Handle with care: Smoke hangs over the mountains around 8:20 p.m. March 24 in Beaver Dam. “It was scary to see how fast the fire grew, but they handled it quickly,” one resident said.

Johnny Walker, assistant manager of the Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House homeless shelter, enjoys preparing meals for others through a new program he started called Murphy Meals.

Crowds gathered on March 28 to celebrate Buck Bald Brewing Murphy’s first year in its new location and enjoyed the new bar railing. Buck Bald has been in Murphy for the last four years, with its new location, the renovated former Wherehouse, providing more space in downtown nestled into the curve of Valley River Avenue. Attendees dined on food from BigHead’s Grub and listened to live music from Dead Bread and the Loafers as well as One Trick Pony. The brewery’s flagship location is in Copperhill, Tenn.

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Murphy Mayor Tim Radford, Andrews Mayor James Reid and Sue Lynn Ledford, now a Cherokee County Board of Commissioners member, were among those in attendance.

Smoke from a fire in the Indian Hills community was spotted a little before 6 p.m. March 24.. No houses nor injuries were involved.

A drone-shot image of the traffic circle in downtown Murphy shows a No Kings rally with Trump Train participants Saturday afternoon. Michelle Bradbeer/Staff Correspondent

Jeana Conley (left) takes the oath of office administered by Maria Hass, clerk to the board of commissioners, as family friend Harper Hammond, 4, holds the Bible.

Fields of the Wood

Retiring downtown director Laura Lachance is presented with 3D printed image of downtown Murphy. From left are Victoria Ivie, Barry McClure, Chad Simons, Gayle Walker Stansell, Tim Radford, Lachance, Sara Posey Davis and Casey Covington Kerr.