MURPHY
Town aims at traffic safety
The town installed radar signs at key traffic points at the end of September that motorists can’t help but notice since the signs have been switched on.
The devices have a display screen about the size of a speed limit sign. Onboard radar detects the speed of oncoming drivers and, if they’re going too fast, the sign gives a gentle reminder to slow down.
Workers marked off installation spots around town on Sept. 18. After preparations of several days, 14-foot poles were set for the radar signs on Sept. 22. The town installed the devices on the week of Sept. 25.
The poles cost $3,500 each and the project is being funded by the state.
“I’ve had several residents and business owners request them on additional streets since we put them up,” Town Manager Chad Simon said. “Some were upset – about not having one on their street.”
The police and public works departments mapped out key areas where speeding has been an issue, Simon said. Mayor Tim Radford heard about the technology at a conference and has seen them used elsewhere.
“The mayor really believed in the product,” Simon said.
In a matter tangentially related to traffic safety, the Murphy Housing Authority is cracking down on motorized ride-on children’s toys on housing authority property. It is banning any ride-on toy that uses gas or electricity – so anything with a motor – that a child can operate.
“Space is very limited for parking in all our projects and sidewalks are used by the tenants going in and out of their apartments frequently,” according to a newly adopted policy. “For this reason, there is not enough room on the property to use ride-on toys safely.”
The policy aligns with the housing authority’s property liability insurance policy, which prohibits powered motorized riding toys to avoid the “extreme danger of someone being run over during use.”
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.
HAYESVILLE
‘Forged in Fire’ finale
The final showdown screening of Forged in Fire: Appalachian Showdown, featuring John C. Campbell Folk School blacksmith instructors as contestants begins at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Peacock Performing Arts Theater, 301 Church St., and includes a reception.
The contestants will return to Brasstown for a special meet and greet at the school’s Forge After Dark event and auction Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4.
After the finale airs, the contestants will attend the free public event illuminating the art of blacksmithing at the Clay Spencer Blacksmith Shop. From 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Nov. 3, folks can see blacksmiths in action. On Saturday, Nov. 4, folks can preview auction items from noon-2 p.m., with the live auction running from 2-4 p.m. in the Keith House.
Details: folkschool.org/forgeafterdark, 828-837-2775.
MURPHY
3 hired for police force
The Murphy Police Department filled a part-time patrol officer position, hiring Mike Dely, who had been a deputy with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Dely has nine years of law enforcement experience, Chief Tim Lominac said.
The department also hired Parker Southard, a Basic Law Enforcement Training student who expects to graduate in November.
The department is also sponsoring Sara Taylor at the BLET course at Tri-County Community College in Peachtree that starts this month.
ASHEVILLE
Dogwood’s virtual meet
The Dogwood Trust’s 2023 Virtual Annual Community Meeting will be from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. today.
“Our team enjoys the opportunities to connect with organizations serving western North Carolina and is always available to talk with our partners and community members,” Susan Mims of Dogwood said in a release. “Your voice is important in our work.”
Details: dogwoodhealthtrust.org/annual-meeting.
ANDREWS
Costumes in plays on sale
The Valleytown Cultural Arts Center is planning to hold a costume sale at 125 Chestnut St. downtown from 5-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, 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 available.
Details: vcahs.com, ACT2/CYP Facebook page.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at noon today in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. Recorded and posted later on the Scout’s Facebook page.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.