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Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent Leaudenia King was celebrated Thursday at Murphy Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. King turned 95 on April 2 and had friends and family around to help celebrate the milestone.

Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent Leaudenia King was celebrated Thursday at Murphy Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. King turned 95 on April 2 and had friends and family around to help celebrate the milestone.

Fireside Chats: 95 years of living the good life and still going strong

Anngee Quinones-Belian
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Body Murphy – Leaudenia King celebrated her 95th birthday at Murphy Rehabilitation & Nursing Center on Thursday, when family and friends made sure the cheerful lady knew she was spe
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Posterized

News Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Body The Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District handed out awards for its annual poster contest during a ceremony March 10 at Murphy United Methodist Church.
Joining Maria Hass (center) on March 26 were brothers Joe Wood and Tim Wood; husband, Eric Hass (from left); and one of her sons, Jacob Martinez (right).

Joining Maria Hass (center) on March 26 were brothers Joe Wood and Tim Wood; husband, Eric Hass (from left); and one of her sons, Jacob Martinez (right).

Cherokee County's Maria Hass the top clerk in state

News Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Body Cherokee County clerk to the board and assistant county manager Maria Wood Hass has been named the 2025 Howard Holly Outstanding Clerk of the Year.
Kyla and Phillip Cutshaw started their business to help bring more convenience and opportunity to Ogreeta.

Kyla and Phillip Cutshaw started their business to help bring more convenience and opportunity to Ogreeta.

K&P Produce brings in the fresh

Aiden McCoy Williams
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Body Ogreeta – K&P Produce is owned and operated by Kyla and Phillip Cutshaw. The couple has a family lake house off Joe Brown Highway, about 20 minutes from Murphy.
Nicole Wright/Staff Correspondent Attendees at the March 23 groundbreaking ceremony for the Andrews wastewater treatment facility project included (from left) Andrews Alderman James Mclean, facility director Tim Wood, construction superintendent from Haren Randell Knepper, McGill Senior Principal Joel Storrow, Andrews Mayor James Reid as king of the mountain and Claire Osborn from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Nicole Wright/Staff Correspondent Attendees at the March 23 groundbreaking ceremony for the Andrews wastewater treatment facility project included (from left) Andrews Alderman James Mclean, facility director Tim Wood, construction superintendent from Haren Randell Knepper, McGill Senior Principal Joel Storrow, Andrews Mayor James Reid as king of the mountain and Claire Osborn from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Andrews wastewater treatment plant groundbreaking a sign of progress

Nicole Wright
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Body Andrews – After two years in the making, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Town of Andrews’ wastewater treatment facility project was held on March 23. 
Randy Foster/editor@cherokeescout.com The former Cherokee County Health Department building in Andrews has sat vacant for about a decade.

Randy Foster/editor@cherokeescout.com The former Cherokee County Health Department building in Andrews has sat vacant for about a decade.

Parenting center appears headed to new venue – next door

Randy Foster
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Body Andrews – A former health clinic that sat empty for a decade suddenly has competing interests, although Cherokee County commissioners appear to have chosen.
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.

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.

Law & Order Report for April 8, 2026

News Staff
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Body MURPHYScam alert issued  
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.

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.

Hard times help man to feed others in Murphy

Anngee Quinones-Belian
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Body Murphy – A local man’s program called Murphy Meals is helping hungry people in and out of the homeless shelter.