Quick Reads

  • Photos by Abigail Blythe Batton/Staff Correspondent Katie Snow, program director with Project MARS; Mayor Tim Radford; and Susan Dean, AmeriCorps program director with Volunteer N.C. in Raleigh, pitch in Oct. 22 at Konehete Veterans Park during Make a Difference Day.
    Photos by Abigail Blythe Batton/Staff Correspondent Katie Snow, program director with Project MARS; Mayor Tim Radford; and Susan Dean, AmeriCorps program director with Volunteer N.C. in Raleigh, pitch in Oct. 22 at Konehete Veterans Park during Make a Difference Day.
  • Betty Hedrick from Grape Creek Baptist Church prepares her contribution of homemade baked beans for the AmeriCorps service members’ lunch at Konehete Veterans Park on Oct. 22, which was Make a Difference Day.
    Betty Hedrick from Grape Creek Baptist Church prepares her contribution of homemade baked beans for the AmeriCorps service members’ lunch at Konehete Veterans Park on Oct. 22, which was Make a Difference Day.
  • Cherokee County churches and community clubs gather at Konehete Veterans Park on Oct. 22 for Make a Difference Day, preparing and servicing food for AmeriCorps volunteers who cleaned up the Murphy River Walk.
    Cherokee County churches and community clubs gather at Konehete Veterans Park on Oct. 22 for Make a Difference Day, preparing and servicing food for AmeriCorps volunteers who cleaned up the Murphy River Walk.
  • Dawson Grizzle, 23, and Alexander Reed, 22, clown around on their lunch break from their AmeriCorps service at Konehete Veterans Park for Make a Difference Day on Oct. 22.
    Dawson Grizzle, 23, and Alexander Reed, 22, clown around on their lunch break from their AmeriCorps service at Konehete Veterans Park for Make a Difference Day on Oct. 22.

    CHEROKEE COUNTY

    Scout wins CNI awards

    The Cherokee Scout, the primary local news and information source for Cherokee County since 1889, picked up three honors in the annual CNI Better Newspapers Contest for work done in 2021.

    The Scout, which is owned by Community Newspapers Inc., won for Best Local News Coverage. Judge’s comments: “Large variety of different types of stories in pretty much all aspects of coverage. Strong depth in amount of reporting as well. The sports and feature photography were strong.”

    The Scout also was honored for Best Community Service for reaching out to local residents in different ways. That started with a new podcast, “On the Front Porch,” and continued with the local newspaper live-streaming open meetings of the Andrews Board of Aldermen, Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, Cherokee County Board of Education and Murphy Town Council.

    In addition, the Scout was a runner-up for Best Overall Design in Division A.

    “It’s quite an honor to be recognized in so many ways,” Publisher David Brown said, “especially since our entire news staff changed over that year, starting in April. Their hard work and dedication made this possible.”

    CNI still has the Best of CNI and President’s Awards to hand out for work done in 2021.

    MURPHY

    School play next week

    Tickets are on sale for Murphy High School and Murphy Middle School’s production of Under Jekyll’s Hyde, taking place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, and Thursday, Nov. 10, at The Ballroom on Hiwassee Street downtown.

    Tickets can be purchased at The Henn Theatre and Glitz & Glamour at $10 each. Seating is limited. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the door.

    ANDREWS

    Christmas on Main Street

    The ninth annual Christmas on Main Street event is coming to downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, to officially kick off the holiday season.

    There will be more than 120 vendors, a photo booth with Santa Claus and the town’s Christmas tree lighting, among other fun events. There will be caroling, dancing, food, music and memories to be made.

    The rain date is Sunday, Nov. 20. For details, visit www.visitandrewsnc.com/christmas-on-main.

    MURPHY

    Art Walk set Friday

    The Valley River Arts Guild will present the November Murphy Art Walk from 5-8 p.m. Friday, with dozens of arts and crafts vendors and musicians flocking to downtown to showcase their art, perform music and have a good time.

    Everyone is invited to the free event. For details, call 360-3038 or visit @valleyriverartsguild on Facebook.

    PEACHTREE

    Candlelight.service set

    Murphy Rehab & Nursing will hold its annual candlelight service in recognition of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Family Caregiver Awareness Month in November.

    The candlelight service will be held from 1-2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, inside Duncan’s Tavern. Refreshments and free educational materials will be available.

    You’re welcome to come light a candle in honor or memory of a loved one. Attendees will need to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing during the drop-in event.

    For details, call Pam Lovingood at 835-7588.

    MURPHY

    A Capitol Christmas

    Santa Claus will travel from the North Pole to meet local children and view “The People’s Tree” from 1-3 p.m. Sunday as part of the 2022 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Tour.

    Murphy was chosen as the commencement spot for this year’s “Mountain to Sea” Capitol Christmas Tree Tour, which will begin Saturday, Nov. 5, deep in the Pisgah National Forest where Ruby, a 78-foot-tall red spruce, has been honored among her peers to represent North Carolina on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

    Ruby will arrive with full escort in Murphy, where she will open her festive tour across 14 communities in North Carolina and two more in Virginia before settling into her esteemed place at the Capitol on Friday, Nov. 18.

    The town invites the public to view the tree and sign the Christmas card on the truck’s side Sunday afternoon at the Cherokee County Courthouse. The celebration will include Christmas caroling, children’s activities, food trucks and a “walk” through an interactive display of the four national forests in North Carolina to learn about each forest’s ecosystems and employees.

    The event is free and open to the public. Visit www.TownofMurphyNC.com for details. Follow the tree’s cross-country journey at www.capitoltreetracker.com.

    NOTLA

    Memoir published

    The newest book by local author Betty Swan Luckey, who was featured in the Aug. 17 edition of the Cherokee Scout, has been released.

    Jesus’ Mountain is about Luckey’s life story, and what happens when you put your faith and trust in God. Luckey said lots of local residents are included in the book, which you can find on amazon.com.

    LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    Public meetings

    THIS WEEK

    • Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.

    COMING SOON

    • Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
    • Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy.
    • Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
    • Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
    • Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
    • Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.

    Compiled by Publisher David Brown.