A state park requires plan
The people of Cherokee County have a great opportunity to fix the train wreck that our officials have created. Elections are upon us, and it’s time to clean out the barn. Our commissioners have fought against the school board to the point of giving $50 million back to the state. They tried to sell our forest lands, resulting in a huge push-back from the citizens. The latest idea is to create a state park.
This describes their shortsightedness and lack of good ideas. I ask, who is going to pay for that? We need to stop submitting useless resolutions and grants that get thrown in the trash.
Ideas like a state park need to be thought through. State parks come with expensive studies and plans, resulting in increased taxes and parking fees. What are the exceptional attractions that would warrant a state park at Hanging Dog campground? A boat ramp and a drawn-down lake don’t qualify.
If you like to park your car, launch your boat, swim or have lunch down by the lake at Hanging Dog, then vote these politicians out before they ruin it all for everyone.
David Wood, Murphy
Vote wisely in area elections
My wife and I usually spend a few weeks in Florida during the winter. Biking and hiking are the activities we most enjoy.
Florida is a very progressive state when it comes to multipurpose trails. No matter which coast we’re on, there are plenty of safe paved trails and lots of people use them.
North Carolina has similar developed trails, often on abandoned rail lines exactly like what we have here in Cherokee County.
There are grants available from the state that could convert the now defunct rail line between Andrews and Murphy into a multipurpose trail that would benefit our residents and visitors. I’ve spoken with Karl Gillespie, our state representative, who feels that this would be a wonderful project for our county. But he says it must be initiated by county commissioners or town councils; then his office will help in any way it can to make it happen.
Two bicyclists died last year on Airport Road. They’d be alive today if the commissioners had done their job and pursued the grants available for rails to trails conversion.
Our current board of commissioners has no interest in pursuing these grants. These are the same people who refused a $50 million grant that would have given our young people a new high school. The same people who oversaw a system that allowed children to be taken from their parents without a court order, resulting in lawsuits that have cost all of the taxpayers of our county millions.
If you’re as angry as I am, go the polls and vote them out. You know their names.
Glenn Kolp, Andrews
Fair, impartial judges needed
We think of judges as people to see when we settle a lawsuit, probate a will or try to dispute a traffic ticket in court. It’s easy to forget the Judiciary Branch is an equally powerful and important part of the state and federal governments.
The founders of our great nation realized that an independent Judiciary was necessary to serve as a check and as a moderating influence to the partisan impulses of the Legislative and Executive branches. Although we count on and vote for our president, governor, and federal and state legislators to advocate for and pursue partisan agendas, we rely on our judges to interpret and apply the law fairly, setting partisan politics aside.
This not only provides a critical check on the other two branches of government, it assures us that the laws passed will always be evaluated based on the most fundamental concepts that anchor us as a nation – the principles set aside in the U.S. Constitution.
With elections around the corner and the polarized political environment we’re in, it is wise to take a moment to consider what role we expect judges to play in our government. In order for the Judiciary to function how the Founding Fathers conceived, we need to look beyond partisan political affiliation in favor of experience, fairness and impartiality.
Judicial independence does not just happen on its own. It must be protected – aggressively – in the voting booth by the citizenry. Once a fair and impartial judiciary is sacrificed for partisan advantage, it is not easy to be regained.
Before you vote in the primary election March 3, please take the time to look past the R or D next to the names of the men and women asking to be our judges. Look instead to experience, competence, integrity, and a commitment to the fairness and impartiality our Judicial branch requires. The health and future of our republic depends on it.
Brandon Cook, Hayesville
The power of our prayers
All true red-blooded believing saints of God have the awesome gift of praying to our heavenly Father whatever we bring to Him. He can handle it.
Your prayer might be a personal matter. That’s OK, God knows the hearts of His people.
Could be you are struggling over your finances? Or maybe you got a bad report from your doctor. Nothing is too hard for God to solve if we truly have faith in Him.
Maybe you just lost your job. God has a better one for you if you trust Him.
Maybe you just lost a family member. Our God can bring comfort and peace amid your loss.
It doesn’t matter what you are dealing with, God has the perfect answer. It might not be the answer we were hoping for, but remember God is always working all things out to the good of those who love and serve Him faithfully.
We also have the Holy Spirit to lean on in times of need. He is indeed a great comforter. and His wisdom is greater and more powerful than man’s.
You know what God loves to hear the most is the prayers of His people. This gives God much pleasure in knowing that His children want to bring their request before Him, knowing that God will answer them in His perfect timing.
Don’t ever think that God is too busy to hear and answer your prayers. It delights Him to know that He is needed daily, not just on Sunday when we go to church. He’s open 24/7 – 365 days a year.
Praying is the key that opens the door of heaven to an all powerful loving God who loves you more than life itself.
Frank Combs, Blairsville, Ga.
Shoebox gift folks grateful
The overwhelming generosity of the people of Murphy, Marble and Cherokee County helped provide joy to children in need through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this season. Western North Carolina (seven counties west of Asheville) collected more than 24,000 gift-filled shoeboxes.
Across the United States, the Samaritan’s Purse project collected 10.9 million shoebox gifts in 2025. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2025, the ministry is sending more than 12.2 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.
Shoebox packers brought joy and hope to children around the world through fun, full, personalized gifts. For many children, this is the first gift they have ever received. Each shoebox gift is a tangible expression of God’s love, given to children in need around the world. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 244 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Across the region, shoebox packers often shop for deals on shoebox items throughout the year, and many serve at a deeper level by becoming a year-round volunteer. Information about ways area participants can get involved year-round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Although all local drop off locations for shoebox gifts are closed until Nov. 16-23, 2026. Anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.
These simple gifts, packed with love, remind children around the world that they are loved and not forgotten.
Brenda Hackett, Franklin
The writer is media support team member for Samaritan’s Purse of Western North Carolina.
Support our sheriff in vote
Think about the many tasty meals you enjoyed in restaurants during the last few years. Did you tell the chef?
Now remember those that, in your opinion, weren’t good. Maybe the steak was overcooked. Or under cooked. Did you complain? Was the chef aware?
Humans are quick to criticize. Slow, if at all, to praise. Well, a similar scenario played out in local politics.
District Attorney Ashley Welch might have heard complaining opinions regarding former Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith. But because silence prevails, she remains ignorant of the respect for and trust in Smith.
Welch’s letter to Smith “requesting” his resignation contains half-truths. For example, the sealed evidence room during Smith’s term resulted from missing evidence when current sheriff candidate Chris Wood was with the department.
Additional misleading blame refers to the Kloepfer shooting, the outcome of Cherokee Tribal SWAT team fire. More of Welch’s half-truths.
Her claim of “very low morale in your department” is opposite of the excellent work environment accolades from people I know there.
Welch’s letter’s suspicious timing, weeks before early voting began, creates election interference. So much for “we the people” who elected Smith. And those who voted him 2025 Best Public Servant, Best Government Official and Best Public Safety Official, proving confidence, trust and respect. Even people unaware of his many accomplishments still benefit from them.
Did you know in 2018, the Smoky Mountain News reported Welch was “under fire for mishandling cases?”
Let’s stand by our man, Dustin Smith, by contacting Welch. Write to her at P.O. Box 693, Franklin, NC 28744 or send a fax to 828-349-7211. Call Welch at 828-349-7210 or visit her office, 5 W. Main St. in Franklin.
Smith deserves our voiced and/or written support plus endorsement in the voting booth. His name remains on the ballot.
Tamara Phillips, Murphy
Homeland immigration
After 9/11, naming the Department of Homeland Security was a big mistake. Homeland is a jack-booted word. America has no homeland: we are from everywhere, the whole world is our homeland.
Is there still a room in Japan containing 70,000 400-year-old Korean noses?
Before President Donald Trump-Stephen Miller’s ICE does any more damage, we need a massive effort in this country to settle the recent immigration situation, where 4%, or 14 million of us, are here illegally.
A grand total of 11% of captured illegals have criminal records, which is a lower percentage than the ICE agents who are capturing them.
The law-abiding 89% of illegals should be treated better. A path to citizenship should be offered to those grandparents who’ve been working here, and paying into Social Security, for more than 30 years.
The bigger question is, is it time to officially identify everyone living in this country? Is it time for a total global identity program? Are we ready to officially forfeit our freedom for anonymity? Who knows?
Harry Holdorf, Blairsville, Ga.
Agreeing on term limits
We may all agree on one reform: term limits.
We’ve had some of the same Cherokee County commissioners for years; do you see progress? Do they listen? I see excuses, feeble responses and finger-pointing. Effective leadership requires vision and planning. Do you see any?
If they were planning ahead, we wouldn’t have had the ongoing crypto-mining debacle. The moratorium that came after people lost property values, and the sanctuary afforded by the mountains, has expired. What’s being done?
What’s next is more impactful: AI data centers. They use enormous power, raise electric rates. In some areas, they bring pollution. Companies profit; residents pay. Most jobs require specialized degrees, meaning economic benefit is limited.
The downside cost? Ours. Knowing this, will buyers invest in property? To what level will sellers’ values fall?
Then there’s the proposal to take lake land back from the U.S. Forest Service. One commissioner promises higher tax revenue than the federal monies we receive for that land; how much, exactly? Will revenues be increased? Land won’t magically sell. It could take decades for tax revenues to offset federal funding.
Have commissioners calculated the expenses involved for infrastructure the county may be responsible for? Possibly a new fire station and trucks (will chiefs find the volunteers they already struggle for)? Deputies’ salaries, benefits, training, vehicles and maintenance? After expenses, are we in the black or the red? Where is the work that goes behind these imagined dollar signs?
Another question: why does a commissioner earning about $12-13K a year spend heavily on half-page ads and radio time? Power? Influence? Advancing a friend’s interests that taxpayers oppose? Cryptocurrency allows untraceable payments, a corrupt politician’s dream.
I’m not alleging wrongdoing – but the risk exists.
We don’t need entrenched politicians without vision. Yes, there are no formal term limits for commissioners. But your vote can create them.
David Bellino, Murphy
Don’t censor public voices
The March 3 Republican primary will determine who becomes the next sheriff of Cherokee County. There is no Democratic candidate. This primary is the election, and voters should pay close attention to how candidates handle scrutiny.
I am writing because I have personally experienced a troubling pattern.
When Chris Wood announced his candidacy for sheriff, I asked him public questions regarding corruption in this county. Instead of answering, he blocked me. This was not the first time.
Years earlier, when Joe Wood was running for sheriff, I asked questions about the Constitution, Ninth Amendment and War on Drugs. I was blocked then as well.
No threats. No harassment. No personal attacks. Just questions.
Some people dismiss social media as trivial. It is not. When someone seeking the most powerful law enforcement office in the county responds to public questions by silencing the person asking them, that is not a personality issue – it is a leadership issue.
The sheriff holds immense authority, often with limited external oversight. That office demands openness, restraint and the ability to withstand criticism without resorting to exclusion or silence. Blocking citizens instead of answering them is not accountability. It is avoidance.
Cherokee County has seen enough closed-door decision-making and insider behavior. Voters should look past campaign slogans and focus on conduct. How a candidate behaves when questioned during a campaign is often the clearest indicator of how they will wield power once elected.
If Chris Wood will censor my voice over questions regarding corruption, he will censor your voice, too.
Kevin-Wayne Vanover, Murphy
Blocking vs. leadership
The March 3 Republican primary will decide who becomes the next sheriff of Cherokee County. There is no Democratic candidate. This is the election.
I am disenfranchised and cannot vote. But I am still a resident of this county, and I am still entitled to speak about how power is exercised here.
I am supporting Sam May because this race has become a clear choice between transparency and insider control.
One of the candidates, Chris Wood, recently blocked me on Facebook after I asked a simple, public question: why he blocked my husband, Kevin Vanover. There was no profanity, no threat and no harassment – just a question. The response was silence, followed by a block.
That may seem minor to some, but it is revealing. When someone seeking the most powerful law-enforcement office in the county responds to basic public scrutiny by cutting off communication, voters should take note.
This is exactly the kind of closed, insular behavior that has eroded trust in Cherokee County for years. Blocking citizens instead of answering them is not leadership. It is avoidance.
By contrast, Sam May has consistently stated that public questions, complaints and criticism should be treated as information – not threats. He supports clear written policies, equal enforcement of the law and accountability that does not depend on who you know.
The sheriff works for the people, not for a circle of friends, not for inherited relationships and not for silence. Even though I cannot cast a ballot, I urge eligible voters to consider which candidate welcomes scrutiny – and which one shuts it down – before voting on March 3.
Meredith Yates, Murphy
Democracy on the brink
Without fairness and impartiality in the judiciary there is a collapse of the rule of law.
In the 2024 election, Judge Jefferson Griffin sought to invalidate ballots of 60,000 votes that would have ensured his victory over N.C. Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. In that number were more than 1,400 military and overseas voters. Griffin’s attempt was overruled by a federal court.
Of those 1,400 votes of military and overseas voters, no one knew when they were cast or who voted for whom. The attempt was just to throw them out: Republican, Democrat and others.
Since the Civil War, American service personnel have relied on absentee voting to participate in U.S. elections. In 2009, Congress strengthened these protections by requiring ballots to be sent at least 45 days before elections and mandating that they be available online.
All well and good until the 2024 election cycle. Before the election, President Donald Trump falsely accused Democrats of using the Uniform and Overseas Absentee Voting Act “to get ballots,” claiming that the program fails to verify voters’ eligibility and identity.
In reality, absentee voters undergo multiple checks and balances to verify their eligibility. Every voter must provide personal identification information, such as their date of birth, SSN,and driver’s license number.
Election officials verify every voter’s eligibility and confirm their identity through additional checks, such as signature verification. Every voter must sign a declaration on each ballot application and ballot under penalty of perjury.
All of this sheds a much-needed light on the importance of paying attention to judicial elections and knowing where candidates stand on protecting our right to vote. Most of us are aware that our democracy is teetering on the brink. The question is, are we going to push it over or haul it back?
Bill Bagwell, Hayesville