ANDREWS
Town gets ADA grant
The town received a $128,174 state grant to enhance accessibility at Andrews Recreation Park.
The Andrews grant was among $17.9 million in N.C. Parks & Recreation Authority grants to local communities for park projects and accessibility improvements. It was the only grant awarded in Cherokee County.
Andrews Mayor James Reid called the grant award “awesome” and said it will include sidewalks, minor building updates and new bleachers that are accessible under Americans With Disabilities Act regulations.
“The sidewalk will connect all features and allow folks access around from existing sidewalk to bathrooms and pavilion, softball field and bleachers, playground and around to baseball field and new bleachers,” Reid said. “The old bleachers can be repurposed for the soccer fields at Heritage Park.”
Gov. Roy Cooper announced grants to fund 46 local parks and recreation projects across the state through the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The authority approved the grants at an Aug. 23 meeting.
“I am very grateful to our grant writer, Sarah Tatham, for everything she does,” Reid said. “This has absolutely been an amazing last three years for grants for the Town of Andrews – $20 million and counting for infrastructure.”
Murphy
Meeting set on animal control
Faced with a growing and unabated problem with vicious and unattended dogs, Cherokee County commissioners will hold a special work session to try to find solutions.
The work session will be 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, in the commissioners’ boardroom, Room 342, at the Cherokee County Courthouse downtown.
Sheriff’s Capt. David Williams addressed the board during the public comment portion of the Aug. 19 meeting expressing frustration about the lack of tools the sheriff’s office has to handle dog problems. The Valley River Humane Society lacks capacity for seized animals and can’t accommodate vicious dogs at all.
Commissioner Ben Adams said the board has been talking about the dog problem for two years and needs to meet to come up with solutions. The board picked Sept. 30 for the workshop to meet with the humane society and Cherokee County’s Health Department and Sheriff’s Office.
HIWASSEE DAM
Fighting fires for 50 years
The Hiwassee Dam Fire Department will celebrate its 50th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the new station at 80 Line Drive, adjacent to Hiwassee Dam High School off of N.C. 294.
There will be station tours, free food and drink, fire/rescue demonstrations, door prizes, bounce house, dunking booth, Sparky the Fire Dog, fire trucks on display, pictures and more. Everyone is invited.
Details: Visit hiwasseedamfire.com
ANDREWS
Oktoberfest volunteers
The Andrews Chamber of Commerce is holding a series of planning meetings for this year’s Oktoberfest and welcomes civic organizations, as well as the public, alongside members to discuss the annual celebration, which has become a mainstay of downtown each fall.
The meetings will be held on Tuesdays beginning at 3:30 p.m. through Sept. 24.
Each meeting offers brainstorming sessions on topics such as local business participation as well as seeking input from vendors, scheduling activities and offering volunteer opportunities for individuals and civic organizations.
Oktoberfest is scheduled to take place this year Saturday, Sept. 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Details: Call Executive Director Nola Cooper at 828-321-3584, visit visitandrewsnc.com/oktoberfest or stop by 955 Main St.
MURPHY
Foundation gives grants
The Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded $29,500 in grants to eight nonprofits:
- $2,500 to Academic Technology & Wellness Academy to support the BackPack Buddies program, which provides students with healthy easy-to-prepare food during the school year.
- $5,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate to support afterschool programming.
- $3,000 to Cherokee County Meals on Wheels to support their nutritional assistance program for seniors.
- $3,000 to Junior Achievement of Central South Carolina to provide learning experiences focusing on workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
- $5,000 to The Jerusalem Project to provide exterior home repairs to homeowners in Cherokee County.
- $5,000 to South Carolina Hunters & Land Owners for the Hungry to provide food for people experiencing food insecurity.
- $1,000 to Palmetto Council, Scouting America, to provide STEM programming at the Goucher Summer Reading Camp.
- $5,000 to United Way of Piedmont to support their SC 2-1-1 Resource Referral and Information line that connects individuals with local, state, regional,and national resources.
The Cherokee County Community Foundation was established in 1994 as a permanent endowment. It benefits a wide range of charitable purposes.
Details: Visit cherokeecounty-cf.org.
ANDREWS
Art show for Tom Vogler
The Andrews Public Library will hold its quarterly art show at 4 p.m. Thursday, which will also serve as a fundraiser for local artist Tom Vogler.
Curated by retired branch co-manager Kelly Bryant, this show is intended to feature Vogler’s newest works, along with his assorted collection that resides in the library.
There will also be a raffle for one of Vogler’s works as well to help raise funds to offset medical expenses from a heart attack he suffered in early 2023. His popular landscapes are beloved as a reflection of this area.
Also featured in the showcase will be the works of Nantahala artist Melissa Haskill. Her works consist of acrylic on canvas and will be available for purchase.
Light refreshments will be provided by Friends of the Andrews Public Library.
Details: Visit facebook.com/AndrewsPublicLibrary.
RALEIGH
People party on the ballot
The State Board of Elections on Thursday rejected a request from the We The People Party to remove its nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from the general election ballot because it would not be practical to reprint ballots that have already been printed and meet the state law deadline to start absentee voting.
About 2 million ballots statewide have already been printed with Kennedy’s name on them, and the first ballots will be sent to absentee voters in eight days, making it impractical, according to a release.
The We the People Party, which was recognized this summer as a statewide political party and nominated Kennedy as its presidential candidate, sent a letter to the State Board on Aug. 28 seeking to have Kennedy’s name taken off of N.C. ballots.
There is no deadline in state law for when a party may withdraw its presidential nominee and have their name replaced or removed from the ballot. However, under state law, absentee ballots must go out by Sept. 6 to voters who have already requested them, including military and overseas voters who may need more time to return their ballots.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Andrews Board of Aldermen will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 4 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.
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Live-streamed on the Town of Andrews’ Facebook page.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, in the ABC Store, 13934 U.S. 19.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will hold a joint meeting with the Cherokee County Board of Education at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16, in the Enloe Building at Tri-County Community College, 21 Campus Circle in Peachtree. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown, Editor Randy Foster and Nicole Wright.