Regional

Madison Coffey, Isabelle Handy, Daniella Giese, Ashley Ruston, Catherine Cloutier, Matthew Griffin, Craig Bucci and Slesha Tuladhar (clockwise from bottom left) work on Valentine’s Day cards for troops stationed overseas Friday at the Snowbird Community Library. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Madison Coffey, Isabelle Handy, Daniella Giese, Ashley Ruston, Catherine Cloutier, Matthew Griffin, Craig Bucci and Slesha Tuladhar (clockwise from bottom left) work on Valentine’s Day cards for troops stationed overseas Friday at the Snowbird Community Library. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Love from afar

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Snowbird – The Snowbird Community Library hosted the second annual Valentine’s Cards for our Troops event Friday, which saw nearly a dozen visitors from all over the world crafting Valentines for soldiers deployed overseas.
Oralene Simmons will be the keynote speaker at Western Carolina University's Martin Luther King, Jr. recognition Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Oralene Simmons will be the keynote speaker at Western Carolina University's Martin Luther King, Jr. recognition Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaker is Pioneer in Civil Rights

News Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Cullowhee – A civil rights pioneer, community leader and instrumental voice for social justice in the mountains will be the keynote speaker for Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations at Western Carolina University.

Middle school ready for tourney

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Rosman – High-tournament seeding lies ahead for the Robbinsville Middle School basketball program. Following a pair of road victories at Cherokee and Rosman, the Black Knights finished the season 11-2.  Meanwhile, the Lady Knights dropped their final two games and ended the campaign 9-4.

Knights mow down division

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Robbinsville – Amidst a hectic week – filled with conference matches aplenty – Robbinsville wrestling rose to the occasion. The Knights disposed of Murphy 74-6 and Hayesville 60-17 in a Cherokee County tri-match Jan. 9, before traveling to Rosman and downing the Tigers 75-6.

They came to play

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Robbinsville – Anyone reading the record book in the future will come across Friday’s home game against Swain County and see that Robbinsville suffered its eighth loss of the season. Perhaps what might get overlooked is just how close the game was.
This building in downtown Robbinsville has a massive field of kudzu growing adjacent to the structure. Photos by John Colwell/Contributing Photographer

This building in downtown Robbinsville has a massive field of kudzu growing adjacent to the structure. Photos by John Colwell/Contributing Photographer

Just say no to change

News Staff
Thursday, January 16, 2020
By John Colwell REVVED UP *Editor’s note: The views expressed in this op-ed do not reflect those of The Graham Star. Your hometown newspaper remains neutral on these topics and will continue to impartially print both sides of the issue.
A bald eagle, in-flight over Lake Junaluska in Haywood County. Photo by Amy Boggan/Contributing Photographer

A bald eagle, in-flight over Lake Junaluska in Haywood County. Photo by Amy Boggan/Contributing Photographer

Soaring from brink of extinction

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, January 16, 2020
The most majestic of birds, the symbol of our nation, the most sacred bird in Cherokee culture – crouched by the side of the highway, choking down hunks of roadkill opossum – has prompted Graham County residents to wonder: is this normal?  Is the bald eagle population increasing?

Census needs workers

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, January 16, 2020
As the U.S. Census Bureau prepares for this year’s count, Murphy and Andrews have only half the number of census workers needed. Graham County has even fewer.  Though temporary, these jobs pay well, at $17 per hour and 58 cents per mile.