DryCounty

Graham County resident Aaron Bradley speaks during the public comment portion of Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting. Photos by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Graham County resident Aaron Bradley speaks during the public comment portion of Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting. Photos by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Alcohol sales tabled by commissioners

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Robbinsville – The topic of alcohol sales continues to play a game of hot-potato.
The meeting room, hallway and lobby of the Graham County Public Library were packed Feb. 5, when the Town of Robbinsville once again discussed the possibility of putting alcohol sales on the ballot. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

The meeting room, hallway and lobby of the Graham County Public Library were packed Feb. 5, when the Town of Robbinsville once again discussed the possibility of putting alcohol sales on the ballot. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Alcohol sales shelved again

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Robbinsville – For the second straight month, the town had the decision whether to vote on allowing constituents to decide if Graham County would sell alcohol once again or not. For the second straight month, the aldermen elected to table the issue. This time, until April. The Feb.
Heavy public interest in the Town of Robbinsville meeting on Jan. 8 – originally believed to be the session a resolution that would allow alcohol sales to appear on the next ballot – forced a last-minute relocation to the nearby Graham County Courthouse. Photo by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

Heavy public interest in the Town of Robbinsville meeting on Jan. 8 – originally believed to be the session a resolution that would allow alcohol sales to appear on the next ballot – forced a last-minute relocation to the nearby Graham County Courthouse. Photo by Kevin Hensley/editor@grahamstar.com

No alcohol sales – for now

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Robbinsville – Formal at times – contentious at others – the Jan. 8 town Board of Aldermen meeting was spearheaded by a 45-minute public comment period on a proposal that would allow voters to decide on alcohol sales within the city limits.

Does prohibition reduce drinking?

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, January 9, 2020
While Graham County appears to be the outlier as the only county in North Carolina prohibiting alcohol sales, a total of 18 million Americans also live in dry counties.

Prosperity committee seeks economic development

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Anne Hager describes the Prosperity Committee as “a group of people with a vision of what Graham County could be, if we had some more economic development.” Hager, along with her husband Jim and other concerned citizens, formed the Prosperity Committee in spring of this year after the N.C.

Studies link alcohol bans to increased meth use

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, October 24, 2019
After a six-year study of Kentucky counties, researchers at the University of Louisville concluded that “dry counties” tend to have more intense problems with methamphetamine abuse than counties where alcohol is legal.