MURPHY
Edwards in town Thurs.
To give constituents greater access to the federal government, the mobile office of U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) – the Carolina Cruiser – will be at the Murphy Police Department, 93 Peachtree St., from 5:15-6:45 p.m. Thursday.
Edwards and staff members will be parked outside, ready to meet with constituents and assist with casework, according to a release.
RALEIGH
On July 4, fish for free
On the Fourth of July, anyone in North Carolina, regardless of age, can enjoy one of the state’s best outdoor activities for free.
Free Fishing Day, which runs from noon-11:59 p.m., offers residents and out-of-state visitors the opportunity to fish without having to purchase a license; however, all other fishing regulations apply, such as length and daily possession limits, as well as bait and tackle restrictions.
Authorized by the N.C. General Assembly in 1994 and sponsored by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina’s annual free fishing day was created to promote the sport of fishing. To give anglers a better chance of catching fish, the commission stocks a variety of fish in waters across the state – including trout and channel catfish.
A fishing license is required for people ages 16 and older on all other days of the year for both inland and coastal waters in North Carolina. For details, visit ncwildlife.org.
MURPHY
See Rotary, win a cruise
The Rotary Club of Murphy will host an AfterHours Networking event from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday in the public space – Fain Alley – off of Valley River Avenue downtown.
The Mason Bar will be serving refreshments. In the event of rain, the meeting will move to the L&N Depot on Hiwassee Street a short walk away. A silent auction will go on from 5-6:15 p.m. to benefit Wells for Nora, which so far has brought clean drinking water to more than 30,000 people.
Club members are also selling Cruise for CART tickets for $25 each. The winner will receive a four-day, three-night cruise for two on Carnival Cruise Lines with your choice of ports of departure:
- Jacksonville, Fla., to Freeport and Bimini in the Bahamas.
- Port Canaveral, Fla., to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas.
- Miami to Key West, Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico.
- Los Angeles to Catalina, Calif., and Ensenada, Mexico.
The voucher must be used before Nov. 8, 2024. The drawing will take place Aug. 1, 2023.
CLYDE
Area man wins $1M
Ronald Collins tried his luck on a $30 scratch-off and won a $1 million prize. He bought his lucky Millionaire Maker ticket from the Food Lion on Paragon Parkway.
When Collins arrived at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on June 20, he had a decision to make – he could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years, or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $427,509.
For details, visit nclottery.com.
MURPHY
Check out swim guide
MountainTrue is encouraging the public to use theswimguide.org before heading out onto the water to ensure a healthy and happy Independence Day weekend. The nonprofit is home to several rivers in western North Carolina as well as a Western Clean Water Team based in Cherokee County.
Each week between Memorial and Labor Day weekends, MountainTrue’s staff and volunteers collect and analyze water samples from 96 popular recreation spots across western North Carolina and Towns and Union counties in northern Georgia. These samples are processed and analyzed, and the results are posted online.
E. coli bacteria makes its way into our rivers and streams from sewer and septic leaks and in stormwater runoff – especially runoff from poorly managed animal agricultural operations. E. coli is an indicator of the presence of more harmful microbes, such as cryptosporidium, giardia, shigella and norovirus. Contact or consumption of contaminated water can lead to gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, respiratory issues and other health problems.
The Swim Guide lists each testing site as either passing or failing based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria for primary contact of 126 CFU/100 mL. For details, visit Mountaintrue.org.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- u Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.
- u Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. Live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.
- u Local, state and federal government offices and the Cherokee Scout will be closed Tuesday for the Fourth of July holiday. The Scout will reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 5.
COMING SOON
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, July 10, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 10, at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Cherokee County NASA (Needs & Advisory) Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, at the Bellview Community Center, 270 Old Bellview Road.
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. Live-streamed on the Cherokee Scout’s Facebook page.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.