MURPHY
Firm handles foreclosures
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has contracted with Asheville-based Kania Law Firm, P.A., to handle foreclosures.
The firm will initiate and complete judicial foreclosures on behalf of the county, according to the agreement approved by the board on Feb. 20. The firm will conduct a minimum 20-year search on all titles or a full one-link search from the vesting deed into the current owner of record to the present, whichever is longer.
The firm, which does not handle appeals itself, will also assist the county in hiring lawyers in cases where an appeal from the judgment is entered in district or superior court, or subsequently appealed to the N.C. Court of Appeals.
The contract covers up to five hours of contested hearings and post-judgment motions. The firm will collect and file actions for real property taxes, personal property taxes, nuisance abatement liens, demolition liens, special assessments and solid waste fees.
Kania Law Firm has been in practice since 1985 and specializes in default services for county and municipal tax collectors and assessors. It will generally draw its compensation, which was not divulged in the contract made public, from proceeds of the foreclosures.
MURPHY
Gas savings to buy cars
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will be using a surplus in its fuel budget to buy two new patrol cars.
The sheriff’s office’s fuel budget was set last year during a period of spiking inflation and fuel costs. Declining gas prices left a surplus and an opportunity to replace high-mileage patrol cars beyond what the sheriff already budgeted for.
The sheriff’s office has been replacing patrol cars at a rate of three to four a year for the past few years, using money budgeted for that purpose.
MURPHY
Griggs denies preference
District 5 Commissioner Jan Griggs of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners denied an allegation that her husband was given preferential treatment in a waiting list for hangar space at Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews.
John Leder of Cherokee County said Griggs’ husband, Joseph Griggs, was suddenly bumped to the top of the waiting list, ahead of other people who have been waiting for years.
Commissioner Griggs called the accusation unfounded. Assistant county manager Maria Hass, who oversees the airport, refuted the accusation outright.
Hass said Griggs had been at the top of the list two years ago, but his name disappeared from a more recent list. Once the omission was identified, he was restored to the same position on the list where he had been before.
“I did not get any preferential treatment,” Commissioner Griggs said.
MURPHY
Schools will get $393K
Cherokee County commissioners approved a $393,000 request from Cherokee County Schools to fill a gap left by a state-required raise for teachers.
The raises came with state funding, but local school districts were forced to dig deeper to pay for things not covered by the state, including increased costs for benefits. The schools budget could be stretched only so far, forcing administrators to seek help from the county.
Cherokee County Schools had asked for more money from the county but reduced it by about $100,000 before making a formal request. The final request was $393,000.
Characterizing it as an “unfunded state mandate,” commissioners approved the allocation but not without reservation.
District 3 Commissioner Ben Adams said, “I get more complaints about the school spending than what the county does.”
The allocation passed on a unanimous vote.
TOWNSEND, Tenn.
Fires set in Cades Cove
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Appalachian Piedmont Coastal Fire Management Zone staff are burning about 925 acres of fields in the Cades Cove area, which started Feb. 20 and conclude Friday.
Deer, turkeys, ground-nesting birds and other species benefit when plants they depend on for food and cover are rejuvenated using seasonal-prescribed fire, according to a release. The restoration work using prescribed fire takes months of planning and coordination.
Firefighters plan to burn the following units: Maple Branch, Tipton Oliver and Cemetery Marsh. The three units are the last to be treated with prescribed fire in the Cades Cove area this prescribed fire season. Firefighters successfully burned about 250 acres last fall in the Cable House and Sparks units to target woody plant species that were encroaching into the fields.
Cades Cove Loop Road and historic structures will remain open to visitors during burn operations, but brief delays may occur to ensure safety. For details, visit nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/wildlandfire.htm.
MURPHY
Firm handles foreclosures
Murphy Mayor Tim Radford, who was in Raleigh at the time of the Murphy Town Council’s meeting Friday and participated remotely, said he asked state Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Franklin) to help seek funds for a number of things.
That includes $100,000 for a welcome sign to replace one removed by the N.C. Department of Transportation as part of ongoing highway projects, $130,000 for fire hydrants and $500,000 for a new building for the police department, which shares space with the Cherokee County Museum and parks patrol cars on the street. He also asked for state help to pay for water and sewer line replacements.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
Big Dance here soon
Let the good times roll during The Big Dance 2023 at Young Harris College starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.
This year, choose your own theme for the table-decorating contest. Star Wars? The 1970s? University of Georgia football? It’s up to you! DJ Mike Jones will take requests all night long.
Bring your food and drinks, or order from the college’s dining services. All proceeds support local students through the Bob & Carol Head Local Scholarship Campaign.
For tickets, visit www.yhc.edu/bigdance.
MORGANTON, Ga.
2 chimps die from bacteria
Project Chimps recently shared the sad news of two chimpanzees dying at its sanctuary. The organization fears there may be more deaths to follow, as the cause is now known to be the bacteria Yersinia.
Executive Director Ali Crumpacker said in a release Tuesday morning, “My team has been under a tremendous amount of stress to provide supportive care for the chimps who have fallen ill, while grieving for those we have lost. The outpouring of support we have received from the community has sincerely helped boost morale.”
It is not uncommon for chimpanzees to catch a seasonal cold in the winter, much like the human population. Yersinia is a genus of bacteria that is widespread in nature. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 117,000 humans are infected with Yersinia annually.
CORRECTION
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Robbie Ellison, who responded to the vehicle vs. pedestrian fatal crash on N.C. 141 near Lower Vengeance Creek Road on Feb. 9, said driver Caleb Hughes was not at fault in the incident and is not facing any charges.
Ellison said Crystal Johnson, the pedestrian killed in the incident, had been walking in and out of traffic and was at fault. A press release from the N.C. Highway Patrol about that incident contained incorrect information, which was included in an article on page 1A in the Feb. 22 edition of the Scout.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. (This meeting will be live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.)
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. (This meeting will be live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.)
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, March 13, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- The Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 13, at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. (This will be live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.)
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. (This meeting will be live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.)
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 20, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.