MURPHY
Man shoots his forearm
A local man was injured Feb. 7, when he accidentally shot himself while driving along U.S. 64 West.
Murphy assistant police chief Dustin Smith said a local gun store employee was traveling down the road with his wife about 7 p.m. when he attempted to remove a firearm from his belly holster. During that process, the individual accidentally shot himself in the left
forearm.
Smith said the man pulled into the parking lot of the nearby Pizza Hut, where the couple called 911.
“He was driving down the road and taking the firearm out of the holster to lay it (down),” Smith said. “I think he had been driving for a while. As he was coming out of the holster, something, he said, got into the trigger guard and manipulated the trigger to where it fired.”
Smith said the man was airlifted to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No charges were filed in the case.
“There was nothing criminal that we saw,” Smith said. “Everything lined up with his story.”
CHEROKEE COUNTY
148 positive for COVID
The 112th local resident died from the coronavirus Friday, a person who was in their late 60s.
From Feb. 7 through Monday, 148 local residents tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Cherokee County Health Department. That’s a drop of 43 from the week before.
Of the 25,723 tests handled through the department since the pandemic began in March 2020, 18,777 were negative, 10 are still pending and 6,936 were positive. Of those cases, 159 are active and 6,665 have been released.
Only 61 percent of North Carolina and 46 percent of the county is fully vaccinated. Health Director David Badger encourages everyone who has not been vaccinated or needs a booster to set an appointment online at https://novelhealth.ai/practice/cherokee-county-health-department-287668.
MURPHY
Bowling for Kids’ Sake
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cherokee and Clay Counties presents their biggest annual fundraiser, Bowl for Kids’ Sake, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 26, at the UltraStar Multi-Tainment Center inside Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel off U.S. 19/74.
To participate, each bowler raises a minimum of $50 in donations. Sponsorships are available from $500 to $5,000.
All money raised benefits local children in the program. For details, visit bbbswnc.org.
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HANGING DOG
Online fiber coming here
Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. announced Feb. 9, that construction will begin on its state-of-the-art fiber-optic internet service in the Hanging Dog and Grape Creek areas of Cherokee County.
In December 2017, BRMEMC was awarded $3 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Connect Grant program to expand its fiber optic network to Hanging Dog and Grape Creek. However, the expansion was brought to a halt after an archeological study was requested due to some portions of the project being in close proximity to the Trail of Tears.
After four years, approval to proceed finally came in late January. BRMEMC will work closely with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians throughout the project to ensure that sensitive culturally significant assets are protected.
As a result of this project, about 1,000 residents in those communities will gain access to BRMEMC’s Gigabit fiber optic network. Residents are encouraged to sign up to ensure their home and/or business is not delayed in receiving service once construction is completed, as well as to ensure they receive their fiber connection with no up-front costs.
The time frame for building fiber under this grant is two years, which means not everyone will get service immediately. BRMEMC will be establishing a Community Computing Center at Hanging Dog General Store to allow residents who do not yet have access to high-speed service to access free computers connected to the network.
Residents can sign up at brmemc.com/hangingdog or call 706-379-3121. For details, visit brmemc.com/fiber.
MURPHY
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Looking for soldier’s life
An international effort to research and repatriate U.S. fallen soldiers has come home.
Jacob L. Abernathy of Murphy (1916-44), who served in the Army Air Force, is missing a lot of his story for the national database of StoriesBehindtheStars.org. They would like to change that.
“We have numerous
partner organizations throughout the country
and abroad that are also eager to learn more about this man,” special projects director Scott Rayl said
in a release. “At a minimum we are hoping to find pictures, but information is valuable.”
For details on Abernathy, visit www.fold3.com/memorial/529925405/jacob-l-abernathy/stories. If you have any information, email scott.rayl@storiesbehindthestars.org.
ANDREWS
Mardi Gras gala planned
The first “Mardi Gras in the Mountains Gala” will be held from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, in the Valleytown Cultural Arts Building, 125 Chestnut St. downtown.
Tickets are $25 per person, which includes a gift bag with a voting ballot for “king and queen of Krewe of the Mountain Revelers,” as well as a history of Mardi Gras and event accompaniment, for the first 150 people. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are included; beer and wine is extra.
Dean’s Music provided Mardis Gras-themed zydeco music, and there will be a dance contest. Costumes are optional but encouraged. Tickets are available at the center and the door.
RALEIGH
Filing starts anew Feb. 24
Candidate filing for the 2022 statewide primary and rescheduled municipal elections will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and end at noon Friday, March 4.
On Dec. 8, the N.C. Supreme Court suspended the filing period, which had begun December 6, and moved the date of the statewide primary and rescheduled municipal elections to Tuesday, May 17. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Candidates who filed before the suspension of the filing period do not need to re-file if they still wish to run for the same office. However, those candidates may withdraw their candidacy during the new filing period and instead file for any other office for which they are eligible. The deadline to withdraw is the close of business Tuesday, March 1.
“Choosing to run for an elected office is a major decision,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “We want filing to be a smooth and customer-friendly process for all candidates, and we have strived to create an efficient and
safe environment for everyone.”
Depending on the office sought, candidates will file their Notices of Candidacy with either their county board of elections or State Board of Elections. The Cherokee County Board of Elections is at 40 Peachtree St., Suite B, in downtown Murphy.
RALEIGH
File taxes for child credit
With tax season quickly approaching, North Carolina families are encouraged to file their federal income taxes to ensure they access their full, expanded Child Tax Credit, as well as other federal benefits.
Many families received about half of their tax credit payments in monthly payments in 2021 but
will receive the rest of the money they are owed by filing their federal income taxes this year. The Child Tax Credit is fully refundable, meaning even families who owe little or no federal tax should still file to get their credits.
“The expanded Child Tax Credit has benefited more than 2 million children in North Carolina with the monthly payments lifting many of them out of poverty,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a release. “We encourage families to file a tax return to make sure they claim their full credits to help them with food, housing and education, and we have resources to help them with filing.”
Feb. 8 was the Child Tax Credit Day of Action. Families can visit ChildTaxCredit.gov to learn more about the Child Tax Credit, find out if they are eligible and receive help with filing taxes.
CORRECTION
There was an error in a headline on one of the Quick Reads on page 2A in the Feb. 9 edition of the Cherokee Scout. An East Buffalo man was indeed found lying in a field, but he was very much alive. The Scout regrets the error.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Tri-County Community College Board of Trustees will meet at noon Thursday in the college’s Hospitality Suite, 21 Campus Circle in Peachtree.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
Compiled from staff reports.