Area high school basketball teams were busy Thursday night, Feb. 26, as the North Carolina state playoffs continued in the 1A and 2A tournaments, producing a mix of hard-fought losses and decisive wins. In the Class 2A girls bracket, the Hayesville Lady Yellow Jackets saw their postseason run come to an end with a 47–40 loss to Community School of Davidson. Despite a competitive effort, Hayesville was unable to close the gap late against the visiting Spartans. Also in 2A girl

HAYESVILLE — Hayesville Elementary School bid farewell to one of its cherished educators this week. Mrs. Cathy Moore celebrated her final day at HES on Friday, Feb. 27, marking the end of a remarkable career dedicated to teaching and inspiring students. The school community expressed heartfelt gratitude for Mrs. Moore’s years of service, praising her commitment, kindness, and positive impact on generations of students. “We are going to miss her more than she knows,” the scho

Photo from the Union County Fire & Rescue Facebook page. On February 26, Emergency Management Day at the Georgia Capitol highlighted the vital work of local and state emergency management professionals. Union County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director David Dyer and Deputy Director Brent Long joined staff from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) and emergency management directors from across the state for the annual recognition event. T

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is currently conducting an investigation into the death of an unknown person that was located on Cross Creek Lane in the Hiwassee Dam community of Cherokee County on the night of February 25, 2026. Our office is currently being assisted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office as the investigation continues. While this is an active inve

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 , Clay County Fire & Rescue responded to a reported recreational vehicle fire in the 5000 block of Old Highway 64 East in the Shooting Creek Fire District. Engine 6, Tender 6, Tender 1, Rescue 1, and Command 1 were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, crews found the RV fully involved. The vehicle was a total loss, officials said. No injuries were reported. Fire officials noted that recreational vehicles are not built to the same sta

Photo from Curtis Markham Media. Spencer Mathis Director of Media & Communications CLEVELAND, Tenn. | The Young Harris College women's lacrosse team used a dominant second quarter to pull away and defeat Lee University 12-6 Wednesday evening at Ray Conn Sports Complex. The Mountain Lions improved to 2-1 on the season with the road victory. After the teams traded goals in the opening quarter, Young Harris erupted for six goals in the second period to take control of the game,

The high school basketball postseason continues to thin the field for Mountain Buzz area teams, with several local programs seeing their playoff runs come to an end. Eliminated from contention are the Hayesville boys, Towns County boys, Towns County girls and Union County boys, closing the book on their 2025 playoff journeys. Action resumes Thursday, Feb. 26, as North Carolina’s postseason marches on with multiple area teams still alive across two classifications. In the 1A b

UNION COUNTY, Ga.  — The Union County (GA) Fire Department hosted the Union County Firewise Coalition meeting Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the department’s headquarters station. The meeting focused on continued efforts to promote Firewise communities across Union County, with an emphasis on sharing information about the Firewise program and encouraging wildfire prevention and preparedness. The Union County Firewise Coalition works to educate residents on reducing wildfire risks and s

HAYESVILLE, N.C.  — The Clay County Sheriff's Office announced that Sgt. Ethan Henderson is expected to receive an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate through the state’s Professional Certificate program. The program is administered by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission under the North Carolina Department of Justice. According to the commission, the Professional Certificate program recognizes sheriffs and deputies for formal education, p

(Photo taken by Waynesville ABC staff) Waynesville ABC store manager, Mark Strugnell, welcomes Mountain Projects Prevention Manager Libby Ray, as she places a display rack for alcohol locks. Mountain Projects gave away more than 1,500 free locks for bottles, cabinets and refrigerators around western NC during 2025. This prevention strategy is meant to reduce access to alcohol for those who are underage. By Lorrie Ross Mountain Strong Prevention team Locking up beer, wine, a

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that it has received a generous donation of 10 Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) from the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The kits include critical lifesaving tools such as tourniquets, face shields, and wound packing materials designed to provide immediate care for gunshot wounds. The donation strengthens the sheriff’s office’s emergency preparedness, particularly in active shooter situation

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. —  Kevin Garrett Ledbetter, the man previously listed as armed and dangerous by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, has been arrested in Unicoi County, Tennessee, Sheriff Chris Wood announced Tuesday. Ledbetter was the subject of a Be On the Lookout (BOLO)  issued on February 13, 2026. At the time, authorities described him as a white male, approximately 5'11" with red hair, last seen wearing a black hoodie and pajama pants near Fall Branch Road and He

The Clay County Schools Board of Education recognized student athletes, staff and career-focused students during its regular meeting held Monday, Feb. 23. The board honored members of the Hayesville High School varsity football team for earning postseason honors in the Smoky Mountain Conference following the 2025 season. Recognized players included Tre Graves, named SMC All-Conference Back of the Year; Will Brown, SMC All-Conference defensive lineman; and All-SMC Honorable Me

Clay County Fire & Rescue  responded to 26 calls for service between Feb. 15 and Feb. 21, according to the department’s weekly activity report. The majority of the calls — 18 in total — were medical emergencies. Crews also responded to two motor vehicle collisions and provided assistance to citizens on two occasions during the reporting period. The remaining calls included two false alarms and two incidents that were canceled while units were en route. The calls were spread t

MURPHY, N.C. — Murphy native Braden Rumfelt took center stage Monday night on American Idol ’s first Hollywood Week episode, airing Feb. 23 on ABC, delivering a performance that left judges and audiences buzzing.  The 22-year-old substitute teacher from Murphy, North Carolina, stepped onto the American Idol  stage in Nashville’s Belmont University Fisher Center during the high-stakes opening round of Hollywood Week — a two-part elimination designed to narrow the field from 1

(Photo by Curtis Markham) By Spencer Mathis Director of Media & Communications The Young Harris College Men's Lacrosse team delivered a historic performance Monday (Feb. 23) evening, setting a new program record with 35 goals in a dominant 35-4 Conference Carolinas road victory over Shorter at Ben Brady Field. The Mountain Lions erupted from the opening whistle, scoring eight first-quarter goals and never looking back. Young Harris built a 21-2 halftime lead before continuing

Residents of Young Harris will have an opportunity to receive free tax guidance during an upcoming community information session hosted by the city. The City of Young Harris will hold a free tax session on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the community room at Young Harris City Hall. The event is open to residents of Young Harris at no cost. The session is funded through a grant from the National League of Cities and will be led by retired certified public accounta

(Photo from the UCSO Facebook page.) UNION COUNTY, Ga.  — The Union County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about an ongoing phone scam in which fraudsters are using the name of Sheriff Shawn Dyer to trick people into sending money or sharing personal information. According to the Sheriff’s Office, scammers are contacting community members and falsely claiming to be Sheriff Dyer or representatives of the department. The calls are designed to create fear and urgency, ofte

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, VA, and Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office, GA arranged the arrest of wanted fugitive Eric Jason Watkins, 50 of Murphy. Watkins had outstanding indictments in Virginia for the following: - Object Sexual Penetration (Felony) - Aggravated Sexual Battery - Indecent Liberties with a Child Agents with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics

UNION COUNTY, GA —  Union County Fire and Rescue announced this week that it has received a supply of Narcan, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, thanks to the efforts of the Rotary Club of Union County Georgia. The Rotary Club secured a grant to purchase the Narcan, which was then distributed to local first responders across the county. Union County Fire and Rescue said the medication will not only help reduce harm caused by opioid use in the community