Angry Orange has recalled about 1.5 million units of its Enzyme Stain Removers after tests showed the products may contain harmful bacteria, federal safety officials announced. The recalled products can contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a bacterium commonly found in soil and water. While people with healthy immune systems are usually not affected, exposure can pose a serious infection risk for individuals with weakened immune systems, underlying lung conditions, or external me

(Photo by Art Miller) Members of the Union County Fire Department work to salvage a home. Firefighters responded early Monday to a structure fire in the Jonica Gap area that caused damage to a home but resulted in no injuries. Union County E911 received the call at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 26. The Union County Fire Department dispatched stations 1, 4 and 13, with both volunteer and career firefighters and apparatus responding. Upon arrival, crews found fire in

While parts of Clay, Cherokee, Towns and Union counties saw impacts from the weekend winter storm, the region largely avoided the worst of the system. Light snow and ice were reported in some higher elevations, along with slick road conditions late Saturday and early Sunday. However, accumulations were minimal for most communities, sparing the area from the heavier snowfall and widespread power outages seen elsewhere across the Southeast. Despite the limited storm impact, dan

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Another surge of Arctic air could bring some of the coldest temperatures of the winter to North Georgia and Western North Carolina early next week, according to Mountain Buzz’s official meteorologist, Greg Majewski. Majewski said the American GFS weather model continues to indicate the potential for sub-zero temperatures in parts of the region on Tuesday, Jan. 27, following a storm system expected to move through over the weekend. “The American GFS continues to push out sub-z

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release On 01/15/26 at 10:20 PM Clay County Lt. Tyler Faggard and Officer Sean Stout conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota truck at the intersection of McDonald Road and NC Highway 69 in Hayesville. Steven Douglas Anderson, 28 years of age from Hayesville, was found to be the driver of the truck. Haley Cheyenne Goode, 27 years of age from Hayesville, was a passenger in the truck. Anderson was known to the Officers to have been on probation fo

Clay County Sheriff's Office Press Release Back on 08/02/25 Kimberly Curtis Allison, 42 years of age from Hayesville, and James Brandon Taylor, 30 years of age from Hayesville, were arrested in Towns County, GA for a very large quantity of methamphetamine. Based on information from these arrests and additional historical information, Clay County Lt. Tyler Faggard, Investigator Brandon Coker, Officer Sean Stout, and Cherokee County Investigator Sean Myers executed a search war

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, with assistance from the Criminal Investigations Division, executed a search warrant on January 20, 2026, at a residence located at 244 West Saw Mill Road in Murphy. The search warrant was the culmination of a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking activities within Cherokee County. As a result of the search, agents seized approximately 102 grams of methamphetamine, al

Towns County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Towns County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, announces the arrest of Joshua Emmett Robertson, a 38-year-old male, following a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving allegations of sexual exploitation of a minor and related offenses. On November 5, 2025, Towns County deputies responded to a report regarding the possible theft of a firearm from a family member. During the investigati

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

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

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

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