Look at all the evidence
In the article that starts on page 1A in the May 25 edition of the Cherokee Scout, Sheriff Derrick Palmer is mistaken. I was one of Jose Islas Melchor’s attorneys. Neither I nor any member of the defense team ever accused either Detective Roger Williams nor any other employee of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office of withholding evidence in Mr. Melchor’s case.
Quite to the contrary, what we accurately and successfully demonstrated to the jury was that they, and we, had that evidence for almost three years. However, the defense team were the only ones to analyze it.
The undisputed contents of that child’s smart phone conclusively proved Mr. Melchor’s
innocence.
Mr. Melchor languished in the Cherokee County Detention Center for over three years, knowing he was innocent, and waiting for his day in court to prove it.
I did not accuse Williams nor the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office of withholding evidence. I accused Detective Williams, and by extension the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, of gross neglect in not even looking at the evidence that set an innocent man free.
Rich Cassady, Franklin
Fish makes a comeback
This letter was addressed to columnist Wally Avett.
I read your column in the May 18 edition of the Cherokee Scout with even more interest than usual because I knew the “bony fish good to eat” would be the redhorse. I appreciate very much that you included this fish in your article, but I’m writing to dispute your claim about them being endangered.
The Valley and Hiwassee Rivers, as well as Brasstown Creek and several smaller streams in between (like Martins and Peachtree Creeks), are indeed still home to robust populations of redhorse. There are actually six different species of redhorse in our waters.
One of them – the sicklefin redhorse – has declined significantly across its range and
is only found in the Hiwassee and neighboring Little Tennessee River basins. Because it
used to be found much more widely, several years ago it was considered for endangered species listing – only the sicklefin, not the other five – but the powers that be decided not to list it.
What the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service did instead was to form the Sicklefin Redhorse Conservation Committee. I serve on the committee, which is busy monitoring, researching, running genetics for, and in several places restocking, sicklefin. My role has been to work with landowners to gain permission for state and federal agencies to sample the fish communities of these rivers and streams, especially during the April/May spawning season, when these fish run up the streams like trout to spawn in their “home waters.”
I know ruffed grouse populations are way down from the good ol’ days, but you might be encouraged to know my husband and I always flush one or two when we’re hiking in the back country of Fires Creek and other parts of Nantahala National Forest.
Keep up the good work writing fun, historical articles and books. I enjoy your work.
Callie Moore, Murphy
The writer is western regional director of MountainTrue with an office at 90 Tennessee St., Suite D, in downtown Murphy.
Stop school shootings
Schools obviously need better security for our most precious resource, our children. Police in nearly every community are understaffed and simply can’t provide it, especially given the number of elementary, middle and high schools. Plus, schools generally operate long hours, given extracurricular activities, club meetings, athletics, band concerts, etc.
When tragic school shootings occur, police arriving on the scene are not able to act immediately, exacerbating the problem. They have no knowledge yet of what is going on, with little coherent information coming from within.
I recommend Cherokee County Schools be secured from within by local veterans from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. These vets have served their country in times of crises, protecting generations then, and would be willing to serve again.
That is in their blood. They already serve in many ways with community projects, and protecting the next, vulnerable generation would be a challenge I am sure they would embrace.
Veterans are already trained. I expect many would volunteer to man our schools; I might volunteer myself. They could be instructed by our local police, perhaps in a two-hour session, with continuing education every six months or so, as well as classes by each school administration.
Police coming to an incident would then be informed prior to arriving. With vets already inside – knowing every student, niche and corner – police response would be much faster and more effective. In a crisis, students would feel much more secure with a familiar vet with them.
Murphy is a wonderful community, and such an event happening might seem improbable. However, any soft target can be attacked by someone outside our community, and mental illness is prevalent everywhere.
I believe such a system, implemented by Cherokee County Schools, could become a model for the entire country.
Arlan Edwards, Murphy
Inmate claims ‘cover-up’ afoot
This letter finds you, “I hope.” Every other avenue has been blocked or thwarted by higher powers.
I have had cases with N.C. Industrial Commission “dismissed,” and a federal lawsuit in Asheville also dismissed, mainly due to not being able to file things in a timely manner.
In May 2021, I was shopping at the Marble Dollar General store. When I came out, I was attacked by local business owner and three of his cronies. They held me down, twisting and torquing my left arm past its breaking point – and still broke to this day. I had multiple lacerations to my face where they beat me severely.
A Cherokee County sheriff’s deputy took me to Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital in Peachtree, which knows I was beaten very badly. I was left unattended, and thus I “escaped” because I had multiple warrants “allegedly.”
My mother, Betty Kilpatrick, reported the incident to the sheriff’s office, which told her a report was never made. Why the hell not? I was beaten very badly and am still scarred from this.
I don’t wanna say too much, but about seven officers showed up on scene, with my mother making a direct report.
I will sign any releases for Erlanger, the Cherokee County Detention Center, the health department and any you might need for the lawsuits I have filed.
Please help me get this story of the good ol’ boys cover-up out there.
Andrew Kilpatrick, Marble
Veteran seeks home for pups
A local veteran once drafted from Cherokee County in February 1967 – just in time for the Great Vietnam Jamboree of July 1967 to July 1968, the year of half the names on the Vietnam Wall – needs help.
I need help in finding homes for two, 1-year-old house pups that was abandoned at my house.
Fifty years ago mountain people of this area would be fighting for these dogs. Now like the mule, camel, elephant and myself, they are no longer needed.
My wife and I are right at 75 years old. We’re right at Musical Doctor-time. We have no one to feed and care for these dogs during hospital stays and just getting better after an early morning doctor appointments.
We have to have help in finding homes for two sweet boys whose only sin is overly eager to love and get close. They are well built, strong, healthy, eager and alert.
I don’t have the morals to just load them up and dump them somewhere else or the cold heart to shoot them.
Someone, many someones in these dogs past kept their type, hound, to being that – country hound – that says something.
I am stressed. I need help. The boys need help. I call them Porkchop and Bacon because it seems they were born to be eaten alive by this society.
Steve Ledford, 423-496-4067 – veteran was awarded Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart Medal from the 25th Infantry Division, Cu Chi, September 1967.
The 25th had 35,000-plus wounded and KIA, seven times more than World War II 25th Division injuries and KIA.
Steven L. Ledford, Ducktown, Tenn.
Unborn need chance at life
“If it feels good, do it,” exploded in the 1960s. I remember because I was there.
That self-centered mindset, without regard for others, has led to where we are now. What’s called progress today is actually regression. It’s evident in the abortion issue.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ divisive, obnoxious rant, “How dare they tell women what to do with their bodies!” is extremely flawed. If a true humanitarian, she could have said instead, “How dare women have their innocent fetuses murdered.”
For more than 100 years, medical science has known conclusively that every individual’s life begins at the moment of fertilization, when the sperm and ovum meet to form a single cell.
In the United States, over 63 million unborn babies have been killed since abortion was legalized in 1973. More than 1.2 million are killed each year. Almost all have been done for purely self-serving reasons.
Nobody cares if a woman’s hair is dyed blue. If her fingernails are polished chartreuse or black. If she wears a nose ring, sports a colorful tattoo, gets a face lift or increases her breast size. Women do what they want with their bodies. But such freedom doesn’t include murdering the innocent within.
Why does anyone want to deny another the experience of marveling at a brilliant sunrise? Tasting a first lick of ice cream? Having the excitement of opening presents? Feeling a wet snowflake on their face? Holding a wriggling puppy? Getting a warm hug? Receiving and giving love?
There’s an easy cure for unwanted pregnancy: Be responsible and exercise self-control. Don’t have casual or careless sex. Wisdom and protection are effective preventives. Then the horrific choice to murder out of selfishness won’t even have to be considered.
And everyone will have the equal opportunity to stop and smell the beautiful roses.
Tamara Phillips, Murphy