Cherokee County NC Blog

The Cherokee County Health Department will hold a four-week program on why it is necessary to eat well and how to eat well even when one is suffering from a chronic illness or other medical condition.

The workshop will meet at the Penland Senior Center on Alpine Street in Murphy, NC, from 10:30 am until 11:30 am beginning on Tuesday, January 22, 2008, and continuing on January 29, February 5, and February 12.

Everyone is invited. There is no cost.

Call the Cherokee County Health Department at 828-837-7486 for more information.

A Breast and Cervical cancer clinic is available at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton Street, Murphy, NC 28906.

Women, age 50 and older, may call Kim McPherson, coordinator, at 828-837-7486, ext. 218, to see if they are eligible for a free or low-cost breast exam and mammogram.

The Hiwassee Valley Pool and Wellness Center will be offering a Water Arthritis Aquatic Class from 10:00 am until 11:00 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The cost is $2.00 per class. The programs is a medically-approved, warm-water class program, with water temperatures at 84 degrees.

The program is designed specifically for people with arthritis to ease pain, lessen stiffness, build cardiovascular endurance, tone muscles, and improve joint flexibility.

For more information, call Geri Heier at 828-835-3700.

Infinity The Salon and Spa will be celebrating their grand opening on Saturday, June 30, 2007, from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm.

Please join them for refreshments, free chair massages and facials, and giveaways every half hour.

Infinity The Salon and Spa, 308 Hill Street, Murphy, NC 28906.

For more information, call 828-837-4767

Zoe and Bruce King not only provide non-medical, in-home services to area families, but they were also honored by CK Franchising Inc. for their performance as Comfort Keepers franchise owners.

The Kings were recognized at the celebration dinner and awards ceremony during the Comfort Keepers Annual Conference held in Charlotte, NC, from May 31 through June 2, 2007.

The Kings received one of the top honors of the evening when they were inducted into the President’s Club. Owners are selected for this honor based on several criteria, including hours of service, revenues, and the adherence to the ideals and standards of the Comfort Keepers system.

At the ceremony, the Kings were presented with a crystal award to commemorate their achievement.

“Being recognized as one of the top performers in the Comfort Keepers system was a great honor,” Zoe King said.

In addition to the President’s Club award, the Kings were recognized for hitting weekly operational milestones for hours of service provided to clients.

“Ask any senior and they will tell you that they prefer to stay in their own home as long as possible,” she said. “I am thrilled to own a business that can make their wishes a reality.”

Comfort Keepers provides in-home services on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis with tailored packages customized to an individual’s needs. Packages include companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, incidental transportation, laundry, recreational activities, and more. All Comfort Keepers caregivers are employees and have criminal, driving, and credit background checks to ensure dependability and reliability.

The Kings, local owners of the western North Carolina area Comfort Keepers, have been in business since 1993.

Since opening, the Kings have provided service to numerous residents throughout western North Carolina. They have about 10 employees in the Murphy, NC, area.

The Kings have Comfort Keepers offices in Franklin, North Carolina, and Blairsville, Georgia.

Their website has a list of services they offer and a convenient contact form.

For more information, call 706-835-2607.

The Andrews community is sponsoring an American Red Cross blood drive from 1:30 pm until 6:00 pm on Monday, June 11, 2007, at First Methodist Church, located on Main Street in Andrews, NC 28901.

All presenting donors can enter a drawing for one of two $750 gas cards.

Call 828-321-5216 to schedule an appointment.

In 1982, Mary Ricketson, Sheryl Young, Robin Mauney, Eleanor MacCorkle, and Eleanor Wilson focused their talents and passion for helping abused women and formed the Task Force on Family Violence.

A quarter of a century later, and now commonly known as REACH, Inc., the organization has grown to have 10 employees, many volunteers, hundreds of clients, and has handled thousands of support and crisis calls.

On May 19, 2007, REACH celebrated their 25th Anniversary at John C. Campbell Folk School with friends, volunteers, staff, live music, guest speakers, and more.

Vicki Taylor, REACH Executive Director since 2000, thanked the five founders and presented them with an award in honor of their bravery and dedicated service.

For more information about REACH and the services they offer to victims of domestic violence and rape, or to learn more about volunteering, call 828-837-8064.

It has taken over six years to plan, raise the money, and build the new pool and wellness center and it will open on Saturday, June 9, 2007.

There will be a week-long open house and membership drive, beginning Monday, June 4, 2007 and ending Friday, June 8, 2007.

Come see the wellness center and regulation-size swimming pool.

Tours will be offered between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm this week.

For more information about the center’s schedule and membership prices, call 828-835-3700.

Butterfly Life, a women’s fitness club, opened at 3000 US Hwy 64 West, Suite 118, in Lakeside Plaza.

The new club is designed for women who are interested in attaining simple, achievable results in a nurturing, non-threatening environment.

Members will enjoy the club’s innovative approach to providing “Healthy Living Solutions for Women,” which encompass everything from fitness, health, and nutrition to beauty, fashion, and psychology, all under one roof.

“The Butterfly Life concept of developing an integrated approach to women’s fitness, weight loss, and healthy living, was created by a team of pioneers boasting more than a century of industry experience,” club owners Annette Downer and Karie Clayton said. “Butterfly Life understands that weight loss is only one component of a healthy life, so that’s why the program was developed with an integrated, 360-degree approach to accommodating all components of women’s fitness and health.”

The club is equipped with an exclusive 15-station, strength- and cardio-training circuit that has been custom designed and is fully adjustable to meet the needs of women at all levels.

In 30 minutes, members complete a well-balanced circuit that works the entire body efficiently and effectively, the owners said.

Butterfly Life membership rates are competitive in the industry with other women’s programs.

For more information, call 828-837-1900, 1-800-Butterfly, or visit www.ButterflyLife.com.

(Peachtree Community)

The North Carolina law requiring evidence of continuing competence for all licensed registered nurses and licensed practical nurses becomes effective on July 1, 2006, with full implementation effective July 1, 2008.

The goal of continuing competence is to ensure, through the use of a reflective practice model, that North Carolina’s licensed nurses maintain essential skills, continue to add to their knowledge base, and become safer practitioners.

A workshop explaining the law and requirements in detail will be presented from 10:00 am until 11:00 am on Friday, March 3, 2006, in the Travis E. Green Conference Room at Murphy Medical Center.

This is a free workshop, but seating is limited. Call Monique Matheny, registered nurse and Murphy Medical Center’s staff education coordinator, at 828-835-3640 to reserve a seat.