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.

.

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.

The Easter Bunny came over from High Lonesome Therapeutic Equestrian Center to take photos with the kids Saturday in Unaka.

Awards for the Purel Miller African-American Reading Challenge were handed out at the Andrews Public Library. The sixth annual awards were given to 23 students across the three counties. From left, reading challenge winners Jackson Matthews; Tavish Singer and Waverly Hood; ODWC Executive Director Sarah Hardman; ODWC founder Ann Miller Woodford; Kristen George; chair of the Purel Miller African-American Reading Collection Janel Agyeman; and youth services librarian Bridget Wilson.