Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On 12/02/25 around 8:00 PM Clay County Lt. Tyler Faggard, Investigator Steven Smith, Investigator Brandon Coker, and Officer Sean Stout stopped a blue Ford Edge near the intersection of NC Hwy 175 and Jack Rabbit Road in Hayesville. This vehicle was known to be driven by Richard Frederick Willis, 38 years of age from Hayesville, who had a suspended driver’s license. The vehicle was also found to have an expired registration plate. Wi

Clay County Schools is delighted to announce that six dedicated educators  from Hayesville Elementary and Hayesville Primary Schools have successfully achieved the rigorous National Board Certification  in Early Childhood Generalist . This advanced certification is a testament to their mastery of teaching practice and their profound commitment to student success. The newly certified teachers are: Mrs. Katie Danner , 3rd Grade Teacher at Hayesville Elementary School, a 10-year

The Clay County Board of Commissioners passed a Resolution Opposing the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation (BRMEMC) Proposed Transmission Line Project  in Clay County, North Carolina. The resolution was APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE AND ADOPTED this 4th day of December 2025 . Key Reasons for Opposition The resolution outlines several "WHEREAS" clauses detailing the reasons for the board's strong opposition: Inconsistency wit

Mountain Buzz Staff Report Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend as the annual Candy Cane Lane Christmas Parade returns to downtown Clay County on Saturday, Dec. 13. The parade will step off at 6 p.m., with Santa serving as the grand finale. Before the parade, Santa will take part in his traditional meet-and-greet beginning at 4:45 p.m., giving families an opportunity for early holiday photos and visits. Parade participants are asked to line up at the Clay County Courtho

Travis Dockery Mountain Buzz Residents and passersby along Highway 64 east in Hayesville had been scratching their heads for days over a large Atlas Van Lines moving truck parked beside scenic Lake Chatuge. With no visible activity and the truck sitting idle through the Thanksgiving holiday, concerned citizens flooded the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with calls and messages. On Thursday, Dec. 4, the Sheriff’s Office put the speculation to rest with a lighthearted social media

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On 11/26/25 around 9:00 AM Clay County Investigator Brandon Coker stopped a Ford Escape on NC Hwy 69 near the Tri County Office Supply in Hayesville. The Escort was stopped because Investigator Coker learned from Clay County Dispatch that it had an insurance stop and the assigned license plate that was revoked. Investigator Coker was also familiar with the registered owner of the Escort, Thomas Walter Stewart, 58 years of age from Ha

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On 12/01/25 Krystal Dawn Ledford, 39 years of age from Hayesville, pleaded guilty in Clay County Superior Court to two counts of felony Embezzlement. On each count, Ledford was sentenced from 6 months to 17 months in the N.C. Department of Adult Corrections. The second count was to run consecutively to the first count. These sentences were suspended. Ledford was placed on Supervised Probation for 60 months under regular terms and con

Mountain Buzz Staff Report As temperatures drop and residents turn to wood stoves, fireplaces, propane heaters and oil furnaces, safety officials are reminding homeowners about the invisible danger of carbon monoxide — a gas that can be deadly without warning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when fuels such as wood, coal, propane, oil or natural gas burn incompletely. Because the gas has no color, smell or taste, people often do not realize it is present until they begin exp

From left: Silas Brown, Christy Caruso, Michelle Rhinehardt, Colby White, Kristin Taylor, Jessica Wilson McClure, Louise Smith, Kristy Kennedy, Pam Shepherd. Mountain Buzz Staff Report During its regular meeting on Monday, November 24, the Clay County Schools Board of Education recognized several teachers and staff members for outstanding performance and dedicated service throughout the 2024-25 school year. Teachers whose students exceeded growth according to EVAAS scores wer

Press Release On 11/19/25 Joshua Lee Updike, 47 years of age of Hayesville, was arrested by Clay County Investigator Steven Smith on five counts of Second-Degree Forcible Rape and five counts of Second-Degree Forcible Sex Offense. Updike was a Registered Sex Offender as a result of an unrelated 2015 conviction for sexual related crime(s). Updike’s arrest on 11/19/25 was the result of a historical investigation that began after information was received that he had sexually ass

Staff Report Clay County Commissioners have been recognized at the state level for their ongoing collaboration with the NC Cooperative Extension, earning the prestigious “Partnership Award.”  The honor highlights the county’s strong commitment to supporting programs that improve the well-being of residents of all ages. For years, Clay County Government and the Clay County Cooperative Extension have worked hand-in-hand toward shared goals, building a relationship rooted in coo

By: Travis Dockery The Mountain Buzz A recent social media post stirred controversy over the upcoming Clay County Christmas Parade and related activities around the Beal Center and downtown square. A post on a Hayesville community Facebook page warned residents: “You are welcome to donate to the CCCRA who is in charge of the old courthouse, gazebo, bike trails etc... but no teddy bears at the parade, no prayer on the square, no Christmas Caroling.” The post quickly ignited a

Staff Report Seven school systems and four individual schools across Western North Carolina are set to benefit from a major investment in STEAM education thanks to a new grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. The “Bridging the Gap with STEM-E²” grant will expand access to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning for students from elementary through high school. The funding supports mobile science unit field trips, classroom entrepreneurship pr

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On 11/12/25 around 2:00 PM a be on the lookout notice (BOLO) from Cherokee County was dispatched out for a white Cadillac Escalade traveling toward Clay County. Hannah Patrice Allen, 31 years of age from Hayesville, was believed to be traveling within the Cadillac with a 6-week-old child that she had taken without authorization. Clay County Lt. Tyler Faggard and Officer JJ Wooten located and stopped this Cadillac at 3879 US Hwy 64 we

Staff Report Morning Buzz The Clay County Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to stay alert after a recent surge in phone, text and email scams in which callers impersonate law enforcement and demand money under the threat of arrest. Officials say several Clay County residents have already lost thousands of dollars after scammers convinced them they faced immediate arrest unless they sent money through wire transfers, gift cards or other untraceable methods. In many cases, t

By Staff Report Mountain Buzz Residents looking for unique holiday gifts while supporting local history and artisans won't want to miss the upcoming "Shop Local" event at the Old Jail Museum. Hosted on Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the fair will feature handmade crafts donated by vendors from The Festival on The Square. All items will be offered at reasonable prices, making it easy to find the perfect gift. Proceeds from the sale wil

Photo from the John C. Campbell Facebook page. The John C. Campbell Folk School held its Forging for the Future Live Auction  on Saturday, November 8, bringing together artists, supporters, and craft enthusiasts for a night celebrating community and creativity. The event, held in the Keith House Community Room, featured one-of-a-kind works from the Folk School’s Centennial Artists Collection. Attendees had the opportunity to bid on a variety of handcrafted pieces, with procee

By: Staff Report Mountain Buzz After two decades of vacancy, the long-abandoned building at 12 Herbert Street will soon be demolished and rebuilt as a boutique hotel and retail hub, the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) announced in a letter to the editor published today. The nonprofit purchased the property with the original intent of renovating the 1940s-era structure to fit its mission of spurring economic growth in downtown Hayesville. However, ex

Press Release During the month of October through the first weeks of November, a stint of thefts occurred in numerous parts of the county. This incident included a stolen ATV, Trailer, Lawnmowers, and then a work Truck that included numerous tools, drilling locators and other tools which were offloaded to be sold. But during the first week of November, it came to an end. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) through extensive investigations were able to locate the off

Press Release On 11/07/25 at 4:06 PM, Clay County Investigator Brandon Coker responded to Turkey Cove Subdivision in response to Destiny Paige Swenson, 35 years of age from Hayesville, believed to be trespassing. Officers had responded to this location on prior occasions concerning other individuals seen trespassing. Once at the scene, Investigator Coker found Swenson present standing on a pile of debris with rocks in her hand. As Swenson began walking toward Investigator Co