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 June 7th, 2018 arrest of Kayla Alayne Sprinkles, a 26 year old Hayesville, North Carolina woman for a sexual assaults on a student.

On or about March 26th, 2018, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into a report that Kayla Sprinkles, had engaged in sex acts with a student while employed as a teacher in a high school for the Cherokee County Schools System. During the investigation, several search warrants were executed in which items of evidence were collected. Additionally, numerous individuals were interviewed who provided information relevant to the case. The HAVEN Child Advocacy Center assisted in some of the interviews due to the age of the individuals interviewed.

Information was presented to the June 4th, 2018 Cherokee County Grand Jury which handed down a five count indictment for Sex Activity With a Student. Apparently Sprinkles gained knowledge, possibly through a social media posting, of the existence of the indictments and left from the local area and surrendered herself to the Mecklenburg County Detention Center where she was served with the indictments and was released on a $25,000.00 unsecure bond. Sprinkles is expected to be in Cherokee County Superior Court on July 2, 2018.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated “Our youth and our students are one of the greatest resources that Cherokee County is blessed to have. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure their safety and wellbeing as they grow and mature.”

Due to the nature of the crime and the age of the victim, no further information will be released concerning this incident.

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 the June 5th, 2018 arrest of Elisha Keri Lowman, a 28 year old Ellijay, Georgia woman for possession of methamphetamine and child abuse.

On June 5th, 2018, a Deputy with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office observed Lowman operating a vehicle in which she committed a traffic violation. While the Deputy was investigating the traffic violation, he observed in plain view an article of paraphernalia. A second Deputy arrived on scene and found a container that had a small amount of methamphetamine. Lowman was arrested for the possession of the illegal substance.

During the traffic stop, the deputies found three small children in the car along with a pit bull. A Cherokee County Department of Social Services worker came to the scene and arranged for the children to go home with a relative at the request of Lowman. The pit bull was brought to the Sheriff’s Office where it was kept until another relative of Lowman could come get it.

Lowman was taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where she was taken before the North Carolina Magistrate set a $5,000.00 bond. Lowman is currently incarcerated awaiting either bond or a June 12th, 2018 District Court date.

Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated “Good work by the deputies both with getting the drugs off the street and making it safe for the children. We also thank the Cherokee County Department of Social Services for their assistance in the matter.”

​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.

Martins Creek School America the Beautiful Club and Martins Creek School Sustainability Club collaborated with MCS Pre-K through 8th Grade teachers to collect used markers for the Crayola Color Recycle Program. 
 
The purpose of the Crayola Color Cycle Program is to help kids understand their critical role in protecting the environment. According to a global plastic analysis by Science Advances, only 9% of the 6,300 metric tons of plastic waste is recycled. Through the Crayola Color Cycle Program, Martins Creek School helped to eliminate 1,132 markers totaling 23 pounds from Cherokee County, NC landfills. Once Crayola receives the markers, they will be melted and pressed to create clean diesel fuel.   

Vincent Van Gough so correctly stated that "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."  MCS America the Beautiful Club and MCS Sustainability Club look forward to next year’s marker drive and their continued efforts to leave a gentler footprint on this Earth. If we all do our part, we can reshape this world into the beautiful masterpiece it was meant to be!  

If you would like to learn more about the Crayola Color Recycle Program visit their website: http://www.crayola.com/colorcycle.aspx