Press Release Sara Posey Davis was hired November of 2025 to lead the Main Street Murphy department at the Town of Murphy, as well as serve as Director for Friends of Downtown Murphy, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Town of Murphy is a North Carolina Main Street community designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. The Town of Murphy program is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public/private

Young Harris, Ga. — A heat advisory is in effect Monday for portions of northeast Georgia and western North Carolina as oppressive heat and humidity push heat index values into the triple digits. The National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg issued the advisory from noon to 8 p.m. EDT for parts of northeast Georgia, including Stephens, Franklin, Hart and Elbert counties, along with portions of the North Carolina Piedmont and Upstate South Carolina. Heat index

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release In the early morning hours of August 14, 2026, the newly created Special Operations Division was conducting proactive patrols in the Ranger Community when Deputy Tristan Howard initiated a traffic stop on Holiness Church Road. Deputy Howard, who recently joined the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office as one of the newly established uniformed positions within the Special Operations Division, conducted the traffic stop. During the sto

MURPHY, N.C. — Cherokee County Sheriff Chris Wood announced the creation of a Special Operations Division, expanding and restructuring the office’s existing Narcotics Division to focus on proactive enforcement against repeat offenders, illegal drugs and outstanding warrants. The division will add two uniformed positions through reorganization of existing positions and funding: one uniformed deputy and a second deputy assigned a K-9 asset. It will concentrate on five primary m

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release On July 31, 2025, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported road rage incident that originated from a domestic dispute near the intersection of Notley River Road and Spur 60. Upon arrival, deputies discovered an overturned 2007 Ford Taurus and identified the driver as Shawn Panther, who resides on Dixie Drive off Notley River Road. Following an investigation and interviews with witnesses and those

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release Sheriff Chris Wood announces the arrest of 51-year-old Michael Christopher Graves of Murphy, North Carolina, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. In February 2026, detectives executed a search warrant at Graves' residence, where numerous electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation. During a forensic examination of one of the electronic devices recovered from Grav

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office has charged a suspect following an investigation into the theft of a side-by-side utility vehicle from the Bear Paw Resort community. On July 18, 2026, a resident of Bear Paw Resort in the Hiawassee Dam community reported that his 2013 Polaris side-by-side had been stolen while he was away from his residence that evening. Detectives with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office immediately began i

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release On July 4, 2026, Deputies Wilson and Blomgren with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence on Carvers View Trail after a homeowner reported discovering suspected illegal narcotics in a guest bedroom occupied by an individual who was visiting from Florida. With the homeowner's consent, deputies searched the room and located suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, suspected controlled substances and drug paraphe

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release On August 1, 2026, Deputy Blomgren with Cherokee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a stolen 2009 Polaris Ranger from a residence on Olive Branch Way. During the investigation, deputies learned that Joseph Whitener was suspected of taking the vehicle without permission. Messages sent by Whitener to the victim acknowledged he had borrowed the side-by-side and requested that law enforcement not be contacted. Based on

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., announced early Wednesday that he is withdrawing from his re-election campaign and will complete his current term representing Western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. “After much prayer, thoughtful reflection, and many conversations with my family, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from my re-election campaign,” Edwards said in a statement. “I will complete my current term.” The decision comes two d

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina drivers will no longer receive annual license plate registration stickers or automatic paper vehicle registration cards beginning Oct. 1 as the state Division of Motor Vehicles shifts to an electronic registration system. The change, included in the state budget signed into law earlier this summer, directs the DMV to maintain vehicle registration records electronically. Existing license plates will remain valid, and drivers will still need to re

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release On July 30, 2026, at approximately 8:47 p.m., a narcotics agent with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a motorcycle displaying no registration plate. After the agent activated his emergency lights and siren, the motorcycle failed to stop, initiating a pursuit on Blairsville Highway. The pursuit ended safely when a civilian vehicle came to a stop in the roadway, allowing the agent to posit

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release On July 26, 2026, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported larceny of a motorcycle. The owner of the stolen motorcycle provided information as to a possible area to find it. The information of the location and the description were relayed to all deputies working to aid in locating the stolen property. While enroute to the suspected area that the property could be located, a deputy observed a motorcycle matchin

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division has been conducting a “months long” investigation into the distribution of fentanyl in the Andrews area of Cherokee County. As part of this investigation, two individuals were charged with trafficking fentanyl earlier in this month. During the follow-up investigation related to the charges on these two individuals, evidence was developed that indicated that Lanessa Shenee’ S

Press Release The Town of Murphy has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to construct a new sewer lift station that will move critical infrastructure out of the floodplain, improve reliability, and support future economic growth. The award was announced by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Paul Dabbar during an event in Asheville on Monday highlighting federal investments that will strengthen Western North Carolina’s econo

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release Agents with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division began an investigation into Harold Wayne Wolfenbarger, known by the street name "Wolf," for suspected methamphetamine trafficking. During the investigation, agents requested assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), which worked alongside the Sheriff's Office throughout the case. The investigation spanned from California to North C

(Photo courtesy of Sheba Brown) Seylah Brown works on her form as she continues to train in martial arts. By Travis Dockery The Mountain Buzz Local student Seylah Brown is heading to the national stage this August as a competitor in the 2026 Patriot Games, a high-profile athletic competition celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. One male and one female athlete were chosen from each state or territory. Brown, a student of the U.S. Chung Do Kwan Association, under the instr

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release In 2025, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a concerned parent who requested to speak with investigators regarding an older man who was allegedly paying minor girls in exchange for sexually explicit photographs. In 2026, Detective Sparks assumed the lead role in the case and immediately began an extensive investigation into the allegations. During the investigation, detectives identified electronic communicatio

MURPHY, N.C. — The City of Murphy is using a “Christmas in July” theme to remind residents and visitors that supporting local businesses benefits the community year-round, not just during the holiday season. Officials say every dollar spent at local retailers and restaurants — particularly when paid in cash — circulates within the local economy, helping sustain jobs and services in the North Carolina mountain town. The message encourages shoppers to make downtown Murphy their

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release Murphy, NC — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has charged Hayden Rain Moss, 21, of Marble, NC, following an investigation into multiple fraud-related incidents involving vehicle repair services. Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division began receiving reports from individuals and businesses who alleged they paid Moss for vehicle repairs that were either not completed or were improperly performed. In several cases,