PEACHTREE
Cultural arts center on tap
Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers, president of Tri County Community College, discussed plans to build a cultural arts center on campus during the quarterly board of trustees meeting Thursday.
Tipton-Rogers told trustees that the entire community could use the cultural arts center. “It will have an auditorium for community events, and high schools can use it for their graduations,” she said.
The college’s president foresees the cultural arts center becoming “ a great place for the community to come together. We have quite a bit of (unused) property back toward the river,” which will be allocated to the new
facility.
Up next is “bringing a group to produce a master plan” of the entire campus, Tipton-Rogers said, including traffic flow and parking.
“The last master plan we had done was 12 years ago, so we need to update that,” she said.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
68 positive for COVID
Five county residents died from COVID-19 in the last week, which means a total of 117 locals have lost their lives from the virus during the pandemic. Of those who passed away, one was in their early 70s, one in their late 50s, one in their late 60s and two in their early 80s.
From Feb. 14 through Monday, 68 local residents tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Cherokee County Health Department. Of the 25,846 tests handled through the department since the pandemic began in March 2020, 18,777 were negative, 14 are still pending and 7,004 were positive. Of those cases, 82 are active and 6,805 have been released.
Only 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.
Gov. Roy Cooper and Health & Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley encouraged local schools and governments to end any remaining mask mandates last week. “We are taking a positive step to help us move safely toward a more normal day to day life,” Cooper said.
North Carolina has administered more than 15.7 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 71 percent of adults fully vaccinated. About 75 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 96 percent of ages 65 and over. About 51 percent of eligible adults have received a booster shot.
MARTINS CREEK
Town hall meeting set
There will be a town hall meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Martins Creek Community Center, 4605 Martins Creek Road. The primary topics are crypto noise pollution and the ongoing high school consolidation plan.
Cherokee County Commissioner Jan Griggs will be the moderator, and two commission candidates and two school board candidates are scheduled to attend. There will be a panel to share information and discuss alternatives.
There will be coffee and desserts, which you’re welcome to bring. For details, call organizer Jack Simons at 837-4241.
MURPHY
Filing starts up Thursday
Candidate filing for the 2022 statewide primary and rescheduled municipal elections will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday and end at noon Friday, March 4.
On Dec. 8, the N.C. Supreme Court suspended the filing period, which had begun Dec. 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.
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.
Meanwhile, the State Board of Elections is reminding North Carolina residents that state and county election officials never go door to door conducting any type of election business. While some private individuals are seeking information from voters about the 2020 general election, they are not election officials.
ANDREWS
Mardi Gras gala planned
The first “Mardi Gras in the Mountains Gala” will be held from 5-9 p.m. Saturday 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.
NANTAHALA
School doing FAFSA right
Nantahala High School received a $500 grant as a winner of the 2021 N.C. First in FAFSA Challenge. Nantahala earned first place in the rural high school category for FAFSA completion with 83.4 percent of seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The FAFSA Challenge is part of myFutureNC’s efforts to close the state’s educational attainment gap. The nonprofit is leading the state’s educational attainment goal of ensuring two million North Carolina adults hold a college degree or high-quality certification by 2030. Federal financial aid gained through completion of the FAFSA creates a path to college for many of Nantahala’s students.
“Our school is located in a very poor economic, rural area with lots of poverty,” said Kim Bateman, Nantahala’s guidance counselor. “There are not many places to work within a 50-mile radius. As a result, a lot of students think that they will not be able to afford college. FAFSA is a very important step toward our students’ postsecondary education.”
To encourage students and families to complete the application, the school offered convenient appointment times families could book to receive one-on-one support while completing the FAFSA. The grant will support future FAFSA completion efforts and assist the school with the development of its college-going culture.
MURPHY
Mainspring turning 25
Land conservancy takes time and dedication, and Cherokee County residents have had a reliable source of that dedication for nearly a quarter of a century.
In 1995, Paul Carlson, Bill McLarney and Barbara McRae were having a cup of coffee together when they started talking about the rapid pace of urban development in North Carolina and the threat that development posed to the state’s natural beauty. These conversations became more frequent over the next couple of years, and the group got more and more determined to save ancient farmlands, streams and mountains in their area. They formally established Nikwasi Land Trust (now Mainspring Conservation Trust) in 1997 to do just that, and Carlson was their first executive director.
Over the last 25 years, Mainspring has conserved more than 25,000 acres of land and 33 miles of rivers in western North Carolina. That includes the Klatt Wetland, a 380-acre wood farm in Cherokee County.
The biggest challenge for the nonprofit agency in acquiring the land is finding the money. For details, call 828-524-2711 or visit mainspring-conserves.org.
NANTAHALA
Revised forest plan released
The National Forests in North Carolina has released the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests’ revised forest plan and the revision process has entered the final phase, a 60-day objection period for parties who submitted substantive comments during development of the plan. Once any objections have been resolved, the forest plan will be finalized, and implementation can begin.
The revised plan reflects changes in economic, social, and ecological conditions, as well as changes in resource demands that have occurred since the previous forest plan was signed in 1987 and significantly amended in 1994. The new plan puts emphasis on the ways people use the forest and the places that are important to people.
The revised forest plan, environmental impact statement and legal notice for the specific requirements for filing an objection are available online at fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision.
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.
CORRECTION
There was a typographical error in the caption under a photograph on page 1A in the Feb. 16 edition of the Cherokee Scout. Kennedy White was attending the Valentine’s Dance. The Scout regrets the error.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
- The Learning Center Board of Directors meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 945 Connahetta St. in Murphy.
COMING SOON
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday, March 7, at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 9, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
From staff reports.