PEACHTREE
Aegis earns two grants
The N.C. Board of Science, Technology & Innovation announced last week that 65 innovative small businesses in North Carolina have received 73 grants to develop and commercialize ground-breaking new technologies with the potential for commercialization.
During the 2022-23 fiscal year that ended June 30, the One North Carolina Small Business Program awarded nearly $2.05 million to pioneering small businesses in 19 counties across the state.
Aegis Power Systems of Cherokee County picked up two awards:
- One North Carolina Small Business Program Matching Grant: $75,000 to develop a bidirectional converter that enables highly efficient electrical functions in military ground vehicles. This project is sponsored by the U.S. Army, Department of Defense.
- One North Carolina Small Business Program Incentive Grant: $12,000.
Details: commerce.nc.gov/grants-incentives/technology-funds/one-north-carolina-small-business-program.
MURPHY
6 firefighters credentialed
Six members of the Murphy Fire Department received technical rescue certifications from the state in August, bringing the total number within the department to 21.
Technical rescue requires a broad range of equipment and specialty training, according to information submitted to the Murphy Town Council. Personnel must be credentialed as N.C. Technical Rescuers to engage in high-angle rescue situations. The training totals a minimum of 120 hours.
Personnel trained on the Hiwassee Street bridge, Old Fort Butler water tank and a 185-foot-tall sky crane being used at a construction project at Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel. More training is planned this month.
The Murphy Fire Department amassed 604 hours of training throughout August.
MURPHY
Police officer joining patrol
Justin Dockery, who had been an officer with the Murphy Police Department, has joined the N.C. Highway Patrol, according to a monthly report submitted to the town council by the police chief.
Dockery’s going-away party was held on Aug. 18, a day after he assisted the Special Olympics with a fundraiser during a Third Thursday event.
The department just hired Cody Williams as a police officer. Williams had been a sergeant with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
The Murphy Police Department responded to 726 calls in August.
MURPHY
Main Street nets 19 jobs
The Murphy Main Street program helped add 19 jobs downtown, according to the organization’s annual report, which was submitted to the town council on Sept. 5.
Three jobs were lost in that period, with a net gain of 16 jobs downtown, according to the report, which also reported 12 new businesses and three closed businesses for a net gain of nine.
Investments downtown totaled $3.12 million – $315,510 in public investment and $2.8 million in private investment, according to the report.
Other details in the annual report:
- There are 33 downtown housing units.
- There are 122 commercial spaces downtown, of which 10 were vacant.
- Total square footage of downtown properties is 747,360.
- The average monthly rental rate for downtown property is $5.84 per square foot.
- Volunteers donated 966 hours of their time to downtown events valued at an estimated $29,741 (based on a value of $29.86 per hour).
MURPHY
Hearing on comp plan
The Cherokee County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Room 342 of the Cherokee County Courthouse.
The public hearing will be to receive public input on the proposed Cherokee County Comprehensive Plan. The proposed plan is available for inspection in person in the office of the clerk to the board at the courthouse or online.
Details: cherokeecounty-nc.gov.
RALEIGH
$1.5 billion broadband
The N.C. Department of Information Technology Division of Broadband & Digital Equity’s five-year action plan for the state’s Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment program funding has been approved by both the National Telecommunications & Information Administration and National Institute of Standards & Technology.
As a result, North Carolina is able to access its $1.5 billion federal BEAD funding allocation to bring broadband to new areas.
Details: ncbroadband.gov/workforce.
MURPHY
Job fair & resources
The Tri-County NCWorks Career Center is hosting a Back to School Job Fair & Resource Event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, under pavilion 3 at Konehete Veterans Park, 699 Connahetta St.
Details: 828-837-7407.
MURPHY
Town workers rescue kittens
Town water and sewer maintenance workers rescued a kitten trapped in a storm drain on Tennessee Street on Aug. 3, according to a report submitted to the town council on Sept. 5.
No details were provided in the report, which included a daily compilation of work accomplished by the department. Jobs included cleaning and stocking public restrooms, bush hogging town-owned properties, performing repairs around the town, reading meters, cutting off service for non-payment and restoring service when payments were made, and checking cut-off meters to ensure they were still locked for non-payment.
The workers also made preparations to move Charters of Freedom monuments from downtown to Konehete Veterans Park in preparation for the installation of a roundabout downtown, and other preparations to move the police department from its downtown headquarters to a newly purchased building off Hill Street.
One last fact: of the just shy of 25 million gallons of water the town pumped in August, 11.74 million was unaccounted for – 47 percent of the output.
MURPHY
Protect kids on internet
MountainView Church is hosting a free seminar designed to give parents, grandparents and caregivers the tools they need to help their children use technology responsibly.
The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at 169 Smith Hollow Drive. The Protect Young Eyes team has tips to navigate the risks of using the internet and social media.
Details: 828-835-8100.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
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 Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in Murphy. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page. A hearing on the county’s proposed Comprehensive Plan will also be held.
COMING SOON
- 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.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.