By Becky Long
Publisher
Clay County residents in
need of fiber optic service
may want to check into getting
signed up with Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC soon. Grants
awarded to run it to specifi c
areas will save residents on
construction costs.
During a May 2 update of
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC’s
broadband, representative
Kelly Crawford told county
commissioners that a grant for
fi ber in the Shooting Creek/
Fires Creek/Qualla Road areas
was received for $5.5 million;
the Tusquittee and Warne area
received the same amount.
“As a note/reminder, these
funds are restricted and can
only be used for the areas
designated for funding,” Crawford
said. “That’s why it’s so
important for our members in
these areas who want fi ber to
sign up now.”
The electric co-op matches
the grants 30 cents to every
dollar. Grants typically run
on a cycle and this phase is
expected to end in late 2025.
There is no cost for construction
when fi ber already
exists, the expense comes in
when there’s no fi ber there.
Blue Ridge Mountain EMC
has put in about 2,294 miles of
fi ber serving 16,400 customers
in their service area. They have
59,000 electric meters in that
fi ve-county area as well.
Crawford said residents
could get speeds of up to 8 Gigabytes.
“That’s world class,”
she said.
Residents can call the Blue
Ridge Mountain EMC office
at (706) 379-3121 or email:
broadband@brmemc.com to
confi rm if they are in one of
the grant-funded areas.
In other news Air Methods
medical flight service was
approved for the ninth year.
The contract is $29,600, up
slightly from the previous
$26,587. The service covers
transports for all Clay County
residents and they have facilities
in 48 states that can also
be accessed by residents who
may be out of town when
something happens.
Marcus Lindsey, representing
Air Methods, said they had
completed 49 transports this
year. “Last year at this time we
had completed 54 transports,”
he said.
“You have saved the citizens
of Clay County hundreds of
thousands of dollars,” said
Commissioner Randy Nichols.
The commission also approved
an interlocal agreement
in which they will not
be responsible should the new
school, at a cost of $52 million
paid for in lottery funds,
go over budget. The formality
is necessary because the
funds are funneled through
the county fi nance offi ce. Any
extra dollars needed for the
project would have to be approved
by the county commission.