MURPHY
Mobile office on Thursday
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (D-N.C.), who represents Cherokee and surrounding counties as part of the 11th Congressional District, announced that his mobile office, the Carolina Cruiser, will be in Cherokee and Clay counties Thursday.
“My staff will be parked outside with the Carolina Cruiser ready to meet with constituents and help with casework,” Edwards said in a release.
From 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, his office will be at 56 Sanderson St. in Hayesville. From 4-5:30 p.m., it will be at 4 Railroad St. in Murphy. Everyone is welcome.
ANDREWS
Mayor’s case is dismissed
Second-degree trespassing charges were dropped against Andrews Mayor James Reid in Cherokee County District Court on Thursday.
Reid was accused by Amanda Shoaf, who is staying on property off of Rocky Creek Road near U.S. 19/74/129 that Andrews Alderman Steve Jordan owns, when Reid went there to inquire about stolen car parts. The case was dismissed based on an affidavit from Jordan saying that he retained the right of entry to the property and had given Reid permission to be there.
Numerous Rock Creek Road residents appeared at the April 4 Andrews Board of Aldermen meeting to complain about the shanty that Shoaf and her husband have built and are living in on Jordan’s property. Jordan said at the meeting that he is working to evict the couple.
ANDREWS
Holloway new town admin
Tammy Holloway, the Town of Andrews’ finance officer and interim town administrator, was formally named town administrator on April 4.
Holloway has been interim town manager since September 2022. The Andrews Board of Aldermen removed “interim” from her title after discussing it in closed session.
ANDREWS
Phrase 2 of hydrant job
The Andrews Board of Aldermen allocated up to $28,000 in additional funds to replace about 20 inoperative fire hydrants on April 4. It is the second phase of the project.
About 40 of the 104 fire hydrants that serve Andrews are out of service, including one right by Mayor James Reid’s house. Reid said that hydrant will be the last one replaced.
Valleytown Fire Department Chief Justin Hyde briefed the board about the situation at the March 7 meeting. He said some fire hydrants in the 3-square-mile town are in “horrible shape,” and the board agreed to approve replacement funding. Ledford & Parker Inc. of Hayesville is performing the work.
Alderman Steve Jordan wondered why the job was not put out to bid. Reid said time was of the essence and safety is at risk, adding that the contractor pushed other projects back to work on Andrews’ hydrants. Reid said Jordan can manage Phase 3 and see about putting that phase out to bid.
MURPHY
Got beavers? Help coming
The Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District will foot the $6,000 bill to fund a one-year beaver eradication program.
The program provides low-cost beaver damage management services to landholders. Under the program, landholders will be charged $25 per site visit and $125 to remove a dam ($150 after July 1 because of increased costs).
For details, visit ncwildlife.org/Trapping/North-Carolina-Beaver-Management-Assistance-Program.
MURPHY
McGregor on TDA board
Sherry McGregor was appointed to fill one vacancy on the Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority.
McGregor owns Timberwood Mountain Realty. “I want to see Murphy grow in a productive, professional, safe manner,” she said in her application.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on April 3 picked her over Laura Lachance, who handles economic development for the Town of Murphy as well as its Main Street program. The board reappointed members Joan Posey, Sandra Daley, Steve Dickey and Mike Sheidy.
MURPHY
County makes spending calls
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners made several spending decisions at its April 3 meeting. Here are some examples:
- $20,626 for the Register of Deeds Office to hire Greensboro-based Logan Systems to scan the county’s deed books and highway right-of-way maps. Funds come from register of deeds revenue.
There are 23,357 deed book pages to scan. The company is charging 82 cents per page and $4.75 per map to scan about 310 maps.
- $4,400 to repair damage to the sheriff’s office/county jail building caused by a motor vehicle crashing into an exterior wall.
- $33,846 to cover the increase in costs for additional property tax liens and foreclosures.
- $9.245 to replace a damaged HVAC system at the Hiwassee Dam Health Center and $116,471 for a rental chiller. The damage was caused by harsh weather and rolling blackouts in December. Source of the funds is the half-cent sales tax designated for schools. The balance after the expense in the sales tax fund is just over $3.48 million.
- $2,300 for security card reader, two cameras and associated security equipment for the Rock Gym at Konehete Veterans Park.
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. (Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.)
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Commissioners Boardroom (342) at Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. (Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.)
- 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.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.