The Appalachia Daily Podcast

Trail Spotlight Saturday: trails and outdoor happenings across Southern Appalachia.

Soundcheck Friday: music, events and weekend happenings around the mountains.

Local Legends: Hayesville's Laura Cottrell enters the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, plus more Southern Appalachia stories.

Hometown Heroes Wednesday: local people and happenings across Southern Appalachia.

Community Spotlight Tuesday: local people and happenings across Southern Appalachia.

The Appalachia Daily Update for September 23, 2026, Wednesday 🚒 Highlands crews free driver at Bridal Veil Falls 🧠 Clay deputies and community paramedic earn Crisis Intervention certs 🛡️ Andrews hosts joint Sheriff-Tribal tactical drill 🏫 Towns Schools run active-intruder safety drill 🚑 Union first responders train for school threat aftermath https://www.youtube.com/@AppalachiaDaily Email: adu...

🚧 Tooni Gap Road closes to vehicles today (Blue Ridge access tip; hike stays open) 🎨 Wild Laurel Art Bar ribbon cutting Oct 2 in McCaysville 🛒 Murphy Farmers Market Saturdays with Double SNAP at the L&N Depot 🌽 Clay County Farmers Market final Thursday Sep 24 on Hayesville Square 🥦 Union County Farmers Market open Tuesday in Blairsville https://www.youtube.com/@AppalachiaDaily Email: adu@rive...

🥾 Dry Falls lower trail expected open again after maintenance window 🌉 Tooni Gap Road vehicle-closed Mon-Fri; Benton MacKaye hike to Toccoa Swinging Bridge still open 🌿 Free Nature Hike with Ila Hatter on Mingus Creek Trail in Cherokee this morning 🚧 Emery Creek Trailhead intermittent access during Old CCC Camp Road paving 🌲 Ruff Creek Road stop-and-go for timber work; keep a backup trailhead...

🎵 BBQ at Old Toccoa Farm tonight with Emanuel Casablanca 🚂 Kiwanis Blues Train and Block Party in Blue Ridge 🎸 VooDoo Tramps at The Flying Trout in Blairsville 🎷 Saturday: 15th Annual Blues & BBQ Festival downtown Blue Ridge 🎶 Saturday: Gnarly Fingers at the Peacock in Hayesville https://www.youtube.com/@AppalachiaDaily Email: adu@riverrun.digital Take care of your neighbors, and they will ta...

📜 Murphy's older name is Tlanusi'yi, the Cherokee Leech Place on the rivers. 🏛️ Cherokee County Historical Museum keeps Trail of Tears and Cherokee history in downtown Murphy. 🏡 Hayesville's Cherokee Homestead Exhibit and Quanassee Path walk you into Clay County's older story. 🎶 Free Folk School Community Jam tonight 7–9 at The Crown in Brasstown. 🍖 Blues & BBQ free kickoff tonight 5–6:30 at t...

🚒 Union Fire Rescue works a total-loss house fire in Cindy Cove. Nobody was home. Nobody was hurt. 🚒 Towns County keeps two weekday-staffed fire stations plus EMS East and West. 🚑 Cherokee County EMS runs five paramedic units from Murphy, Andrews, Hiawassee Dam, and Marble. 🚒 Clay County Fire and Rescue covers the county from seven stations. 🚒 Copper Basin Fire and Rescue is first due for Cop...

💧 Dry Falls lower walk-behind closes Mon–Fri for maintenance; upper deck stays open and fees are waived 🌄 Kuwohi Road has a half-day student program Tuesday; Newfound Gap stays open 🏞️ Vogel’s Lake Trahlyta is still drained; lake loop and waterfall closed (Bear Hair Gap / Coosa instead) 🚧 Connely Creek Road stays closed through Oct 1; Cowee Bald access via Macon County 🎨 Blue Ridge plein air j...

The Appalachia Daily Update for September 2, 2026, Wednesday 🚨 Sheriff Chris Wood shares Labor Day travel tips for Cherokee County roads 🚓 UPDATE: Deputy Tim Leslie is the K9 officer who got back up after an ATV strike and finished the chase 🚔 Clay County deputies and a detention officer handled a quiet Hayesville call that still mattered 🚧 TDOT pauses lane closures from noon Friday through Tu...

🛡️ Friday is Patriot Day, the 25th anniversary of September 11. Flags fly half-staff. Thank a deputy, firefighter, EMS crew, and 911 dispatcher. 🧭 Neighbors near Wilscot Mountain recognized James Hammond from search photos, called it in, and met Union General EMS in Blairsville. He is safe. 📞 Cherokee County still needs a backup 911 center. The main room sits inside the sheriff’s office. Marks D...

Unrelenting Exhibit at the Museum of the Cherokee People The Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee continues its major exhibit Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution through December 30. The show pairs historic objects with new works by Eastern Band and Cherokee Nation artists, centering Native perspectives on the 250th anniversary and the Cherokee American War era. Sources:2...

🚒 First responders and neighbors are still helping McCaysville and Copperhill recover from weekend flooding while a boil-water advisory remains in place💧 TVA and local volunteers continue bottled-water distribution as repairs move forward🏛️ Robbinsville Mayor Shaun Adams is on a three-month leave; mayor pro-tem steps in. All people are innocent until proven guilty🙌 Hometown Heroes keep showing...

McCaysville Flood Recovery Continues Cleanup is still moving forward in McCaysville after the weekend flash flooding. Blue Ridge Drive has reopened to traffic, but a boil-water advisory remains in effect while crews work to restore the water system. First responders from neighboring North Carolina and Tennessee departments helped with rescues during the storm. Back to School Bash Coming to Murphy...

National Night Out returns Tuesday Cherokee County’s third annual National Night Out runs Tuesday, August 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Tri-County Community College in Peachtree. First responders, emergency vehicles, demonstrations, and free family activities fill the evening. Stronger community ties support the everyday commerce that keeps our towns open. Commissioners seat Jan Griggs on Wednesday The C...

Storm damage and trail caution in Nantahala Severe storms on Tuesday left structure damage in Peachtree and near Andrews, along with downed trees, power lines, and widespread outages. The U.S. Forest Service is assessing roads and trails across Nantahala National Forest, particularly in Graham and Swain counties. Hikers and drivers should use extra caution this weekend and watch for hazards. Sourc...

Date: July 31, 2026 Quick Brown Fox on the Hayesville Square Tonight Food and beverage service starts at 6 p.m. Music begins at 7 p.m. on the historic Hayesville Square. The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association free summer concert series continues. Bring a lawn chair. Red bucket donations support the work. Sources:2026-07-31 | https://business.claychambernc.com/calendar/Details/cccra...

Date: July 30, 2026 Free sports physicals today in Murphy The Cherokee County Health Department offers free sports physicals today from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for pre-K through 12th-grade students. Walk-ins are welcome or call ahead. Location is 228 Hilton Street in Murphy. This is a practical way to get athletes cleared for the coming season. Sources:2026-07-28 | https://www.cherokeescout.com/ (Sports...

RiverRun Digital AI over Coffee with Real Estate RiverRun Digital hosts AI over Coffee with Real Estate this Saturday, August 1 at 3:30 at The Press in downtown Murphy. Casual and useful. Learn everyday AI tools that can help with real estate and local business. Multi-Agency Meth Seizure Stops Load Bound for Cherokee County On July 24, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, the N...

RiverRun Digital AI over Coffee with Real Estate RiverRun Digital hosts AI over Coffee with Real Estate this Saturday, August 1 at 3:30 at The Press in downtown Murphy. Casual and useful. Learn everyday AI tools that can help with real estate and local business. Free Concert Friday in Hayesville The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association continues its free summer series on the historic...

EcoKing Advances Robbinsville Plant EcoKing Solutions continues work at the former Stanley Furniture site in Robbinsville. A July 22 press conference highlighted progress on the biodegradable paperware facility. First-phase hiring targets roughly 300 jobs with average pay above $46,000. Local training efforts are already helping prepare workers. The project is expected to make the plant Graham Cou...

Cherokee Bonfire & Storytelling Tonight The free Cherokee Bonfire and Storytelling takes place tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Old Acquani Expo Center in Cherokee. Local educators share Cherokee traditions and lifestyle. Families can roast marshmallows and enjoy social dances by the river. A relaxed outdoor evening in the northern part of our coverage area. Sources:2026-07 | https://visitcherokeen...