday’s homecoming game at Robbinsville.
This line of garbage debris was sitting just outside the former entrance to the Sweetwater Road (N.C. Highway 143) Convenience Center on Monday, but has since been cleaned up. Visuals like this are becoming more common in Graham County. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

This line of garbage debris was sitting just outside the former entrance to the Sweetwater Road (N.C. Highway 143) Convenience Center on Monday, but has since been cleaned up. Visuals like this are becoming more common in Graham County. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Convenience centers may become less convenient

Randy Foster
Friday, September 30, 2022
Bear Creek – The household waste convenience center off Tallulah Road – near Bear Creek Junction – is at the center of a complex problem.
The Robbinsville Lady Knights surround head coach Kadey Phillips on Tuesday, moments after a 4-set victory at Swain County gave Phillips’ her 100th career win. All names are listed from left. Kneeling in front: Suri Watty and Delaney Brooms. Second row: Claire Barlow, Liz Carpenter, Tai Owle, manager Eden Orr, Kadey Phillips, Kensley Phillips, Desta Trammell, assistant coach Dede Brooms and Fala Welch. Standing in back is Aubrie Wachacha. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

The Robbinsville Lady Knights surround head coach Kadey Phillips on Tuesday, moments after a 4-set victory at Swain County gave Phillips’ her 100th career win. All names are listed from left. Kneeling in front: Suri Watty and Delaney Brooms. Second row: Claire Barlow, Liz Carpenter, Tai Owle, manager Eden Orr, Kadey Phillips, Kensley Phillips, Desta Trammell, assistant coach Dede Brooms and Fala Welch. Standing in back is Aubrie Wachacha. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Model of consistency

Kevin Hensley
Friday, September 30, 2022
Bryson City – It took Kadey Phillips just 130 matches to carve out 100 career wins. The clincher was a 4-set Robbinsville Lady Knights triumph at Swain County on Tuesday.
This photo shows a 5-foot-deep pit filled with a mix of hydraulic fluid and water, where two dogs drowned earlier this month.

This photo shows a 5-foot-deep pit filled with a mix of hydraulic fluid and water, where two dogs drowned earlier this month.

State comes down hard on owner of Oak Valley

Randy Foster
Friday, September 30, 2022
Robbinsville – The owner of an unused industrial site in Robbinsville – where two dogs drowned in a pit of industrial waste earlier this month – has been put on notice by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality about serious violations and has 30 days to fix problems or face mounting penalties.
Nothing was going to erase the smile off Destanee Shay Trammell’s face Friday, after the Robbinsville High School senior was announced as the 2022-23 Homecoming Queen. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Nothing was going to erase the smile off Destanee Shay Trammell’s face Friday, after the Robbinsville High School senior was announced as the 2022-23 Homecoming Queen. Photo courtesy of Miranda Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Destined to be Queen

Kevin Hensley
Friday, September 30, 2022
Robbinsville – Ten members of the senior class experienced a whirlwind Friday. Hair. Nails. Make-up. A parade. Pause for five seconds, then don a dress for photos. Before you know it, halftime arrives and it is time to await the outcome of a vote from your peers.
One of two dumpsters sits full on the shores of Lake Santeetlah, following an unload of garbage collected during a community clean-up Saturday. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

One of two dumpsters sits full on the shores of Lake Santeetlah, following an unload of garbage collected during a community clean-up Saturday. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Trash by the boatload

Randy Foster
Friday, September 30, 2022
Lake Santeetlah – More than 70 people combed the shores of Lake Santeetlah on Saturday, collecting enough garbage, debris and discards to fill two large industrial garbage containers.
With Murphy’s Jude Pinkerton (78) in pursuit – and Robbinsville’s Owen Blevins (77) scanning the field for any signs of disruption – JV Black Knight Tillman Adams works his way upfield Sept. 15 at Murphy. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

With Murphy’s Jude Pinkerton (78) in pursuit – and Robbinsville’s Owen Blevins (77) scanning the field for any signs of disruption – JV Black Knight Tillman Adams works his way upfield Sept. 15 at Murphy. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Show up, show out

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Murphy – It was a bad night to be a Bulldog. From the opening whistle on Sept. 15, the junior varsity Robbinsville Black Knights dictated control over Murphy, with a mixture of solid rushing and stubborn defense stalling the hosts in a 22-16 triumph.