COVID-19 cases confirmed in Swain, Graham

A special Take-Out menu crafted with love by our chefs will feature her favorites & more!

Here's just a sample:

FAROE ISLAND SALMON

stuffed with lobster & house-smoked fish with ancient grain primavera VEAL OSSO BUCCO, duxelle smashed potatoes & gremolata CLASSIC PRIME RIB au jus with chef's choice vegetable, baked potato & salad GRILLED GULF SHRIMP with basil pesto, roasted vegetables & quinoa LOW COUNTRY SHE CRAB SOUP

ORDER AHEAD! The deadline to call is 5 p.m. Saturday, May 9. Pick up your meal(s) SERVED HOT on Sunday, May 10 in front of the clubhouse.

To Order, Call 452-0545 x140

49 Cupp Lane Waynesville

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Principal Chief Richard Sneed receives a test for COVID-19 on April 15. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians encourages those with and without symptoms to get tested.

Cherokee Indian Hospital photo

Cases rise in Jackson

The number of coronavirus cases among Jackson County residents has jumped to 15, up from five April 24.

The 15 cases include 13 full-time residents and two part-time residents. An additional nine people who do not reside in Jackson County tested positive at a healthcare provider located in Jackson County. At least three positive cases of COVID-19 in Jackson County have been subcontractors working on the Apodaca Science Building construction project at Western Carolina University’s campus, though none of these are county residents.

Jackson County confirmed community transmission of COVID-19 on April 13, when two county residents tested positive with no clear indication as to how they’d contracted the disease.

Statewide, there are 9,568 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 342 deaths. That count includes one death in Cherokee County, one in Macon, four in Buncombe and 16 in Henderson County.

BY HOLLY KAYS S TAFF WRITER C ontinued testing by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Swain and Graham counties, the tribe’s Public Health and Human Services Department announced this weekend. These results mark the first positive cases in either county.

On Saturday, April 25, the PHHS and the Cherokee Indian Hospital received notice that three Swain County residents had tested positive. The following day, April 26, the tribe learned that another person, this time a Graham County resident, had tested positive for the disease.

The Graham County resident attended a late afternoon gathering on Saturday, April 25, at the East Buffalo Community of Robbinsville. Anyone who attended the gathering and would like to be tested should call 828.497.3743.

All four positive cases are now isolated at their homes, and PHHS is working with other health and emergency officials to identify close contacts.

Unlike other jurisdictions, the EBCI is testing community members for COVID-19 regardless of whether they are displaying symptoms. The tribe is asking that one person per household receive the test, offered in a drive-thru format.

Drive-thru testing began on Thursday, April 2. It’s open to all enrolled members, residents of tribal land and essential employees who have access to the Qualla Boundary. Outsiders’ access to tribal land is restricted during the pandemic.

This type of testing has yielded results, with the majority of the 10 people who tested positive or presumptive positive not displaying symptoms at the time of testing. Between March 1 and April 26, the tribe tested 957 people for COVID-19. That number has increased sharply over the last two weeks — as of April 13, only 238 people had been tested.

Of the 957, six tested positive and four are considered presumptive positives because, while lab data was inconclusive the health provider’s assessment led them to treat the patient as a positive. Negative results came back for 863 of those tested, and 83 await results.

Those planning to come get tested are encouraged to call 828.497.3743 for prescreening. Testing will be held at Unto These Hills in Cherokee from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 29; and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, May 1.

Donations made from Riley Howell Foundation Fund

One year after the loss of Riley Howell, the organization created to honor his memory, the Riley Howell Foundation Fund, has announced the recipients of its latest round of donations.

The foundation was formed with the mission to support families affected by gun violence, and the donations they provide throughout the year are given to organizations doing important work in a variety of fields that help those victims and their loved ones, now and into the future.

This round of donation recipients includes: • Outward Bound — $5,000 for a scholarship as part of the Outward Bound for Grieving Teens program to be awarded in Riley’s name • All Souls Counseling Center — $4,000 to provide traumatic grief counseling to those in need in Asheville • UNC Charlotte Foundation — $3,000 to fund the Ellis Reed Parlier Scholarship Fund; Reed was also killed in the same April 30, 2019 shooting that took Riley • Gun Violence Survivors Foundation — $3,000 toward the organization’s Emergency Fund for gun violence survivors

“Riley’s courageous, kind-hearted, and curious spirit lives through all of us today,” said Natalie Henry-Howell, Riley’s mother and founder of the Riley Howell Foundation Fund. “This past year, we have focused foundation efforts on partnering with organizations that reflect Riley’s nature of taking care of others. These organizations give back to the community and are wonderful examples of the kinds of compassionate efforts we want to champion with our fund. We’re proud to provide them means to continue their great work.”

To make a donation, visit www.rileyhowellfoundation.org.