Coronavirus

Health director Beth Booth, head nurse Lorita Eller and Community Care of North Carolina case investigator Michelle Stell are just some of the members of the Graham County Health Department that have been at the forefront of the local response to COVID-19. Photo by Charlie Benton/news@grahamstar.com

Caring in a crisis

Charlie Benton

Friday, April 23, 2021

* Unsung Heroes: Part 4 in a 5-part series Tallulah – The Graham County Health Department has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic locally – while at the same time, maintaining its myriad of other duties.

County to receive funds for reopening schools

Charlie Benton

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Graham County has netted some money to help its public schools reopen safely in the wake of COVID-19. According to a press release from State Rep. Karl Gillespie, R-Franklin, Graham County Schools will receive $1,252,350 from the $1.6 billion allotted by Senate Bill 36.

Yes, folks: the flu is still out there

Charlie Benton

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Robbinsville – Often questioned, yet rarely analyzed. Yes, flu season is underway – even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues – and the Graham County Health Department is still offering some services to help.

In this March 29 photo, Graham County Deputy Jim Hyde (left) and Graham County Land’s Quinn Carver help man one of the five entry points into the county, which were closed to non-residents in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

A look back at 2020

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, December 31, 2020

The dawn of the new decade was seemingly dominated by a worldwide pandemic. And while the coronavirus has certainly made its presence felt in the area, Graham County still had a bevy of impactful events occur within its borders.

Cluster leads to spike in cases

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, October 1, 2020

A Graham County church has been cited as the latest connection to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Graham County Department of Health & Human Services issued a press release about the latest cluster Monday, reporting that 18 cases have been tied to the congregation since Friday.

Those wishing to be tested for COVID-19 were able to stop outside the Robbinsville Post Office on Wednesday, Aug. 19. On-hand to help conduct the tests were Hannah Anderson, April Morefield, Emily Collins and Haley Anderson (from left). Photo by Art Miller/amiller@grahamstar.com

Virus hits local nursing home

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Atoah – The coronavirus has hit the local nursing home. Two staff members of Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a release issued by the county’s health department Monday. No residents have tested positive.

Cases spiking in Graham

Kevin Hensley

Friday, July 31, 2020

Robbinsville – By Graham County’s standards, the number of positive COVID-19 cases has spiked. After sitting idle since June 30 – when the county confirmed just its 10th case – Graham has recorded 10 cases in the last week alone.

Case count hits 8

Kevin Hensley

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Monday’s Graham County COVID-19 case count included the addition of two new confirmed cases over the weekend, bringing the total in Graham to eight. The last confirmed case was announced June 11, which capped off a week of four new cases. Before that, Graham’s last confirmed case was in early May.

Case count reaches 6

Kevin Hensley

Friday, June 12, 2020

Four cases in 10 days. A slow trend if you look most anywhere, but for Graham County, which stood as one of the final four in North Carolina to not have a positive case of COVID-19, it might raise some eyebrows.

Go-slow reopening may be costly

John Hood

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Over the first two months of the coronavirus crisis, our labor-market cratered. The number of employed North Carolinians dropped by 820,000, or 17 percent. Only 56.3 percent of working-aged residents were either employed or actively looking for jobs.