MURPHY
The Toys for Tots to meet
The annual Cherokee County Toys for Tots volunteer meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, at Penland Senior Center, 69 Alpine St.
Come and see what you can do to help the children of Cherokee County.
Volunteers will be collecting donations, money and toys from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 outside of Walmart Supercenter, 2330 U.S. 19.
ANDREWS
Snowbird seeks line
Snowbird Outfitters and the Town of Andrews are working to extend a town water line to the facility, which will enable it to install fire protection infrastructure at the growing, 654-person capacity Christian-focused, high-adventure student camp.
Representatives from Snowbird Outfitters approached the Andrews Board of Aldermen at its Oct. 3 workshop seeking ways to make the $787,000 project happen at the venue, which draws 13,000 people annually to the area. A town match and a state grant are being sought.
A half-inch water line extension will provide fire suppression capabilities that will enable the venue to continue growing. The project would extend the water line from Pisgah Road to Snowbird’s large campus southeast of Andrews.
Snowbird Outfitters is hoping for assistance from the town, which is in a better position today than it was when the camp previously paid the full cost of a million-dollar sewer line extension. A formal proposal is expected at an upcoming board of aldermen meeting.
Snowbird Outfitters’ properties total about 176 acres in two groups, one southeast of Andrews and one northeast of town. It is already fully booked for summer 2024, according to company officials.
ANDREWS
Pickleball at the park
The Town of Andrews and Cherokee County plan to split the $24,000 cost to install four pickleball courts at the Andrews Recreation Center.
The plan is to convert one tennis court into four pickleball courts.
The board of commissioners rejected a request from the town for $12,000 to help fund infrastructure improvements at Ferebee Park, saying that while the recreation center includes county operations, Ferebee Park is a small neighborhood park that should solely be the town’s responsibility.
PEACHTREE
Women & Wellness
Erlanger Primary Care has announced the launch of Women’s Wellness Saturday in Cherokee County.
Women’s Wellness Saturday will be hosted at Erlanger-Peachtree, 125 Medical Park Lane, from 8 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of every month. Services in this clinic will include physicals, breast exams, pap smears, labs and mammograms.
The next event is set for Oct. 21. Pre-registration is required. Scholarships are available for those facing financial difficulty.
“We are excited to launch this new program dedicated to helping women have a convenient way to care for themselves, making it easier to care for the ones they love. Erlanger Western Carolina is taking great strides to ensure our community is well cared for,” Medra Palmer, practice manager for Erlanger Women’s Health, said in a release.
The monthly Saturday clinic encourages women in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties to schedule annual checkups. According to research published in 2018 by Usha Ranji, the barriers that prevent women from scheduling their yearly physicals include insurance, cost and time, barriers Erlanger is working to remove.
Details: 828-837-3525.
ANDREWS
Costumes in plays for sale
The Valleytown Cultural Arts Center is planning to hold a costume sale at 125 Chestnut St. downtown from 5-7 p.m. Friday Oct. 20, and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, with all proceeds benefitting the building fund.
Board member Lori Coffey said the costume room is in need of a good purging. Right before Halloween is the perfect time to hold the sale, giving residents a chance to purchase a one-of-kind costume.
The costumes will have a set price of $5. There is a wide variety and assortment of sizes.
Details: vcahs.com, ACT2/CYP Facebook page.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Grants help homeowners
Homeowners who need septic repairs but can’t afford to pay for them may qualify for a new grant program that will pay all their repair costs, according to a release.
Local environmental group MountainTrue is partnering with the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services to provide septic repair grants to qualifying homeowners in Cherokee County. Homeowners can apply through MountainTrue to see if they qualify for a state grant to cover the full cost of fixing their septic systems.
Failing septic systems can leak untreated sewage into groundwater, well water systems and local waterways. The problem becomes worse after heavy rains when stormwater runoff can carry bacteria pollution into local streams and rivers.
“Bacteria pollution is a significant problem for the Valley River in Cherokee County,” said Callie Moore, western regional director for MountainTrue. “One of the main sources of the high levels of bacteria and other pathogens is leaking and failing septic systems, particularly in older neighborhoods. Through this program, we’re helping homeowners and making the river more safe for recreation at the same time.”
Details: mountaintrue.org/septic.
MURPHY
Local blood drive Friday
Blood Assurance is hosting a drive from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel.
The company’s supply of O-positive blood is critically low. O-positive is the most common blood type, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population, and is always in high demand from area hospitals.
Details: bloodassurance.org/schedule.
ASHEVILLE
Concerns on Mission
Attorney General Josh Stein is asking western North Carolina residents to file complaints with his office if they are being affected by the lack of certain cancer treatments for adults with leukemia and lymphoma at Mission Hospital.
Stein is investigating HCA over concerns that HCA may not be meeting the agreements it made when it purchased Mission.
“If you are worried about your treatment, or a loved one’s treatment, because of the quality of the care you received or because some cancer treatments are no longer being offered at Mission Hospital, please let my office know,” Stein said in a release.
Details: ncdoj.gov/complaint.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Four Square earns grant
The Southwestern HOME Consortium has awarded $850,000 to four projects in the region that will construct, enhance or assist in housing citizens.
One of those grants went to Four Square Community Action Inc. – which is based in Andrews but serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties – for $120,000 to assist landlords with upgrades to affordable rental units and to provide rental and utility deposits to tenants. Four Square expects to help repair 10 homes and assist 75 individuals.
The other grants went to projects in Haywood and Jackson counties.
Details: regiona.org/southwestern-nc-home-consortium.
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.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session on facilities and COVID vaccines at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at noon Wednesday, Oct. 18, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.