MURPHY
Work on water line
Town contractors will continue work on the downtown waterline rehabilitation this week, according to a release.
Work will take place from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. through Friday. Contractors will continue connecting services to the new water mains throughout the week, with temporary parking interruptions throughout each day.
No planned water outages are scheduled.
Details: Visit townofmurphync.com.
RALEIGH
Grant for breakfast
Gov. Roy Cooper has announced $1.3 million in grants to 42 public school districts and public charter schools across North Carolina to expand access to healthy school breakfast for more than 51,000 students, including those in Cherokee County.
The N.C. Innovative School Breakfast Grants were funded through federal funds directed by Cooper in October 2023, according to a release.
Public schools provide free- or reduced-price meals for children and nearly 60 percent of North Carolina public school students qualify for free- or reduced-price meals. Many children rely on these school meals for daily nutritional needs. Nearly 1 in 6 children in North Carolina live in households without consistent access to food.
The 42 grant awardees include school districts and charter schools statewide, from Cherokee County Schools in the west to Tyrrell County Schools in the east. Funds will be used to purchase kitchen equipment to increase meal prep capacity and serving equipment to more easily and efficiently distribute meals to students.
MURPHY
Rotary Club scholarship
The Rotary Club of Murphy is accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year. Ask your high school counselor about the club’s scholarship to apply.
All students from Cherokee County, including those who have been home-schooled, are eligible.
Details: Email info@rotaryclubofmurphy.com.
RALEIGH
Recreation worth $4.9B
The Made By Mountains) Partnership is proud to release the results of the Western North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Participation Survey, conducted in partnership with the Center for Economic Research & Policy Analysis at Appalachian State University and the Institute of Tourism & Recreation Research at the University of Montana.
The survey results reflect $4.9 billion in economic output, 48,000 full-time jobs created and $197.5 million in county-level tax revenues across the region, all generated through outdoor recreation. The survey also focuses on the average amount of time and money that visitors spend during visits to the region, as well as popular outdoor recreation activities, including: day hiking, nature viewing, scenic driving, fishing, vehicle camping, motorized boating, backpacking and mountain biking.
The survey targeted outdoor recreation participants across 25 counties and the Qualla Boundary, and successfully captured insights from 1,786 respondents from key states – Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia – representing visitors to western North Carolina.
Details: Visit madexmtns.com/wnc-outdoor-recreation-survey.
HENDERSONVILLE
Complaint on mailer
The Henderson County Democratic Party filed a complaint on Feb. 26 against U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) alleging that a recent mailer delivered throughout the 11th Congressional District was a violation of federal law, which prohibits taxpayer funded communications that are “politicized” and “disparage political parties.”
“The mailer that I received, and that tens of thousands of western North Carolinians received the week before Christmas, titled ‘Crime is out of control in Asheville,’ was a misleading, hyper-partisan campaign mailer,” said Leslie Carey, chair of the Henderson County Democratic Party. “If he wants to disparage Asheville and Buncombe County, that’s up to him. Just don’t use taxpayer money to do it.”
Mailers, such as the one at issue in this complaint, are mailed under the “franking privilege” that each member of Congress enjoys. As long as the mailer concerns “official congressional business” the postage is paid by taxpayers. But if the mailer violates well-established rules, the representative is subject to sanctions.
The House’s website reveals that in 2023, Edwards sent out more mass mailings, newsletters, alerts, social media posts and robo calls than any other member of North Carolina’s delegation. He was No. 3 in the entire Congress, at 250, behind only Bob Good (R-Va.) and Zachary Nunn (R-Iowa).
RALEIGH
Duke rate hike appeal
Attorney General Josh Stein has appealed the N.C. Utilities Commission’s decision to grant a rate increase to Duke Energy Carolinas, which provides power to the Andrews Valley.
“Every dollar matters for North Carolina families,” Stein said in a release. “Yet, Duke Energy’s rate increase is too high. So, I’m asking the court to side with North Carolina’s ratepayers and to reject this rate increase.”
If the N.C. Supreme Court does not rule in favor of Attorney General Stein, the Commission’s order would result in a net overall increase in rates of approximately 15 percent for consumers. An increase of that magnitude means that in three years, a typical ratepayer will be paying approximately $20 more per month for their utility bill.
Details: Visit ncdoj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AGOs-Notice-of-Appeal.FINAL_.pdf.
BRYSON CITY
Grants for fire offices
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) announced that his district office will be hosting grant seminars for fire departments in North Carolina’s 11th District.
An in-person seminar will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at 45 East Ridge Drive in Bryson City. The goal is to provide more accessibility, education and guidance for fire departments in western North Carolina to prepare and write grants.
Correction
The article with the headline “Local man arrested in wife’s beating” on page 1A in the Feb. 28 edition of the Cherokee Scout listed an address as the scene of the incident. The address is shown as suspect Randy Dean Freeman’s home address in jail records. The Scout regrets the error.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page, if possible.
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page, if possible.
- Cherokee County Board of Education will hold a budget workshop after the regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page, if possible.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 13, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Live-streamed on the Town of Andrews’ Facebook page, if possible.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page, if possible.
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at noon Wednesday, March 20, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.