Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its sincere appreciation to Cherokee Guns, LLC and its owner, Doc Wacholz, for their generous donation of five AR-15 rifles to our agency. These rifles will be used to support law enforcement operations and help ensure that our deputies have the equipment necessary to effectively respond to a variety of situations in the field. Community partnerships play a vital role in h

The Union County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents that they may soon receive letters in the mail from the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association asking for support through a $25 membership. In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office said the mailing is legitimate and supports programs that benefit all 159 sheriff’s offices across the state. According to the agency, money collected through memberships goes directly to the association to help fund training, education and other initi

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release An arrest has been made following a months-long investigation into a series of intentionally set fires in the Martins Creek Community. On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Murphy Police Department, the North Carolina Forest Service, and the Georgia Forest Service arrested Kevin James Roper, 48 of Blairsville, Georgia, in connection with multiple fires that were deliberately set in w

Dr. Rob Peck Chairman Clay County Board of Commissioners It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Commissioner Dwight Penland. Dwight dedicated more than 27 years to public service in Clay County — 19 of those as a County Commissioner and eight years on the Board of Education before that. He was a voice of reason and an unyielding advocate for our community, helping bring forward vital improvements including our new courthouse, P

Motorists traveling through Hiawassee should expect traffic changes Saturday morning as portions of U.S. Route 76 and Georgia State Route 288 will have lane closures for the Hiawassee Half Marathon and 5K. According to event organizers, one lane of SR 288 and US 76 will be closed during the race. Traffic cone placement will begin at 6 a.m., with official lane closures starting at 7 a.m. Roads will reopen on a rolling basis as runners clear the course, with all lanes expected

Photo from the UCFR Facebook page. Work continues on a new facility that will soon house the Union County 911 Dispatch Center, with officials reporting significant construction progress since the project began last year. According to a recent update from Union County Fire and Rescue, groundbreaking for the new building began in May 2025. In the months since, the structure has taken shape with the building now framed, exterior walls completed and the roof finished. Crews are c

On March 3, 2026, at 6:43 p.m., Clay County Officer Sean Stout, with his K-9 Freya, stopped a Buick LeSabre in the area of U.S. Highway 64 East and Jackie Cove Road in Hayesville. The vehicle was stopped due to having no functional taillights. Officer Stout identified the driver as Gregory Austin Orr, 47, of Robbinsville. Melissa Ann McCarter, 53, of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. Orr was unable to produce a registration for the car. Cl

Press Release The Clay County Republican Party will hold its annual Precinct and County Conventions on Thursday, March 19 2026, in the restored courtroom upstairs at the Beal Center/Historic Clay County Courthouse, on the Square in downtown Hayesville. The primary purpose of the conventions is to elect delegates to the 11th District and State Republican Conventions for 2026.   Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Everyone must be registered no later than 5:30 p.m. The Precinct Conventions

The Towns Union Master Gardener Association is inviting the community to participate in a special observance honoring children lost in the Holocaust and supporting children affected by humanitarian crises today. The event, Remember the Children Observance Day, will take place Tuesday, March 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Lloyd’s Landing Park, 458 Azalia Drive. Attendees will gather at the Daffodil Project Garden, where a short program will include a brief history of the Daffodil Project

With the recent time change now behind us, Clay County Fire & Rescue  is reminding residents to take a few minutes to check the smoke alarms in their homes. In a recent social media post, the department encouraged people to use the time change as a reminder to replace batteries and test smoke detectors to make sure they are working properly. Fire officials recommend replacing the batteries in every smoke alarm in the home and pressing the test button to confirm each unit is f

Governor Josh Stein announced more than $40 million in grant funding aimed at strengthening disaster recovery and resilience efforts across North Carolina, particularly in western parts of the state recovering from Hurricane Helene. The announcement came during a meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery in Marion. According to the governor’s office, more than $24 million will be distributed through the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division and Criminal Investigations Division recently executed a search warrant at 296 Hampton Church Road in the Murphy community of Cherokee County. While clearing the residence, officers observed debris on the floor that appeared to have fallen from the ceiling. Officers then cleared the attic area and located a male subject hiding inside a chimney. The occupants of the residence

School officials say all students are safe after a Union County Schools bus was involved in a crash Monday morning on Murphy Highway. In a statement posted to social media, the school system said the bus was involved in an accident during the morning commute. Emergency medical services responded to the scene and evaluated the students as a precaution. According to the district, all students were checked by EMS at the scene and were later evaluated again by school nurses and c

Press Release Governor Brian P. Kemp today joined the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in announcing the state has again made history by surpassing $60.2 billion in exports in calendar year 2025. This is a year-over-year increase of 12.7%, outperforming the national average of 5.6%. With goods going to 213 unique countries and territories, Georgia also ranked No. 7 for dollar value of total trade and No. 9 in the country for dollar value of exports. Georgia

The Clay County Community Revitalization Association (CCCRA) has announced the lineup for the 2026 Summer Concert Series on the Square  in Hayesville, featuring eight nights of live music throughout the summer. The free concert series will kick off May 1 and continue through Aug. 14, bringing a variety of regional bands to the town square for evenings of food, fellowship and music. According to organizers, food and beverages will be available beginning at 6 p.m., with live mu

CCSO Press Release Dewayne Stillwell, 52 of Chattanooga, TN was arrested on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, by the Polk County, TN Sheriff’s Office. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division began investigating Stillwell at the end of 2025 after receiving information that he was transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from Chattanooga, TN to Cherokee County. This information remained consistent throughout the investigation and after executing a search warrant

If you’ve ever bought a large household appliance in North Carolina, you may have noticed a small $3 charge on your receipt—but not everyone knows what it’s for. The charge is called the White Goods Disposal Tax , a $3 fee applied to the purchase of certain major appliances from any North Carolina business. It doesn’t just apply to state residents—anyone buying an appliance from a retailer in North Carolina is required to pay it. The fee covers so-called “white goods,” a cate

CCSO Press Release The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division, and Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the residence of Colby Brett Phillips on March 4, 2026. As a result of the search warrant, 250 grams of Methamphetamine was seized. Previously in the day, an agent attempted to stop Phillips. Phillips stopped his vehicle. As the Agent approached Phillips vehicle from the fro

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — Cherokee County Sheriff Chris Wood announced Wednesday that Sean Myers has been promoted from the Narcotics Division to the rank of Captain, overseeing the Patrol Division. Captain Myers has served with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for nine years. Prior to joining the sheriff’s office, he served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for seven years. Sheriff Wood said Captain Myers “will continue to be an asset to this office and the citi

HANGING DOG, N.C. — A 50-year-old Louisiana man died Tuesday after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Cherokee County, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Deputies responded Tuesday, March 3, to reports of a person with a gunshot wound in the Hanging Dog community. When officers arrived, bystanders had already begun providing aid to the victim. Authorities identified the man as Joseph A. Kieffer, 50, of Louisiana. Investigators determined the gunshot