UNAKA
Center hosts Game Night
Looking for a fun way to spend your Saturday evening? Mark your calendar for Game Night at the Unaka Community Center from 5-7 p.m. Saturday.
Bring your friends, family and your game face for an evening full of laughter, friendly competition and community spirit. Whether you’re a board game champion or just in it for the fun, there’s something for everyone.
Details: The Unaka Community Center is at 14945 Joe Brown Highway. Call 828-835-8313.
MARBLE
Workshop on dementia set
The SECU Center for MemoryCare, in collaboration with the Agency on Aging, Region A, is pleased to announce the Caregiver College: Supporting a Loved One with Dementia workshop, which will take place from 1-4 p.m. Thursday at Marble Spring Baptist Church, 80 Marble Springs Church Road.
This free event is designed to offer crucial support and guidance to caregivers of individuals living with dementia. This program is a condensed version of MemoryCare’s proprietary Caregiver College series.
Program goals include:
- An overview of the different types of dementia, their evaluation and treatment options.
- Practical tools to enhance caregivers’ confidence in decision-making, advocacy, and future planning.
- Information on available local and national resources.
- Strategies for effective and productive interaction with loved ones.
- Techniques to reduce caregiver stress and prevent burnout.
- Advice on how to maximize the time a loved one can remain in their preferred living environment.
This free event is made possible through the support of Dogwood Health Trust.
Details: Call MemoryCare at 828-771-2219, email education@memorycare.org, and visit memorycare.org and regiona.org.
RALEIGH
Corbin wins safety award
State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin), who represents Cherokee and surrounding counties in the General Assembly, has been named Legislator of the Year by the N.C. Alliance for Safe Transportation.
“NCAST was created with one goal in mind – to reduce transportation-related crashes, injuries and fatalities in North Carolina. Their work is making a real difference in keeping our roads and communities safer, and I’m grateful to support their mission,” Corbin said.
WESTERN N.C.
New federal attorney here
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Russ Ferguson was sworn in last week as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina,” Ferguson said. “I am fortunate to be coming into a well-regarded office with some of the best lawyers in North Carolina. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for the people of my home state. I thank Attorney General Pam Bondi for trusting me to lead this office, and I pledge to serve with utmost integrity and dedication.”
As U.S. Attorney, Ferguson serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District, responsible for representing the United States in all civil and criminal litigations. He leads an office of nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support personnel, serving 32 counties across western North Carolina and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Ferguson brings 16 years of legal experience to his new role. He began his legal career as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, then was a partner with Womble Bond Dickinson.
MARBLE
Connecting resources
More than 90 business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders gathered on Feb. 25 for a WeSpeak event, according to a release.
Hosted by the MountainWest Partnership at the Tri-County Community College Center for Applied Technology, the event connected local businesses with key resource providers, and fostered discussions on the challenges and opportunities of small business ownership.
A highlight of the event was hearing from three local business owners who showcased how they utilized various resources, ranging from obtaining loans, getting marketing support and assistance with site selection, in order to grow and thrive.
WESTERN N.C.
Deadline gets 30-day delay
FEMA has granted Gov. Josh Stein’s request for a 30-day extension for disaster survivors to apply for the individual assistance program. The new deadline is April 7.
Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties, as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, with uninsured losses from Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible to apply for FEMA assistance.
Details: Visit fema.gov/drc, call 1-800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to midnight and visit disasterassistance.gov.
BRASSTOWN
Empty Bowls ready to fill
Artists at John C. Campbell Folk School are hard at work crafting beautiful handmade bowls for this year’s Empty Bowls event, set for Saturday, March 29.
Each unique bowl represents the dedication and generosity of the community to raise awareness about hunger in Cherokee and Clay counties, according to a release.
Details: To purchase tickets, visit folkschool.org/events/empty-bowls.
MURPHY
Local artist in spotlight
The February/March edition of GunandGarden.com includes a nice feature on local resident Delia Fian, who lives in the mountains bordering the Nantahala National Forest.
In Fian’s open-air studio – which, like her house, she and her partner built by hand with wood they harvested and milled themselves – she weaves kudzu vines into sturdy backpacks, privet bark into whimsical hats and mimosa tree bark into slippers. As a basket maker who works with invasive species, Fian transforms some of the South’s most loathed plants into works of art.
Fian teaches basketry with invasives at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown every spring, in addition to offering her own courses in person and online through her nonprofit, School of the Greenwood.
Details: Read the article in full at gardenandgun.com/articles/a-north-carolina-basket-maker-turns-kudzu-into-works-of-art.
ANDREWS
‘Beauty & the Beast’ ending
The Community Youth Players will present the classic story Beauty and the Beast at the Valleytown Cultural Arts Center.
Evening performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and children 17 and under. Ages 5 and under get free admission. Doors open 30 minutes prior to show times.
Details: Watch videos from the play via the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.
CORRECTION
A Quick Read on page 2A in the March 12 edition of the Cherokee Scout, “SABA road funds OK’d,” about efforts to repair Piney Knob Trail should have said the Southern Appalachian Bicycle Association is asking the Town of Murphy and Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority to split 80% of the total cost of $16,750, with the SABA holding a fundraiser to raise the remaining 20%. The Scout regrets the error.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Public meeting
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Democratic Party will hold precinct meetings Saturday at headquarters, 142 Main St. in Andrews. The meetings for the Andrews, Marble, Topton, Hiwassee Dam, Grape Creek, Hanging Dog and Unaka precincts will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, while The Ranger, Bellview, Culberson, Hot House, Brasstown, Peachtree and Murphy precincts will take place from 1-3 p.m. All Democrats are invited.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.