News

An unidentified worker looks over the floor of a bathroom that has been closed for remodeling at the Graham County Community Building. A pipe burst around the remodel overnight Friday, causing the county offices to close. As of Tuesday, the offices have not reopened. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

An unidentified worker looks over the floor of a bathroom that has been closed for remodeling at the Graham County Community Building. A pipe burst around the remodel overnight Friday, causing the county offices to close. As of Tuesday, the offices have not reopened. Photos by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Pipe leak floods Graham County offices

Randy Foster
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Robbinsville – A construction error led to a water line break and major flooding Friday at the Graham County Community Building on Knight Street, forcing county offices to close temporarily.
For the second time in a 7-week span, a threat from the student body at Robbinsville High School forced Graham County Schools to alter its schedule. Photo by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

For the second time in a 7-week span, a threat from the student body at Robbinsville High School forced Graham County Schools to alter its schedule. Photo by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

Online threat delays school day

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Robbinsville – It is becoming a disturbing trend across the country: threats made either by phone or online that endanger local school systems. Sadly, the Graham County School district has recently found susceptible to the issue – twice, in a 7-week span.
Black Knights senior Turner Jackson stares down Alleghany's Isaac Stokes at the outset of Jan. 28's, second-round state dual-team tournament match in Robbinsville. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights senior Turner Jackson stares down Alleghany's Isaac Stokes at the outset of Jan. 28's, second-round state dual-team tournament match in Robbinsville. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights continue quest for state dual title

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Bryson City – Robbinsville's pursuit of the program's second dual-team state wrestling championship came to a heartbreaking conclusion Wednesday at Swain County High School. Entering the postseason with the No. 1 seed, Robbinsville (29-4) faced a fired-up Swain County (No.
The Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights gathered on the court with their runner-up plaque after the conference-tournament finale Jan. 19 at Murphy.

The Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights gathered on the court with their runner-up plaque after the conference-tournament finale Jan. 19 at Murphy.

Middle school Knights drop tournament finals to Braves

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Murphy – The Black Knights pushed their season to its latest possible game: the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament finals. But Robbinsville’s dance partner in the Jan. 19 title showdown was Cherokee, a team that had its number during the regular season.
All Cherokee’s Alexis Smith could do was look on as Desta Trammell took flight for a second-half bucket Tuesday at Cherokee. Trammell had 42 points at Swain County on Jan. 19 and her 23-point evening at Cherokee pushed her to 1,603 career points. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

All Cherokee’s Alexis Smith could do was look on as Desta Trammell took flight for a second-half bucket Tuesday at Cherokee. Trammell had 42 points at Swain County on Jan. 19 and her 23-point evening at Cherokee pushed her to 1,603 career points. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lady Knights left with questions, very few answers

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Cherokee – The only Smoky Mountain Conference team that has had the Lady Knights’ number this year is the Cherokee Braves. Robbinsville (10-7, 4-2) entered Tuesday’s rematch with the first-place Braves, full of optimism that the Knights had the right game plan in place after the first outing Dec.
Lina Pagan (left) and Yeika Jimenez Diaz’s love for basketball has came full circle, with both playing against each other at the collegiate level – something neither could have dreamed would be a reality while growing up in Puerto Rico. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lina Pagan (left) and Yeika Jimenez Diaz’s love for basketball has came full circle, with both playing against each other at the collegiate level – something neither could have dreamed would be a reality while growing up in Puerto Rico. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Aprovechando el momento

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Athens, Tenn. – They competed against each other before coming to the United States. So it is only appropriate that Yeika Jimenez Diaz and Linaysha Pagan dress out in opposing uniforms today. Their story is unlike any you have ever heard.
Exhausted, Koleson Dooley (220) rises to a knee after securing a 3-2, sudden-death overtime win over Swain County’s Blake Sain on Jan. 19. Dooley went to overtime with Sain during the James Orr Invitational on Jan. 14 and went to ultimate-tiebreaker in Saturday’s conference Tournament. Dooley triumphed on all three occasions. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Exhausted, Koleson Dooley (220) rises to a knee after securing a 3-2, sudden-death overtime win over Swain County’s Blake Sain on Jan. 19. Dooley went to overtime with Sain during the James Orr Invitational on Jan. 14 and went to ultimate-tiebreaker in Saturday’s conference Tournament. Dooley triumphed on all three occasions. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Conference conquered

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Robbinsville – When a program has won 25 Smoky Mountain Conference titles in just 46 years of existence, the term “powerhouse” is certainly applicable. But this year was supposed to be different, critics said. Of the six state champions Robbinsville Wrestling produced last year, just two returned.
Donovan Carpenter glances down at his handiwork in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s comeback victory at Cherokee. Carpenter’s dunk resoundingly affirmed a 58-48 win for the Black Knights. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Donovan Carpenter glances down at his handiwork in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s comeback victory at Cherokee. Carpenter’s dunk resoundingly affirmed a 58-48 win for the Black Knights. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Slow and steady wins the race

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Cherokee – It was time to take the Braves to school.

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.
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.