MURPHY
Celebrating Main Street
Murphy earned its spot as a designated North Carolina Main Street Community on July 1. It took an entire team of community leaders and neighbors over two years to meet the rigorous standards set by the state Department of Commerce.
That explains why the town is ready to celebrate. Prepare to attend the festivities at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, in the newly closed and upgraded alley off Valley River Avenue, between the Black & White Market and Urban Salon & Spa. Downtown Development Director Laura Lachance said there will be a short presentation to honor those who worked so hard for the designation.
“Afterward,” she said, “we will have live music and refreshments.” To double the fun, the First Friday Murphy Art Walk will be taking place at the same time.
MURPHY
County buys HVAC units
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted to replace two courthouse HVAC units for a cost of $49,850.
County Manager Randy Wiggins said during the board’s July 18 meeting that one unit is down and the other has been repaired multiple times. Wiggins said replacing both at the same time will reduce labor costs as well as eliminate the cost of a second crane rental needed to install each unit.
PEACHTREE
Lovingood on college board
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners reappointed Al Lovingood to a second term on the Tri-County Community College Board of Trustees on July 18.
Lovingood is chief of the Murphy Fire Department.
MURPHY
County gives $43K for fires
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted July 18 to split about $43,000 in available funds between the Hiwassee Dam, Ranger and Peachtree volunteer fire departments. Hiwassee Dam received $7,585 for side scan sonar, Ranger was given $20,000 to upgrade rescue equipment and Peachtree got $15,000 for swift water equipment.
Commissioner Jan Griggs proposed funding Hiwassee Dam’s $7,785 request and splitting the remaining $35,496 between the other two departments. Personnel from Peachtree volunteered to accept a slightly lower amount of funding so Ranger could receive more money to upgrade its rescue equipment.
ANDREWS
Seismic event shakes house
A reported seismic-like event – but likely not an actual earthquake – was reported at 5:56 p.m. July 19 about a half-mile from town, according to www.volcanodiscovery.com.
The website says the magnitude of the seismic event is unknown, but it reached a depth of 10 kilometers. Very weak shaking was reported by one local resident.
The most recent seismic event in the tri-state area was recorded on Dec. 12, 2018, about 16 miles from Athens in McMinn County, Tenn. That quake was measured at 5.1 magnitude at 2 kilometers deep.
MURPHY
Homeschool fundraiser set
A special garage sale will be held at noon Monday at MountainView Church, 169 Smith Hollow, turning off U.S. 64 West next to the Monte Alban plaza.
Everything will be just $1 or less. All money raised will benefit the Graceful Academic Homeschool Group.
MARBLE
Missing pets grant sought
The Valley River Humane Society – which operates the animal shelter off of U.S. 19/74 that serves Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties – is asking local residents to sign up their missing pets in hopes of the society obtaining a grant worth up to $100,000.
For details, visit www.PetcoLoveLost.org.
MURPHY
Cheerleader’s coming home
Murphy School of Dance is hosting two professional cheerleading and dancing clinics next month featuring Sheridan, a Cherokee County native who is a cheerleader with the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League and was featured in the Jan. 19 edition of the Cherokee Scout.
The camps, for ages 7-18, will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, at $65 per person and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at $75 per person. This is not related to the school’s fall registration.
The clinics are not limited to cheerleaders or dancers only, as everyone is invited on a first-come basis. The school is at 281 Tennessee St. downtown. For details, email torie.pinkleton@gmail.com.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
2,000 to get online access
Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp. was awarded $5,491,000 in funding through the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology Grant program as part of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to invest nearly $2 billion in federal and state funds to close the digital divide in North Carolina on July 18.
The GREAT program provides matching grants to internet service providers and electric membership cooperatives that partner with individual counties to compete for funding to expand high-speed internet service to unserved areas of the state. Blue Ridge EMC will match 30 percent of the total $5.5 million, while North Carolina will cover the remaining 70 percent. All awards are contingent on final executed grant agreements with broadband provider partners.
Funds from this grant will be used to expand Blue Ridge EMC’s fiber-optic network in the general areas of Shooting Creek, Fires Creek and Qualla Road in Clay County. At project completion, about 2,000 additional residences and small businesses will have access to fiber-optic internet service.
Blue Ridge EMC did apply for a second GREAT Grant for the Tusquittee area of Clay County as well as one for a large area in Cherokee County, with the results expected soon. The fiber-optic network serves more than 12,500 customers within its service territory and maintains 990 miles of main line fiber.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. (Watch via the Scout’s Facebook Live.)
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. (Watch via the Scout’s Facebook Live.)
COMING SOON
Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8, in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. (Watch via the Scout’s Facebook Live.)
Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy. (Watch via the Scout’s Facebook Live.)
Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, in the multi-purpose room of the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy. (Watch via the Scout’s Facebook Live.)
Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.