Quick Reads

  • Abigail Hickman/Staff Correspondent George Bendzen of the U.S. Marine Corps League, Cherokee Detachment 1011, stands next to the new granite wreath at Konehete Park in Murphy on Memorial Day. Chaplain J.D. Baker wrote the inscription: “Memorial for those who fought and died for the United States of America, God bless them all.”
    Abigail Hickman/Staff Correspondent George Bendzen of the U.S. Marine Corps League, Cherokee Detachment 1011, stands next to the new granite wreath at Konehete Park in Murphy on Memorial Day. Chaplain J.D. Baker wrote the inscription: “Memorial for those who fought and died for the United States of America, God bless them all.”
  • A motorcycle ride to benefit Toys for Tots of Cherokee County was held on June 11, starting at Ronnie’s restaurant in Andrews and ending at the Western NC Wingmen MC Clubhouse in Bryson City. There was food, raffle tickets and music courtesy of Azus. Local residents and visitors alike enjoyed the ride.
    A motorcycle ride to benefit Toys for Tots of Cherokee County was held on June 11, starting at Ronnie’s restaurant in Andrews and ending at the Western NC Wingmen MC Clubhouse in Bryson City. There was food, raffle tickets and music courtesy of Azus. Local residents and visitors alike enjoyed the ride.
  • The 22 Hump was held on May 28 and dedicated to Alan Rooney, a local U.S. Marine and victim of the average of 22 veterans who take their lives everyday. Many of those involved, who started at Warriors Veteran Outreach in downtown Murphy, walked the entire 22 miles to Marble and back. For details, visit warriorsveteransoutreach.com.
    The 22 Hump was held on May 28 and dedicated to Alan Rooney, a local U.S. Marine and victim of the average of 22 veterans who take their lives everyday. Many of those involved, who started at Warriors Veteran Outreach in downtown Murphy, walked the entire 22 miles to Marble and back. For details, visit warriorsveteransoutreach.com.
  • Officials from North Carolina and Tennessee joined together on June 14 to promote safety along the “Tail of the Dragon,” a curvy stretch of road on the border of the two states that’s popular in neighboring Graham County.
    Officials from North Carolina and Tennessee joined together on June 14 to promote safety along the “Tail of the Dragon,” a curvy stretch of road on the border of the two states that’s popular in neighboring Graham County.
  • U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley took time to talk with local voters on June 14 at Konehete Park in Murphy.
    U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley took time to talk with local voters on June 14 at Konehete Park in Murphy.

    MURPHY

    Directors for animals

    The Valley River Humane Society will hold a general membership meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Penland Senior Center, 69 Alpine St. downtown.

    Board of director elections will be held at the meeting for the humane society, which operates the animal shelter in Marble. For details, visit valleyriverhumanesociety.org.

    MURPHY

    4-year-old recovering

    Officers with the Murphy Police Department as well as Cherokee County Emergency Medical Services responded to the West Motel at 11:48 a.m. June 13 in response to a 4-year-old boy who was reportedly not breathing, according to a release.

    The child was flown to TC Thompson Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., where the child is recovering. Due to the nature of the incident, the age of the victim and an ongoing investigation, the release says this is all the information that will be made available at this time.

    The Murphy Police Department thanks the private citizens who provided lifesaving aid to the child until emergency personnel could arrive on scene as well as EMS, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Murphy Fire Department and Cherokee County 911 Communications.

    TENNESSEE LINE

    Be careful on Dragon

    North Carolina and Tennessee officials held a special campaign on June 14 focused on an 11-mile, curvy stretch of U.S. 129 along the state line that is a popular location for motorcyclists and car enthusiasts.

    The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program and N.C. Highway Patrol, along with local law enforcement agencies, partnered with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol for the “Border to Border” campaign to promote safety for visitors of the “Tail of the Dragon.”

    The “Border to Border” initiative is a one-day national seat belt awareness event sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition, the states will also be educating the motoring public on distracted driving, speeding and impaired driving

    The Tail of the Dragon is famous for the 314 curves it features along an 11-mile stretch of road bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest at the state line. In 2020 and 2021, there were a total of 17 crashes on the North Carolina side of the Tail of the Dragon, including eight involving serious injuries. Half of those crashes have involved motorcycles.

    On the Tennessee side of the Tail of the Dragon, there were a total of 165 crashes in 2020 and 2021, 123 of which involved motorcycles, including nine fatalities – all motorcyclists.

    MURPHY

    Candidate tours area

    U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley visited with voters in Clay and Cherokee counties on June 13-14 on her Unite North Carolina tour to discuss the importance of strengthening rural economies as well as the need to lower costs and create good-paying jobs in local communities.

    “In Murphy and Hayesville, I heard from people about the challenges they’re facing, from feeling pain at the pump to the challenges of finding a job that can support a family. This is a campaign for all of North Carolina – and we’re committed to hearing from voters across the state and working hard for every single vote,” Beasley, a Democrat, said in a release.

    “I’m glad to be in western North Carolina hearing from voters and sharing what’s at stake in this election and that we do have a chance to send a leader to Washington who will put North Carolina first.”

    Beasley has met with voters in Rutherford, Polk, Henderson, Transylvania, Clay, Cherokee and Graham counties so far as part of her campaign’s Unite North Carolina tour.

    MURPHY

    Trafficking awareness

    The Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to create opportunities for people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking and exploitation.

    To create awareness on the World Day Against Human Trafficking, a local Red Sand Project event will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at Konehete Park. For details, visit redsandproject.org.

    CHEROKEE COUNTY

    On railroad right of way?

    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.

     

    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.

    RALEIGH

    Mailouts arriving

    Two voter advocacy organizations have begun sending mailings to nearly 450,000 North Carolinians to encourage them to register to vote.

    The mailings from the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information include North Carolina voter registration applications as well as information for unregistered voters. They were scheduled to start arriving at households last week.

    The State Board of Elections welcomes efforts to engage voters and promote voter participation. The board recognizes, however, that many mailings come unsolicited and can be confusing to some recipients, especially those who are already registered to vote in North Carolina.

    State election officials wish to remind voters and prospective voters to routinely check their registration status and details at NCSBE.gov. The regular voter registration deadline for the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 14.

    RALEIGH

    BAT-mobiles cruising town

    North Carolina drivers in all 100 counties should look out for the BAT-mobile cruising their local streets this summer. And this BAT-mobile will have a singular mission – to get impaired drivers off the roads.

    The BAT-mobile refers to mobile Breath Alcohol Testing Units, used by local law enforcement agencies as part of campaigns to keep impaired drivers off the streets. This is part of an ambitious plan to conduct a BAT-mobile enforcement campaign in every North Carolina county in order to curb impaired driving from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which encompasses the 100 deadliest days of the year on the road.

    The time of year is especially dangerous for teenagers, who are 16 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal crash during this time period, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program provides grant funding to the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services each year to operate seven units statewide.

    LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    Public meetings

    THIS WEEK

    • No open meetings are scheduled this week.

    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.