Blairsville , Ga. — Union County kept things close early, but Sonoraville pulled away in the second half to hand the Panthers a 45-22 loss on Friday night. The Smoky Mountain Conference matchup was tight through the first two quarters, with Union County trailing just 22-21 at halftime. But the Panthers couldn’t keep pace after the break as the Phoenix broke the game open with a dominant final two quarters. Sonoraville running back Jayden Cruz powered the offense with a monst

CHEROKEE, N.C. — Andrews’ offense couldn’t find any traction Friday night, falling 47-0 to Cherokee in a Smoky Mountain Conference matchup at Ray Kinsland Stadium. The loss marked the third straight time the Wildcats have come up short against the Braves, who snapped their own three-game losing streak with the decisive win. Cherokee (3-6) dominated on the ground, led by Kingston Welch and Jonathan Saylor. Welch rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries, whi

DALTON, Ga. — Towns County’s offense caught fire Friday night, lighting up the scoreboard for a season-high point total in a 54-35 win over Southeast Whitfield County. The victory marked the third straight for the Indians, who improved to 6-3 on the year while continuing their late-season surge. Towns County’s balanced attack proved too much for the Raiders, who fell to 2-8 after dropping their second consecutive game. The Indians took control early and never looked back, fin

MURPHY, N.C. — The Murphy Bulldogs sent their home crowd home happy Friday night with a commanding 50–7 victory over the visiting Hayesville Yellow Jackets in a Smoky Mountain Conference football matchup. Murphy (7–2) controlled the game from start to finish, overwhelming Hayesville on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs’ balanced attack and stout defense helped them earn their seventh win of the season and build momentum heading into their next matchup. The Bulldogs will t

CLAY COUNTY, N.C. — With winter’s return and fireplaces being used more frequently, the Clay County Health Department is reminding residents to inspect and maintain their chimneys to prevent heating-related fires linked to poorly maintained fireplaces. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately three of every ten house fires caused by home heating equipment stem from dirty chimneys and poorly maintained fireplaces. EPA+1  The primary culprit

If you’re a mom like me, your days probably start before sunrise and end long after everyone else is asleep. Between school drop-offs, work deadlines, soccer practice, and PTA meetings, life feels like one long sprint. Somewhere in that blur, we squeeze in a workout, meal prep, and maybe—if we’re lucky—a few quiet moments before bed. But somewhere along the way, I realized that while I was doing everything I could to care for my family’s physical and emotional needs, I was ne

HIAWASSEE, Ga. — Volunteers are encouraged to take part in MountainTrue’s 15th annual Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup on Saturday, Nov. 1. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Towns County Swim Beach Pavilion, across from the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. Participants will receive cleanup assignments, bags, gloves, and safety information before heading out to their designated shoreline areas. Coffee and grab-and-go breakfast snacks will be provided, and the first 30 voluntee

When we open our Bibles and read the story of David and Goliath, most of us instinctively find ourselves rooting for—and identifying with—the shepherd boy. David is the underdog, small in stature but mighty in faith. He represents courage, trust, and God’s ability to use the weak to humble the strong. It’s an easy and comforting comparison. But if we’re honest, we’re rarely David. More often, we’re Goliath. We live in a culture that prizes confidence, self-sufficiency, and vi

CHEROKEE, N.C. — The Hayesville Lady Yellow Jackets saw their strong volleyball season come to an end Thursday night, falling 3-0 to the Cherokee Lady Braves in the third round of the NCHSAA 1A state tournament. It marked the fourth meeting this season between the two Smoky Mountain Conference rivals, with Cherokee claiming victory each time. Despite the loss, Hayesville finishes its campaign with an impressive 26-5 record. The Lady Jackets captured a midseason tournament ch

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office held its latest Scam and Fraud Awareness Class on Oct. 22, continuing its efforts to educate residents about common fraud schemes targeting the community. The event, supported by local businesses and community partners, aimed to help residents recognize and avoid scams affecting the region. During the class, United Community Bank presented Sheriff Shawn Dyer and Investigator Robert Calamari with the bank’s U-ROCK Award in

ANDREWS, N.C. (Oct. 23, 2025)  — The Andrews Wildcats’ postseason run came to an end Thursday as they fell to Leadership Academy 3-1 in the third round of the NCHSAA 1A state volleyball tournament. The Falcons took control early, winning the first two sets 25-13 and 25-18 before Andrews battled back to claim the third 25-18. Leadership Academy closed out the match with a 25-16 victory in the fourth set. The loss ends an up and down season for the Lady Wildcats. After a strong

MURPHY, N.C. —  The Rotary Club of Murphy will bring back its popular Scholastic Book Fair from Oct. 27 through Nov. 1 at the Cherokee Art Council Building in downtown Murphy. The event will run daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 33 Valley River Ave., Suite C. On Halloween, the fair will stay open until 7 p.m., offering candy to shoppers while they browse. Proceeds from the fair will benefit the Rotary Reads program, which provides books to local children and classrooms. Teacher

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga.  — Union County Fire Department hosted its annual Fire Safety Day last week, teaching roughly 350 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students important lessons about fire prevention and emergency response. Over two days, firefighters demonstrated how smoke alarms work, explained their importance, and showed children how to safely crawl under smoke to escape a burning home. Students practiced the technique in the department’s “Get Low and Go” simulator — a 10-f

HAYESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 22, 2025)  — Hayesville’s struggles continued Wednesday as the Yellow Jackets fell 4-2 to Swain County, marking their fourth consecutive defeat. The loss dropped Hayesville to 4-7-1 on the season, while Swain County snapped a five-match skid to improve to 3-11-2. Despite showing flashes of offense, Hayesville couldn’t keep pace with the Maroon Devils, who capitalized on key opportunities to secure the win. Hayesville will look to rebound Monday when it

CASHIERS, N.C. — Andrews continued its winning streak Wednesday, edging Summit Charter 1-0 in a defensive battle that marked the Wildcats’ third straight victory. The Wildcats (5-7-1) kept their third consecutive clean sheet, holding off the Bears’ attack to secure the road win. The result followed Andrews’ recent 2-1 win over Highlands and a 1-0 shutout of Swain County. Summit Charter (7-5) dropped its second straight match with the loss. Andrews will look to extend its mome

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. —  The Union County Lady Panthers saw their playoff run come to an end Wednesday, falling to Sonoraville in the GHSA Class AA state tournament’s Sweet 16 round. Union County dropped both games of the best-of-three series, losing the opener 2-0 before the Phoenix pulled away for an 11-0 victory in Game 2. The defeats eliminated the Lady Panthers and continued a frustrating trend against Sonoraville — Union County has now lost three straight meetings with the P

ANDREWS, N.C. —  The Town of Andrews will host its annual Christmas parade this year with a festive twist. The event, titled A Gingerbread Christmas Parade , is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2025, at 6:15 p.m. Residents and visitors are encouraged to save the date for the holiday celebration, which will feature a gingerbread theme. For more information, contact Ali Huls at ali.huls@andrewsnc.gov  or Ethan McCubbin at ethan.mccubbin@andrewsnc.gov . Additional details are available at

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. —  The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about spam calls targeting local medical providers in which scammers pose as law enforcement officers. According to the sheriff’s office, callers have been falsely claiming to be Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs and telling victims they missed jury duty. The callers then attempt to extort money over the phone. Deputies emphasized that the sheriff’s office will never solicit money from anyone by phone

For generations, Christians have cherished the Bible as the foundation of faith and the source of truth. Yet too often, I see believers get caught up arguing over which version of the Bible is “the right one.” I understand the passion behind those debates — the Word of God deserves reverence — but we must remember something important: if you can’t understand the words on the page, you’ll struggle to understand the God behind them. The goal of reading Scripture is transformati

Union County Fire/Rescue & EMA Press Release Last week’s column provided some information on outdoor burning and reviewed the burning safety standards set by the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC). We encourage everyone to utilize these safety standards when burning leaves and other hand piled yard debris to prevent wildfires. We also encourage everyone to learn more about how to prepare your family, home, and community for wildfires. A good place to start is with Firewise USA