A new bill signed into law Tuesday, June 12 now allows Oklahoma School districts to transfer surplus land to the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation. Transferring surplus land will allow communities to grow and help their local school districts.

Austin Breazeale, 19, of Maryville, Tenn., was traveling west ​along Little River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Friday, June 8 at approximately 8:40pm when his motorcycle left the roadway and struck a tree approximately two miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center.

For decades, leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have discussed ways to streamline the Tribe’s ability to do business faster and free of governmental constraints.  Over a two-day span, Tribal Council approved the first board members and a compensation package for the newly-created Kituwah Economic Development (KED) Board.