FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Forsyth County deputies are investigating a deadly domestic incident that claimed the life of an off-duty law enforcement officer and left a teenager injured Saturday night in the Villages at Shakerag subdivision. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said the incident began around 7:49 p.m. on September 27, when a juvenile appeared […]
Read More »Meth Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Two Decades in Prison in Cherokee County
Murphy, N.C. — A man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Cherokee County has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison, prosecutors announced this week. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the sentencing followed a lengthy investigation involving local law enforcement and federal drug enforcement agencies. Authorities said the defendant played a central […]
Read More »Cherokee County Man Arrested on Multiple Child Exploitation Charges Following CyberTip Reports
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC — A Peachtree community man has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of child sexual exploitation following an investigation sparked by online reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Corey Benjamin Sneed, 39, was taken into custody without incident after investigators linked him to the possession and […]
Read More »Two year drug investigation come
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC – A two-year investigation into two local drug traffickers culminated in their arrest in Georgia. A joint operation between Narcotics Agents with Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Union County, GA Sheriff’s Office, Fannin County, GA Sheriff’s Office and Gilmer County, GA Sheriff’s Office came to a close on June 26, 2025 with the […]
Read More »Escaped Inmate Kills Detention Officer and Wounds Another
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC – An inmate escaped after shooting a Cherokee County Detention Center Officer and wounding another while at Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital facility Monday afternoon, June 30. Cherokee County Detention Center Officer Francisco Flattes and Officer George Feinauer were transporting a Federal inmate, Kelvin Simmons to the orthopedic office when the tragedy occurred. […]
Read More »Fentanyl located during traffic stop
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC – A joint operation on 05/20/2025 between the Narcotics and Patrol Divisions of Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office assist by the Narcotics Division of Clay County Sheriff’s office led to a traffic stop which resulted in four arrests and two subsequent search warrants. On May 21, 2025 a traffic stop was conducted on […]
Read More »The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in WNC
NORTH CAROLINA – The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has proven to be utterly devastating for many, but especially those in some rural western North Carolina towns that seem to be almost completely swept away. Most residents have not had power or cell service to share real-time news of the destruction, so more and more news […]
Read More »Woman in custody battle drowned twin sons
PRESS RELEASE – On March 2, 2024 the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Cherokee County Emergency Services responded to a 911 call at 75 Gooseberry Road in Murphy, North Carolina. The reporting party was a Cherokee County Father who had arrived at the home of his separated wife to exercise custody of his four-year-old twin […]
Read More »Doctor arrested for sexual contact under pretext of medical treatment
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC. – A local doctor has been arrested and charged with four counts of felony sexual contact in Cherokee County. Thomas Vann Clayton, the chief of staff at Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital, was charged as the result of a ‘lengthy investigation’ that began last year. According to a press release from Cherokee County […]
Read More »Wanted woman found and arrested
PRESS RELEASE – On the afternoon of January 26, 2023 the Cherokee Indian Police Department’s Community Response Team obtained information that a wanted person was at a residence on Stillwell Branch Road, in the Yellowhill Community of the Qualla Boundary. After responding to the residence, officers determined that Tansi Elaine Young, a wanted 42 year-old […]
Read More »Multiple bear encounters reported
PRESS RELEASE – The U.S. Forest Service – National Forests in North Carolina is receiving reports of bear encounters throughout the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. Visitors say bears are tearing down bear bags from trees, carrying off backpacks, spending hours near campsites and are not affected by efforts to scare them away. A hard-sided, bear-resistant canister […]
Read More »Georgia man arrested in Cherokee County after 50 break-ins
MURPHY, NC – A repeat offender from Georgia has finally been arrested in Cherokee North Carolina after 50 break-ins in the Cherokee County area. The arrest came on March 31, 2022 when Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office apprehended 35 year old Jack Earnest Smith, of Baldwin Georgia, in connection with multiple break-ins committed on 30 March […]
Read More »Traffic stop leads to three arrested
The Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office made 3 arrest after a routine traffic stop turned into a drug bust on Jan. 27, 2022. Detective Payne and Myers, deputies of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, were parked near Hembree road when they observed a maroon Honda Pilot coming off Hembree Rd. onto James Rd. ‘rolling the stop […]
Read More »Earthquake in Eton, GA: felt across Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina
ETON, Ga. – The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed that an earthquake of a 2.6 magnitude struck 16 km NNE of Eton, Georgia around midnight on Jan. 21, 2021. According to the University of Memphis, the earthquake occurred north of Eton, Georgia, near the state line with Tennessee just before midnight on January […]
Read More »Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available for Children Ages 5-11
PRESS RELEASE – Children ages 5 to 11 can now receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children in this age group, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all children 5–11 get the vaccine to protect […]
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