 UPDATE: ***Austin Sellers has been captured and is in custody*** Graham County Sheriffs Office would like to thank the public for all the help. Original post: The following press release has been issued by the Graham County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ***WANTED*** Graham County Sheriffs office is looking for any information leading to the whereabouts of Austin Sellers. He is wanted on Safe Cracking and 14 counts of Larceny of Firearm. Any information leading to the location of Sellers please contact Graham County Sheriffs Office at (828) 479-3352 or Graham County Dispatch at (828) 479-7985.  The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced that the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation on May 5th, 2017 which involved an accidental discharge of a firearm which struck two individuals who were taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee where they were treated and later released. At about 9:30 pm on May 5th, 2017, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was called to a residence in the Tomotla Community of Cherokee County to investigate a report of individuals who had been shot. Upon arrival and after investigation, it was discovered that the two individuals had been shot while in the process of buying a handgun from a third individual. The incident has been determined to be accidental in nature and at this time no charges are being sought. To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-3144 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov.  The following press releases have been issued by Clay County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Traffic Stop Nets Meth On Wednesday May 3, 2017, a Clay County Sheriff’s Investigator stopped a Jeep Liberty on Hwy 64 west for a registration violation. A K-9 was deployed and alerted to narcotics being in the vehicle. Sheriff Davis said a search of the vehicle was conducted where scales and syringes were found, which gave a positive indication of methamphetamine from a road side test. Evie Lynn Waters, age 24 of Hayesville, was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She received a $3,500 bond and is still being held in the Clay County Detention Center. The driver of the vehicle, Bobby Lee Reffitt, age 32 of Hayesville, was arrested and charged with No Operators License and Fictitious Registration. He was released on a $500 unsecured bond. The Jeep Liberty he was driving was towed.  Suspicious Vehicle Turns Into Chase In the early morning hours of Wednesday May 3, 2017, a Clay County Sheriff Deputy was dispatched to the Aztex Gas Station in reference to a suspicious vehicle. Sheriff Davis said when the deputy arrived, he discovered a red Ford F-150 parked at the gas pumps; there was a man behind the wheel that appeared to be sleeping. The deputy was able to get the man to wake up but the man was not very cooperative. He refused to roll the window down for the deputy to talk to him and then sped away. The vehicle left the parking lot, ran the red light at Hwy 64 and NC 69, and continued down Hwy 64 East at a high rate of speed without any headlights on. Clay County Deputies pursued the truck for approximately 10 miles to Geisky Creek Road reaching speeds of up to 85 miles per hour. Sheriff Davis said deputies pursued the vehicle until it stopped at a residence on Geisky Creek Road, where the driver was taken into custody without any further incident. Samuel Elton Moss, 39 of Hayesville, was arrested and charged with Felony Flee to Elude Arrest and has already made a $5,000 bond. His vehicle was seized as part of the “Run and Your Done Law”. Moss has a May 15, 2017 court date. Suspicious Vehicle Investigation Leads to Drug Arrests Sheriff Davis said on Thursday May 3, 2017, a Clay County Sheriff Deputy responded to the Clay County Care Center in reference to a suspicious vehicle. During a routine records check, the subjects in the vehicle were discovered to have warrants out of Clay, Cherokee, and Towns Counties. Emily Ann Silknitter, age 33 of Hayesville, had warrants out of Clay County for Possession of Stolen Goods, and out of Cherokee County for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Johnny Neal Stroud, age 34 of Hayesville, had warrants out of Towns County for Possession of Schedule II, and out of Clay County for Possession of Stolen Goods. When they were searched after being arrested, Sheriff Davis said they were both in possession of syringes, and they tested positive for containing methamphetamine. This is one of the dangers law enforcement deals with on a daily basis, loaded syringes that could have been used multiple times that present a large risk of disease for law enforcement officers. Both Silknitter and Stroud received a $3500 bond for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, not including the warrants they had. They are both still in the Clay County Detention Center with a May 15, 2017, court date.  Larceny Followup Leads to Meth Arrest Sheriff Davis said on Thursday May 4, 2017, a Clay County Sheriff Deputy was following up on a larceny from Walgreens when he observed a male walking on Town Mountain Road that matched the description of the suspect. The deputy engaged the man in conversation and when the man became extremely nervous and kept pulling at his left pocket, a pat down was conducted. During the pat down the deputy noticed what he believed to be narcotics. A subsequent search revealed a little more than a gram of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Sheriff Davis said William Thomas Langford, age 41 of Hayesville, was charged with Felony Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia. He has already made a $5,000 secured bond and has a May 15, 2017 court date.  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 May 5th, 2017 arrest 33-year-old James Adam Mills, who listed an Ellijay, Georgia address, 25-year-old Sabrina LeeAnn Adams who gave a Murphy, North Carolina address, and 29-year-old Justin Lee Phillips also of Murphy, North Carolina for charges stemming from a traffic stop. During the late afternoon hours of May 5th, 2017, acting on information, a Patrol Deputy and Investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle believed to be occupied by Mills. During the traffic stop, a quantity of methamphetamine and paraphernalia were found in the vehicle occupied by Mills, Phillips and Adams. The illegal substances were seized. Upon confirming the warrants for Mills, he, Phillips and Adams were arrested and brought to the Cherokee County Detention Center. James Adam Mills was arrested for LARCENY OF MOTOR VEHICLE, EXTRADITION/FUGITIVE OTHER STATE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. Mills was placed on a $20,000 secure bond and is currently incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center awaiting a May 23rd, 2017 District Court. Justin Lee Phillips was arrested for POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. Phillips is free on a $2,000 unsecure bond and is expected to be Cherokee County District Court on May 23rd, 2017. Sabrina LeeAnn Adams was arrested for POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE and was released on a $2,000 unsecure bond and is expected to be in Cherokee County District Court on May 23rd, 2017. To report suspicious activity and suspect 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 Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced May 8th, 2017 arrest of 54-year-old Jackie Slaughter, a Robbinsville, North Carolina resident, for charges stemming from a knife attack. At about 10 pm on the night of the incident, Cherokee County Communications received a call from a resident on West Memorial Drive in Andrews, North Carolina. The reporting party made complaint that a male subject was laying on their front porch bleeding and was in need of medical attention. Members of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Andrews Police Department along with Cherokee County EMS and Valleytown Rescue arrived and found 30-year-old Cody White in a near lifeless condition. EMS performed lifesaving actions and White was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he remains as of the writing of this release. Investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, along with Investigators with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, continued the investigation which included a search of the residence where the assault had taken place. Several items of evidence were collected and retained pending further investigation and presentation at trial. Based upon evidence collected along with interviews of witnesses Slaughter was arrested. Slaughter was charged with Assault With a Deadly Weapon With the Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury and was given a $50,000 secure bond. Slaughter is currently incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center awaiting a May 23rd, 2017 District Court date. Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “We are still investigating this crime and so far have no indication as to what provoked Slaughter to commit the assault on Mr. White. As we know Jackie Slaughter is no stranger to the judicial system in Western North Carolina. We are grateful for excellent team work by everyone concerned. Because we are a small community being able to call upon outside assets and join them with local is a real blessing.” To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-3144 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov.  The following press releases have been issued by Towns County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Burglary Suspect and Drug Suspect Arrested On Sunday, April 30th. deputies with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on Pat Plott Drive in Young Harris in reference to a burglary that occurred at the residence. The reported theft was forwarded to the Towns County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division for follow-up. On Monday, May 1st, investigators with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chad Lewis Garrett, age 37 of Hayesville, North Carolina charging him with the following charges: 1 Count Driving on Suspended License; 1 Count No Insurance; 1 Count of Burglary 1st Degree; 1 Count of Theft by Receiving; 1 Count of Attempted Theft by Deception. Also arrested in the course of the burglary investigation was Jessica Cox, age 31 of Warne, North Carolina. She was charged with: 1 Count of VGCSA Possession of Methamphetamine. The case will be forwarded to the Towns County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  Drug Suspect Arrested During the night of Monday May 1st at 11:45pm, deputies with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence on Crisp Road in Young Harris in regards to a possible burglary. Deputies who responded to the call to investigate the possible burglary arrested Thomas Henry Charles, age 32 of Young Harris. He was charged with the following offenses: 1 Count of VGCSA possession of Methamphetamine; 1 Count of VGCSA Possession of Hydrocodone; 1 Count of Possession of Drug Related Objects; 1 Count of Prescription Pills not in Original Container. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  Suspect Arrested for Terroristic Threats On Tuesday night, May 2nd at 11:05pm, a caller telephoned the Towns County 911 Center in reference to a subject beating on their door at their residence. According to the caller, the suspect was also making threats to him, as well. The residence was located in the 1900 block of Tate City Road in Towns County. Deputies responded to the residence and upon their arrival the suspect had left the scene. Deputies searched the area and they were unable to locate the suspect. The following day, Wednesday, May 3rd, deputies were able to locate the suspect, Gerald Dean Littrell, age 57 of Tate City, and he was arrested without incident. Gerald Dean Littrell was charged with two counts of Terroristic Threats. The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  Theft Suspect Arrested On Sunday, April 30th, Towns County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Bill Brown Cove to meet a subject in reference to a theft, which occurred at a nearby store. On Monday, Towns County Sheriff’s Investigators, following up on the reported incident, identified a suspect in reference to the theft, as Michelle Lynn Edwards, age 40 of Hiawassee, Georgia. She was arrested without incident and charged with the following charges: 1 Count of Theft by Taking 1 Count of Transaction Card Theft The case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  The following press release has been issued by the Office of Ashley Welch, District Attorney. At the conclusion of a 4 day jury trial this week in Macon County Superior Court, Adam Joshua Sanders, 30, of Franklin was convicted of Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Possession, Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Transportation, and Conspiracy to Traffic in Methamphetamine. He was sentenced Thursday to a maximum of 70 and a half years in prison, and he will serve at least 56 years before he is eligible for release. This case was the first case for trial during a three week special narcotics terms in Macon County Superior Court that began on Monday and will continue for the next two weeks. The case was tried by District Attorney Ashley Welch and Assistant District Attorney Eric Bellas. The Honorable Bill Coward was the presiding and sentencing judge. The case was investigated by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. Adam Sanders was the co-defendant to Brodie Hamilton who was previously tried and convicted of the same charges in January 2017 of this year in Macon County. The evidence presented by the District Attorney’s Office proved that Mr. Sanders was a known methamphetamine dealer in Macon County with a customer base from several surrounding western mountain counties including Jackson and Swain counties. He dealt methamphetamine in Macon County and in the residence of Brodie Hamilton in Macon County over a period of time. On June 19, 2015, Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Sanders sent two young methamphetamine addicts to the Atlanta area to purchase over two pounds of crystal methamphetamine. That evening as a result of an ongoing narcotics investigation several Macon County Sheriff’s officers including Lieutenant Charles Moody, Detective Matthew Breedlove, First Sergeant Clay Bryson, Detective David Blanton and Deputy Josh Stewart, intercepted a vehicle in Macon County that contained over two pounds of crystal methamphetamine that was being delivered to Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Adam Sanders arrived to pick up the package of methamphetamine for Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Sanders was immediately arrested. “This conviction keeps another dangerous methamphetamine dealer off the streets for essentially the rest of his life and sends a strong message to the community that the District Attorney’s Office places the highest priority on protecting our community from the plague and poison that is methamphetamine. I commend all of the dedicated professionals in law enforcement who partner with the District Attorney’s Office to make our communities a safer place to live. Methamphetamine ruins lives and Adam Sanders and Brodie Hamilton are responsible for ruining countless lives in our community. Both convictions and sentences ensure that they will not be able to continue their methamphetamine business ever again.”   The following press release has been issued by Clay County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. School Resource Officer, Deputy Melissa Mariano was assaulted by a parent at the middle school, said Clay County Sheriff Vic Davis. On Thursday, April 27, 2017, Deputy Mariano was notified by the principal of a parent causing a problem in the middle school that morning. When Deputy Mariano arrived, she observed the parent, Erin Reichelt-Willis, in the lobby area of the middle school screaming and cursing at school staff. Deputy Mariano instructed Willis to leave the school grounds due to the nature of her behavior. Willis began to walk out of the building but then turned around and continued yelling again. Deputy Mariano directed Willis towards the parking lot and told her to leave. This is when Willis became assaultive and started hitting Deputy Mariano in the face; even placing her hands around Deputy Mariano’s neck. A school teacher pulled Willis back and she then went out the door to her vehicle. Sheriff Davis said other deputies then arrived at the school to find Willis in her vehicle, where she refused commands to get out. After a brief physical confrontation, Willis was placed under arrest, but not before assaulting the other deputies. Erin Reichelt- Willis, age 34, of Franklin, was arrested and charged with Felony Assault with Physical Injury on Law Enforcement, Second Degree Trespass, Misdemeanor Assault on Government Official, and Resisting Public Officer. A $10,000 bond was set Thursday but was reduced by a District Court Judge Friday to $2,000, which she made on Sunday, April 30. Sheriff Davis said all the deputies that were assaulted have been checked out and he is happy to report they will all be fine.  May 1, 2017- The Nantahala, Pisgah, Uwharrie and Croatan National Forests and partners will host their annual Kids Fishing Days in May and June 2017. These free events allow families and friends to share in fun and quality outdoor time together while learning about one of our nation's favorite pastimes - fishing.
No experience is needed for families to participate. Adults must accompany all children. For more information, call the local ranger district offices at the phone numbers listed below. Kids fishing days will take place in these locations and times: Nantahala National Forest
Contact information: Appalachian Ranger District: 828-689-9694 Cheoah Ranger District: 828-479-6431 Croatan Ranger District: 252-638-5628 Grandfather Ranger District: 828-652-2144 Nantahala Ranger District: 828-524-6441 Pisgah Ranger District: 828-877-3265 Tusquitee Ranger District: 828-837-5152 Uwharrie Ranger District: 910-576-6391 |
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