Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers were assisted by emergency responders from Cherokee Fire & Rescue, Cherokee Tribal EMS, and the Cherokee Indian Police Dept., in the recovery of drowned kayaker, Megan Thompson, age 34, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio on Thursday, Feb. 24.

A project to bring a new pedestrian bridge and main sewer line to downtown Cherokee made significant progress this week.

Following a trip to the Gila River Indian Community with members of the Arizona congressional delegation on Tuesday, Feb. 22, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Department’s plan to fulfill settlements of Indian water rights claims using historic funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s work to prioritize equity and inclusion across the federal government, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today established the first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Council to incorporate these practices into the Department’s work across its many bureaus.

Cory Blankenship, EBCI Secretary of Treasury, had some good news for the leaders and members of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) during a report to Tribal Council on Thursday, Feb. 17.  The discussion centered around ARP (American Rescue Plan) funding for the Tribe. 

Cherokee will soon have its own ABC store.  The Tribal Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (TABCC) for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is currently working on the Tribal ABC Store which it hopes to open in early March. 

Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) SWAT Team arrested Danquon Shermaine Brown, a 31-year-old male of Asheville, on Wednesday, Feb. 16. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park firefighters responded to a small, 1.7-acre wildfire along the Foothills Parkway at 4:19 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11.