ANDREWS
Food Truck Friday set
Food Truck Friday returns to Hall Memorial Park downtown at 5 p.m. Friday.
Check out the Andrews Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page for a list of food trucks and vendors. Don’t forget to bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy The Gazebo Stage, sponsored by Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel, with entertainment by local singer/songwriter Scott James Stambaugh.
For details, visit www.visitandrewsnc.com.
MURPHY
Visit Tasty Tuesdays
Tasty Tuesdays will be held at the L&N Depot, 4 Railroad St. downtown, from 5-8 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month starting July 12.
There will be food trucks and craft beer, with live music, tables and chairs in the depot. The event will be held rain or shine.
Sponsors include the Town of Murphy, Olive’s Porch, Exit Realty-Murphy and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.
RALEIGH
Green Party turned down
The State Board of Elections on Thursday voted not to recognize the Green Party as an official political party in North Carolina, citing an ongoing investigation into evidence of fraud and other irregularities in the petition process used to seek ballot access for the party.
By a 3-2 vote, the board voted down a motion to recognize the Green Party, concluding that the petitions were not yet shown to be sufficient under the law. Recognition would have allowed Green Party candidates to appear on ballots in the November 2022 general election, and also would have allowed North Carolina voters to register as affiliated with the Green Party.
Today, North Carolina voters can register as unaffiliated, or as members of the Democratic, Libertarian or Republican parties. Signers of Green Party petitions must be registered voters.
SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Corbin vs. park fees
State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) came out in opposition to parking fees in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the floor of the General Assembly on June 27.
“The park was established as a fee-free park, and it was understood by those that gave up their lands to create the park that there would never be a charge to enter or enjoy the park,” Corbin said in his statement. “The proposed parking fee represents a clear attempt to circumvent the historical understanding and agreements for a fee-free park and would be a significant blow to the public’s trust.”
Corbin added that the boards of commissioners in Graham, Haywood and Swain counties have expressed opposition to the imposition of parking fees and any other fees that are not directly associated with the use of amenities in the park.
Corbin’s statement has language identical to that of House Joint Resolution 1170, introduced by state Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Bryson City), that overwhelmingly passed the N.C. House on June 14.
ASHEVILLE
Meeting our energy goals
MountainTrue, the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina and other local renewable energy advocates are pushing for a stronger decarbonization plan to help North Carolina meet the renewable energy goals laid out in HB 951, the “Energy Solutions for North Carolina” bill passed by the General Assembly in October 2021.
The N.C. Utilities Commission is hosting a series of hearings in the coming months to receive public feedback on Duke Energy’s draft Carbon Plan. MountainTrue, CCA, N.C. Interfaith Power & Light, the Sierra Club and other local groups are encouraging the public to show their support for a stronger decarbonization plan at the hearing, which is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the Buncombe County Courthouse, Courtroom 1-A, 60 Court Plaza.
You can review Duke Energy’s entire draft Carbon Plan and its summaries online at www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/carolinas-carbon-plan. For details, visit mountaintrue.org.
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga.
8th Home & Garden Show
The eighth annual Northeast Georgia/Western North Carolina Home & Garden Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 23, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, July 24, in the Towns County Recreation & Conference Center, 150 Foster Park Road.
Admission is free for exhibitors, staff and the public. A big crowd is expected to be in attendance as events return following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is produced by Expo Management Inc. of Andrews. For details, visit expomanagementinc.com.
WARNE
Benefit for senior dogs
“Love Doesn’t Keep Track of the Years,” a charitable benefit honoring the Senior Scenter for Elderly Dogs, will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, in the Warne Community Center, 4759 Old Highway 64.
The event, which is sponsored by the Hidden Mountain Brilliance homeschool academy activity group, will include a food truck, 50/50 raffle, live auction and live gospel entertainment.
CHEROKEE SCOUT
Photos from VBS wanted
The Cherokee Scout wants to share all of the fun from your church’s vacation Bible school this summer.
Please email your best photo or two, along with information about the event and identification of everyone in the images, to news@cherokeescout.com.
Thanks for reading!
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
COMING SOON
Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 13, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at Central Office, 911 Andrews Road in Murphy.
Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 18, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
Cherokee County Department of Social Services Board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the DSS conference room, 4800 U.S. 64 W. in Ranger.
From staff reports.