Mountain Buzz Staff Report With the holiday season in full swing, the Town of Murphy is preparing for two beloved traditions: the annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday evening and the Christmas Parade on Saturday evening. Despite forecasts calling for possible wintry weather later this week, Mayor Tim Radford says both events are currently planned to go ahead as scheduled. “We’re keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts for this Friday’s Christmas Tree Lighting and Sat

I turned 64 this fall, and I have kept 44 Advents as a pastor. Every year the season returns like an old, unflinching friend who refuses to let me lie to myself about the state of my soul. Advent is not a gentle ramp into Christmas. It is four weeks of deliberate darkness, a sanctuary built for telling the truth when every other voice in the culture is urging us to hurry up and feel merry. The nights grow longer, the year’s failures settle in the corners, and the church—stubb

Large-scale search operations for missing hiker Charles Hosch in the Blood Mountain area of the Appalachian Trail have been suspended following twelve consecutive days of intensive efforts. Mr. Hosch has been missing since November 11. Over the past two weeks, local, state, and federal teams from Georgia and neighboring states deployed aircraft, drones, K-9 units, and hundreds of ground searchers across the rugged terrain. Monday evening marked the final full operational peri

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

Staff Report Mountain Buzz The Union County College & Career Academy (UCCA) received a generous donation of siding and other building materials this week from Mitchell Ingram of Builders FirstSource, giving students in the high school’s Construction program valuable real-world resources for hands-on training. Mitchell Ingram visited Union County High School to personally deliver the materials, which will be used by students enrolled in the Career, Technical, and Agricultural

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

The City of Young Harris will celebrate its 130th anniversary Monday evening, Dec. 5th with its annual Christmas tree lighting at Mayor’s Park. The event begins at 6 p.m. at 50 Irene Berry Drive and is free and open to the public, according to the city. Festivities will include live music, refreshments and a visit from Santa. City officials say the celebration offers residents a chance to ring in the holiday season while marking more than a century of Young Harris history. Th

Press Release The HMS Men’s Basketball team lost their first game of the season tonight in a tightly contested game to Cherokee. Cherokee jumped out to an 18-13 lead after one. The Jackets defense tightened up in the second quarter, limiting Cherokee to only 6 points, narrowing the halftime lead to 24-22. Hayesville’s defense remained tough throughout the third, only giving up 5 points. After three quarters, the Jackets took a one point lead into the 4th quarter, up 30-29. Th

The Towns County Indians picked up a dominant boys victory and a hard-fought girls effort Monday night as both varsity squads traveled to Highlands for a non-conference doubleheader on Nov. 24. Highlands girls edge Towns County, 33–24 The Towns County Lady Indians held their own on the road but couldn’t overcome a slow start in a 33–24 loss. Highlands opened with an 11–4 first quarter and held a 20–11 lead at halftime. Towns County gained traction after the break, scoring eig

Staff Report Mountain Buzz Towns County Interim Sheriff Anthony Coleman deputized members of the Hiawassee Police Department on Monday evening during the City of Hiawassee Council work session, marking a major step toward a more coordinated public safety presence in the community. As part of the ceremony, the two agencies also finalized and signed a mutual aid agreement. The agreement ensures that both departments can more easily assist one another across jurisdictional lines

Sheriff Dustin Smith Cherokee County Sheriff On Thursday, November 20, 2025, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office hosted approximately thirty (30) students from Murphy High School. These are students who are enrolled in the Career and Technical Education program, which serves to prepare students for employment or further education in their chosen fields. The program offers students career pathways, work-based learning, industry credentials (for those who seek certifications i

If there is one thing motherhood has taught me, it’s that gratitude isn’t something we drift into naturally—it’s something we choose, daily, in the middle of messes, meals, and moments that don’t always feel picture-perfect. As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to truly weave Christ into this season, especially for my two little ones who are just beginning to understand what “being thankful” really means. And here’s the truth we sometimes g

Staff Report Mountain Buzz The Towns County Sheriff’s Office continued its commitment to progress and professionalism last week, announcing a series of initiatives designed to strengthen internal standards, reinforce accountability, and better serve the residents of Towns County. One of the most significant updates came with the modernization of the agency’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy. The new structure includes both pre-employment and random testing for every employee—f

Staff Report Mountain Buzz The Hayesville Yellow Jacket men’s wrestling team turned in a strong performance over the weekend at the King of the Mountain Tournament in Towns County , collecting multiple individual medals and earning a 6th-place team finish  against a highly competitive field. Five Yellow Jackets reached the podium: Evan Burks – 1st Place Mason Ray – 3rd Place Hunter Hill – 4th Place Rayland Martinez – 3rd Place Raul “Junior” Rivera-Prieto – 3rd Place With thos

Press Release The Hiawassee Downtown Development Authority and Paris Business Center invite the community to celebrate Small Business Saturday with a Shop & Sip on Saturday, November 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Hiawassee. This family-friendly event encourages residents and visitors to explore downtown’s unique shops, enjoy festive food and drinks, and discover the newly opened Paris Business Center at 73 N Main Street. Guests can pick up a shopping passport at any

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

Press Release The Jackets jumped out to a 22-5 lead after the first quarter vs Hiwassee Dam. Hayesville forced 9 turnovers in that quarter as a result of their stifling defense. The Jackets stretched the margin to 24 at halftime, leading 36-12 heading into the locker room. At the final buzzer, the Jackets would cinch their 6th win with a score of 59-20. The Jackets shot 57% from the field. Their unselfish play led to 19 assists on the night. HMS out rebounded the Eagles 35-11

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Press Release On November 20, 2025, a jury trial concluded in the largest drug case involving methamphetamine in Cherokee County history. In July of 2022 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on Daylily Dr. in Marble Nc. This search warrant yielded approx. 38 pounds of methamphetamine and a conversion laboratory used for making methamphetamine. Lars Prentice Johnson, age 53 of the Peachtree Community,

Staff Report Union County Schools has announced that it has been awarded the Computer Science Teacher Equipment and Community Grant , with official approval confirmed at the November 2025 State Board of Education meeting. The recognition marks another major step forward for the district’s rapidly expanding computer science programs. The grant will be used to strengthen student opportunities in hands-on physical computing and robotics—areas that continue to grow in popularity

Rayland Martinez gets the better of his Wildcat opponent, just before getting the win via pinfall. Staff Report The Hayesville High School wrestling program hit the mat last week and has already shown plenty of grit, determination, and promise for the season ahead. The Yellow Jackets opened the year on the road at Towns County, then returned home on Tuesday, November 18 to host Brevard and Andrews in a competitive early-season tri-match. While both the men’s and women’s roste