Five defendants who earlier entered pleas of guilty to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana were sentenced on Wednesday, Aug. 18 in U.S. District Court in Bryson City by the Honorable Martin Reidinger.

Researchers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park are inviting people to volunteer as Citizen Scientists and join park biologists in collecting scientific data and mapping locations of ash trees at selected sites.

An Asheville-based, life-story-film company is launching a community service film project and inviting Western North Carolina residents to participate as recording recipients or sponsors.

Bridgeo Marino Phillips Sr., 28 of Philadelphia, Miss., an enrolled member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, has been indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte on one count charging second degree murder in connection with an incident which allegedly took place on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Jackson County on Saturday, Aug. 14.

The group known as the Central Band of Cherokee, located in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., will not be receiving federal recognition if a “Proposed Finding Against Acknowledgment”, filed Monday, Aug. 16 by Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk, holds up.

Housing & Community Development’s Summer Repair Program completed 78 projects in partnership with three church groups that volunteer their services, free of charge.

A murder occurred in Cherokee on Saturday, Aug. 14, but many of the details are being withheld at the moment.