Winning is always satisfying, but doing it with your best offensive showing of the season makes it even sweeter. Hiwassee Dam proved that on Friday night, rolling past the Copper Basin Cougars 71–29 in a dominant performance that never left much doubt. The Eagles were firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, posting their highest point total of the young season and stretching their winning streak over Copper Basin to nine straight games. Whether it was pushing the tempo,

Press Release The Hayesville Middle School Men’s Basketball team made the long bus ride to Rosman and returned home with a 53-28 win. The Jackets played stifling defense, blocking six shots and grabbing 13 steals. Hayesville also out rebounded the Tigers 35-22. Rosman was held to 36% shooting from the floor. Hayesville’s unselfish play on offense resulted in 13 assists on 23 made baskets. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 16-1 lead after one before taking a 25-8 lead into ha

Mountain Buzz Staff Report The Union County Board of Education has achieved a prestigious honor, being recognized as an Exemplary Board by the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) at its 2025 winter conference! This significant distinction is a testament to the Board’s commitment to effective governance practices and its unwavering focus on supporting student success throughout Union County Schools. The community and school district also wish to recognize the combined ser

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

The Hayesville wrestling program put on a clinic in their most recent match, steamrolling three opponents in a tri-match held at East Henderson High School. Behind suffocating team pressure and an overwhelming edge in first takedowns, the Yellow Jackets posted decisive victories of 48-30 over East Henderson, 72-12 over Swain County, and 77-6 over Chase. Head coach Colby White said, "The team dominated the number of first takedowns in all three matches. We performed exceptiona

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will host its next Scam & Fraud Awareness Class on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Blairsville Public Library, located at 303 Hunt Martin Street. The free class is open to the public and will feature important information presented by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Tri-State Tech Support. Topics will include current scam trends, how to recognize common fraud schemes, and steps to protect personal and financial informa

The Hayesville Yellow Jackets wasted no time announcing their presence in the 2025-26 season, steamrolling Blue Ridge Early College 69-20 in a non-conference road game Tuesday night. From the opening tip, Hayesville imposed its will. The Yellow Jackets raced to a 24-7 lead after one quarter and poured in 27 more points in the second to take a commanding 51-14 advantage into halftime. A running clock in the second half underscored the lopsided affair, as Hayesville cruised to

The Hayesville Lady Yellow Jackets made a resounding statement in their season opener Tuesday night, cruising to a 61-29 victory over Blue Ridge Early College in the first official game under new head coach Tammy Dills. Playing on the road in a non-league matchup, Hayesville wasted no time asserting control against the young Bobcats program. The Yellow Jackets’ pressure defense and balanced scoring overwhelmed Blue Ridge Early College from the opening tip, turning the contest

The Union County Panthers are off to a solid 3-2 start in the 2025-26 season, good for a .600 winning percentage. They are currently on a 1-game winning streak after knocking off Gilmer on the road 77-69 on December 2. Key Stats Points For: 353 (70.6 PPG) Points Against: 317 (63.4 PPG) Average Margin: +7.2 points Record by Location Home: 1-1 Away: 2-1 Neutral: 0-0 Notable Results Swept the season series with Gilmer: dominated at home 82-47 (Nov 18) and won a closer contest on

The Union County Lady Panthers currently stand at 2-3 overall  with a .400 winning percentage through their first five games of the 2025-26 season. They have yet to begin Region 7-AA play and are slated as the No. 9 seed in the region entering league action. Season Results So Far: Nov. 14 @ Towns County – W 82-24  (dominant road win to open the season) Nov. 18 vs. Gilmer – L 56-53  (close home loss) Nov. 21 vs. Towns County – W 60-26  (swept the season series with Towns Count

The Hiwassee Dam Eagles boys basketball team has started the 2025–26 season with a 2-1 overall record (.667 winning percentage) through their first three non-conference games. They are currently on a 1-game losing streak and have yet to begin Smoky Mountain 1A/2A conference play (0-0, tied for 4th in the conference). Season Results So Far: Nov 18: vs Copper Basin – W 60–27 Nov 21: vs Macon Early College – W 62–19 Nov 25: @ Andrews – L 50–63 The Eagles have been dominant at ho

The Lady Eagles started the 2025–26 season with a dramatic 2OT loss at home to Copper Basin (59-64) on November 18 but quickly bounced back with a dominant 72-18 victory over Macon Early College three days later. They picked up their first road win on November 25, edging Andrews 60-56 in a close contest. Hiwassee Dam entered December looking to build momentum but suffered a lopsided 33-71 defeat at Copper Basin on December 2 in a rematch of their season opener. Through four g

Mountain Buzz Staff Report According to Jeff Batten from WJRB/WJUL in Young Harris, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has issued an executive order directing the same three-person panel (two sheriffs and Attorney General Chris Carr) that previously recommended the suspension of Towns County Sheriff Ken Henderson to review him again, this time specifically because of his October 27, 2025 indictment on felony and misdemeanor charges. Key points: Henderson was already suspended with p

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

The Union County Sheriff's Office received top honors at the recent QUAD Network Meeting, which brings together law enforcement leaders from 35 counties in North Georgia and more than 100 agencies. The Sheriff's Office was selected as Agency of the Year by the Appalachian Trail Traffic Enforcement Network (ATTEN) for its ongoing commitment to keeping roadways safe along the Appalachian Trail corridor and throughout the region. Lieutenant Leon James earned individual recogniti

Towns County Deputy Andrew Brinson has officially completed his Georgia P.O.S.T. Mandate Academy requirements, marking a major milestone in his law enforcement career, according to an announcement from the Towns County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 28. Brinson began his service with the department at the Towns County Detention Center, where he worked as a jailer. Officials said his strong work ethic and determination were evident from the beginning, making him a natural candidate

Article Submitted Hayesville Middle School boys' basketball lost Monday nights home contest 42-41 at the buzzer. After falling behind 15-13 after one, the tightly contested game was tied at 21 at the half. The Jackets would take a 5-point lead into the fourth. Robbinsville began the fourth with a 7-point run. In total there were 6 lead changes in the final quarter. Hayesville took a one-point lead 41-40 with a 3-point FG with just over 6 seconds left. Robbinsville would hit a

The Murphy Power Board began replacing power meters on Monday, Dec.1, and residents may notice additional utility workers moving through local neighborhoods as the project gets underway. According to information shared from the town, crews will be operating from two white trucks — a Dodge Ram and a Ford F-150 — clearly marked as Murphy Power Board contractors. The vehicles will not have local tags, and workers will be wearing high-visibility safety vests while performing mete

Photo from the UCSO Facebook page. Mountain Buzz Staff Report The Union County Sheriff’s Office has added two new deputies to its ranks following their completion of a 20-week Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. Deputy Morgan Gay and Deputy Paul Leird finished more than 800 hours of instruction covering core areas of law enforcement. Both have worked with the agency as detention officers since 2023 and now move into the next