It’s been 101 years since a novel virus swept around the world, shutting down borders, businesses, schools and worship on the scale that the COVID 19 virus is doing today.
World War I lasted from 1914 until 1918. Over 30 nations declared war during that period. An estimated 8.5 to 11 million soldiers were killed in battle or from battle wounds. War-related famine and disease also claimed an estimated 11 million civilian lives, bringing to about 22 million the …
SPANISH FLU – Emergency hospital during influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas, circa 1918. | National Museum of Health and Medicine
In recalling the Benfield fire and its consequences these past two weeks, I have been writing about relatively recent history. Writing about something that took place 38 years ago — as opposed to a half century or more — has some real advantages, but there are also drawbacks.
Five days after Benfield Industries went up in flames on April 21, 1982, forcing the evacuation of most of Hazelwood, owner Tom Benfield announced in The Mountaineer that he would not rebuild the chemical plant.
In 1976, Thomas Benfield bought the old Unagusta Furniture Company property in Hazelwood and created Benfield Industries, a bulk chemical mixing and packaging plant. He also created a time bomb.
Mark Pompilio, then a staff writer for The Mountaineer, wrote this first-hand account of the Benfield Fire, which captures the danger and drama of those hours. It was published on April 26, 1982.
Unless you’ve lived in Haywood County for a good many years, it is hard to grasp how the Pigeon River defines it as a county and a community. And these days, it is hard to appreciate how much work it took folks to cross its flow before motor vehicles and highway construction took the burden …
Though other counties have higher individual peaks, Haywood County is believed to have the highest mean elevation (3,600 feet) of any U.S. county east of the Mississippi River.Haywood is the only county in North Carolina where all the water flows out and none flows in.Haywood County has 350 …
This is mainly a historical piece, but there is some analysis and speculation thrown in today’s story, as well. Consider it a bonus – or maybe cause for debate. History isn’t always clear-cut.
Crime
A Maggie Valley man will spent the better part of two decades in prison after being found guilty on charges related to a meth lab he was running out of his residence.
A Waynesville man has been arrested for allegedly knocking out another man and stealing cash and prescription opioids from him once he was unconscious.
A 76-year-old Hyder Mountain man is dead, his son is wounded, and another son is charged in his father’s stabbing death and attempting to kill his brother.
A former Haywood County Sheriff’s Deputy charged in 2018 with several felonies related to the theft of evidence, including narcotics, will be spending at least the next seven years behind bars.
A Maggie Valley man is going to spend at least 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing his girlfriend’s daughter for well over a year.
A Haywood County man received a sentence of at least 94 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of attempted statutory sex offense with a person under 15 years of age.
The first murder trial in Haywood County since 2013 was brought to an abrupt halt last week right in the middle of jury selection.
Waynesville Police confirmed earlier this week that the two deceased individuals found Wednesday died as the result of a murder-suicide.
At 7:02 a.m., Jan. 21, officers from the Waynesville Police Department were called to 136 Long St., in reference to two deceased individuals who were found at the location.
A Haywood County Sheriff’s deputy has resigned after being charged with a DWI.
A Marion man already facing a felony assault charge has been hit with another felony after breaking the overhead fire sprinkler in his cell.
One case that captured the county’s attention involved the horrific death of 10-month-old Chloe Evans.
