The Appalachia Daily for July 27, 2026, Monday

EcoKing Advances Robbinsville PlantEcoKing Solutions continues work at the former Stanley Furniture site in Robbinsville. A July 22 press conference highlighted progress on the biodegradable paperware facility. First-phase hiring targets roughly 300 jobs with average pay above $46,000. Local training efforts are already helping prepare workers. The project is expected to make the plant Graham County’s largest private employer.Sources:2026-07-22 | Cherokee Scout and related local coverage of press conference2026-07 | NCWorks updates on trainingBlue Ridge Law Firm Opens New ChapterAngela DeLorme has joined Jay Hamilton and Web Raulston. The practice is now known as DeLorme, Hamilton & Raulston and remains at 730 E. 2nd Street in downtown Blue Ridge. The firm provides full-service legal work including estate planning, real estate, business formation, and more for clients in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.Sources:2026-07-22 | https://www.einpresswire.com/article/928233216/a-new-chapter-for-blue-ridge-law-firm-angela-delorme-joins-hamilton-and-raulston-to-serve-ga-tn-and-ncTraton Homes Selling at Blue Mountain CreekTraton Homes is now selling forty mountain-inspired homes at Blue Mountain Creek in Fannin County. Prices start in the low $400,000s on homesites ranging from half an acre to four acres. The community is about ten minutes from downtown Blue Ridge and near Lake Blue Ridge.Sources:Current | https://www.tratonhomes.com/communities/blue-mountain-creek/West End Plaza Upgrades Begin in AndrewsNew owners Morgan Ellis and Tony Kelly closed on West End Plaza in late May. Renovations and curb-appeal improvements are underway. All twelve current tenants remain, and the owners plan to attract additional businesses to the property at the west entrance to Andrews.Sources:2026 | https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/west-end-plaza-sold-upgrades-begin-andrewsTVA Selects Preferred Transmission Line RouteThe Tennessee Valley Authority has chosen its preferred route for a new 161-kV transmission line and related substation work in Clay County. The project is designed to improve power reliability and support growing load. Surveys and easement work are scheduled in coming years, with construction later.Sources:2026-07 | https://www.claycountyprogress.com/local/tva-announces-preferred-location-transmission-line-routeProduced by River Run Digital Media and Entertainment, https://media.riverun.digital, a division of RiverRun Digital, https://go.riverrun.digitalTake care of your neighbors, and they’ll take care of you.Notes, methods, and rightsAll information is drawn from publicly available sources listed above. Rights for the Appalachia Daily Update are reserved by River Run Digital Media and Entertainment, which produces hyperlocal news for small towns across Appalachia and beyond. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit adu.riverrun.digital