10 years ago
* Greg Cable was named the new Graham County Manager, in an unanimous vote by the board of commissioners. Cable was a candidate in 2010 for Clerk of Court, but lost to Tammy Holloway. “I am excited about this opportunity,” Cable said. “I look forward to helping the county.” Cable had a degree in banking and finance from Appalachian State University. His former employer was Better Built General Contracting, where Cable was project manager.
* The Robbinsville track program got off to a solid start in the Smoky Mountain Conference. The Knights exceeded all expectations as they overcame Swain County, Cherokee and Hiwassee Dam to win the first meet of the season. The teams won first place in several events to sweep the meet. Coach Ronnie Carringer said, “I’m proud of the way those young kids competed, they got some valuable experience. I could say something good about all of our events and it doesn’t get any better than that.”
25 years ago
* Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Mansour, pilot of the plane and passenger, Connie Snyder, were killed in a plane crash in a remote mountainous area on the Cherokee-Graham County line. Mansour, 38, was Special Operations Forces Contracting Divisions Chief at Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. Snyder, 45, was from Ohio, a civilian employee at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Helicopter pilot Mike Wilson confirmed the wreckage and location, which was the divide between Britton Creek and the old Andrews Water Shed, in an area called Walker Fields.
* In their first year of existence, the junior varsity baseball team started the season with a doubleheader sweep of Hayesville. Powered by a strong pitching performance from sophomore Travis Crisp, the Knights took the first game, 5-4. They also took the second game in, winning 12-11. Robbinsville held a 4-run lead going into the last inning, but Hayesville powered back to take a 2-run lead. The Black Knights came back to score three runs in the last inning to win the game.
-Diane West