VA clinic to open in Franklin
By Dwight Otwell Editor

Cherokee County veterans will soon be able to travel to Franklin for some medical care rather than going to the VA (Veterans Administration) Hospital in Asheville.

Sandy Zimmerman, the local representative for Congressman Heath Shuler, announced at the Monday Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting that a VA clinic will open in Macon County in Franklin in April or May. Vans from Cherokee County will provide rides there as well as to the VA Hospital in Asheville. Zimmerman had no further details about the clinic, which she said will be available soon.

In another matter, Tara Sena, a parent of a child at Ranger Elementary School, asked the commissioners if the Ranger gym can get air conditioning. She said it gets to 87 degrees and higher in the gym by 2:30 in the afternoon. She said a breezeway is needed for the area where children get onto and off buses.

Commission Chairman Jonathan Dickey told Sena that she should take the matter to the school board, which presents its budget to the county commissioners.

"I don't think we have the authority to do that without a request from them (school board)," Commissioner Dana Jones said.

Other action saw the board approve a resolution to be sent to the Department of Transportation. The resolution asks for $328,000 in grant money for an economic development fund to do paving and guttering at the Center for Applied Technology at the old IOI building.

County Manager David Badger said approval of the funds should be on the agenda for the next DOT meeting.

The board approved a motion to extend the hours that the Register of Deeds office is open from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.