ANDREWS
Man accused
of parts thefts
A local man is accused of stealing catalytic converters off of vehicles belonging to a local propane supplier.
Caine Tyler Burnette, 30, of Andrews, was arrested following a traffic stop on May 15. Authorities say he possessed parts from four catalytic converters, some of which were stolen from Freeman Gas in Murphy.
Officials say Burnette also had several debit cards and a food stamp card that didn’t belong to him. Police also found 50 feet of copper wire, which they also believe was stolen.
Officials added that Burnette is known to local law enforcement personnel, who initially stopped him for driving without a license.
MURPHY
Traffic stop
finds meth
A Georgia man was charged with trafficking methamphetamine last week following a traffic stop in Murphy.
Jessy Cecil Cable, 29, was arrested after deputies found 61.5 grams of alleged meth during a traffic stop in the 5000 block of U.S. 64 West. Authorities stopped Cable around 6:30 p.m. on May 18, after noticing a fake license plate on his vehicle.
In addition to the meth, officials say Cable possessed hypodermic needles, digital scales, smoking pipes and 5 grams of marijuana. A passenger in the vehicle was released without charges.
MARBLE
Man facing
drug charges
A Georgia man was arrested on drug charges following a high-speed chase Saturday morning.
“He got up to 112 mph,” Cherokee County sheriff’s Lt. Tiffany Holland said. “When they stopped him, he said he had just washed his car and was trying to dry it off.”
A deputy spotted a man later identified as Billy Chance Schmeltz speeding and swerving through traffic on U.S. 19 in Andrews around 7:45 a.m. May 22.
Officials say the chase extended to Marble, where 38-year-old Schmeltz pulled over and stopped without further incident. During a subsequent search, a deputy found 4.5 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle.
MURPHY
Police stats
during April
Below are the number of calls received or initiated by the Murphy Police Department between March 31 and April 28.
Alarms: 26.
Accidents: 30.
Arrests: 22.
Business checks: 898.
Citations: 7.
Community policing: 10.
Driving while impaired: 7.
Extra patrols: 170.
Follow-up investigations: 38.
Homeless shelter check-ins: 9.
Investigations: 51.
Special assignments: 0.
Suspicious person: 25.
Various calls for service: 265.
Vehicle stops: 35.
Psychiatric/suicide: 1.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day collected 829,543 pounds, or 419.7 tons, of unused, expired and unwanted medications across the country.
The Atlanta Field Division – which encompasses Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina – collected 20,031 pounds of that total. The April event included 4,425 community partners at 5,060 collection sites throughout the country, including one at Walgreens in Murphy, with North Carolina contributing 4,642 pounds.
“Events are critical to helping reduce overdose deaths and alleviate addiction by safely disposing of prescription medications in the home,” DEA Acting Administrator D. Christopher Evans said. “DEA is committed to providing a safe and secure method for the public to ride their homes of potentially dangerous drugs.”
From staff reports.