Law & Order

  • Moment of silence: The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office held a moment of silence at 10 a.m. Sept. 11. Staff stood alongside Sheriff Dustin Smith at the flagpole in front of the Murphy office, while others who could not make it stood in silence at that time to remember the great sacrifices made on 9/11. “Today is a day to remember all the sacrifices made for this country,” Smith said. “Over the past year, we have also dealt with loss in this office, and again our nation has endured another loss with the assa
    Moment of silence: The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office held a moment of silence at 10 a.m. Sept. 11. Staff stood alongside Sheriff Dustin Smith at the flagpole in front of the Murphy office, while others who could not make it stood in silence at that time to remember the great sacrifices made on 9/11. “Today is a day to remember all the sacrifices made for this country,” Smith said. “Over the past year, we have also dealt with loss in this office, and again our nation has endured another loss with the assa

    WESTERN N.C.

    $13.5B in Helene help

    Gov. Josh Stein and officials from Buncombe, Ashe, Haywood, Madison and Rutherford counties traveled to Washington last week to meet with the Trump administration and members of Congress about North Carolina’s request for $13.5 billion in new funding for Hurricane Helene recovery.

    “It’s been nearly a year since Hurricane Helene, and while we are grateful for every dollar of federal support we have received, we need more,” Stein said in a release. “I was pleased to meet with the Trump administration and members of our congressional delegation to advocate for an additional $13.5 billion to strengthen western North Carolina’s recovery, getting folks back in their homes, boosting small businesses, supporting local governments and repairing critical infrastructure.”

    North Carolina leaders say federal support to date amounts to about 9% of the total damage western North Carolina suffered. However, storms that were similarly devastating – such as Hurricanes Katrina, Maria and Sandy – saw more than 70% of the cost of recovery efforts covered by federal funding.

    Stein’s total $23 billion request would bring the federal support North Carolina received to 47%.

    Details: Visit osbm.nc.gov/helene-federal-funding-request-sept-2025/open.

    UNITED STATES

    Fraud scams target elderly

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced the arrest of 13 individuals in a transnational elder fraud scheme. The investigation identified more than 400 victims and more than $5 million in losses.

    The emergency scams are about a family member or friend in a dire situation. You get a call, email or social media message from someone claiming to be a distressed family member. They may say they’ve been arrested or there was an accident, medical emergency, or other calamity. They provide convincing details, such as family names and school.

    A twist to this scam targets parents of college students. The scammer calls the family member and claims their child has been arrested and needs bail money sent immediately via a payment app like Venmo or PayPal. They may even text pictures of a mugshot and say that the child is headed to jail with dangerous criminals.

    A common version is the “grandparent scam,” where the con artist contacts a grandparent claiming to be their grandchild and asking for money. The plea is so persuasive that the grandparent wires money to the scammer, only to find out their family member was safe later.

    Details: Visit justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/thirteen-individuals-charged-operating-transnational-elder-fraud-scheme.

    Compiled by Publisher David Brown.