Who knows about rock?
Years ago, I loved to drive to the Cherokee County-Clay County line, where the Hiwassee River flows underneath the highway and turn into Weber Road.
Two- or three-10ths of a mile up Weber Road on the left was a massive rock resting on the Hiwassee River, about 4-by-8 feet. My mailman, Hoyt Zimmerman, swore that there used to be a cave underneath it.
Years ago, when I noticed that Weber Road had been reconstructed for housing, I found the beautiful petroglyph gone. One person told me a university had come and taken it away.
Does anybody know?
Denny Smith, Murphy
Record year for murders?
Thank you all for your local reporting. In reflecting on this year, it seems like there was a very high number of murders in Cherokee County; six or so.
Is this the highest number ever for Cherokee County?
And do you know how our per-capita murder rate compares to more urban areas of our state?
Andrew Gray, Murphy
Editor’s note: Yes, there have been six murders this year in Cherokee County, a higher than usual number. Since North’s Carolina’s per-capita murder rate is about 6.5 per 100,000 residents, the county’s per-capita rate of 20.85 is indeed high.
Protect the law abiding
I am writing to clarify some things I said about the repeal of Andrews’ ordinance prohibiting firearms on town property.
One citizen came to the public hearing to express his opinion that the board should not repeal the entire ordinance. Mr. Gary James is a former alderman. I value and respect his opinion. However, I disagree.
I did not vaguely say that this ordinance puts the public at risk when I “chimed in,” as Randy Foster so eloquently stated. I specifically said firearm prohibitions only prohibit “law-abiding citizens” from protecting themselves.
This is an important distinction because our town and every other town in this great nation has citizens that are not so law abiding. A person intent on doing harm with a firearm or any other weapon on town property or anywhere else is not going to abide by an ordinance.
I voted to repeal this ordinance in order to ensure that our law-abiding citizens have the ability to defend themselves and others.
Also on my mind, and I am glad Randy mentioned this, is the fact that any ordinance that denies law-abiding citizens the right to arm themselves is expressly forbidden by U.S. Constitution: “... the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Ted Paul, Andrews
The writer is a an alderman for the Town of Andrews.