Local TV 4

05/12/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026

Cherokee County Man Arrested for Operating Vehicle Resembling Law Enforcement Vehicle and Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon

MURPHY, N.C. — Cherokee County Sheriff Chris Wood announced the arrest of Wayne Leslie Briggs, 73, of Murphy, for one count of Operating a Vehicle Resembling a Law Enforcement Vehicle.

The investigation began after the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received citizen complaints regarding social media posts depicting Briggs operating a black 2023 Chrysler 300 Touring that allegedly displayed several items commonly associated with law enforcement. According to investigators, the vehicle displayed a K9 decal on the trunk, seat covers bearing the word “Sheriff” that were visible from outside the vehicle, and a badge positioned on the dashboard.

Information provided by concerned citizens included the vehicle’s license plate number, assisted investigators in identifying Briggs. Detectives subsequently confirmed the information through DMV records and social media evidence before obtaining criminal charges.

On May 12, 2026, members of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant and a subsequent search warrant at Briggs’ residence. During the search, deputies located and seized several fi****ms, a set of handcuffs, a set of leg shackles and a police badge. A review of Briggs criminal history revealed that he was already a convicted felon so an additional charge of Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon was also obtained against him.

Briggs was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center. A North Carolina Magistrate issued Briggs a $13,000 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court on June 2, 2026.

Sheriff Chris Wood emphasized the importance of citizens reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.

“We take matters involving the impersonation or imitation of law enforcement very seriously because it can erode public trust and create potentially dangerous situations for our community,” said Sheriff Wood. “I want to thank the citizens who came forward and reported this activity. Information provided by the public is often critical in helping us investigate incidents and keep Cherokee County safe.”

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

05/12/2026

Cherokee Co. N.C. Commissioner Meeting - May 12, 2026

Budget Hearings

05/12/2026

The search for Scott Allen Mello continues. Search crews, K9 teams, Fire Department Personnel and Law Enforcement are in the area of East Murphy near Hill St, Lowes, Murphy Post Office, etc. IF YOU LIVE IN THAT AREA AND YOU HAVE A CAMERA ON YOUR HOUSE. PLEASE CHECK IT FROM 5am to 10am May 11th. If you have footage of Scott call 911 or 828-835-3144 and let Law Enforcement know about it.

Yesterdays post: BOLO missing person. Scott Allen Mello. 55 Year old male, 5'5", appx 250 pounds, white hair white beard. Last seen 5:30 am in Hill St area near Murphy PD. No clothing description. Attached picture is recent but not today.

05/12/2026

THE SNIFF CHECK
May 12, 2026

Pollen Index: 8.7
Pollen Level: medium-high
Predominant Pollen: Maple, Hickory/Pecan and Mulberry.

Concentration of pollen grains in the air for Wednesday will be increasing over today's levels in the high range. Since the weather has a major influence on pollen dispersal, this increase is due in part to higher temperatures and windy conditions.

05/12/2026

THE FLYOVER
May 12, 2026

Trump Heads to Beijing for Xi Summit

President Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first U.S. presidential visit to China since Trump's 2017 trip.

The agenda covers trade, Taiwan, Iran, artificial intelligence, and nuclear arms, with both sides expected to extend a rare earth minerals truce and announce Chinese purchases of Boeing aircraft.

Trump is bringing 16 U.S. executives, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Larry Fink, as he and Xi reportedly discuss a possible deal that would allow China to invest $1 trillion in U.S. factories.

Also during this trip, the families of Americans imprisoned in China, who include Pastor Ezra Jin and Dawn Michelle Hunt, plan to press Trump to raise their cases with Xi.

05/12/2026

THE FLYOVER
May 12, 2026

Biden Pushes to Block Release of DOJ Tapes

Former President Biden is moving to block the Justice Department from releasing roughly 70 hours of partially redacted audio recordings of his 2017 conversations with his memoir ghostwriter.

The recordings, gathered by Special Counsel Robert Hur during his investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents, are now being sought by the conservative Heritage Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The audio includes Biden reading from notebooks later found to contain classified information, though Biden has maintained he never disclosed classified material to the ghostwriter. The DOJ set today as the deadline for Biden to take legal action, agreeing to delay any release until June 15 if he does.

A Biden spokesperson said the tapes were provided to Hur on the condition that they not be made public, arguing that the push to release them is politically motivated rather than a genuine transparency effort.

05/11/2026

THE TENNESSEE FLYOVER
May 11, 2026

Oak Ridge Featured in UFO Files

Newly released Pentagon documents detail reported UFO sightings over Oak Ridge in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including one case military investigators called “a source of great concern.”

The files describe photos allegedly taken in 1947 by Oak Ridge resident W.R. Presley, showing mysterious objects in the sky near the Atomic Energy Commission hub during the early Cold War years.

Officials at the time reportedly believed the photos were authentic, though concerns centered less on extraterrestrials and more on fears of advanced Soviet or nuclear-powered aircraft entering U.S. airspace.

The release also includes reports of 1950 radar detections over Oak Ridge that military personnel could not immediately explain.

05/11/2026

05/11/2026

Cherokee County,NC: Missing Persons BOLO.
May 11, 2026
Posted: 2:18 pm

Scott Allen Mellow, 55 Year old male, white hair, white beard, 5' 9", appx 250 lbs. Last seen appx 5:30 am in the area of Murphy Police Dept.

05/11/2026

THE FLYOVER
May 11, 2026

Patient Zero Identified in Hantavirus Outbreak

Dutch ornithologist Leo Schilperoord, identified in reports as the first passenger to fall ill and die aboard the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius, had reportedly visited a landfill in Argentina popular with bird-watchers seeking rare species, where he may have been exposed to the virus.

Seventeen Americans from the cruise ship are being flown from Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, to Omaha, Nebraska, for monitoring at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Spanish passengers were the first to leave on Sunday on a government flight to Madrid, while other countries are arranging repatriation flights under strict biosecurity measures.

British medics and paratroopers were dropped onto Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic with no airstrip, after a British passenger who had disembarked from the ship there later developed suspected hantavirus symptoms.