The Learning Center missing in 2022-23
The first day of classes Monday will offer a sad reminder of what won’t be happening in Cherokee County during the coming school year.
It has been almost two months since Cherokee County’s charter school, The Learning Center at 945 Connahetta St. in Murphy, closed due to “significant irregularities within the school’s financial operations,” according to the release from the board of directors, but the public is still no closer to learning exactly what happened on the once-popular campus.
Since the school officially shut down on June 30, the State Bureau of Investigation and local agencies have gotten involved, but the SBI is notoriously shy about providing information concerning ongoing investigations. There were rumors of a lawsuit being brought by some former faculty members over lack of payment, but fortunately those issues seem to be mostly resolved.
In the meantime, The Learning Center’s former teachers and staff members are faced with finding new jobs on late notice in a tightening local market. Parents and students are faced with finding a new home for their education. And the question of “Why?” this happened in the first place continues to haunt the people who gave so much of themselves to the school for so long.
Erlanger provides health-care goods
The opening of the Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital Wound Care Center is another reason to be happy about Erlanger Health Care System taking over the former Murphy Medical Center on April 1, 2018.
Murphy Medical served Cherokee County well for almost 40 years, but financial times have been tough on smaller rural hospitals, basically forcing a merger of sorts just to survive. Fortunately, this one turned out well for local residents, as Erlanger has invested in its facilities as well as recruited many new doctors.
Since arriving, Erlanger has expanded the Murphy Group Practice Clinic, opened Erlanger Primary Care in Andrews and created an Erlanger Primary Care & Express Care walk-in clinic in Hayesville. Hospital leaders have also handed out thousands of dollars in college scholarships and lobbied to expand Medicaid access in North Carolina, which the General Assembly hopefully will approve next spring.
While the nursing home was sold, and the labor and delivery department closed in 2019, the rest of the hospital has grown stronger since then. Local residents – who have a median age of 52.1, according to the U.S. Census – are fortunate to have such a committed partner providing vital health care in our community.
Air show suitable tribute to veterans
You can see the excitement in their eyes as organizers of the Welcome Home – A Tribute to All Who Serve event talk about the air show planned at Western Carolina Regional Airport in Andrews from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.
Just about anything and everything a
U.S. military veteran might need or want will be available during the annual event, which will also include a parade, the annual Benghazi/Twin Towers Memorial Ride and a chili cook-off. However, it’s the air show – featuring a Pit Special, a Chipmunk, a vintage helicopter used in Vietnam, two Black Hawk helicopters, a DC3 that flew into Normandy and even a special forces parachute team jump – that has most people talking.
As many as 10,000 people are expected
for the event, so make plans to get there early. Shuttles will also be available in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties to help make it easier.
There is no charge to attend, but donations to veterans causes are appreciated.
For details, visit the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s website at cherokeecountychamber.com.
Hope to see you there.