Editing Murphy, North Carolina (section)

==Infrastructure==

===Utilities===
Electricity for Western North Carolina is provided by [[Duke Energy]], sometimes referred to as Duke Power. It has a total service territory covering {{convert|47000|sqmi|km2}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/Oct_fact_sheet_rev.pdf|title=Duke Energy Fact Sheet}}</ref> Half of its power generation for the Carolinas comes from its [[nuclear power|nuclear power plants]]. Some of the power is supplied via solar panel farms located in the Murphy area. There are at least four solar farms, each with more than 4,000 panels. One of the farms, called Martins Creek Solar Project, alone provides "enough electricity to power more than 150 average-sized homes and enough revenue for the district to staff approximately two full-time teachers."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duke-energy.com/news/releases/2011111501.asp|title=Duke Energy Renewables Acquires Three N.C. Solar Farms|publisher=Duke Energy|access-date=May 27, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528010444/http://www.duke-energy.com/news/releases/2011111501.asp|archive-date=May 28, 2014}}</ref>

The town of Murphy's power is provided by [http://www.murphypower.com Murphy Electric Power Board].

Natural gas is supplied by Piedmont Gas, which services North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.piedmontng.com/yourhome/home.aspx |title=Piedmont Gas |publisher=Piedmontng.com |date=October 15, 2010 |access-date=May 2, 2012}}</ref>

===Media===
[[File:Local TV 4 is a television news station based in Murphy, N.C.jpg|thumb|Local TV 4 is a television news station based in Murphy]]
The weekly ''[[Cherokee Scout]]'' based in Murphy is Cherokee County's only newspaper. It was founded in 1889.

[[WKRK (AM)|WKRK]] 1320 AM, [[WCVP (AM)|WCVP]] 600 AM, and [[WCNG]] 102.7 FM are three radio stations currently broadcast from Murphy.

Local TV 4 is a Murphy-based television news station.

===Roads and bridges===

There are 14.8 miles of roads maintained by the Town of Murphy, while other surroundings roads are maintained by the NC Department of Transportation. The Town receives about $56,000 per year in support of street maintenance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Works -- Streets |url=https://townofmurphync.com/city-departments/public-works/streets |publisher=Town of Murphy}}</ref> Of notable interest is a historic tee beam bridge located in downtown Murphy, NC, showcasing an early use of haunched, continuous cantilever bridge design.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cherokee County Bridge 222 |url=https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/bridges/historic-bridges/search-bridges/Pages/bridge-detail.aspx?countynumber=19&bridgenumber=222 |publisher=North Carolina Department of Transportation}}</ref>

===Healthcare===
{{Main|Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital}}
Murphy and all of [[Cherokee County, North Carolina|Cherokee County]] are served by [[Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital]], certified by the [[United States Department of Health and Human Services]]. It is licensed for 191 beds, of which 120 are nursing home beds, 57 are general-use beds, and the remaining 14 are dedicated to [[Alzheimer's]] patients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.murphymedical.org/services.html |title=Murphy Medical Services |publisher=Murphymedical.org |access-date=May 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610023058/http://www.murphymedical.org/services.html |archive-date=June 10, 2012 }}</ref>

===Law enforcement===
[[File:Murphy, North Carolina, Police Department at 498 Hill St. 01.jpg|thumb|The Murphy Police Department at 498 Hill St.]]
Murphy and the surrounding unincorporated communities are protected by the Murphy Police Department. In February 2024, the department moved to a new headquarters at 498 Hill St. outside downtown. The new location cost $565,100, plus $70,000 in renovations. The new station, which was built as a bank in 1988, is three times larger than the former headquarters. The department had for decades been located in the basement of the old Carnegie Library at 93 Peachtree Street next to the courthouse.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=February 27, 2024 |title=Murphy police move into new headquarters |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/murphy-police-move-new-headquarters |access-date=March 4, 2024 |work=Cherokee Scout |publisher=Community Newspapers, Inc. |location=Murphy, NC |pages=1, 9}}</ref> The current chief of police is Tim Lominac.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://murphypolice.com/ |title=murphypolice.com |publisher=murphypolice.com |access-date=July 8, 2012}}</ref>

Cherokee County as a whole is served by the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Dustin D. Smith is the current Sheriff, he has served in that capacity since 2022. The current Cherokee County Jail was built in 2008 and can house around 150 inmates. It replaced the older 1922 jail that has since been demolished.

====Crime rate====
According to the Cherokee County, NC government, the crimes in the area consist primarily of domestic abuse (accounting for greater than 60% of incidents.) Emergency calls have increased in line with population increases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov/343/Statistics|title=Statistics {{!}} Cherokee County, NC|website=www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> Violent crimes decreased year over year in 2018 by 15.3%, compared to an overall reduction of 7.3% for the entire state of North Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ncsbi.gov/Services/SBI-Statistics/SBI-Uniform-Crime-Reports/2018-Annual-Summary.aspx|title=Crime In North Carolina - 2018 Annual Summary Report of 2018 Uniform Crime Reporting Data|date=January 2020|website=NC.gov}}</ref>