BELLVIEW
Teen hurt in shooting
Cherokee County sheriff’s investigators believe Friday’s shooting of Colby Oxton, a 2024 graduate of Murphy High School, was accidental but are continuing an investigation.
Oxton was riding an ATV off Jim Cordell Road off of U.S. 19/129 around 7 p.m. Friday at the time of the shooting incident.
Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith said there are a lot of rumors spreading about the incident, but the young man was shot one time and it looks to be accidental.
“There is no evidence of foul play,” Smith said.
Oxton was being treated at a trauma center and had not regained consciousness, Smith said Monday. Detectives are hoping to learn more from Oxton once he regains consciousness.
Oxton played offensive and defensive lineman for the Murphy High varsity football team and graduated with the Class of 2024, according to MaxPreps. Requests for prayer in social media have resulted in hundreds of responses.
MURPHY
Vehicle hits pedestrian
A homeless Hayesville man was seriously injured when he was hit by a car off of U.S. 64 near Harshaw Place on Thursday.
Elijah Trusty, 28, was walking along U.S. 64 around 9 a.m. Thursday when he was hit by a Kia driven by Lindsey Smith, 38, of Murphy, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Traffic was blocked in both directions of the highway at the time of the accident and a day later around 9 a.m. Friday, when a Highway Patrol accident reconstruction team was on scene investigating the circumstances of the incident.
On both days, traffic on U.S. 64 was blocked at the Hiwassee River bridge in Murphy to Peachtree, and detoured on East U.S. 64 Alternate, the old U.S. 64 road.
According to other reports, Trusty was airlifted to a hospital in Gainesville Ga., where he underwent a 10-hour operation for a shattered leg.
RALEIGH
Time to get prepared
As we observe National Preparedness Month in September, Gov. Roy Cooper and emergency management officials are urging North Carolinians to review and update their emergency plans and supply kits.
“Recent events like Tropical Storm Debby that caused damage in our state highlight the importance of being prepared,” Cooper said in a release. “It’s not a matter of if, but when North Carolina will face a significant storm or other disruptive events. We must be proactive and prepared.”
National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, encourages all Americans to prepare for various types of emergencies. For resources on family disaster preparedness, visit ReadyNC.gov, which offers information on traffic, power outages and shelters.
North Carolinians can check with their local emergency management offices to find out what local alerting resources are available in their community. Residents should enable emergency alerts on their mobile device to stay informed.
BRYSON CITY
Man faces 7 charges
District Attorney Ashley Welch said a Haywood County jury recently convicted a Bryson City man on seven criminal charges in connection with trafficking in illegal drugs.
Chad Ray Lequire, 43, will spend 15 years in state prison, according to a release. The jury convicted him of trafficking in fentanyl by transportation; trafficking in fentanyl by possession; trafficking in methamphetamine by transportation; trafficking in methamphetamine by possession; conspiracy to traffic fentanyl; conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and resisting arrest.
On Feb. 9, 2021, Deputy Hayden Green stopped a pickup truck on Champion Drive in Canton for various traffic violations. Lequire was a passenger in the vehicle. He was holding an energy-drink can with a screwed in lid instead of a popup tab.
Detective Micah Phillips ordered Lequire to hand him the can. Lequire refused, however, and a struggle ensued. Another officer tased Lequire, but he continued to resist arrest. Green then managed to pull Lequire out of the vehicle and subdue him.
In the can, officers found two plastic bags containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. In Lequire’s right pocket, deputies found two pipes and a syringe; additionally, they discovered scales with drug residue in the vehicle.
The driver, Crystal Bell, 34, of Canton, pleaded guilty Dec. 15, 2022, to trafficking in illegal drugs and is serving a 10-year prison sentence. Superior Court Judge Bradley Letts ordered Lequire to pay state-mandated fines totaling $150,0000. Assistant district attorneys Jeff Jones and Kate Robinette prosecuted the case.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.