Brasstown Possum Drop to Resume

An annual New Year's tradition and an annual controversy is set to resume in Brasstown, Clay County.  The Smoky Mountain News reports a judge has denied a motion from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, for a preliminary injunction that would stop the annual Possum Drop at Clay's Corner store.  The court battle has brewed since 2012 over the tradition in which a live possum is suspended in a decorated crate above a crowd and dropped like the New Year's Eve ball over New York City.  Organizer Clay Logan argues the possum is never harmed, but PETA counters that the possum is a shy animal that's suspended for hours above a boisterous crowd.  For more, WCQS spoke with Smoky Mountain News reporter Holly Kays about the latest developments.  You can hear that interview by clicking the audio above.