North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein spoke to members of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council Monday, during which he touted some of his accomplishments over the last eight years while also laying out a vision for the future of the state. 

The Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby will be held from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 3 at the Oconaluftee River Islands Park in Cherokee. 

Members of the public interested in Western North Carolina court cases now have better access than ever to criminal and civil files. 

In 2026, the United States Census Bureau is conducting three field tests in “American Indian Areas” to prepare for unique challenges presented in those areas ahead of the 2030 census. Last week, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council voted to approve the field test. 

A program on Cherokee culture will be presented at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

EBCI Tribal Council has reversed its decision to ban “hemp shops” not “wholly owned by the tribe … or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.”

Following the Atlanta Braves’ recognition late last month of several groups in Georgia recognized by that state as Native American, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians officials issued multiple statements decrying the inclusion of multiple Cherokee tribes that are not federally recognized. 

The Charlotte FBI division office announced that the bureau is investigating an officer-involved shooting on the Qualla Boundary that left one person dead. 

This July, the American Red Cross continues to stress that blood and platelet donors are critically needed to support lifesaving transfusions this summer.

The public in Western North Carolina is about to have more access to the courts than ever before, assuming all goes to plan.