MURPHY
Stream shows at no charge
Legrity is a new free streaming service available to 322 million households via apps and 4.1 billion worldwide on the web with reach to 213 countries. The network streams empowering, educating and entertaining original shows, with soon-to-be available “live interactive TV.”
Since June 1, 2021, the Legrity network has been streaming and onboarding half-hour television shows. One of the five co-founders of the network, Leslie Klein, lives part time in Murphy.
Viewers can watch exclusive shows on www.legrity.tv from their computers and can find the free app on AppleTV, GoogleTV, Roku and Amazon FireTV, as well as on smart TVs and mobile devices. Legrity.TV’s mission is to connect people to unique original content with empowering, educational and entertaining programs.
WESTERN N.C.
Modems out of machines
The N.C. State Board of Elections recently removed analog modems from voting equipment in five counties, a move that has drawn criticism from the N.C. House Freedom Caucus – 25 House members chaired by Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) – which has sought for months to inspect voting equipment to check for Internet connections, most recently in Durham County.
News that the state elections board has removed modems from voting equipment in Graham, Macon, Montgomery, Swain and Watauga counties drew a stinging rebuke in a statement from the caucus, which claimed the elections board “has stonewalled and denied access to voting equipment, as well as even acknowledge the existence of modems in North Carolina voting machines.”
The counties in question had used M100 ballot scanners created by the voting machine manufacturer Election Systems & Software, or ES&S, and purchased from the N.C.-based company Printelect. According to a Dec. 10 memo from the elections board, the M100 machines contain “obsolete analog modem hardware” that requires a connection to a telephone.
On Nov. 9, state elections director Karen Brinson Bell hosted a Microsoft Teams virtual meeting with officials from the five counties to inform them that Printelect would be conducting preventative maintenance on the machines and would remove the modems. As of mid-December, all modems had been removed from the machines.
WASHINGTON
950 flights get canceled
Monday began with thousands of more flight cancellations globally and nearly 5,000 delays as airlines continued to struggle with staffing issues during this holiday travel season.
Domestically, 956 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled as of noon eastern Monday, according to the tracking site FlightAware. An additional 2,421 flights in the U.S. were delayed.
Globally, more than 2,500 flights were canceled Monday as Christmas travelers sought to return home. More than 7,600 international flights were experiencing delays. United Airlines canceled 93 flights as of noon Monday, American canceled 81 and Delta 73.
The omicron variant, the dominant coronavirus variant currently infecting people in the United States, is being blamed for much of the staffing shortages. Omicron is significantly more transmittable than earlier variants but early studies indicate its symptoms are far less severe on most individuals who contract it.
Bad weather in certain locations also is leading to cancellations.
FONTANA DAM
Town tops in water quality
Graham County’s smallest municipality has been lauded for the quality of its water, being named as one of 64 North Carolina municipalities to receive optimization awards for 2021.
The awards were first announced by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality in August, and the Town of Fontana Dam’s award focused specifically on the optimization of turbidity at its water plant. Improving its municipal facilities has been a major focus for the town for the past year and beyond.
“There are over 500 different water plants in the state, and that was just a low estimate,” Town of Fontana Dam clerk Zelerie Rogers said at the Nov. 23 meeting. “It’s not an easy award to get. There’s a lot that goes on behind it.”
Both Rogers and Mayor Rob Hardy alluded to the quality of the lake water going into the plant. However, Rogers emphasized that the town’s treatment process also played a significant role.
ROBBINSVILLE
Schools get funds in bill
A major source of funding for Graham County’s schools and emergency services is set in stone from the federal level for the next three years.
The $1 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 8 contains three years of support of Secure Rural Schools funding, which provides support for municipal services across 700 counties nationwide, focusing on counties with large amounts of federal land. The program began in 2000, and Graham County’s allotment makes up for revenue lost with the end of logging on local federal lands.
About 80 percent of Graham County’s Secure Rural Schools Funding supports education, while the remaining 20 percent goes toward fire and rescue.
Graham County finance officer Becky Garland the funding usually brings $145,000 into the county each year. While the county is 74 percent federal land, some of the counties in the west that benefited as well were up to 90 percent federal lands.
TALLULAH
Graham Land assets auction
A public auction to liquidate Graham County Land Company’s fleet of vehicles and equipment is awaiting court approval, with proceeds going to pay down more than $13 million owed to the company that once backed it financially.
Graham County Land Company had been one of the county’s largest civilian employers, with operations in several states in addition to North Carolina. It has been struggling financially since 2019, with the situation worsening amid COVID-19 starting in March 2020.
Several companies filed lawsuits against Graham County Land Company; mostly subcontractors that worked with the company on a variety of projects around the country.
Graham County Land Company was placed in receivership in bankruptcy court in October and the case was remanded to North Carolina Business Court in November.
San Francisco-based Flexible Funding provided loans and alternative financing to Graham County Land, which continued to fall deeper into debt. As its largest creditor, Flexible Funding – amid bankruptcy restructuring of its own – has taken the lead in actions against Graham County Land Company and stands to gain most or all net proceeds from liquidation.
ELLIJAY, Ga.
Huge video scoreboard
A new video scoreboard will be installed at Huff-Mosley Memorial Stadium after passing by a 3-2 vote. The Gilmer County Board of Education received details about the project Dec. 13 from director of human resources and facilities
Dana Berry.
Out of the six companies to formally submit a bid, Plainview LED emerged as the top candidate. Superintendent Brian Ridley recommended the motion
to accept Plainview LED’s bid of $440,103 at the board’s regular session on Dec. 15.
Board member Michael Bramlett’s motion was seconded by vice chairman Doug Pritchett. No
discussion followed, and Chairman Ronald Watkins, Pritchett and Bramlett
voted in favor of accepting the bid for the huge scoreboard. Members Joe Pflueger and Michael Parks voted against.
The scoreboard will be funded by the 2015 special-purpose local-option sales tax allocated for “renovations and improvements at GHS athletic facilities.” The video board dimensions are 21’x36.75’.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- All local, state and federal government offices – along with the Cherokee Scout and other businesses – will be closed Friday for the New Year’s holiday.
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- The Learning Center Board of Directors meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 945 Connahetta St. in Murphy.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, in the
- Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy.
- All local, state and federal government offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 17, for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. A public hearing will also be held to receive comments on a proposed noise ordinance.
- The Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
From staff and The Capital Square reports.