CHEROKEE COUNTY
eCourts for all records
Eleven counties in western North Carolina shifted to digital court records Monday, extending online public access to justice through the eCourts system from the state’s coastal and central regions to its mountains.
Track 5 of the eCourts rollout in western North Carolina includes Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Swain and Transylvania counties. The completion of Track 5 marks a halfway point through 10 tracks of the eCourts implementation for district and superior courts in all 100 counties.
“This eCourts milestone highlights the diverse landscapes of our great state – connecting citizens from Murphy to Manteo – as historic progress replacing isolated paper files with digital court records reaches the westernmost regions of North Carolina,” NCAOC Director Ryan Boyce said in a release.
The eCourts portal application provides the public no-cost access to digital court records and averages more than 1.5 million online searches per month. More than 1 million electronic filings have been accepted through eCourts, saving an estimated 4 million pieces of paper since February 2023.
In addition, the NCAOC introduced courthouse kiosks this summer that provide a public access point for scanning, printing, payment services, and online search and filing in eCourts applications.
Details: Visit nccourts.gov/ecourts#portal-10445.
RALEIGH
Probation, parole week
In recognition of the important public service provided by the state’s probation/parole officers, Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed July 21-27 as Probation, Parole & Community Supervision Officers’ Week in North Carolina.
“Being a probation and parole officer is a challenging and demanding career,” Department of Adult Correction Secretary Todd Ishee said in a release. “Our officers step up every day
and do whatever it takes to help guide and encourage people under supervision to complete their probation, parole or post-release supervision.”
More than 2,000 probation and parole officers supervise about 75,000 individuals in North Carolina who are serving probation, parole or post-release supervision. They also work with community agencies and local reentry councils to provide services and support to formerly incarcerated individuals.
Details: Visit dac.nc.gov.
PEACHTREE
1st National Night Out
The first National Night Out event is scheduled from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Tri-County Community College, 21 Campus Circle.
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is planning for representation from all local law enforcement agencies to be present along with state and federal wildlife officers, N.C. Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation, Emergency Medical Services, local fire departments and more.
Some of the events to look forward to include K9 demonstrations, drone demonstrations and rescue demonstrations. Tri-County has donated the use of their facilities and will also be advertising for Basic Law Enforcement Training.
There will be hot dogs and water, along with a hot dog eating contest between Murphy Mayor Tim Radford and Andrews Mayor James Reid that should be highly entertaining.
A dunking booth is also in the works. Don’t want to miss a chance to dunk Sheriff Dustin Smith, Murphy Police Chief Tim Lominac and Andrews Police Chief Caleb Stiles.
Details: Call 828-837-2589.
ASHEVILLE
Not played in Olympics
The Olympics are upon us, and many eyes are on Paris and the athletes representing their countries. Amidst all the distractions, BBB warns consumers and businesses to be alert for potential scams, some of which were reported to BBB Scam Tracker in previous games, as well as laws surrounding fair use of logos, trademarks and copyrights.
Ads for merchandise, text alerts for watching events and even job opportunities are all potential sources that scammers may use to prey upon unsuspecting consumers. Businesses also need to be aware of bad actors and copyright violators who may try to use the excitement to pitch ripped-off gear.
Types of scams to expect include phishing texts and emails, job scams, counterfeit merchandise and fake sports streaming links. In addition, businesses need to be aware of the copyright and trademark laws that surround the Olympics.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.