SERVING THE PEOPLE OF MADISON COUNTY SINCE 1901
M ' ' h
Vol. 84 No. 44 WEDNESDAY, Octoher 31, 198/ : v ! 25c
Cougars Down Patriots, 27-7
? . ?; ^ >*
Lions Lose Fifth Straight
The Marshall Merchants Association is sponsoring an
Operation Child Find Halloween Party on Main Street on Oct.
31 from 3 until 6 p.m. Children accompanied by an adult will be ?
fingerprinted for identifaction purposes at Town Hall.
Refreshments will be served. Participating merchants will
also distribute treats to youngsters. -
Greater Ivy Fall Festival
The Greater Ivy Community Development Club will hold its
annual Fall Festival on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Greater Ivy
Community Center. Singing, clogging and square dancing,
cake walks, games and a haunted house will be featured.
Tobacco Stripping Workshop Set
A tobacco stripping and grading demonstration will be held
on Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m. at Madison High School. All farmers are
invited to attend.
A second demonstration will be held at the P and E Grocery
on Hwy. 19 in Middle Fork at 2 p.m. the same day. Hie ses
sions are being sponsored by the Agricultural Extension Ser
vice and the Federal Grading Service. For more information,
contact Wiley DuVall at 640-2411.
Support Group Meets Nov. 5
The Madison County support group for families and friends
of the handicapped will hold their next monthly meeting on
Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Marshall Day Care Center. Gary Salaz
zo, director of retardation services for the Blue Ridge Mental
Health Center, will be the guest speaker. Refreshments will be
served. Call 649-2137 for more information.
Mars Hill Christmas Parade
The town of Mars Hill and the Mars Hill Lions Club will
sponsor a Christmas parade on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. All interested
persons should call 689-3881, 689-4166 or 680-2308 for more infor
mation.
American Legion To Meet
American Legion Post 317 in Mafs^ v$t hflfe tlvir mon
thly meeting on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Legion Hal! on Back St
Supper will be served by members of the Ladies Auxiliary.
Energy Assistance Available
The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program will accept
applications through Nov. .30 at the food stamp office on Main
Street in Marshall. Applications are also being accepted at
Senior Citizen meal sites throughout the county.
Town Boards To Meet Monday
The Boards of Aldermen for Marshall, Mars Hill and Hot
Springs will meet on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in their
respective town halls.
Commissioners Meet Monday
The Madison County Board of Commissioners will meet
Monday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Madison County Court
House.
School Board Meets Nov. 7
The Madison County Board of Education will meet on
Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 10:30 a^m. in the Madison County Court
House.
EPA Completes Clean-Up
95 Cyanide Drums Found At Smelting Plant
By ROBERT KOENIO
The Enviornmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has completed a
clean-up (or toxic chemicals at an
abandoned smelting plant in the San
dy Mush community.
An EPA crew completed the week
long clean-up last Moaday according
to Carol Walsh of the EPA's regional
office in Atlanta. The clean-up crew
located >5 drums containing cyanide
at the site of the former Western
Carolina Smelting Co. plant on N.C.
S3 in Sandy Mush. The clean-up crew*
also neutralized drums of uniden
tified acids found at the site.
Walsh reported that "Our work is
pretty well concluded" on the clean
up which was funded by the EPA's
Superfund" for disposal of hazardous
wastes.
The site of the former smelting
plant has been sealed off and the toxic
chemicals have been moved from the
plant. Walsh said that samples of the
chemicals have been taken and that
her office is awaiting approval for
disposal of the waste.
The drums of neutralized acids and
solidified bases from the plant will
probably be taken to disposal
facilities in Alabatna, Walsh said.
The drums containing cyanide will be
transported to Detroit, Mich, for pro
cessing.
Cyanide Site
FORMER WESTERN CAROLINA SMELTING CO. site was found to contain
95 drums of cyanide. Enviornmentai Protection Agency crews cleaned up the
site in Sandy Mush last week. Photo by Bob Kooflfc
Jury Convicts Rathbone
Receives 8-Year Sentence In Shooting Of Brother
- - '
By ROBERT KOENIU
df se?? men and 'ive
woAttteun.l Clyde Rathborrt- guilty
of Voluntary manslaughter Friday
afternoon in Madison County
Superior Court. Rath bone had been
charged with second degree murder
in connection with the June 11 death
of his brother, .Charles Rath bone.
Judge Charles E. Lamm sentenced
Rathbone to eight years in prison.
The jury deliberated for less than
two hours following two days at
testimony. In his instructions to the
jurors. Judge Lamm told them they
could find Rathbone guilty of either
second degree murder or the lesser
charge of voluntary manslaughter.
Rathbone sat expressionless as the
jury was polled following the an
nouncement of their verdict.
Rathbone held his wife's hand as
Clerk of Superior Court Jim Cody
polled each of the jurors individually.
Christine Rathbone sat at her hus
band's side throughout the trial
The trial opened Thursday morning
with testimony from Boyd Norton, a
member of the Emergency Medcal
Service who was the first to arrive at
the Sleepy Valley home following the
shooting. Norton testified that he
found both Clyde Rathbone and his
wife bleeding from gunshot wounds
when he arrived at the home.
Continued oa Page 7
Convicted
Photob^otTKoerMC
CLYDE RATHBONE, center, is escorted by ilwrifri dqwlits during a recess
in murder trial last week. Ralhbone was found guilty of voluntary
manslaughter in June II shooting of his brother, "Charles.
Martin And Edminsten On The Issues