Jessica “Jet” Calhoun, 29, and her daughter, Ah-Yo-Ka “Yoki Bear” Calhoun, 5, both members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), were tragically killed in a car wreck on Jan. 9, 2021.

Travis Climbingbear, 44, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and public safety course instructor at Cherokee High School (CHS), was arrested on Monday, May 13 by Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD).

On the morning of Wednesday, May 29, George Mitchell Littlejohn, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and former Tribal Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) board commissioner, appeared in Cherokee Tribal Court before Judge Monty Beck on six felony charges and five misdemeanor charges:

The red, white, and blue of small flags of the United States of America decorated the graves at the Yellowhill Veterans Memorial Cemetery on the morning of Monday, May 27 – Memorial Day. 

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced on Thursday, May 23 multiple convictions of defendants charged with sexually abusing young children. 

The planning board of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) met on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 22. The meeting included a series of project updates from EBCI Project Management, and discussions on ordinance changes presented by EBCI Finance Director Brandi Claxton.

Cherokee Historical Association (CHA) has received a $702,000 grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) which will allow CHA to complete several projects to improve our overall sustainability.

During the first half of May, I had the honor to accept the Source Water Protection award on behalf of the EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). I sincerely thank Juanita Wilson for her tireless dedication to this project.