Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit has been suspended from office following allegations of abuse of power and misconduct related to an insurance investigation into a county commissioner. 

Under North Carolina law, an elected sheriff can be suspended and then removed only through a judicial process. The first step in the process is for a district attorney or county attorney or at least five voting residents in the county to file a petition to the court. 

 Council considers fine, employment ban 

The Cherokee Tribal Council is considering taking formal action against a former representative who is accused of using his position to secure money and personal favors from a vendor guiding the tribe’s fledgling cannabis enterprise. 

The investigation is ongoing following a Halloween party at Dillard Excavating in Sylva that allegedly involved underage drinking and allegedly resulted in the rape of a 14-year-old girl, but the career of a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy who was suspended following the incident is not.