May 16, 2013 - The Cherokee One Feather

20THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 cherokee one feather/na tsalagi soquo ugidahliMacCourtneygraduates from BYUChase MacCourtney graduatedrom Brigham Young University inrovo, Utah during April commenceent2013. He was selected by hisrofessors in the Marriott School ofanagement as the outstanding unergraduatein his field of study –eisure Services Management. A006 graduate of Swain countyigh School, he is currently emloyedby Deer Valley Resort in Parkity, Utah. His parents are Tim andeb MacCourtney of Cherokee. Hisrandparents are Jim and Janeneooper, also of Cherokee, and Patnd the late Barbara MacCourtney,f Arizona.- MacCourtney FamilyCooper sentencedto three years forassault, weaponschargeHarold Kenneth Cooper III, 33,f Cherokee, was convicted on Friay,May 3 in the Cherokee Court forrobation Violation, Assault InflictngSerious Bodily Injury, Assaultith a Deadly Weapon, and twoounts of Second Degree Trespass,nd was sentenced to three years imrisonment.The sentence was issuedby the Honorable Danny Davis,Cherokee Court Judge.Tribal Prosecutor Jason Smithstated, “I want to thank the CherokeeIndian Police Department andDetective Roger Neadeau for his hardwork in the investigation of this casewhich helped make this convictionpossible. I would also like to thankJohn Nations and Cherokee TribalProbation as well as John Ayers ofHarrah’s Cherokee Casino for theirwork on this case. This case involveda serious assault by an individualwho was already on TribalProbation, and the defendant wassentenced to the maximum possiblepunishment for an offense availableunder Cherokee and Federal law.Our thoughts go out to the victimand the family as they recover in theaftermath of this terrible crime.”This case marks yet another occasionin the Cherokee Court inwhich a defendant has received afelony-level punishment of greaterthan one year imprisonment sincethe enactment of the Federal TribalLaw and Order Act in 2010.- Office of the Tribal ProsecutorBig Cove CouncilReportCommunity WatchRecently, Community Watch hasadopted a new logo repurposing ourcommunity logo. We will be makingsigns for houses and for the community.We are also planning on gettingmagnets for automobiles. Onceyou are in the program we will bringa kit to you home to help you documentyour items and to mark yourvaluables. If a thief sees the sign inyour yard he should think twiceabout taking your stuff. Becauseyour stuff is marked and documentedit easier to trace to a perpetrator andgives you a better chance to get youritems back if stolen. For more informationcall the number below.There will be a Meet the Candidatesevent at Big Cove RecreationCenter next Tuesday, May 21at 6pm.I encourage everyone to come educatethemselves about issues that affectour community and tribe as awhole. If you have questions orcomments, please contact me at828-736-2947.- Big Cove Rep. Bo TaylorCherokee beingconsidered for ‘14NC GOP ConventionCherokee is being considered tobe the host town for the 2014 NorthCarolina Republic Party Convention.“As of this time, Cherokee is definitelyon the radar,” Mike Rusher,North Carolina Republican Partychief of staff, related. “No decisionshave been made, and we are unableto confirm it yet.”Rusher said the final announcementfor the 2014 site will not bemade until after the 2013 Conventionwhich is scheduled for June 7-9in Charlotte.He said that the numbers of attendeeswill vary by year, but haveaveraged 2,000 people the last fewyears.- Scott McKie B.P.One Feather staffEBCI Internal Auditdevelops SOARawardsThe Office of Internal Audit announcedas part of Internal AuditAwareness Month the first annualawards program to recognize fiscalexcellence in Tribal government.The awards program, Success in Operations,Accountability and Reporting(S.O.A.R.) was developed by theOffice of Internal Audit and approvedby the Audit Committee tohighlight programs that go aboveand beyond being stewards for theTribe. With budget cuts and costcontainments it is more importantthan ever that programs operate effectivelyand efficiently. Whethergenerating revenue, cutting costs orimproving efficiencies – we need tocelebrate our successes. That is whatthe awards program is about.The awards program is open toany Tribal program, division or entity.Nominations are currentlybeing accepted and the deadline isJune 14. Complete rules and guidelinescan be found on the Office ofInternal Audit’s website at www.nccherokee.com/internalaudit/s-o-ar/.- Sharon Blankenship,EBCI director of Internal AuditCherokee Day ofCaring set forThursdayThe annual Cherokee Day ofCaring will be held Thursday, May16. A total of 10 projects will be accomplished,one in each community.“Cherokee Day of Caring provides anopportunity for us to join as a communityand address real need in realtime,” said Annette S. Clapsaddle,Cherokee Preservation Foundationexecutive director. “It's one of themost rewarding ways when canchoose to serve.”According to the CherokeePreservation Foundation, some ofthe projects to be undertaken include:painting, building a shed for ahandicap-resident, building a coveredwalkway and deck, building anew porch, and more.As of last week, a total of 70 volunteershad signed up for the event.- Scott McKie B.P.One Feather staff