PEACHTREE
Commission, schools meet
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has called a joint meeting with the Cherokee County Board of Education to discuss school facilities and consolidation at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16.
The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the Enloe Building at Tri-County Community College, 21 Campus Circle, to accommodate public attendance. The meeting will also take the place of the commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 16.
The commissioners will set a time aside for public comment period. The Cherokee Scout will livestream the meeting for people who cannot attend in person.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
EMC plans annual meet
The annual meeting of the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. Board of Directors will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Harp Recreation & Commencement Center at Young Harris College.
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC is celebrating 86 years of service. This year’s theme is, “Let’s Taco ‘bout Power & Fiber,” which goes along with a free taco bar lunch at the end of the meeting.
Entertainment will be provided by college students. The guest speaker will be Gil West, CEO of Hertz and former CEO of Delta Airlines.
The terms of three members of the board of directors have expired, and the nominating committee has recommended voting for them to serve another term. They are Jack Lance Jr. of Union County, Roy Perren of Towns County and Gayland Trull of Fannin County.
Details: Visit brmemc.com.
ANDREWS
‘Let’s Taco ’bout Rotary’
It will be nacho ordinary meeting when the Rotary Club of Murphy and the Lions Club of Andrews meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Monte Alban Mexican Restaurant, 498 Main St.
The purpose of the meeting is to network between the two organizations. There will be a free appetizer and lots of information.
All members, as well as those interested in learning about these service organizations, are invited to attend. RSVP by email to Murphy Rotary Club President Jacqueline Egli at jackyregli@gmail.com.
Details: Visit rotaryclubofmurphy.com.
HAYESVILLE
Four Square gives update
Dr. Sue Lynn Ledford, executive director of Four Square Community Action, gave an update to the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 1.
Four Square, which is based in Andrews, serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties. Programs offered include Head Start for ages 3-5, the Weatherization Assistance Program, the Healthy Opportunities Program for Medicaid clients and HUD Section 8 rental assistance.
Clay County commissioners were given copies of a letter Ledford sent to state Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) about the Weatherization Assistance Program, which has been cut from $880,080 to $357,370 in this year’s budget. In addition, Four Square funding was cut by the Department of Energy Quality by 59.4%.
“We do urgent repair programs, trees through roofs, someone falling through a bathroom floor because the floor is rotted out and they’re elderly and disabled, and they need help,” Ledford said. “We’re a hidden gem in the area.”
Details: Visit foursquarecommunityactioninc.com.
ANDREWS
Auditions set for ‘Treasure’
Auditions for the next Community Youth Players production are scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center, 125 Chestnut St. downtown.
The auditions are open to ages 7-14; everyone auditioning it is recommended to be accompanied by an adult. The show opens the traditional fall-to-spring season at the center.
The next production will be the classic Treasure Island. Shows are scheduled for early October.
The Community Youth Players are also looking for volunteers who are not interested in performing on stage to assist in volunteering for stage and productions crews. Those roles are available to ages 12 years and older.
Details: Visit facebook.com/ACT2Players.
HIAWASSEE, Ga.
Chamber sets annual dinner
The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at The Ridges Resort, 3499 U.S. 76 W.
The evening will include celebrating achievements, networking with peers and enjoying a delicious meal, with an opportunity to unwind and socialize in a welcoming atmosphere. There will be awards and door prizes.
Tickets are $100 each, with a deadline of Sept. 5. Call the chamber at 828-837-2242 to ease in the registration process.
Details: Visit cherokeecountychamber.com.
RALEIGH
$86M more for internet
The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband & Digital Equity last week announced the notice of funding availability and guidance for the Stop-Gap Solutions program, which will provide $86 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to facilitate additional high-speed internet infrastructure deployments across North Carolina.
The Stop-Gap Solutions program funds are available for the following two uses:
- grants to counties to use as matching funds for Completing Access to Broadband program projects;
- broadband line-extension projects by internet service providers.
RALEIGH
Debt plan for all hospitals
Gov. Roy Cooper, along with Health & Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsely, announced last week that all eligible hospitals in the state have signed on to a plan to relieve medical debt for many residents.
“Medical debt is not a choice, and it’s monumental to have North Carolina hospitals committing to be part of eliminating medical debt for their patients,” Cooper said in a release. “By joining this first-in-the-nation solution they are raising the bar for health care, and together we will make a life-changing difference for our families and our economy.”
The list of participating hospitals includes the largest hospital systems in North Carolina. While medical debt occurs in places other than hospitals, they are the source of the most debt.
The estimated total impact of the medical debt relief incentive program is about $4 billion. Nearly 2 million low- and middle-income North Carolinians will have more than a decade of existing medical debt relieved.
RALEIGH
New voting IDs approved
The State Board of Elections has approved 12 additional student and government employee identification cards to be used for voting purposes in North Carolina for the 2024 general election.
The newly approved IDs are in addition to the more than 120 student and employee IDs already approved for voting purposes in 2024. It includes being a N.C. Department of Administration/State of North Carolina employee.
Details: Visit BringItNC.gov.
RALEIGH
Judicial voter guide online
The online Judicial Voter Guide: 2024 General Election is available on the State Board of Elections’ website.
The digital guide contains information about 2024 candidates for North Carolina’s appellate courts – the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Candidates for appellate offices are elected statewide. Candidates for other judicial offices are not elected statewide and are not included in this guide.
The printed version of the Judicial Voter Guide will be distributed to all households in North Carolina this fall. It will include information about the candidates and much more.
Details: Visit ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 10 a.m. Thursday at Central Office, 2230 Airport Road in Marble, to hear appeals. Live-streamed on the district’s YouTube channel.
- Tri-County Community College Board of Trustees meets at noon Thursday in the college’s Rose Board Room, 21 Campus Circle in Peachtree.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.