MURPHY
Sheriff goes for training
Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith attended the N.C. Sheriffs’ Association’s annual Spring Meeting in New Hanover County last week and reflected positively on his overall experience.
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“The association always provides us with great opportunities to learn and network with fellow sheriffs throughout the year,” he said in a release. “This has been a great meeting, and I look forward to more events like this one that bring the sheriffs of North Carolina together.”
Sheriffs, sheriffs’ personnel and their families from across North Carolina were in attendance at the event.
The association’s Spring Meeting is an annual opportunity for North Carolina sheriffs and personnel to attend various training classes meant to enhance their leadership skills and provide valuable resources that they can use as they carry out their everyday duties.
In addition to training classes, Smith also had the opportunity to network and collaborate with other sheriffs and sheriffs’ personnel from across the state. Training classes this year included: dealing with sovereign citizens, first amendment auditors, mental-health strains associated with a law enforcement career and effective communication tactics.
N.C. Sheriffs’ Association President Sheriff Darren Campbell of Iredell County said, “This week’s curriculum offered us a great opportunity to be more aware of the mental health challenges our fellow law enforcement officers face because of the jobs we do as well as fine-tune our skills related to interacting with members of our communities.”
HAYESVILLE
Local woman gets arrested
The Clay County Sheriff’s office participated in a regional event that took place in the seven western-counties of North Carolina on April 20, a release says.
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Clay County Sgt. Steven Smith coordinated with the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services Forensic Testing for Alcohol Branch who provided a mobile testing station called the BAT mobile. Using the resources provided, officers were joined by members of the N.C. Highway Patrol to conduct drivers license checking stations that led to the arrest of three intoxicated drivers as well as the issuance of citations of four separate unlicensed drivers.
A total of five arrests were made, with two on drug-related charges. They are:
- Ander Cristino Perez, 45, of Hayesville, DWI.
- Gabrielle Rece Perteuio, 24, of Murphy, DWI.
- Reighlee Shynee Teal, 22, of Blairsville Ga., DWI.
- Joey Bryce Burch, 29, of Hayesville, possess drug paraphernalia.
- Joshua Emmett Robertson, 36, of Hiwassee Ga., possess drug paraphernalia.
RALEIGH
$220M to fight opioids
Attorney General Josh Stein announced last week that North Carolina has received $220,244,633 this fiscal year – from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024 – from settlements his office won against companies that helped create and fuel the opioid crisis.
Including past fiscal years, North Carolina state and local governments have received $335,831,860 in all, according to a releaser.
Local governments will receive $176,787,053, while the state will receive $43,457,579 of this fiscal year’s payments to fund opioid-related programs. Cherokee County has not released a strategy on how to best spend the money.
Details: Visit ncopioidsettlement.org.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.