MURPHY
Stop leads to meth charges
A traffic stop last week lead to a methamphetamine trafficking arrest, according to a release.
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At 12:30 p.m. Oct. 25, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for equipment violations and failure to maintain lane. During the course of the stop, the driver, identified as Darren Ray Carter, denied consent for a search of the vehicle.
K-9 “Epic” was deployed and gave a positive alert for the odor of narcotics within the vehicle. Based on the K-9’s alert, a probable-cause search was conducted.
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The search yielded about 117 grams of suspected methamphetamine being concealed under the center console, and drug paraphernalia was also discovered. Carter and his passenger, identified as Emmalyn Bryson, were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center.
Darren Ray Carter was charged with:
- trafficking in meth-amphetamine;
- maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of controlled substance.
Bond was set at $50,000 secured.
Emmalyn Bryson was charged with:
- possession of meth-amphetamine;
- possession of drug paraphernalia.
No bond was set.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Fire stations get properties
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has agreed to deed county-owned land to the Wolf Creek Volunteer Fire Department and the former Culberson Community Development Center to the Culberson Volunteer Fire Department to help improve fire protection.
In Wolf Creek, the county owns a 14-acre parcel that includes the fire station and the Hothouse Community Center at 18835 and 18903 U.S. 64 W. The fire department leases the former Hothouse Community Center from the county.
The fire department doesn’t need the entire parcel, just the part that has a well and spaces for egress from the property, and room for new construction, training facilities and possibly a helicopter landing zone. But the entire property would provide flexibility.
Details are being worked out. The Wolf Creek Fire Department seeks to improve its ISO rating to bring down property insurance for residents in that area.
In Culberson, the fire department plans to raze the old community center at 4348 N.C. 60 for use for emergency services. It would continue to provide space for election voting and community events. Like Wolf Creek, Culberson aims to improve its ISO rating.
Use of the Culberson Community Development Center fell off during COVID-19 and still has not recovered.
MURPHY
Settlement on opioid funds
Cherokee County has sketched out a plan to spend nearly $1.426 million in funds from a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
The county’s cut of the settlement money will fund peer support, treatment for substance used disorder and co-occurring conditions, mobile medical services and recovery housing placement for people with SUD.
The plan was approved by vote of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 20.
Multimillion- and multibillion-dollar opioid settlements are legal agreements reached with pharmaceutical companies and distributors to resolve thousands of lawsuits related to their role in the opioid crisis. The funds are being distributed to states and localities, which are required to use the majority of the money for opioid abatement efforts, such as treatment, prevention and recovery services.
Companies involved include pharmaceutical distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson; manufacturers: Johnson & Johnson, Teva, Allergan, Endo and Purdue Pharma (through bankruptcy proceedings); pharmacies: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Kroger; and consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
Beyond monetary payments, the settlements include significant changes to business practices to increase oversight and prevent future misuse. The majority of the money is earmarked for specific “opioid remediation” efforts, not for a government’s general fund.
Funding generally goes to expanding access to treatment for opioid use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment and telehealth services; as well as prevention and recovery support including Investing in youth prevention, providing naloxone (a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose) and supporting harm-reduction strategies.
Initial McKinsey Opioid Settlement funds of $46,259 will be used to provide treatment and recovery of opioid use disorder, contracting with Integrated Care of Greater Hickory. Total cost for the service over three years will be $1.472 million.
This is for case-by-case placement for individuals from the community to access recovery housing outside of Cherokee County, according to the documentation provided to the Cherokee Scout. Funds will be used when individuals are placed and remain in housing. Insurance carriers will be billed first, when available.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown. Editor Randy Foster contributed to this report.