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Believe it or not, some people in Cherokee and surrounding counties don’t like being on the digital grid. They don’t use a cell phone or land line, don’t have a computer or tablet and don’t have the internet. Their lives take place solely in the real world – you know, the way it was when folks my age were growing up.
However, seeking simplicity can be a tricky problem at times.
A Murphy woman recently spoke with me about challenges receiving her mail. The challenge wasn’t paying her bills – it was receiving them.
Here’s one example: A check she had written on Oct. 1, 2023, for her utility bill wasn’t delivered until March 7, 2024, well past due and long after the 90-day window to cash the check had expired. Our local woman almost had her power cut off when the company didn’t receive payment on time, but she was able to take care of it in person with a nearly two-hour round trip. In six cases, bills never arrived in her mailbox altogether.
Changes made on the national level have lengthened the U.S. Postal Service’s delivery times. Once upon a time, mail sent to a local zip code within a local zip code never left Cherokee County, but today all mail gets sent to Asheville – or beyond – before it comes back home. That has left many local residents frustrated and turning to email and other methods of sharing information, while paying their bills via apps and websites.
Unless, of course, you don’t use the internet. There must be a way for folks in that category to be able to take care of what they need without giving up their lifestyle; no one should be forced to go online against their will.
Fishing and hunting have always played an important part in North Carolina’s lifestyle and traditions, so much so that the N.C. Right to Hunt & Fish amendment was approved and added to the N.C. Constitution in 2018. However, in recent years more local residents have expressed concern about bullets finding their way into residential areas.
I’ve heard from two people in different parts of the county who have shared a similar story: They moved into a house near a wooded area and fell in love with the nearby wildlife, putting out feed for birds and deer. The animals became like pets to the families, some with names.
Then the animals quit coming around – only to find out later someone had put up a tree stand nearby, baited it and proceeded to take out the deer one at a time.
If you own property, you can “post” it with purple paint or ribbon on trees to keep hunters out. However, as soon as an animal sets foot on someone else’s land, they have the right to “hunt” it – but hunting does not include setting bait for animals, which is illegal and cowardly.
Think about it: Would it be fair if, say, a clan of bears lured you into a trap with a 16-ounce New York strip steak and six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon beers?
In the meantime, there’s little recourse for such things happening close to home unless there’s proof that a bullet, arrow or something similar has been found on your property. Even then, proving who fired it can be nearly impossible.
That’s why it’s important that we all act responsibly and follow the Golden Rule – especially when using firearms.
A recent report by doxo.com, “How Americans Pay Their Bills,” reveals that – much to my surprise – the average Murphy household pays $1,609 a month, which is 24% lower than the national average of $2,126. That adds up to $25,513 per year, or 34% of household income.
Amazing things that no one really needed to know include that Murphy residents most commonly pay their bills at 11 a.m. Tuesday, while using a debit card as their preferred payment method.
That makes Murphy the 154th most expensive city in North Carolina for household bills. Since there are only 100 counties in the Tar Heel State, that means, even with inflation, our hometown remains one of the more affordable places to live and visit in the Southeast.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 828-837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or on X @daviddBstroh.