COVID-19

Masks mandatory once more at schools

Randy Foster
Friday, January 7, 2022
Robbinsville – Graham County Schools resumed mandatory masks on Wednesday, in an effort to avoid widespread quarantines from rising numbers of COVID-19 cases. Students, faculty and staff are required to wear masks for the rest of January.
Michelle Shiplet, left, helped her husband Matt during his almost four-month struggle to survive COVID-19. He missed Thanksgiving, but was home in time for Christmas at their Sweetwater home. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Michelle Shiplet, left, helped her husband Matt during his almost four-month struggle to survive COVID-19. He missed Thanksgiving, but was home in time for Christmas at their Sweetwater home. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Beating the odds

Randy Foster
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Sweetwater – Matt Shiplet, a federal highway engineer, was getting ready to shift between road projects back in August when he and his wife Michelle escorted a relative to be tested for COVID-19. Within days, both were sickened by the dangerous virus.

Ongoing projects discussed

Charlie Benton
Friday, October 15, 2021
Robbinsville – Some ongoing Graham County projects have moved forward in recent weeks.  Graham County Manager Jason Marino Gave updates on various projects at the Graham County Board of Commissioners continued meeting, held Monday, Oct. 4.
Two ambulances crewed by state paramedics have been deployed to Graham County to assist Graham County EMS for up to 30 days. Photo by Charlie Benton/news@grahamstar.com

Two ambulances crewed by state paramedics have been deployed to Graham County to assist Graham County EMS for up to 30 days. Photo by Charlie Benton/news@grahamstar.com

Extra ambulances deployed to county

Charlie Benton
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Graham County EMS is being aided by a few extra pairs of hands in its response to COVID-19. Last week, two extra ambulances – crewed by state paramedics – arrived in the county to help support local EMS providers for up to 30 days.

District-wide mask mandate will continue

Charlie Benton
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Robbinsville – Graham County Schools will continue to require students and teachers to “mask up” for at least another month.  On Tuesday, the Graham County Board of Education voted 3-2 to continue the mask mandate it approved in an emergency meeting on Sept. 1.

Schools return to in-person instruction

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 16, 2021
A two-week, in-person break ended for Graham County students Monday.  The district returned to in-person instruction – with a full mask mandate enforced – after switching to remote learning Aug. 31. “It went very well,” Superintendent Angie Knight said.

Mask surplus on-hand for in-person return

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Robbinsville – When Graham County students return to in-person instruction on Monday, they will be required to wear a mask. And thanks to a $14,134.58 investment, each pupil will have a mask available to them.

14th COVID death confirmed in county

Charlie Benton
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be waning nationally – and numbers continue to stay low around the state and the country – the virus has again taken its toll in Graham County.
A sign on the door of the Graham County Jail state’s that the facility is closed until further notice. A COVID-19 outbreak has affected at least eight people as of last week. Photo by Charlie Benton/news@grahamstar.com

A sign on the door of the Graham County Jail state’s that the facility is closed until further notice. A COVID-19 outbreak has affected at least eight people as of last week. Photo by Charlie Benton/news@grahamstar.com

Outbreak confirmed at county jail

Charlie Benton
Friday, June 11, 2021
Robbinsville – The presence of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the Graham County Jail. A post on the Graham County Health Department’s Facebook page confirmed the outbreak, with at least eight people affected so far.