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Investigator Coker learned from Clay County Dispatch that it had an insurance stop and the assigned license plate that was revoked.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

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

Mountain Buzz Staff Report As temperatures drop and residents turn to wood stoves, fireplaces, propane heaters and oil furnaces, safety officials are reminding homeowners about the invisible danger of carbon monoxide — a gas that can be deadly without warning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when fuels such as wood, coal, propane, oil or natural gas burn incompletely. Because the gas has no color, smell or taste, people often do not realize it is present until they begin exp

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

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

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

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