 MURPHY, NC - Shortly after 4:00 pm this afternoon, the Cherokee County 911 Dispatch Center received a call regarding one of the Cherokee County school buses being struck by a projectile and shattering one of the windows. This incident occurred while the bus was traveling on Sunrise Street and Fain Street inside the Murphy town limits. When this occurred, law enforcement officers with the Cherokee County Schools Company Police and the Murphy Police Department, as well as Deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the area.
During this time, there were four Cherokee County students on board the bus ranging from different age groups. No injuries were reported from either the students or the bus driver. These students were then taken home after the incident occurred. Initially it was thought that a small caliber rifle or handgun round struck the window, but upon further investigation, a small pellet fired from a pellet gun was located. “The Murphy Police Department would like to thank all of the assisting agencies and the Cherokee County 911 Dispatch Center for their assistance in this matter. We are fortunate that no one was injured in this incident. To the school bus driver, the students and their parents, please rest assured that we are doing everything within our power to locate the suspects responsible for this. This investigation is still ongoing and we will keep the public aware of any changes as it continues.” Thank You, Chief Justin J. Jacobs Justin J. Jacobs Chief of Police Murphy Police Department The federally funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides eligible households with a one-time payment to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of heating during the cold-weather months. Depending on the household’s primary heating source, the payment will be $200, $300 or $400.
Last year, the program provided approximately $32 million to help 128,160 households pay their heating bills from December 2017 through March 2018. To be eligible, a person must:
Cherokee County households who want to apply for energy assistance can only do so in person at the Cherokee County Department of Social Services office: 4800 W US Highway 64 Murphy, NC 28906 The office will be accepting applications from households with a person aged 60 or more, or someone receiving benefits from the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services from Monday, Dec. 3, through Monday, Dec. 31, with the exception of Dec 24-26th, when the Cherokee County Department of Social Services will be closed. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8 am - 5 pm. All households may apply from Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 through Friday, March 29, 2019. Households that include an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) living in the five-county service area of Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties, wishing to apply for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program must do so through the EBCI at https://ebci.com/. This includes enrolled EBCI members on and off the Qualla Boundary in the five counties.  On November 29, 2018, Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced that after conferring with District Attorney Ashley Welch, a joint request to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was made to investigate any and all allegations of impropriety at the Cherokee County Detention Center since Dec 1, 2014. A previous request was made by Sheriff Palmer in early November 2018 concerning allegations of inmate assaults.
As a new administration takes office in the detention center December 3, 2018, Sheriff Palmer wants to ensure that all allegations have been thoroughly investigated by an independent law enforcement agency and reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office for appropriate action if it is required. Sheriff Palmer has spoken with the agent that is conducting the investigation and encouraged the agent to interview any and all current or former employees of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and offered to make available any and all Sheriff’s Office records for review and inspection. Sheriff Palmer hopes that this investigation will clear up any allegations of improprieties that may have occurred in the past and hopes that this investigation will restore public trust and confidence in the detention center and the employees who serve there on a daily basis. This press release by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is in response to several newspaper articles and radio interviews. Carolina Public Press has spent months investigating allegations. Previous reports by Carolina Public Press on the Cherokee County Detention Center
The Career Technical Education (CTE) Department of Cherokee County Schools will be sharing CTE student spotlights throughout the 2018-2019 school year. Each grading period, a student currently enrolled in a CTE course, will be chosen for the CTE student spotlight. We are delighted to introduce the students chosen from our first grading period.
Andrews High School – SPENCER HYDAS Nominated by our CTE teacher, Griffin Anderson. Spencer is a 11th grade student at AHS and currently enrolled in the CTE class, FOUNDATIONS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Spencer plans to utilize the College and Career Promise program to take mechanics classes at Tri-County Community College. Ultimately, he would like to pursue a career as an aircraft mechanic. Hiwassee Dam High School – KRISTIAN ROMESBERG Nominated by our CTE teacher, Rhonda Leblanc. Kristian is a 9th grade student at HDHS and currently enrolled in the CTE class, FOODS I. Kristian plans to graduate as a Restaurant & Food/Beverage Service Pathway Completer. She also plans to utilize the College and Career Promise program to take cosmetology classes at Tri-County Community College. Murphy High School – JADEN MINARY Nominated by our CTE teacher, Dana Anderson. Jaden is a 12th grade student at MHS and currently enrolled in DIGITAL MEDIA II. Jaden has learned a lot about digital editing and recommends other students should enroll in DIGITAL MEDIA I. To learn more about these CTE classes and programs please contact the Career Development Coordinator, Meridith Jorgensen at meridith.jorgensen@cherokee.k12.nc.us 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 November 09th, 2018 arrest of 31 year old Matthew Wondra of Andrews, North Carolina and 20 year old Katelyn Helmick of Sylvania, Georgia for controlled substance violations and being fugitives from justice. During the evening hours of November 09th, 2018, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received information that a female was selling controlled substances at a local convenience store. Deputies went to the area and were able to locate the vehicle that Helmick and Wondra were occupying at the time. During the investigation, a search of the vehicle and persons of Helmick and Wondra recovered controlled substances, paraphernalia and US currency. Additionally, a wants and warrant check of both Helmick and Wondra revealed they were wanted in Georgia in connection with a major theft investigation. Matthew Wondra was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was incarcerated for PWIMSD METHAMPHETAMINE, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, EXTRADITION/FUGITIVE OTHER STATE, POSSESS MARIJUANA UP TO 1/2 OZ, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE IV CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. Wondra is currently free after posting a $30,000.00 secure bond and has a November 29th, 2018 court date. Katelyn Helmick was arrested and taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center where she was incarcerated for PWIMSD METHAMPHETAMINE, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, EXTRADITION/FUGITIVE OTHER STATE, POSSESS MARIJUANA UP TO 1/2 OZ, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE IV CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. Helmick is currently being held on a $30,000.00 secure bond and has a November 29th, 2018 court date. Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “I want to commend the deputies on this arrest. They were diligent and pursued the investigation and not only took dangerous drugs off the street, but also located wanted fugitives. I would like to add that from this investigation we feel we can follow leads that will further our fight against the distribution of illegal substances in Cherokee County.” To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov. Valley River Employee Arena Hall-Miller Returns from Life-Changing and Live-Saving Trip to Zambia11/13/2018
 Arena Hall-Miller (left-center) poses in Zambia during a Clean the World Service Trip In August, Blairsville resident Arena Hall-Miller, Housekeeping Supervisor at Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel, was a winner of the Caesars' 2018 Clean the World Employee Contest. Clean the World is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose goal is to reduce hotel waste and at the same time provide life-saving hygiene products to those in need around the world.
The highlight of Arena's award was an all-expense paid service trip to Zambia to assist Clean the World in distributing recycled hygiene products to those in need. Arena was accompanied by 2 other employee award recipients from Caesars casinos as well as Executive Director & CEO Sam Stephens, members of Children International and The Caesars Foundation. During her trip, Arena had the opportunity to visit three community centers, the homes of children sponsored by Clean the World and the Children International office to learn about their everyday operations and how they make a difference within the communities. Arena, along with other volunteers, distributed an estimated 2,500 pounds of soap, serving 14,000 kids. “The most memorable part of the trip was when we would arrive at all of the centers and could see the excitement in all of the children's faces,” said Arena. “They appreciated what we had done for them, and having them sing and dance for us was truly amazing!” To Arena, being a Clean the World recipient for 2018 has been an honor. “I am grateful and honored to have been part of this global service trip,” said Arena. “I would like to thank my team for always going above and beyond, Caesars Entertainment for the opportunity to see how we can make a difference in other people’s lives, and Sam Stephens, Melanie Schwartz, and Jessica Pederson from Clean the World and Children International for a great experience.”  Erlanger Murphy CEO Mark Kimball with DAISY Award winner Audrey Hedden and Chief Nursing Officer, Teresa Bowleg, MSN, RN. Murphy, N.C. – On November 5, Erlanger Murphy Medical Center and the Nurse Professional Practice Council honored a nine outstanding nurses through the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ceremony. The DAISY Award is a national award to honor nurses who define patient and family centered care. Audrey Hedden, BSN, won the 2018 DAISY Award for her dedication to providing comprehensive care extending beyond medical needs to her patients. The eight other nominees were Stephanie Forbess, BSN; Dana Hill, RN; Linda Hoefsmit, RN; Vickie Martin, RN; Melissa Myers, RN; Katie Moore, RN, FNP; Dawn Roper, RN; and Brandi Welch, RN. All of the nurses were recognized with stories detailing their outstanding patient-centered care they continuously provide. Hedden was honored for her extraordinary effort to ensure that a homeless patient was well taken care of after discharge. She gathered supplies, food and even a new backpack for the patient so that his needs could still be met even after his discharge. Her compassion and serving heart earned her this year’s DAISY Award. The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 after Patrick Barnes passed away from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. His family wanted a way to honor him and show appreciation for the nurses’ compassion and kindness they extended to the whole family during his eight-week stay in the hospital. DAISY was born from his wife, Tena’s, imagination standing for Diseases Attacking the Immune System and through this the award for Extraordinary Nurses was created. For more information about the DAISY Foundation or the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, please visitwww.DAISYfoundation.org.  DAISY Award nominees from left to right: Brandi Welch, RN; Dawn Roper, RN; Katie Moore, RN, FNP; Melissa Myers, RN; Vickie Martin, RN; Linda Hoefsmit, RN; Dana Hill, RN; Audrey Hedden, BSN, RN and not pictured: Stephanie Forbess, BSN, RN On Thursday, November 8, Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC hosted a forum on drug and human trafficking with local law enforcement and social service organizations. Seventy attendees representing 17 organizations from across Western North Carolina gathered for the event. The intertwined issues of drug and human trafficking effect the entire country as well as our rural and seemingly isolated communities.
The meeting was led by Dr. Halleh Seddighzadeh, an international counter-trafficking advisor and Forensic Traumatologist. She has worked in refugee settings, war torn and crisis-affected communities with child and adult survivors of trafficking and torture in the Middle East doing psychological first aid and investigative research. Dr. Seddighzadeh frequently provides consultation and training to law enforcement agencies, service providers, faith-based organizations, prosecutors, investigators, medical practitioners as well as international and domestic businesses on trauma-sensitive best practices. It was the first forum of this nature in Western North Carolina. Attendees included the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Family Safety Program, EBCI District Attorney’s Office, REACH of Haywood, Macon, Clay & Cherokee Counties, Cherokee Indian Police Department, Andrews Police Department, as well as Haywood and Macon county Sheriff offices. The different organizations discussed their individual, local needs and shared their thoughts on how to work together to combat drug and human trafficking more effectively. Jo Ray, Regional Vice President of Community Relations and Employee Wellness at Harrah's Cherokee said of the event, “It is important for Harrah’s Cherokee to be involved as we are dedicated to ensuring the communities in which we live and work are thriving and safe.” The following press release has been issued by Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
(Bartow County - 11/5/2018) – As a result of a proactive undercover investigation coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CEACC), and the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, 20 people were arrested over a four-day period beginning Thursday, November 1, 2018. Those arrested were charged with O.C.G.A. 16-12-100.2, Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 2007 and/or O.C.G.A 16-5-46, Trafficking of Persons for Labor or Sexual Servitude. Additional charges may be forthcoming. “Operation Paladin” was a four-day proactive effort centered in Bartow County, GA. The operation took several months of planning. The arrestees, ranging in age from 20 to 59, traveled from areas around Northwest Georgia with the intent to meet a child for sex. One person that was arrested was a registered sex offender. Multiple people were arrested that were in possession of suspected illegal drugs. One person was arrested in possession of a firearm. Twenty-four (24) mobile phones were seized as evidence during the operation. The goal of “Operation Paladin” was to arrest persons who communicate with children on-line and then travel to meet them for the purpose of having sex. Additionally, the operation targeted those that are willing to exploit children by purchasing sex with a minor. On-line child predators visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content and arrange a meeting with the children for the purpose of having sex. The children these predators target are both boys and girls. Since 2014, the Georgia ICAC Task Force has arrested over 100 people in similar operations. Over the course of the operation, over 30 cases were established that met the threshold for arrest. Twenty of those cases were concluded with arrests. During the multi-day operation, investigators had more than 200 exchanges with subjects on various social media or internet platforms. Many of those were exchanges in which the subject initiated contact with whom they believed to be a minor and directed the conversation towards sex. In some of those cases, the subject introduced obscene or lewd content, often exposing the minor (undercover) to pornography or requesting the child take nude or pornographic images for them. About half of the exchanges involved websites used for dating, socializing, or even websites used for classified advertisements. Although some websites promote themselves as being for “adults-only” it is not uncommon for law enforcement to work cases in which children access these sites, establish profiles claiming to be older, and then find themselves vulnerable to victimization, harassment, blackmail, or assault. Several subjects were identified as communicating simultaneously with multiple investigators posing as minors. Such activity confirms what investigators uncover conducting these types of investigations: that many predators specifically seek out minors on such websites to groom them as potential victims for sexual contact. Along with those agencies who participated in the planning and coordinating of the operation, twelve (12) additional law enforcement agencies participated in “Operation Paladin” as members of the Georgia ICAC Task Force. These agencies were: Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force Cartersville Police Department Columbus Police Department Conyers Police Department Floyd County Police Department Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office GBI-Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC) Gwinnett County Police Department Hall County Sheriff’s Office Marietta Police Department Polk County Police Department United States Department of Homeland Security The proactive on-line investigation was a coordinated effort among the participating law enforcement agencies to combat this activity. Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap stated, “This operation is a prime example of interagency planning and cooperation. I am proud that we were able to host the Georgia ICAC Task Force at our facility to carry it out. Moreover, I hope that these arrests send a loud and clear message: the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office has a zero-tolerance policy for exploitation of children. We will continue to work with the ICAC Task Force whenever needed to stop these predators. Bartow County is a great community and we will work relentlessly to ensure that it remains a safe place for our children.” GBI Special Agent in Charge, and Commander of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Debbie Garner remarked “The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office is one of our most active member agencies. We appreciate their daily efforts to combat child exploitation. This type of cooperation and collaboration is invaluable in the effort to keep our children safe from predators who seek to harm them. This successful operation was a true partnership between all the agencies involved. We will continue to aggressively work together to protect our children.” The following were arrested and charged in Bartow County as part of “Operation Paladin”: Randall Ball, W/M, Acworth, GA, 25 years of age, grocery stocker Bailey Brown, W/M, Jasper, GA, 29 years of age, emergency home repair responder Richard Brown, W/M, Trion, GA, 53 years of age, mill worker Steven Byers, W/M, Jasper, GA, 33 years of age, electrician Bryan Cain, W/M, Calhoun, GA, 36 years of age, unemployed/college student Jeffrey Coleman, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 52 years of age, glass technician Michael Crider, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 51 years of age, CAD operator Daniel Dorough, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 56 years of age, self-employed landscaper Daniel Ewart, W/M, Cartersville. GA, 38 years of age, tow truck driver Shawn Jeffrey, B/M, Powder Springs, GA, 26 years of age, pest control technician Clarence Mann, W/M, Kingston, GA, 59 years of age, truck driver Vernale Mascall, B/M, Cartersville, GA, 25 years of age, fast food worker Rick Paul, B/M, Dallas, GA, 25 years of age, Certified Nursing Assistant Isaac Sanchez, H/M, Summerville, GA, 20 years of age, painter Charlie Smith III, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 45 years of age, patient care technician Thomas Smith, B/M, Rome, GA, 43 years of age, delivery driver Timothy Smith, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 57 years of age, customer service Conner Thrash, W/M, Woodstock, GA, 28 years of age, truck driver Michael Turner, W/M, Villa Rica, GA, 37 years of age, unemployed Michael Wills, W/M, Cartersville, GA, 34 years of age, tree service employee The Georgia ICAC Task Force is comprised of 230+ local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, other related criminal justice agencies and prosecutor’s offices. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the U. S. Department of Justice and managed and operated by the GBI in Georgia, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC Program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims. By helping state and local law enforcement agencies develop effective and sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography, the ICAC program delivers national resources at the local level. Arrests made by the Georgia ICAC Task Force have been steadily increasing over the last 3 years. In 2014, the GA ICAC Task Force made 196 arrests. The Georgia ICAC Task Force made 244 arrests in 2015, and in 2016, the Georgia ICAC Task Force made 340 arrests. In 2017, The Georgia ICAC Task Force made 350 arrests. The Georgia ICAC Task Force has made over 2,000 arrests since its inception in 2002.  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 October 30th, 2018 arrest of Harry James Verner, a 18-year-old Murphy, North Carolina man for charges stemming from the sexual assault of a minor. On or about October 15th, 2018 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a young child had been sexually assault on or about October 13th, 2018 at a residence in the Hiwassee Dam Community of Cherokee County, North Carolina. Pursuant to that information an investigation was conducted in which Verner was identified as the suspect which lead to his October 30th, 2018 arrest. Harry James Verner is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center for First Degree Statutory Sexual Offense with a Child and Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child. Verner’s secure bond is currently $200,000.00. Verner currently has November 08th, 2018 District Court date. Sheriff Derrick Palmer stated, “We thank the Cherokee County Schools and the District Attorney’s Office for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation. These are difficult cases for all concerned. Because of the age of the victim and the nature of the crime there will be no further press releases from this office.” To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law please call 828-837-1344 or submit a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov. |
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