MURPHY
Elder abuse walk Thurs.
June is Elder Awareness Month, and Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties is helping educate the communities of the devastation of elder abuse. According to Reach of Cherokee County’s Facebook page, abused elders have a 300 percent risk of death compared to non-abused elders.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 was launched by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and World Health Organization at the United Nations. They see elder abuse as a significant public health and human rights issue and have called upon individual communities to raise awareness about abuse to this vulnerable population.
Reach is sponsoring an Elder Abuse Awareness Walk at 6 p.m. Thursday. Supporters and volunteers will meet at the picnic pavilion beside the playground and Rock Gym at 695 Connahetta St.
ANDREWS
Chamber’s dinner Tues.
The Andrews Chamber of Commerce’s annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the fellowship hall of Andrews United Methodist Church, 101 Chestnut St. downtown.
The 2022 awards for Joe El-Khouri Volunteer of the Year, Business of the Year and Beautification Project of the Year will be handed out at the ceremony. Lake Silver from U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards’ office will be the guest speaker, while Bill Vespasian will be providing live music.
David Brown, publisher of the Cherokee Scout, will be the emcee. For details or tickets, call Executive Director Nola Cooper at 828-321-3584 or email her at director@andrewschamber.com.
MURPHY
Closer look at city water
A monthly report from the Town of Murphy’s drinking water plant for May gives insights into what is involved in supplying clean drinking water to the town.
The report, which was presented to the Murphy Town Board of Commissioners on June 5, shows a 99.5 percent removal of turbidity in the town’s water supply.
Steps included testing for coliform bacteria at five locations within the service area (all came back negative); draining filters, cleaning off filter surfaces and super chlorinating to break up mud balls within the water lines; and technicians getting into the river with waders to clean out water intakes using wire brushes.
Between mid-April and mid-May, the water department pumped 22 million gallons of water; 9 million gallons was unaccounted for – 41 percent of the water produced.
Conversely, the town’s wastewater (sewer) treatment plant treated 18 million gallons, with a maximum daily flow of 894,000 gallons and a minimum flow of 414,000 gallons.
MURPHY
5,645 visit city library
The Murphy Public Library had 5,645 people come through its doors during May, checking out 3,403 books and 1,023 movies and TV series.
The library’s public computers were used 302 times in May. There were 130 wifi users within the building.
MURPHY
Firefighters save values
The Murphy Fire Department has saved 97.8 percent of property value in incidents it has responded to so far this year.
The department reported exposed value of $2.4 million with a loss of $53,567. May numbers dipped a bit, with exposed value at $357,979 and loss at $19,000 – still 94.69 percent saved.
The department responded to five structure fires in May, as well as four brush fires and seven motor vehicle accidents. Average response time was 4 minutes 23 seconds in the city, 6 minutes 17 seconds in rural Murphy and 8 minutes 21 seconds for tribal land.
In addition, Murphy Fire Department staff underwent 206 hours of training in May. Two personnel, Anthony Mariano and Chief Al Lovingood, passed the executive fire officer III exam.
MURPHY
Town shares police data
During May, the Murphy Police Department reported four felony arrests, 19 motor vehicle accidents, 18 community policing events, 98 requests for extra patrol, 36 follow-up investigations, 15 foot patrols, 53 vehicle stops, 30 reports of suspicious person and nine cases of trespassing.
The department responded to 679 calls to service over the month.
TRI-STATE AREA
Bill makes trail ‘Scenic’
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) has announced the bipartisan Benton MacKaye Scenic Trail Act, which includes U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) as a co-sponsor.
The prestigious designation is reserved for trails that epitomize the stunning, natural beauty of America’s wide array of natural landscapes. The trails also offer outstanding recreational opportunities. Only 11 trails have received this honor, including the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail.
Ken Cissna, president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, said, “The inherent qualities of the BMT make it worthy of such a designation.” Since its inception in 1980, the BMTA built and has maintained the trail for 43 years, completing the route in 2005.
The 288-mile BMT crosses Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee; passes the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala national forests; and traverses six Wilderness Areas as well as 93 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
MURPHY
Visit Third Thursday
Third Thursday will be held from 5-8 p.m. downtown this week.
Food trucks and local beverages will be on hand while listening to the honky-tonk sounds of Hello Trouble. Everyone is welcome.
ASHEVILLE
$44 million to be claimed
More than $44 million is available to people in the Tar Heel State, but the question is: ‘Will people actually claim it?’” That’s what local nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services wants people to know about and act on before a deadline Monday, July 17.
Taxpayers have until then to file a 2019 tax return in order to claim their refund. After that date, the IRS will no longer issue 2019 tax year refunds. The IRS estimates almost $1.5 billion in refunds remain unclaimed because people haven’t filed their 2019 tax returns yet. Of that amount, more than $44 million is due to North Carolinians.
To qualify for free help from Pisgah Legal Services, you must make less than $60,000 per year and live in the 18-county region of WNC, including the Qualla Boundary.
To make an appointment, call 828-210-3404 or visit pisgahlegal.org/taxes.
RALEIGH
State will get $521 million
Attorney General Josh Stein announced last week final approval of $17.3 billion in opioid agreements with drug makers Teva and Allergan and pharmacies CVS and Walgreens.
Following successful state sign-on and subdivision sign-on periods, the defendants have committed to the deal and will start releasing funds to a national administrator this summer. Money is expected to start flowing to state and local governments by the end of 2023.
“We are requiring these companies to pay for desperately-needed treatment in our communities and to change the way they operate to prevent other people from getting addicted in the future,” Stein said in a release. In addition, a final agreement with Walmart is anticipated soon.
North Carolina will receive $521 million over 15 years in these agreements. National investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry over the opioid crisis has led to more than $56 billion; the state’s share of that is $1.5 billion.
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 Murphy.
- 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 meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 26, in the Commissioners Boardroom (342) at the Cherokee County Courthouse in Murphy.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.