HIWASSEE DAM
County gets $500K grant
Cherokee County has been awarded a $500,000 grant out of $8.5 million in grants to fund 19 local parks and recreation projects across the state through the N.C. Parks & Recreation Trust Fund. The Parks & Recreation Authority approved the grant recipients Aug. 11.
“Getting outdoors to enjoy parks and green spaces improves people’s health and quality of life, and these grants will help towns and counties to provide recreation for their communities,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a release. “These investments can help revitalize our communities, boost local economies and promote tourism.”
Cherokee County’s funds will go toward expanding Hiwassee Dam Park, which is off of N.C. 294 on a 38.4-acre parcel neighboring Hiwassee Dam School and the Hiwassee Dam Community Center, and surrounding the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department. The board of commissioners in April approved the first phase of the project, the full cost of which is estimated at $4.2 million on buildout, including architectural fees.
Phase 1 includes a paved parking lot and improved access road, almost 1,900 feet of 10-foot-wide asphalt sidewalk, a concrete sidewalk, 3,490 feet of 8-foot-wide natural surface trail, a bridge crossing, picnic shelter, playground and outdoor furnishings. Earthwork is expected to cost $350,000, with the full Phase 1 cost put at $2.1 million.
Phase 2 is off in the future and has not been funded, but includes a paved roundabout, softball field, walking trail and fitness stations, basketball court renovations, renovation and conversion of tennis courts to pickleball courts, an observation deck and educational signage, as well as stormwater and erosion control measures. Phase 2 would cost an estimated $1.15 million.
MURPHY
Hearing set on TVA line
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) will convene a public input session to hear from constituents and the Tennessee Valley Authority about the proposed route for a new transmission line through Cherokee County.
The forum will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. today in Room 342 of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. downtown.
“The majority of constituents who have contacted my office – and there have been many – agree that the transmission line is necessary, but are extremely unhappy that the TVA refused to allow traditional public input and comment through an in-person session,” Edwards, who represents District 11, said in a release. “This forum will give those landowners an opportunity to express their concerns in person.”
BRASSTOWN
Folk school gets charged
John C. Campbell Folk School believes in fostering creativity, preserving traditional crafts and connecting with nature. Thanks to the generosity of donors, officials are excited to announced a groundbreaking addition to the campus that aligns perfectly with those values.
The school announced in a release that it has added an electric vehicle charging station. This will not only benefit the folk school community but also contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.
“By providing EV charging infrastructure, we are actively reducing our carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly transportation options,” the release says. “Electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, helping to improve air quality and mitigate the effects of climate change.”
The EV charging station is free for our, instructors and staff to use. In the future, officials plan to make the charging station available to the public for a nominal fee, which will help cover operating costs and support the folk school’s mission.
Details: folkschool.org/fundaneed 828-837-2775
RALEIGH
No Labels on ballot
The State Board of Elections last week voted to recognize the No Labels Party as an official political party in North Carolina.
Recognition of No Labels means voters have another choice of party affiliation when registering to vote or updating their registration. Voters may register with the Democratic, Green, Libertarian, No Labels or Republican parties, or they can register as unaffiliated.
The State Board also voted unanimously to revise the Photo ID Exception Form by removing the reason, “I did not know photo ID was required for voting,” from the form. Voters can fill out the Photo ID Exception Form when they have a permitted exception to the requirements.
Details: ncsbe.gov/voting/voter-id.
PEACHTREE
Chamber sets annual meet
The annual dinner meeting for the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce will he held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at McGuire’s Millrace Farm, 600 Hendrix Road. The dress code is to “cowboy or cowgirl it up with your best duds.”
There will be appetizers and drinks while networking at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner of homemade fried chicken or slow-cooked brisket, creamy mashed potatoes, buttermilk Southern fried okra, squash casserole and Miss Linda’s savory yeast rolls at 6:30 p.m. There will be door prizes, awards will be given out and the keynote speaker is state Treasurer Dale Folwell.
Tickets are $100 each and can be purchased at the chamber office, 805 U.S. 64 W. in Murphy, or online at business.cherokeecountychamber.com/events/details/annual-
member-dinner-meeting-for-cherokee-county-chamber-of-commerce-38939.
MURPHY
Nonprofits get grants
MADE X MTNS announced the grant recipients of its Outdoor Equity Fund last week. The 20 grantees represent small businesses, sole proprietors, nonprofit agencies and community groups across western North Carolina.
These grants have been made possible through $125,000 in funding from the Dogwood Health
Trust, as part of the three-year “Accelerating Outdoors Grant” awarded to the MADE X MTNS Partnership. The goal of The Outdoor Equity Fund is to help empower community-led initiatives that address
identified barriers to outdoor recreation and outdoor economy access and opportunity, and help close these gaps in western NorthCarolina.
Forty-four applicants, with a grand total of requested funds at $333,304.74, made up the inaugural grant submission cycle. One of those was MountainTrue, which has a western regional office at field office at 90 Tennessee St., Suite D.
The grant award will help increase organizational capacity to lead paddling trips, provide ecological and skill building knowledge for participants, teach
Leave No Trace ethics and provide important conservation information about the trail.
Details: mountaintrue.org/regional-offices/wro.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- No meetings are scheduled.
COMING SOON
- Local, state and federal government offices and the Cherokee Scout will be closed Monday, Sept. 4, for the Labor Day holiday. The Scout will reopen at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5.
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen will hold a work session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page. Cherokee County
- Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday, Sept. 11, at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Cherokee County Needs & Solutions Advisory Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, in the Ranger Community Center, 165 Little Ranger Road.
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at noon Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown.