MURPHY
County gets $2,300 grants
The Cherokee County Community Foundation, the Clay County Community Foundation and Graham County Community Foundation – all North Carolina Community Foundation affiliates – have announced $9,790 in grants to organizations in the community.
The board of advisors of the Cherokee County Community Foundation awarded $2,300 to three county organizations:
- $1,200 to Four Square Community Action for Head Start;
- $500 to HIGHTS for fuel for mediation services;
- $600 to the Valley River Arts Guild for general operating support.
Details: Visit nccommunityfoundation.org.
MURPHY
Art Walk set Friday night
The Valley River Arts Guild will present the next monthly Art Walk from 5-8 p.m. Friday downtown.
Stroll the streets of the downtown square, plus meet and purchase directly from dozens of artists and crafters, who’ll show you their locally crafted wares. Enjoy live music, savor snacks and beverages, and have fun.
Details: Visit valleyriverarts.com.
MURPHY
Open house at New Old Stuff
New Old Stuff will be having an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 93 Rockridge Road, 2 miles down Caney Creek Road off U.S. 64 West.
New Old Stuff is celebrating 44 years in business with refreshments, drawings and giveaways. All are welcome.
Details: Visit newoldstuff.net or call 518-674-3900.
MURPHY
Scholastic Book Fair
You asked for it, and it’s back! The Rotary Club of Murphy Scholastic Book Fair is being held downtown through Saturday at the Cherokee County Arts Council, 33 Valley River Ave., Suite C.
The Book Fair will be open from noon-5 p.m. daily, and on Halloween hours will be extended until 7 p.m. Stop by for some sweet treats while you shop.
Every purchase made at the Book Fair directly supports Rotary Reads, the club’s signature literacy program that puts books into the hands of local children and classrooms across Cherokee County. Teachers can also join in on the fun; the educator who earns the most points during the fair will receive a special gift from the Rotary Club.
RALEIGH
$6.5B debt gone in N.C.
Gov. Josh Stein and N.C. Health & Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai announced last week that through the state’s Medical Debt Relief Program, more than $6.5 billion in medical debt has been relieved for more than 2.5 million residents over the last year.
“Medical debt is a tremendous weight keeping so many families from financial security and, unlike most forms of debt, it’s not a choice,” Stein said in a release.
The first-in-the-nation program stated under former Gov. Roy Cooper.
“No one should be in debt because they got sick and couldn’t afford treatment,” Cooper said in a release. “That’s why we created this innovative tool to help wipe away billions in medical debt and prevent future debt.”
North Carolinians across the state have begun receiving letters from individual hospitals sharing that this medical debt has been relieved. Additionally, Undue Medical Debt is sending letters to thousands of North Carolinians letting them know they have had some or all of their debt relieved.
Details: Visit ncdhhs.gov/medicaldebt.
CLYDE
U.S. 74 West lane closure
A single lane of U.S. 74 West will close for five days while a contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation prepares to shift traffic to a temporary bridge.
Crews from NHM Constructors of Asheville will close one lane in a short stretch just south of Interstate 40 starting Sunday night. Westbound traffic will be shifted onto the temporary bridge Thursday night, providing drivers with the standard two lanes starting Friday morning.
The operation this week is part of a $17.7 million project to replace the 64-year-old bridge over Southern Railroad. The new bridge will be built to modern standards, including a taller guardrail. Construction activities began last fall, and the contract calls for completion in the spring of 2028.
MURPHY
Big Lots sets grand opening
Big Lots will be holding a grand reopening Thursday at 1450 Andrews Road in the Beechwood Plaza Shopping Center.
The store survived a round of closings after its parent company was sold earlier this year.
Details: Call 828-835-4347.
RALEIGH
Grants for recycling
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Environmental Assistance & Customer Service is accepting applications for the Helene Recovery Recycling Infrastructure Grant Program, which supports western North Carolina communities in rebuilding and strengthening waste reduction and recycling systems following Hurricane Helene.
Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the American Relief Act of 2025, the HRRI program provides up to $25 million in grants over multiple phases. Local governments may apply for up to $5 million per project, with no local match required.
Cherokee County is eligible to apply. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, with a maximum award of up to three years. There is no katch requirement.
Details: Submit an electronic copy of your proposal to Matt James at matt.james@deq.nc.gov.
MURPHY
Gobble Gallop back Nov. 8
The Rotary Club of Murphy invites the entire community to lace up their (stationary?) running shoes for the third annual Gobble Gallop from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Buck Bald Brewing downtown.
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Billed as the “shortest race ever” – a 0 K – the Gobble Gallop is all about fun, fellowship and a little friendly competition. Participants can “race” for bragging rights, enjoy local craft brews and celebrate Rotary’s ongoing efforts to End Polio Now around the world.
There is a $10 entry fee. Race shirts are on sale for $25 each
Gobble Gallop has become a light-hearted fall tradition, drawing Rotarians, friends and families together for a great cause. Funds raised during the event will support Rotary International’s global polio eradication campaign and other local community service projects.
Details: Email rotaryclubofmurphync@gmail.com or call 828-516-7055.
WASHINGTON
Paul fighting a national ID
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is once again drawing a line in the sand between the individual and the state – this time over what he calls the creeping creation of a national digital identification system.
Paul’s new bill, the Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025, would repeal or restrict several federal programs that he argues amount to a “back-door national ID,” warning that Americans are being quietly herded into a surveillance infrastructure that tracks every transaction.
“The federal government has no business cataloging law-abiding citizens,” Paul said when introducing the measure before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “Freedom means the right to live and work without being digitally tagged, scanned or scored by bureaucrats.”
Paul’s bill has drawn co-sponsorship from a cross-section of civil libertarian Republicans and progressive privacy advocates, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) – an unusual coalition reflecting bipartisan unease.
SKYLAND
Doctor will seek office
Dr. Richard Hudspeth, a family physician who has served patients in western North Carolina for more than two decades, is running for the N.C. Congressional District 11 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.
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“Throughout my career, I have tirelessly advocated for compassionate, affordable health care for all – regardless of one’s ability to pay. Over the past eight months, health care is in a state of turmoil,” he said.
“We’ve seen the disastrous dismantling of health care access, the erosion of trust in medical information and cuts to critical research that threatens future innovation. I cannot stand by while our politicians make bad choices that hurt most Americans.”
Less than three weeks after announcing his candidacy, Hudspeth’s campaign has reported strong third-quarter fundraising results, signaling early and growing grassroots momentum in the region.
Details: Visit richardhudspethforcongress.com.
CORRECTION
ASHEVILLE
Smith seeks House seat
Adam Smith, a nearly 17-year U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and founder of Savage Freedoms Relief Operations, has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.
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Smith, a business owner and father raising his daughter in western North Carolina, brings battle-tested leadership and commitment to self-reliance to the fight for conservative values, according to a release.
Smith’s military service, including multiple global deployments, instilled unbreakable principles: defend freedom, protect the Constitution and act decisively in crisis. After leaving the Army, Smith founded Savage Freedoms Defense to empower veterans and civilians with leadership and preparedness training.
“Politics was never my calling. I’m a warrior, not a Washington insider,” Smith said. “But after a decade of watching liberal Marxism erode our Constitution, flood our borders and fuel inflation that crushes families, I can’t stand idle.”
Details: Visit AdamRSmithforNC.com.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Chairman’s Forum meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Ranger, home district of Chair Dan Eichenbaum.
COMING SOON
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at Central Office, 2230 Airport Road in Marble. Live-streamed on the school district’s YouTube channel.
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, 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, Nov. 17, in the ABC Store, 13934 U.S. 19 in Andrews.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Murphy ABC Board meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the ABC Store, 818 U.S. 64 W. in Murphy.
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
- Local, state and federal government offices – as well as the Cherokee Scout – will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27-28, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.