10 years ago
* Although Kevin White had taught for 15 years, and was Teacher of the Year for Robbinsville High School, education wasn’t his first career choice. Originally, he had planned a career in law enforcement, but it didn’t take long for him to discover that working with criminals wasn’t for him. He decided to go into the education field teaching math, making the move to Robbinsville High School. His compassion for the students made him a favorite and he hopes every student who struggles in math knows that he is always available for help. “It’s a great place to live and work,” said White. Update: White and his wife Crystal are still employed with Graham County Schools today.
* The junior varsity Robbinsville Knights delivered a 46-18 shellacking to the Andrews Wildcats. Skyler Matheson passed for 168 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another 60 yards and four, two-point conversions. Chris Duncan ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. Douglas Ball ran for 84 yards and a touchdown, including a 75-yard kickoff return for the Wildcats.
25 years ago
* The 10-year celebration of the Mission Air Medical Ambulance, “MAMA,” was very special for many. More than 4,000 patients – an average of more than one per day, during the first 10 years of operation – had been served by MAMA and her crews. The skills of dedicated people – combined with the speed and maneuverability of the helicopter – provided patients with crucial benefits of stabilization during the critical “golden hour,” following an emergency.
* On Career Day, students from Robbinsville High School’s independent living class were placed on a “job-for-a-day”. The purpose of the “career day” was to give each student a first-hand view of the world of work. Kristina Collins tried out the life of a reporter with The Graham Star, as her hope was to combine a love of photography and reporting with her interest in police work as a photographer.
50 years ago
* Arson was suspected to be the cause of the fire that completely destroyed the Clay Perkins Motel and D.B. Ghormley’s IGA Store on the Hwy. 129 Bypass. Damage was estimated to be $300,000. Fire chief Ed Ingram said, “The fire apparently broke out in four places at the same time.” Because of suspected arson and sabotage to the fire trucks, the state fire marshal was called in to investigate.
* When Air Force Technical Sgt. C.H. Carwile – the local recruiter at Sylva – contacted David George about joining the Air Force, little did he know that he would get a crowd. George, Randall Deyton and David Crisp enlisted under the “buddy” plan, which guaranteed that they would stay together to complete basic training. The three said they all had different reasons for joining, ranging from educational opportunities to technical training. They left for Lackland AFB in Texas for basic training.
-Diane West