MURPHY
World Elder Abuse event
There will be a walk to help raise awareness of elder abuse at 6 p.m. today, gathering at the picnic pavilion behind the Rock Gym at Konehete Park.
Everyone is welcome. For details on World Elder Abuse & Awareness Day, visit ncea.acl.gov.
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 deadline of June 30 is approaching; the application can be found online through the Cherokee County government website or obtained at the county courthouse. A 15-foot DOT easement will remain on each side of the retained portion of the tracts for maintenance and repair.
MURPHY
‘I Wonder ..’ VBS starts
MountainView Church, 169 Smith Hollow Road, will host “I Wonder …” vacation Bible school for ages 3 through fifth-graders from 6-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 20-24.
There will be food, fun and worship in the word all week. Sign up by Friday and receive a free camp T-shirt.
Everyone is welcome. For details, visit https://www.mtnvu.org/event-details/i-wonder-vacation-bible-school.
MURPHY
National tour stops at pub
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Bryan Bielanski, a singer-songwriter based in Charlotte, is touring the United States in 2022 to promote his new music release, Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time II, and will be stopping for a show Monday night at The Parson’s Pub on Tennessee Street downtown.
If Nirvana and the Beatles had a kid together who became an acoustic rock singer-songwriter, that would be Bielanski. Although he is inspired by some of the rock greats like Tom Petty and REM, he has a distinct musical style and lyrics that make you think deep thoughts and feel like you’re really alive, according to a release.
You can listen for yourself at bryanssuperhappyfuntime.bandcamp.com.
PEACHTREE
Summer Kickoff set
Peachtree Community Center will host a Summer Kick-off from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 125 Memory Lane. Admission is free.
Kids and families are welcome to join the fun, which will include carnival games, music, bounce houses, learning and discovery experiences, a dunking booth and lunch while supplies last. For details, call 557-8335.
RALEIGH
Election certified
The State Board of Elections on Thursday unanimously certified the results of the 2022 statewide primary and municipal elections, which were held May 17. The state canvass is the process of determining that the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the certification of official election results.
The official results are available online at https://er.ncsbe.gov. About 1.4 million voters participated in the primary and municipal elections, a turnout of about 20 percent of all registered voters.
“The voters of North Carolina can be confident that their vote was counted and that the results we certified today accurately reflect the voters’ wishes,” said Damon Circosta, state board chair.
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. 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, though space is limited. RSVP is required at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkfumgrTIrEtz4wYRP-bpsEMh9CD40iSpC. For details, email Jenni Irwin at jenni.irwin@cherokee.k12.nc.us
WAYNESVILLE
Man gets life for sex crimes
A Haywood County man’s guilty plea last week on rape and sexual-assault charges netted a 47-year-old Haywood County man a likely life sentence.
District Attorney Ashley Welch said Gary Browning admitted to five counts of statutory rape and five counts of statutory sexual assault. The victim suffered abuse from about age seven and into high school.
Assistant district attorney Kate Robinette, who prosecuted the case, crafted a plea deal that left sentencing to the judge’s discretion. Superior Court Judge Marvin Pope listened to testimony from both the victim and a Maggie Valley Police detective, then handed down his verdict: a total prison sentence for Browning of 105.8 years.
“We are pleased with this tough sentencing decision,” Welch said in a release. “We believe Judge Pope matched the severity of the crimes with time behind bars.”
CHEROKEE COUNTY
More COVID cases here
In May, the Cherokee County Health Department reported 86 new positive test results for COVID-19.
Of those results, 16 were from someone fully vaccinated without a booster shot, while 23 were from someone fully vaccinated with a booster. The age group most affected was 60 and over, with 34 positive tests.
“COVID cases started to pick up in the later part of May and have persisted into early June,” Health Director David Badger said. “We are managing about 45 active known cases per day and anticipate that we will experience an overall increase in total known cases during June.”
The state ranked Cherokee only 24th out of 100 counties in terms of risk from the coronavirus, although that number is up from 13 the week before. For details, visit https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.
RALEIGH
Comments on voter ballots?
The State Board of Elections has opened a written public comment period for a request by the N.C. Republican Party for the board to authorize county boards of elections to scrutinize voter signatures on absentee ballot request forms and absentee ballot return envelopes, to determine whether to count those ballots in North Carolina elections.
State law requires an absentee voter to confirm their identity by having two witnesses or a notary attest that the voter completed their ballot. This request seeks an additional layer of verification for absentee voters. The Republican Party’s request was made May 14.
The public comment period will be open from Friday through Tuesday, July 5. Members of the public may email: rulemaking.sboe@ncsbe.gov or mail Attention: Legal Division, 6400 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27603-1362.
State board staff will compile the comments and post them online before the State Board meets to consider a ruling on the request, likely in mid-July.
MURPHY
Paving starts on U.S. 64
Paving operations were in full gear Tuesday morning on U.S. 64 West, impacting traffic in Cherokee County.
Milling and paving began Monday night on U.S. 64 between Hiawassee Street (U.S. 19 Business) and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce building. The operations will take at least three weeks to complete, depending on weather, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Several traffic switches will direct traffic to safe travel lanes during the work.
Transportation officials remind drivers to plan ahead, remain alert and obey all posted signs in the work zone. For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.
CLARIFICATION
The caption under a photo on page 1A in the June 1 edition of the Cherokee Scout may have given readers the wrong impression. While Cherokee County does not have a so-called leash law, Murphy does have a statute requiring dogs to be properly restrained within the town limits. There are also limited state guidelines, which local residents have told the Scout are not often enforced. Thankfully, most of the
folks downtown follow the rules, making it safe for all.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a budget meeting for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
From staff reports.