The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the January 08th, 2016 arrest of Jonathon Caleb Fleming, a 20-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man with additional sexual assault charges stemming from an April 23rd, 2015 reported sexual assault.

Additional information was presented to the January 2016 setting of the Cherokee County Grand Jury. During that session, the Grand Jury issued two additional Indictments for Second Degree Rape and Second Degree Sexual Offense.

Fleming surrendered himself to the Cherokee County Detention Center where the North Carolina Magistrate set and additional $150,000 secure bond. Fleming is currently being detained in the Cherokee County Detention Center until his February 29th, 2016 Superior Court date.

Due to the nature of the crime and the age of the victim, no further information will be issued by the sheriff's office.

Sheriff Palmer asks if you should have any information concerning this case or any other case to report suspicious activity and suspected violations of the law.  Please call 828-837-3144 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov. 

The following press release has been issued by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Cherokee County Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the January 08, 2016 arrest of Justin Ryan Barber, a 26-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man for violations of the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.

In May 2015, information was made known to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office that Barber, a registered sex offender, was going on the grounds of a local daycare.  An investigation was conducted and the investigator who collected information presented it to the October 2015 Cherokee County Grand Jury which handed down the two count indictment for Sex Offender Being on or Near Protected Property.

Barber, who had been incarcerated in Union County, Georgia in mid-October 2015 for probation violations, waived extradition and was brought back to Cherokee County and was served with the indictments and taken before the North Carolina Magistrate who set a $10,000 secure bond.  

Barber is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center pending a February 29th, 2016 Superior Court hearing.

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the January 08th, 2016 arrest of 20-year-old Brandon Jacob Luder, a Murphy, North Carolina man on sexual assault charges.   

In May 2015, a complaint was made to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office by an adult female that Luder had sexually assaulted her. Pursuant to that allegation, an investigation was conducted by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the matter was submitted to the January 04, 2016 setting of the Cherokee County Grand Jury. Upon consideration by the Grand Jury, indictments for Second Degree Rape and Sexual Battery were handed down against Luder.   

Luder was arrested without incident at his residence and booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center where the North Carolina Magistrate set a $102,000 secure bond. Luder remains in the Cherokee County Detention Center awaiting a February 29, 2016 Superior Court date.   

Based upon the sensitive nature of the case, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing any additional information concerning this incident at this time.  

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information on this crime or any other to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County, you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-8371344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.

The North Carolina Division of Employment Security (DES) has announced that effective January 3, 2016, individuals filing new unemployment insurance claims must make five valid job contacts with potential employers for each week claimed. Senate Bill 15 was passed on September 10, 2015 and changed prior legislation which required that those claimants receiving unemployment benefits make contact with two potential employers on two separate days of the week.

If a claimant filed prior to January 3, 2016, they will continue to search for work on two separate days with two potential employers.

“This change allows claimants to make the required contacts all in one day or throughout the week,” said DES Interim Assistant Secretary Ted Brinn.

Failure to make five contacts in a week may result in a delay or denial of benefits for that week. For any week that a claimant files for unemployment benefits, they must keep a detailed record of their work search activities. Work search records are checked and claimants may be asked to produce work search records for up to five years after filing a claim for benefits. A work search record form may be downloaded from the DES webpage at www.ncesc.com. Click on the ‘Downloads’ tab, then ‘Forms for Individuals.’

For more details about work search requirements see the frequently asked questions (FAQs) at www.ncesc.com. 

Peachtree - Murphy Medical Center will be hosting a free information and enrollment event for consumers wishing to renew, enroll for 2016, or seek a waiver from the fine for not having healthcare insurance in either 2015 or 2016.
 
A panel of Certified Marketplace Navigators will be at the facility on Thursday, January 14 from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm in the Travis E. Green Conference Center, adjacent to the hospital lobby at 3990 E. US Hwy 64 Alternate.
 
“We had a great turnout at our December event,” stated Marian Sparks, Certified Marketplace Navigator at Mountain Projects. “We’re encouraging everyone who is seeking affordable healthcare coverage to join us this Thursday.”
 
Since 2014, federal law requires everyone be covered or have an exemption from the tax penalty for not enrolling in coverage.
 
For 2016 coverage, the Open Enrollment Period ends January 31. People may qualify for Special Enrollment Periods allowing them to enroll outside of Open Enrollment if they have certain life events, like getting married, having a baby, or losing other coverage.
 
Mountain Projects Healthcare Marketplace Navigators are trained, certified and ready to help. These navigators are free, unbiased, impartial enrollment assisters for the Health Insurance Marketplace.
 
Those wishing to attend should come prepared with their social security number, employer and income information and current health insurance policy numbers for every family member needing coverage. For those who have already created an account at healthcare.gov, login name and password information should be brought as well. An enrollment session with a navigator usually takes less than two hours.
 
For more information, or to pre-register for the event, please call Marian Sparks at (828) 400-3149 for Clay and Cherokee counties, Susan Moore at (828) 400-5461 for Andrews, Marble, Granny Squirrel and Topton, or Linda Fitzsimmons for Graham and Swain counties at (828) 550-7908.

Tri-County Community College’s (TCCC) Small Business Center Director Kathryn Jenkins recently received the Business Success Story – Most Impact Award from the North Carolina Community College System Small Business Center Network (SBCN).

“The Small Business Center and Premium Knife Supply of Hayesville collaborated to fulfill the owner’s goal of building a new manufacturing company, and to decrease order times and reduce the business’s dependency on foreign manufacturers,” Jenkins said. “However, the company would need capital to purchase inventory, and to cover developmental costs to create a new knife design for the U.S. Armed Services. Working with local partners, we helped Premium Knife Supply craft a business plan and secure funding totaling $200,000.”

The joint project between TCCC, Premium Knife Supply, Blue Ridge EMC’s economic development office, Clay County Government and the Southwestern Commission resulted in a new business start-up, including job creation, capital formation, and culminated in winning the Business Success Story – Most Impact Award at the SBCN Conference.

“TCCC’s Small Business Center exists for anyone who wants to start or expand a business,” Jenkins said. “Our classes are all available for free, and cover everything from building a business plan to assistance in securing small business loans.”

TCCC offers courses for anyone interested in areas such as effective business communication, building good credit, accounting and book keeping, as well as legal matters involved in owning a small business.

For more information on TCCC’s Small Business Center, please contact Kathryn Jenkins at (828) 835-9564 or at kjenkins@tricountycc.edu.

U.S. Forest Service officials remind residents that several roads are now closed as scheduled on the Tusquitte  and Cheoah Ranger Districts, Nantahala National Forest. These roads are located in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties.
 
The Forest Service closes certain roads to motorized vehicles on the Cheoah Ranger District to help protect wildlife habitat, decrease wildlife disturbance, and reduce road maintenance costs. In addition, the closures can protect public safety during long bouts of adverse weather.  
 
The following roads will be closed Jan. 4 - April 1, 2016, unless otherwise noted:
 
ROAD  -  NUMBER  -  County
Beech Creek  -  307  -  Cherokee
Cherokee Lake  -  313  -  Cherokee
Chambers Creek  -  2071  -  Cherokee
Deep Gap  -  71  -  Clay
Derreberry Gap  -  6148  -  Cherokee
Nelson Ridge  -  351  -  Clay
Panther Gap  -  85A  -  Cherokee
Perry Gap  -  350  -  Clay
Persimmon Creek  -  651  -  Cherokee
Stateline Loop  -  420-6  -  Cherokee
Tellico River  -  420-5  -  Cherokee
Tatham Gap  -  423  -  Cherokee
Powerline Cove  -  6020  -  Cherokee
Big Fat  -  62  -  Graham
Farley Cove  -  407  -  Graham
Tatham Gap/Long Creek  -  423  -  Graham
Long Hungry  -  1127  -  Graham
Santeelah Creek  -  81  -  Graham
 
Emergency road closures due to weather or resource conditions can occur at any time on Forest Service roads. For current road conditions and status, contact the Tusquitee Ranger District at 828-837-5152 or the Cheoah Ranger District at 828-479-6431 during business hours of Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.  All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the January 5th, 2016 arrest of 22-year-old Tori Ann Nicely, an Andrews, North Carolina woman and Jason Alan Coffey, an 18-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man on drug possession charges.

Shortly after 1 am on January 5, 2016, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office made a traffic stop on the vehicle that Nicely and Coffey were occupying.  In a subsequent search, Methamphetamine (packaged to sale), Oxycodone, MDMA (aka Molly/Ecstasy), a large amount of U.S. currency and a 9 mm rifle were seized.

During a wants and warrant check of Nicely, active warrants for Probation Violation and Defrauding a Drug Screen were found.  Jason Coffey also had an active warrant for Obtaining Property by False Pretense from a case previously investigated by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office where Coffey had reportedly sold a stolen television to a local pawn shop.

Nicely and Coffey were arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where they were charged with the additional charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Schedule II Oxycodone, Possession of Schedule I MDMA, Possession of Schedule VI Marijuana, Maintain Vehicle for Use, Storage, or Sale of Controlled Substance, Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, or Deliver Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Possession of Drug Paraphernalia other than marijuana.

Sheriff Palmer remarked, “Good team effort on this. We are continuing our fight against the illegal possession and sale of drugs in Cherokee County. I want to commend the uniformed deputies who were alert and followed through with what appeared to be a minor traffic violation which turned into a good seizure of some very dangerous drugs.”

Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information on this crime or any other to report it by calling the anonymous tip line at 828-837- 1344 or by emailing a tip to crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress