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On Aug. 12, a local 82-year-old man in better shape than most teenagers was struck and killed by a vehicle while bicycling on Airport Road in Marble. On Nov. 3, a 48-year-old woman taking a sunset stroll was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding her bicycle on the very same road.
A 46-year-old man has been charged with two misdemeanor charges in the second death, while the driver has not been charged in the first one. However, there’s an even bigger question that needs to be asked – how many people are going to have to die or get seriously injured while before government officials create a safer path for local bicyclists?
Longtime residents can remember how many accidents occurred, including fatalities, involving vehicles turning into the Ingles plaza on U.S. 19/74 before the N.C. Department of Transportation finally installed a stoplight at that intersection. And, for years, the Cherokee Scout has strongly pushed for adding shoulders onto local highways for the safety of drivers, bicyclists and walkers, to little avail.
In addition to not having shoulders, Airport Road narrows even further in parts due to bridges and landscaping, in effect pushing bicyclists into the center of the asphalt. And with the four-lane highway being the only other viable option, more people would like to revisit the idea of building a rails-to-trails system between Andrews and Murphy.
Whatever officials decide to do, let’s not push this issue onto the back-burner – then act surprised when something similar happens again down the road.
Until then, bicyclists should avoid using Airport Road in the hours around sunrise and sunset, as there are multiple corners where the sun can blind you.
Jail still suffering after tragic escape
Cherokee County has lost more than $100,000 this year due to a loss of federal inmates after Transport Detention Officer Francisco Flattes was killed during a violent escape attempt on June 30, as detailed in the Nov. 12 edition of the Cherokee Scout.
The county jail was overbuilt in 2008 to house out-of-county and federal prisoners as a revenue stream for the county, but that has been put on pause following Flattes’ death. The contract with the U.S. Marshal’s Office calls for the jail to guarantee 48 beds for male prisoners and eight beds for females, paying $70 per day per inmate as of last year.
The county’s chief financial officer said federal jail housing fees brought in $158,635 from July 1, 2024, through Nov. 7, 2024; this year, the number is $6,626. The revenue loss has been offset a bit by an increase in prisoners from other counties, with $63,240 coming in to date in 2024 and $99,30 in 2025.
Sheriff Dustin Smith said he and the Marshal’s Office agreed to “pull out for a little while” following “public outrage and questions” following the death. Sadly, those questions remain unanswered.
Career Day great
Cherokee County Schools held the third annual Career & Technical Education Career Expo on Nov. 5 at Murphy First Baptist Church, which was a welcoming host for the occasion.
The event provided students with an opportunity to see multiple, potential career choices. The Cherokee Scout was among the businesses on hand.
More than 300 applications were filled out by students to participate in the event, an excellent response. CTE coordinator Dana Anderson and her team in the schools deserve a round of thanks.
An elections daze
There was a nice turnout for the municipal elections on Nov. 4 in Andrews and Murphy, where
the votes of just a few households can make the difference winning and losing. However, there’s an interesting sidebar – the number of people who thought they should be able to vote but couldn’t, as they lived outside town limits.
In part because campaign signs for the 2026 sheriff’s race are already sprinkled around the country, several residents thought they were choosing that office this year. However, filing for the Tuesday, March 3, primary in North Carolina doesn’t even take place until Dec. 1-19.
Until then, keep your voter ID handy.
– Publisher David Brown