Quick Reads

  • Dr. Brian Mitchell, with his recently awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, and Nancy Troxler celebrate the high honor. Mitchell has served Cherokee and Clay counties for more than 40 years.
    Dr. Brian Mitchell, with his recently awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, and Nancy Troxler celebrate the high honor. Mitchell has served Cherokee and Clay counties for more than 40 years.
  • “Hank” is proud papa of seven purebred registered Bloodhound puppies born to “Gracie” on April 29. The parents are beyond awesome with intelligence, disposition, hunting skill and watchdog security instincts. You can get one after Thursday, when all of the puppies get their shots. For details, email Betty Luckey at luckeybetty94@gmail.com.
    “Hank” is proud papa of seven purebred registered Bloodhound puppies born to “Gracie” on April 29. The parents are beyond awesome with intelligence, disposition, hunting skill and watchdog security instincts. You can get one after Thursday, when all of the puppies get their shots. For details, email Betty Luckey at luckeybetty94@gmail.com.
  • Attorney Jack Stewart stands next to his client, Zavion Southerland, on May 27 in Superior Court as Southerland pleads guilty in the death of a Western Carolina University student five years ago.
    Attorney Jack Stewart stands next to his client, Zavion Southerland, on May 27 in Superior Court as Southerland pleads guilty in the death of a Western Carolina University student five years ago.
  • Sea Cadets and adult volunteers saved a hiker’s life while attending Mountain Rescue Training near Falling Water Falls in Signal Mountain, Tenn., on June 1.
    Sea Cadets and adult volunteers saved a hiker’s life while attending Mountain Rescue Training near Falling Water Falls in Signal Mountain, Tenn., on June 1.

    PEACHTREE

    Doctor gets state honor

    Gov. Roy Cooper recently awarded the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Dr. Brian Mitchell.

    Over the last 60 years, North Carolina governors have reserved their highest honor “for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. In addition to serving Cherokee and Clay counties for more than 40 years as a prominent and popular primary care physician, Mitchell has inspired a number of local and regional initiatives that have contributed greatly to the well being of the community.

    In their nomination letters, community members describe how Mitchell served Murphy Medical Center (now named Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital) as a committed member of the medical staff, a leader of the capital campaign enabling major improvements at the facility and a founding member of the hospital foundation’s board of directors.

    In addition, they recount how he inspired the volunteer effort to build a swimming pool and wellness center in Murphy, served for years on the Cherokee County Board of Education, represented our area on the regional Dogwood Fund grants committee and provided essential leadership in the community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitchell’s generosity in time and resources has also enabled many other important community efforts.

    A number of community members joined in the nomination process: Tom O’Brien, CEO at Industrial Opportunities Inc. in Andrews; Andrew Reichman, representing the Cherokee, Clay & Graham Healthcare Foundation; Mike Stevenson, former CEO at Murphy Medical; David Badger, director of the Cherokee County Health Department; Jerry Jackson, director of John C. Campbell Folk School; and David Liden and David Hilton, representing the committee that built the Hiwassee Valley Pool & Wellness Center (now named Murphy Health & Fitness). Michael Oliphant, Celia Larson, Nancy Troxler and Donna Tipton-Rogers at Tri-County Community College also helped with the nomination.

    MURPHY

    Town annexes over 18 acres

    The Murphy Town Council voted during its May meeting to annex 18.8 acres at Fort Butler into the city limits.

    Town Manager Chad Simons said it had been 25 years since Murphy annexed any land. The property was donated free of charge.

    “Congratulations, the town of Murphy is 18 acres larger than it was five minutes ago,” Mayor Tim Radford said with a smile.

    CHEROKEE COUNTY

    Railroad deadline

    Property owners along the former Andrews to Murphy Branch rail line of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad are running out of time to gain back 75 feet of right of way from the N.C. Division of Railroads.

    The affected properties are those from about 400 feet west from the intersection of Whitaker Land (Railroad Milepost 100.1) in Andrews to the end of the rail line (Milepost T 114.2) in Murphy. Individuals who own property along that stretch must fill out an application to reduce the railroad’s right of way from 100 feet from centerline to 25 feet from centerline.

    The process appears to require little more than sending the correct paperwork to the appropriate people. However, the deadline of June 30 is approaching.

    Local resident Brandon Brown said he purchased property along the rail line in November 2021. The instructions he was given stated that a property owner needs to fill out the application and get a copy of their deed.

    The application can be found online through the Cherokee County government website or obtained at the county courthouse. Brown said he was told the subject line of the email should include the property owner’s name and a reference to “Section 35.18 of H1030 Railroad Application for Petition.”

    County Manager Randy Wiggins said it’s not clear what will happen if property owners do not claim the available right of way before the deadline. A 15-foot DOT easement will remain on each side of the retained portion of the tracts for maintenance and repair.

    RALEIGH

    County gets opioid cash

    Attorney General Josh Stein announced that North Carolina’s local governments began receiving the first payments last week from the $26 billion national opioid agreement with the nation’s three major drug distributors – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen as well as Johnson & Johnson.

    The state has received $4.4 million, and 65 local governments have received $16.3 million. Additional local governments will receive their first payments in the coming weeks. Cherokee County will receive a total of $5,041,098 from 2022-38, according to a release.

    “Local governments are at the forefront of getting treatment and recovery resources to the people who desperately need them, and these funds will help them do more,” Stein said in the release.

    North Carolina is set to receive its full share of $750 million over the next 18 years because all 100 counties as well as 47 municipalities have signed on to the agreement. Eighty-five percent of these funds will go directly to North Carolina’s local communities to support treatment, recovery, harm reduction and other strategies to address the opioid epidemic. The balance will go to the state for the same purposes.

    MURPHY

    Training in substances

    Murphy First United Methodist Church downtown will host in-person training on working with individuals who have substance use disorders, decreasing the stigma and harm reduction.

    The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 21. The church, Coalition for a Safe and Drug-free Cherokee County and Mahec are partnering to provide this training.  

    The event is free, and lunch will be provided. RSVP is required, and reservation information will be sent out soon. For details, email Jenni Irwin at jenni.irwin@cherokee.k12.nc.us.

    CHEROKEE COUNTY

    DOT sets road plans

    A draft of the state’s next long-range transportation improvements plan is available for public review.

    The State Transportation Improvement Program is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s guide that shows how and when transportation projects are expected to be funded over the next 10 years. Projects scheduled in the first five years are generally considered to be committed, while those on the latter half of the schedule are subject to be re-evaluated when the next STIP is
    developed.

    View the draft 2024-33 document at www.ncdot.gov. For Cherokee County, the DOT’s plan includes:

    • Modernizing U.S. 64 to Casino Parkway, construction year to be determined.
    • Replacing bridge 159 over Hanging Dog Creek, 2023 construction year.
    • Replacing bridge 223 over the Hiwassee River on Old Highway 64, 2024 construction year.
    • Widening U.S. 19/129 from the Georgia line to U.S. 64 in Ranger, 2024 construction year.
    • Widening U.S. 64 west of Hayesville to N.C. 141 to four divided lanes, construction year to be determined.
    • Widening Wakefield Road to Wayah Road to multi-lanes in Cherokee and Macon counties, construction year to be determined.

    SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn.

    Hiker has life saved

    Sea Cadets and adult volunteers saved a hiker’s life while attending Mountain Rescue Training near Falling Water Falls at 12:40 p.m. June 1, according to a release from the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

    The hiker had fallen off the trail and was positioned on the edge of a cliff. Adult volunteers – who include certified rope technicians, critical care emergency technicians, firefighters, and other related medical professionals – immediately sprang into action to answer the call for help due to their nearby positioning to the incident.

    Once they contacted the hiker, it became clear that additional human resources were necessary. The volunteers requested immediate local emergency services to respond to the incident, but these services would take about 30 minutes to respond to the scene due to distance and time.

    Sea Cadets attending the Mountain Rescue Training assisted volunteers in transferring the hiker out of the woods. The cadets assisted in extraction across a creek and up a 3-mile wooded trail to where Walden’s Ridge

    Emergency Services and the Signal Mountain Fire Department were awaiting the patient.

    The patient suffered a punctured lung as well as injuries to his head and neck areas, the release says, but is expected to make a full recovery.

    CULLOWHEE

    Murderer pleads guilty

    The second defendant involved in the Oct. 6, 2017, shooting death of a Western Carolina University student pleaded guilty May 27.

    District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said Charlotte resident Zavion Southerland, 21, admitted to second-degree murder; second-degree kidnapping; robbery with a dangerous weapon; and possess firearm by felon. Superior Court Judge Marvin Pope sentenced Southerland for second-degree murder to the N.C. Division of Adult Corrections for an active minimum term of 276 months to a maximum term of 344 months.

    Southerland and co-defendant Aja Makalo, 24, also
    of Charlotte, fatally shot Jacob Ray, a 2014 West Henderson High graduate from Hendersonville, after arranging to buy marijuana from him. Ray was a 21-
    year-old junior at WCU majoring in computer information systems. He died at Mission Hospital in Asheville.

    Makalo was a WCU student majoring in psychology; Southerland had no
    association with the university. Makalo pleaded guilty in 2019 to second-degree murder, kidnapping and robbery. She was sentenced to serve up to 25 years in prison.

    CHEROKEE COUNTY

    Get $30 off internet bill

    The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

    The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more
    than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

    The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household. A household is eligible if the total income is at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines or if they already participate in other federal programs.

    There are two ways to enroll:

    • Go to AffordableConnectivity.gov to submit an application or print out a mail-in application.
    • Contact your preferred participating provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill.

    Some providers may have an alternative application that they will ask you to complete. Eligible households must both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan.

    ANDREWS

    VFW plans open house

    Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7620 is planning an open house at noon Saturday at the post building next to Andrews Town Hall, 190 First St.

    The event will include a flag retirement ceremony, with an assist from the shooting teams at Andrews high and middle schools. Any damaged flags can be brought to the event or placed in the flag receptacle at Chestnut and Main streets downtown.

    There will be free food and drinks afterward. For details, call Scott Ramler at 407-718-9485.

    LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    Public meetings

    THIS WEEK

    • Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. today at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
    • Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy.
    • Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a budget meeting for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
    • Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a budget meeting for 6:30 p.m. Monday 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 in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.

    COMING SOON

    • Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, June 20, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
    • Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.

    From staff reports.