Cherokee swept a road doubleheader Tuesday night, rolling past Andrews in Western North Carolina conference play. The Cherokee girls dominated from the opening tip, cruising to a 94–25 victory, while the Cherokee boys followed with a 73–47 win over the Wildcats. At Murphy, Hayesville split its trip against the Bulldogs. The Hayesville girls pulled out a 37–25 win in a defensive battle, but the Murphy boys responded with an 82–48 victory to earn the split. Hiwassee Dam complet

A major winter storm is forecast to hit portions of North Georgia and Western North Carolina as soon as Friday night, with significant impacts possible through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service and regional meteorologists. Forecasters are warning of a complex system capable of producing snow, sleet, freezing rain and dangerous ice accumulations as Arctic air clashes with Gulf moisture.  Storm System Overview Meteorologists describe the approaching system

The Union County Fire Department has begun a new firefighter recruit class aimed at training volunteers to meet state and national standards for interior firefighting. According to Union County Fire and Rescue, Recruit Class 108 officially started Jan. 8 and is made up of Support Firefighters from volunteer stations across the county who are working to advance to the role of Suppression Firefighter. A recruit class is a formal Suppression Firefighter program that meets the re

(Photo by Curtis Markham) Carl Clevland is now YHC's all-time leading scorer and the only Mountain Lion to cross the 2,000 point mark. Jack Enrico Sports Communications Intern It's tough to win a basketball game when the opposition shoots 58% from three-point range and the Mountain Lions found that to be true tonight. In the midst of the loss, it was still a record-breaking night for Mountain Lion forward  Carl Cleveland . He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2

Clay County Fire and Rescue responded to a total of 18 calls for service during the week of January 12 through January 18, with the majority of those calls related to medical emergencies. According to the department, 12 of the 18 calls were for medical emergencies, continuing a trend that places emergency medical responses as the largest portion of overall call volume. Fire-related incidents during the week included two false fire alarms, one residential structure fire, and o

Union County residents are being urged to prepare for potentially dangerous winter weather this weekend as meteorologists continue to monitor a system that could bring significant icing to the area. According to Union County officials, a consensus among multiple meteorologists over the past several days indicates the possibility of an ice storm developing late Saturday and continuing into Sunday. If the forecast holds, the storm could rival some of the most severe ice events

Area high school basketball teams were busy Friday night, Jan. 16, with a full slate of games across western North Carolina and north Georgia, producing a mix of close finishes and decisive victories. At Hayesville, the Yellow Jackets girls earned a narrow 52-48 home conference win over Andrews, pulling away late to secure the four-point victory. The Hayesville boys were unable to complete the sweep, falling to Andrews 58-45 in the nightcap. Hiwassee Dam’s girls dropped a har

Photo credit: Valleytown Fire and Rescue Valleytown Fire and Rescue responded to a large commercial structure fire Friday night at the Andrews Valley Poultry Farm, resulting in an estimated $5 million in property damage. According to a press release from Valleytown Fire and Rescue, crews were dispatched at 9:18 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, to a fire at 417 Taylors Creek Road, the location of Dutt and Wagner Inc. and the Andrews Valley Poultry Farm. Firefighters arrived to find one l

A pretrial inmate at the Cherokee County Detention Center died Thursday morning after being transported to Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s officials said Charles Jefferies was taken to the hospital at approximately 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, after reporting abdominal discomfort overnight. Jail staff notified the on-duty nurse, who monitored Jefferies through the night and evaluated him again early Thursday mor

Spencer Mathis Director of Media & Communications Young Harris College is excited to announce transformative enhancements to its soccer and lacrosse venue, positioning it as one of the premier athletic facilities in Conference Carolinas. Beginning this winter, the Mountain Lions' home will undergo major upgrades that will elevate the experience for fans, student-athletes, and media alike.  The facility will proudly bear the name Art & Tammy Deas Stadium, honoring the generosi

Photo from the Downtown Murphy Facebook page. MountainTrue will host a volunteer workday to remove nonnative invasive plants along the Murphy Riverwalk in partnership with the Town of Murphy. The event will focus on removing species such as Chinese privet, bittersweet and multiflora rose. Volunteers will primarily pull roots and use hand tools to clear invasive plants from the area. Organizers said tasks of varying difficulty will be available, and participants do not need to

The Murphy High School varsity basketball teams earned a sweep at home Wednesday night, with both the girls and boys defeating visiting Highlands. In the girls conference matchup, Murphy edged Highlands 37-33 in a tightly contested game. The Bulldogs relied on steady defense and timely scoring to pull away late, securing the four-point victory over the Highlanders. Both teams battled through all four quarters with neither side able to build a comfortable lead. The nightcap be

A Union County man is in custody after investigators say they discovered illegal child sexual abuse material on his cellphone during a criminal investigation. According to a press release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received an initial report involving Joshua Bowers on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Following that report, the sheriff’s office launched an independent criminal investigation led by a detective specially trained to handle crimes involving children. Inves

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On the morning of 12/22/25 a breaking, entering, and larceny was reported at Anthony Garrett Construction (AGC) located at 603 Jonquil Lane in Hayesville. Clay County Investigator Brandon Coker responded to this location. Garrett reported that he went into his shop this morning and found items from his work truck scattered on the ground. Numerous tool related items were found to have been stolen.  A surveillance camera captured image

The Mountain Lions returned to The Harp for a conference matchup on Tuesday evening (Jan. 13) and delivered a strong, very physical game against a hard-working Emmanuel squad and ultimately won, 86-79. Player of the game goes to  Cameron Bleshoy ; Cameron led Young Harris with 16 points and 17 rebounds.   With the Win, Young Harris rises to 7-1 in conference play and 11–5 overall, while E falls to 4–3 overall.    INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:   Carl Cleveland's  27 points put him 1 p

Dirk Crater Athletics Journalist YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. |  The Mountain Lions returned to The Harp for a home Conference Carolinas matchup on Tuesday evening (Jan. 13) and delivered a strong Lions Cup performance against Emmanuel to complete the Women's Basketball sweep and won, 62-40. Player of The Game honors go to  Kamryn Bates as she had 15 points and 13 rebounds.   With the win, Young Harris rises 6-2 in conference play and to 12–4 overall, while Emmanuel falls to 5-5 in con

Photo via Grape Creek Volunteer Fire Department Station 16 Facebook page. Crews from multiple fire departments responded Monday, Jan. 12, to a structure fire on Joe Brown Highway that was fully involved when firefighters arrived. According to officials, units from the Grape Creek, Unaka, Murphy, Hanging Dog and Peachtree fire departments were dispatched to the scene. The first arriving engine reported the structure was fully engulfed, with the fire being fed by a large propa

Several local high school basketball teams were in action Tuesday night, with close finishes and decisive victories highlighting conference and non-conference play. In Bryson City, the Swain County girls varsity team dropped a home conference matchup to Andrews, falling 67-53. Andrews controlled the game throughout to secure the road win, while Swain County was unable to close the gap late. Robbinsville experienced mixed results at home against Hayesville. The Lady Jackets fo

Wildlife officials in Tennessee are investigating what could be described as a serial burglary after a bear broke into a Gatlinburg candy store for the fourth time. Glades Homemade Candies said in a social media post that a bear broke into the shop Thursday night, ransacking the store and causing significant damage to both the building and its products. The owners said the latest break-in marks the fourth time a bear has entered the business. “We have nurtured our arts and cr

Clay County Fire and Rescue responded to 35 calls for service between Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, according to weekly activity statistics released by the department. Medical emergencies accounted for the majority of responses, with 25 calls during the seven-day period. Crews also responded to two motor vehicle collisions. Other incidents included one fire alarm activation, one gas leak, one report of a power line down and one public assistance call. In one case, responders found no e