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Four Seasons Politics

Absher aims to ‘regain momentum’ at Only Hope

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

ABSHER ACQUITTED

School Board member Michael Absher was found not guilty of two charges arising from three teenagers' statements to authorities that he had provided alcohol to them at Only Hope WNC, the homeless shelter he founded and operates on Allen Road in East Flat Rock. The dramatic pronouncement from District Judge Patricia Young ended a 2 1/2 day trial during which the three teenagers testified that they had consumed beer or liquor at the home for youth and Absher's defense attorney cast doubt on the charges through witnesses who said Absher had purchased the booze for a Christmas party. Charged with two misdemeanor counts — aiding and abetting the possession of alcohol by a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor — Absher faced a consequence far greater than the penalties of jail and fines. In his closing arugment, defense attorney Doug Pearson told Judge Young that if the trial had brought an extraodinary level of lawyering, evidence and maneuvering "had the most serious implications of a murder case because of what he has done with his life." He depicted Absher as a Horatio Alger figure, rising above homelessness and abuse to rally support for, establish and operate a safe harbor for homeless teenagers. He won local praise and national recognition for his work. As for the state's case, Pearson argued that the charges too broadly framed and too vague to hold up. "There's no 'to wit' there," he said. "At the end of the day, my client was very clear that he did not provide it, he did not allow it, he did not give it to them." “I feel great,” Absher said moments after the verdict, speaking to reporters from three news organizations that had provided wall-to-wall coverage of the bench trial in District Court. “It still disturbs me that youth would make those accusations. But we had to let the court do their job. I denied it several times and I still deny it today. I did not give these youth alcohol, I did not let them consume it. I would never do anything to jeopardize everything I’ve worked for eight years.” “I lost a lot during this case,” he said. “I lost my apartment, I lost my property management job but I didn’t want to lose everything else. Multiple School Board members wanted me to resign and I refused. It’s going to be interesting to see what they say now.” Aside from what he said was — and always has been — his unpaid job as the president of Only Hope and operator of the shelter, Absher works as a swing manager at McDonalds. He said he hoped the acquittal would restore the public's trust in Only Hope. “I would never put any youth in jeopardy," he said. "I would never jeopardize anything that I’ve worked for, I would never sacrifice any of my homeless youth initiatives that I’ve done across the region and the nation. I believe in every child. I believe every child has the right to have a home. I thank God for having the opportunity to learn from this.” He thanked his attorney, support from Only Hope board members and donors and “multiple elected officials” who have supported him. One elected official, attorney Michael Edney, the chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, was in the courtroom for the verdict. Absher and his supporters have said they were eager to have their day in court and frustrated as they waited for unusual processes for two misdemeanor charges, such as bringing in a prosecutor and judge from Buncombe County. “This was a misdemeanor case. It would be interesting to find out how much this cost the state," he said. “I actually don’t know yet but I can ensure the public that my defense cost did not come from Only Hope,” he said. As a professional working with youth, he has insurance that covers the cost of his defense if he is accused of wrongdoing in the course of his work. “When you work with youth, things always happen," he said. “Let’s not attack the youth for making that accusations,” he said. “That youth is very troubled. He does need some help. I still would support any kind of help that we as an organization could possibly do. Some are not stable and they have issues. .. I will never give up on any of these youth.” "I feel that God and the community can help this house move forward. I’m probably going to be asking for help for the county again this year. We were cleared from DSS, too. If there was any wrongdoing I think it would have shown. We’ve been in operation the whole entire time.”   Pearson took a chance and put his client on the stand. Absher took several shots from prosecutor Jeremy Ingle but managed to parry Ingle's questions based on Absher's statements to investigators four days after the state's leading witness made the charges. The witness, a 15-year-old who was removed from the home on April 1, has been identified as Witness 1 because he is a minor. The prosecution's case was based on separate incidences in which teenagers testified that Absher purchased alcohol or allowed the use of alcohol in the home. The teenagers told law officers and the court that Absher was aware that boys were drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade in the home around Nov. 25, 2016, and they told the court that Absher had bought Fireball whisky and two flavored vodkas on Dec. 16, 2016.   Absher acknowledged that he had bought three bottles of liquor for a Christmas party that night and testified that they were left at the party at a home on Berea Church Road and never in the group home. In his closing statement, prosecutor Jeremy Ingle said the teenagers testified to things they could not have concocted because they got the details right. “They planned it, they talked to each other, they got their story straight” in the defense narrative, Ingle said. “But we would contend that what the evidence shows after testimony is three individuals who have three different recollections of events, which is the natural course. Their recollections are different as to very tiny minuscule facts like where they went to dinner four months prior to the day the day they were questioned. That fact doesn’t matter.” (One boy testified they went to Pizza Hut, another said it was Papa John’s a third said Taco Bell.) What mattered, Ingle said, was Witness 1’s testimony that described specific locations, specific activity and the exact brands of whisky and vodka that Absher bought the night of Dec. 16, 2016. “That would also require that he knew at that date, at that time that he was not with him, he bought that vodka, Smirnoff, which is going to show up on that receipt, he also bought Fireball, which is going to show up on that receipt," Ingle said. "That requires a lot of planning, a lot of thought, with information that (Witness 1) really would have no reason to know. To just randomly come up with the date of Dec. 16 is pretty unbelievable. He provided the evidence of what happened.”   EARLIER COVERAGE:   A defense witness for Henderson County School Board member Michael Absher testified Tuesday that Absher brought three bottles of liquor to a Christmas party that was the same brand teenagers say Absher had bought for them the same night of the party.   Tanya Suttles,the first witness in Absher's defense, testified that she has known Absher for 15 years. On the evening of Dec. 16, 2016, she was hosting a Christmas party to which Absher was invited. Absher arrived with “Fireball Cinnamon liquor, a cheese ball and crackers, Smirnoff vodka – fruit and regular, pineapple and strawberry – and two steaks,” she said. Suttles,who owns Tire Country of Hendersonville on Kanuga Road with her husband, Eric, testified that she went to bed and her brother drove Absher home to the brother’s apartment above the tire business because Absher had left his car to be serviced for a brake job the following Monday. Suttles said no detective ever interviewed her. Absher is on trial in Henderson County District Court on misdemeanor charges of aiding and abetting consumption of alcohol by a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Suttles's testimony was potentially significant because it offers an explanation for three specific brands of liquor that three teenagers testified last week Absher had bought for them and allowed them to drink at Only Hope WNC, the group home for homeless teenaged boys that Absher founded and operates. As the second day of testimony opened Tuesday morning, defense attorney Doug Pearson spent nearly three hours attempting to undercut a detective’s investigation of the Absher case. Under cross examination, Sheriff’s Cpl. Aaron Lisenby, lead investigator in the case, testified that he interviewed the male teenager who initially made the allegations that Absher had bought booze for him and two other teenagers and allowed them to smoke pot in the house. The teenager has been identified as Witness 1 because he is a juvenile. Lisenby said Witness 1 told him that he had had a good relationship with Absher until he was kicked out for fighting last April 1. Challenging the thoroughness of Lisenby’s investigation, Pearson pointed out inconsistencies in his methods and attacked the precision of his probing into the teenagers’ use of social media.District Court Judge Patricia Young, who was brought in from Buncombe County to hear the case, overruled Pearson several times as he asked Lisenby about details of the case and his techniques in fact-gathering. Specifically, Pearson questioned why Lisenby wasn’t more skeptical of Witness 1’s story and why he sought to interview no adults who were involved in Only Hope. Pearson asked the detective why he failed to seek help from the State Bureau of Investigation, which has more experience in analyzing social media and cell phone information. And the defense attorney questioned why Lisenby obtained no subpoenas to get receipts from restaurants where the teens said they had eaten or Absher’s bank records to corroborate or disprove the teens’ stories.Lisenby said he had interviewed the three teenage boys – they were the first witnesses called on the first day of trial on Friday – as well as two more teen boys and two teen girls who knew Witness 1. Lisenby testified that he acquired a warrant to search Only Hope on April 5, and spoke with Absher there on that date. Absher told Lisenby that Witness 1 had been picking on a new resident and had been kicked out of the home and he denied that he had purchased alcohol for the teens. Lisenby testified that Absher told him that one of the teens had brought two bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade to the residence and he did not stop them from drinking. Absher told Lisenby that he had purchased alcohol at the ABC store in downtown Hendersonville but it was not for the teens. He told Lisenby that two of the teens, Witnesses 1 and 2, were drinking and that Witness 1 “was not someone to argue with” so he allowed them to drink.Lisenby said Absher told him he knew they were drinking because he had a “keen sense of smell and could smell alcohol and he went to bed and left them drinking.” When Lisenby asked Absher why he didn’t call the sheriff’s office to report the teens, Absher responded that “he did not call the Sheriff’s Office because he didn’t think about that," the detective said. "He denied any involvement.” Lisenby said he and Absher then went to view the video that would have been taken of the residence that day but it did not show footage from the day in question and he did not take the DVR machine with him for further investigation.Pearson also questioned Lisenby about why he did not take the cell phone used by Witness 1 to provide Snapchat images to the Sheriff’s office to be analyzed by SBI and did not ask for a preservation order from Snapchat to be able to analyze the source and timing of the photos on the phone. Lisenby testified that he had limited knowledge of Snapchat. “You didn’t reach out to further process evidence submitted on Snapchat … to get to the truth, to exonerate someone,” Pearson said to Lisenby. Lisenby said he only reached out to Homeland Security for help in getting records of purchases on Amazon.com.Earlier Tuesday, the general manager of the Hendersonville ABC stores, Raymond English, testified that he had been asked to pull records for the purchase of Smirnoff vodka, Fireball Cinnamon whisky and Smirnoff pineapple vodka on Dec. 16, 2016. English testified that he found such a purchase on that date but could not identify who had made the purchase because a prepaid Visa card had been used. In the case of such cards, the computer system identifies the transaction as a gift card and unlike a credit card purchase no name is associated with the transaction. After Suttles finished testifying, defense attorney Pearson called Paula Boone, a volunteer at Only Hope. A former probation officer in Richmond County, Boone lives about a mile from the group home and comes once or twice a week to clean. Pearson asked Boone whether she had ever seen any alcohol in the refrigerator or in the freezer. “Never,” she said. “I’ve never seen alcoholic beverages ever in that place. I would have reported it to Michael right away.” She testified she had never seen drugs at the group home either. “I would have reported it to Michael. I was a juvenile delinquent, so I know the ropes. I know what to look for,” she said. On Tuesday afternoon, Pearson called two other teenaged boys, residents of Only Hope when Witness 1 was thrown out in April of last year but not when the alleged alcohol purchase took place on Dec. 16, 2016. The first to testify said Witness 1 woke him up on Friday, April 1, a day that Only Hope was having an open house. "I didn't get up right away at the time he wanted me to," the witness said. "He came on me and started to get physical with me. Then he said he was going to kill me. He got pretty aggressive with me ... There was a lot of words back and forth." The second group home resident testified that Witness 1 had said he had incriminating evidence against Absher and "was going to get the place shut down." On cross examination, Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Ingle asked the witness whether he knew for certain that the threat was untrue. "In fact, if someone gave alcohol that might be a reason it would be shut down," Ingle said. "Yes," the witness acknowledged. Vickie Sanders, an Only Hope board member and volunteer, was the last defense witness before the trial broke for two days. She testified that she had known Absher since he was about 10 or 12 years old through First Baptist Church. "I've always seen him at church," she said. "He's always been active. He taught my grandchildren in Sunday school." Only Hope is "a home for youth that cannot stay in their home," she said. "It gives them a chance to go to school, make good grades and it teaches them something about the world." Pearson asked Sanders how she got her nickname. "I'm kind of like a mother figure," she said. "They want to ask me about girls and stuff like that. I call them my sugarbabies and they call me Sugarmama." Sanders described Witness 1 as volatile and difficult. "I tried to encourage him because he needed it," she said. The teenager "wouldn't take my encouragement many times. He would push it off ... He would pick at Michael every chance he got. He would pick at all the children at all hours of the night. It was constant constant turmoil when (the teenager) was there." A trial that has been interrupted numerous times by objections, arguments over objections and lengthy sidebars with Judge Young, the prosecutor and defense was interrupted again Tuesday afternoon, apparently to resolve a scheduling question. At one point, Athena Brooks, the chief resident District Court judge for Henderson County, joined the sidebar, clad in her judicial robe. After the last witness was dismissed, Judge Young announced that the trial would resume at 2 p.m. Friday. The defense will resume its case.     Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Progressive Women celebrate year of activism

About 50 people celebrated a year of progressive activism in Henderson County on Monday night at Sanctuary Brewing Co. The Progressive Women of Hendersonville started after Abby Robertson organized transportation for five busloads of women in Western North Carolina to travel to Washington for the Women’s March, the largest protest in U. S. history. Members celebrated achievements of the past year and plans for the upcoming year. In the past year the group has hosted a weekly postcard event at Sanctuary Brewing, where progressives can meet and write state, local and federal officials and candidates about issues that concern them. Lisa McDonald, co-owner of Sanctuary, was one of the founding members of PWH. Organizers Katt Nevel (left) and Abby Robertson spoke about organization's 2017 achievements and 2018 plans.The group has also sponsored educational, art and activist events in the 12 months since the 2017 Women's March. Some of the events include hosting an art show that was funded by Advocates For the Arts (about 100 artists participated), an educational program on the county’s Opioid Crisis, and screening of documentaries on Gerrymandering, Climate Change, Equal Rights for Women and Gender Issues. PWH has supported a variety of local programs including Dignity Period that provides feminine products for marginalized females in the county through the school system and homeless shelters and the Henderson County Housing Assistance Women for the Win Program. Also during the celebration Dr. Marie Germain, organizer of the 2017 Asheville Women's March, outlined progressive accomplishments in the past year and looked ahead to the mid-term elections via YouTube video from Philadelphia, where she is assisting the organization of the 2018 Women's March. Goals discussed at the celebration include electing progressive candidates, getting younger people involved in progressive actions and advocating for Better Angels that seeks to find common ground between conservatives and liberals. Postcard writing sessions on issues such as protecting DACA immigrants, healthcare for everyone, climate change and equal rights are 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at Sanctuary Brewing on First Avenue East. For information visit pwhendo.org.     Read Story »

Hendersonville Four Seasons Politics

POLITICS BRIEFS: Bossert appointment, GOP meetings, health care forum

Bossert appoints 
campaign manager
 The Leadership Committee of the Norm Bossert for State Senate campaign has appointed Meg Hoke campaign manager. Hoke is a Hendersonville resident who has become known in progressive circles for organizing and hosting weekly postcard parties resulting in over 12,000 postcards being written by hundreds of attendees making their opinions heard on federal, state and local issues. “I have gotten to know Norm over the last several months,” Hoke said in a news release. “He is a dependable, steady presence, always takes time to really talk to people and learn what matters to them. As a retired principal who dedicated his career to education, he has strong opinions about public schooling. But he is also a champion for issues such as health care, housing, and the environment. I’m a social worker, so it’s important to me that a candidate have compassion for those who are vulnerable and struggling. Norm is that kind of man. I’m honestly thrilled and honored to be asked to serve in this way. It’s going to be an exciting year!”Hoke moved to the area in 2005, having fallen in love with the mountains as a child visiting her grandparents here. She attended Wake Forest University and has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas.“I think Meg’s training in communication and coordination are absolutely vital in her position as campaign manager,” Bossert said. “Plus, she has such a heart for it. Meg is the perfect person for this role.” GOP sets Men’s Club,
 breakfast gatherings Sheriff Charlie McDonald is guest speaker for the first Republican Breakfast of the year at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Dixie Diner in Laurel Park. McDonald will speak on a number of topics affecting Henderson County and law enforcement. The Henderson County Republican Men’s Club will meet at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the Dixie Diner. The Men’s Club is looking for volunteers the assist in recruiting, programs, marketing and speakers. A survey will be provided to solicit input on programs, location, speakers and other activities.  All registered Republicans, men and women, are invited. For more information on the breakfast call 828-329-4971 or email noirs@aol.com.   Health care forum
 set for Sunday A forum on the health, economic and social aspects of providing health care to all will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, and feature Joel R. Segal, who as the senior legislative aide to U.S. Rep. John Conyers was one of the lead staffers on the Affordable Care Act and co-authored HR 676, also known as “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.” The event is at Patton Auditorium at BRCC. “Millions of Americans are needlessly suffering because of our bloated, complicated, inefficient profit-driven healthcare system,” Segal says. “Nothing is more important than being able to get the healthcare you need when you need it, without the fear that it will bankrupt you. For many, it is quite literally life and death. That is why in 2003, while working for Congressman John Conyers, I co-wrote a bill that offered real solutions.” Congressional candidate
 at Poe House Jan. 23 Phillip Price, a Democratic candidate for Congress, invited voters to share their thoughts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Poe House, 105 First Ave. W. For more information about Price go to https://price4wnc.org/.           Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Tillis not worried about Trump drag in '18 elections

Don’t put Thom Tillis in the sky-is-falling caucus of the Republican Party.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Griffin promises bodycams, politics-free sheriff's office

Lowell S. Griffin, a candidate for Henderson County sheriff, says he would outfit deputies with bodycams, revive joint law enforcement teams that Sheriff Charlie McDonald dropped, offer the same services inside cities as outside, discontinue use of a state law allowing sheriffs to fire deputies at will and keep politics out of the office. "The only allegiance that I will demand is to the citizens of Henderson County," he said. "I wholeheartedly believe that any person employed by the sheriff should serve the people of the county and not a political entity." "McDonald has stated that he does not intend to use body cameras," Griffin said in publicizing his campaign platform. "I will not only support the use of officer worn cameras but fully intend to mandate their use in any official interaction with the public." In a 2,000-word statement spelling out his goals and strategies, Griffin also pledged greater cooperation among all first-responder agencies and fiscally conservative management, saying he would "rethink and re-evaluate the needs of the county to ensure the citizens are getting what’s needed and avoiding extravagant and unnecessary spending," including a $20 million law enforcement training center McDonald sought and the Board of Commissioners OK'd. Griffin, a Republican, was among a handful of deputies McDonald dismissed shortly after he won election to the job in November 2014. A native of Edneyville, Griffin is now a captain with the Polk County sheriff's office. Here is the campaign statement:   Resource Supervisor Currently the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office uses a paramilitary chain of command. This creates a multi-level agency which over manages the personnel in the field. Competent officers combined with competent field supervisors utilizing current technology, such as body worn cameras, reduce the need for excessive oversight. The H.C.S.O. currently has over a million dollars in annual payroll dedicated to administration who rarely interact with the public. As it is, corporals report to sergeants who report to lieutenants who report to captains who report to majors who report to a chief deputy who reports to the Sheriff. It is important to remember that the H.C.S.O. is a 200 man department and not a 2000 man department. Personnel can be reassigned to increase the efficiency of the department and make better use of our tax dollars.Henderson County is a great county that encompasses a variety of geographical and demographical features. Currently the H.C.S.O. is hiring senior administrative officers from areas outside of the region at an alarming rate. A captain from the Chicago area, another captain from the Spartanburg area, and a lieutenant from a federal agency now supervise officers. While these folks may possess valid credentials, it is demoralizing for officers within the agency to realize that regardless of their training and performance, their upward mobility is limited. These top administrators hired from these other regions are not aware of any of the issues that the residents or business owners of Henderson County face.Given the opportunity I would put field supervisors in place and allow them to perform their duties. I would then divide the county into four areas encompassing our communities and REASSIGN, not hire additional, top administrative personnel to positions overseeing these areas. The residents, business owners, and folks working in these areas, commonly called districts, would be made aware of the supervisor serving their district. These “District Captains” would be uniformed officers responsible for issues arising in their districts. Conversely, if a resident or business owner faces an issue which remained unresolved, or simply had a question, there would be a representative who is genuinely familiar with that district available to respond. Imagine having an issue where you live and knowing exactly who to call to get the answers you deserve. Relationships with Other Agencies Criminals do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries. A criminal may commit a crime in a town or city, and then commit a second crime in an unincorporated area, even moving on to another city or county. Many times investigators from multiple agencies investigate crimes and pursue criminals independently of each other. The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Western North Carolina. The Sheriff has the authority to allow officers from other jurisdictions the authority to pursue criminals throughout the county. In the last few years the Henderson County sheriff has abolished the H.C.S.O. / Hendersonville Police joint narcotics task force and S.W.A.T. team.It is time to step up to become the leading agency in the region in developing a team concept to protect the people. In order to accomplish this we must stow the egos and create the communication that is needed to be successful. I intend to work directly with the Police Chiefs and Sheriffs of allied agencies to create multiple task forces. Task forces will maximize manpower increasing efficiency of all agencies. This creates an environment which not only helps to bring justice to victims, but fosters proactive strategies while also helping save the taxpayers hard earned money.Henderson County has some of the best emergency services and first responders in theworld. Prior to this administration, a strong and supportive relationship existed between other Henderson County emergency services and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. I have received numerous complaints from other emergency services leaders indicating that currently, the relationship is not only strained, but continues to deteriorate. I pledge to personally maintain dialogue and involvement while assisting all emergency services throughout the county ensuring that during any crisis, the citizens receive the highest quality response possible. Narcotics Investigation We cannot combat a problem until we choose to admit we have a problem. I pledge to assign real resources to combat the drug issue. Under previous administrations, Henderson County initiated and was part of numerous cases seizing millions of dollars and assets from the criminals who poison our citizens. Today the narcotics investigators remain understaffed in the face of the current epidemic. Currently, Henderson County Emergency Services respond to assist patients of illicit drug overdoses at an alarming rate.I pledge to assign real resources to combat the drug issue. Dedicating adequate resources to the drug problem is a priority. There must be resources available to investigate drug complaints at every level. The diversion of legal opiates to the black market is a particular issue in Henderson County. Providing for a dedicated detective to work solely on these drug diversion issues is paramount. I will also reinstate the criminal interdiction unit. I have worked with a successful group dedicated to interdicting criminals and drug traffickers. Interdiction officers are specially trained and experienced in road side investigations that develop information which lead to broader investigations encompassing various crimes being committed locally, regionally, and beyond.As outlined before we MUST partner with other agencies and utilize ALL resources available to include federal, state, and local officers. Drug activity typically not only crosses county lines but routinely traverses state and national borders as well. Without developing communication and cooperation with all of our partners, we will not realize the success that the citizens of Henderson County deserve! Politics in the work place / Job Security I intend to not only to demand professionalism, but to display it as well. I will proudly wear the same uniform as the officers that serve the county. The uniform should not be a symbol of authority, but instead one of servitude. My servitude extends past the voters. It also encompasses the employees of the department.I will discontinue employing the North Carolina Statute that allows a Sheriff to terminate an officer at will. In this day and age where the public demands and deserves professionalism, it is imperative to secure the best officers possible to protect the greatest people in the world. I realize that the greatest folks in the world just happen to live in Henderson County. Unfortunately, far too many experienced officers with multiple years of training and experience have been dismissed solely for political purposes. These dismissals have not only deprived the citizens of extraordinary law enforcement talent, but have cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in training. I will not substantially demote nor terminate employees without a formal review process. I believe it is wrong to use my opinion and ego as the only tools to judge any employee who serves the people. This review process will include a board of Henderson County taxpayers who have a background in management and leadership. This will also provide employees with a venue to provide their point of view concerning any issue they may face.Politics can so easily become an area of self-importance. I will refuse to force an employee to swear political allegiance to anyone, including myself. The only allegiance that I will demand is to the citizens of Henderson County. I wholeheartedly believe that any person employed by the sheriff should serve the people of the county and not a political entity! Body Cams The use of officer worn cameras, commonly known as body cameras, is an imperative step in protecting BOTH the officers from unjustified accusations and ensuring public confidence. Today’s technological advances have provided the majority of the public with the ability to capture photographs and videos with audio just about anywhere at any time. Unfortunately, there are people in society who are far too willing to record events from a less than ideal perspective or only offer a partial recording in an attempt to discredit the truth. Police recordings offer a true and accurate depiction of an event. In my experience, recordings have positively affected officers in complaints the vast majority of the time. Furthermore, these cameras have become a tremendous evidentiary tool for law enforcement agencies throughout the country. McDonald has stated that he does not intend to use body cameras. I will not only support the use of officer worn cameras but fully intend to mandate their use in any official interaction with the public. Municipalities Municipalities pay county taxes . . . . . PERIOD!!! The citizens of any municipality, such as Hendersonville, deserve basic county services. Most municipalities are required to offer enhanced services, such as police, fire, waste disposal, etc. and do so through extra taxation. Being located in a municipality does not mean that these residents and business owners are no longer citizens of our county. Every taxpayer deserves the basic county services and the Sheriff should be the Sheriff who looks out for the best interests of the people in Henderson County regardless of demographics or geography. I will not only assist any municipality with assistance from the animal enforcement division, but I intend to provide the services that people pay for regardless of the location throughout the county. . . . . PERIOD!!!!! Fiscal Responsibility I am truly conservative. I always been conscientious of my personal finances and I am known for trying to stretch every quarter I have past 26 cents. I realize that tax dollars are real dollars paid by you, the public, and I pledge to be conservative with your money. I have worked on and adhered to budgets comprised of taxpayer money for years, including budgets at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. When it comes to spending YOUR money we need to consider all available options. There are current issues facing the citizens of Henderson County and I very much realize that there is a cost to doing business. Currently the administration for the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office collects a significantly larger salary than any previous administration and a twenty million plus dollar training facility remains in the works. We need to rethink and re-evaluate the needs of the county to ensure the citizens are getting what’s needed and avoiding extravagant and unnecessary spending. * * * * * The Committee to elect Lowell Griffin Sheriff will host a campaign kickoff at Grandad’s Apples, 2951 Chimney Rock Road, from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20. The campaign will provide hot dogs and a chance to meet Griffin.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Voters may resist giving up power to elect judges

RALEIGH — The Republican-led Senate Select Committee on Judicial Reform and Redistricting on Wednesday rolled out a skeleton proposal for a constitutional amendment to switch from electing judges to a multistep appointment process.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Four Seasons Politics

Meadows calls on Sessions to plug leaks or resign

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, the 11th District Republican and chair of the conservative Freedom Caucus in the House, is blaming Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to contain leaks from the Justice Department about the Russia collusion probe and suggesting Sessions should resign if he can't "stop further violations." Meadows, the third-term representative who has a national platform of the Tea Party-oriented Freedom Caucus,  wrote an op-ed jointly with Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the first Freedom Caucus chairman, that was published today by the Washington Examiner. Meadows and Jordan wrote that "six different investigations spent on the collusion narrative" have produced nothing. "... Through all of that, there is zero (yes, zero) evidence of collusion," they said. Yet, what they describe as unlawful leaks from investigators or Justice Department officials fuel continuing coverage of the story. The second problem deals with a recurring issue that must be addressed immediately. "The alarming number of FBI agents and DOJ officials sharing information with reporters is in clear violation of the investigative standards that Americans expect and should demand. How would New York Times reporters know any of this information when the FBI and DOJ are prohibited from talking about ongoing investigations? How many FBI agents and DOJ officials have illegally discussed aspects of an ongoing investigation with reporters? When will it stop?" They then turn to the top, blaming Sessions for not finding a way to plug the leaks, saying it appears "he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world. It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations. If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? "Sadly, it seems the answer is now."         Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Lapsley to file for re-election

William G. "Bill" Lapsley, a civil engineer who went from asking the Board of Commissioners for rezoning approvals to deciding development requests as a county commissioner, announced on Tuesday that he will run for re-election this year. "This board has worked well together with the county staff to provide a long list of essential services," he said in a statement. "There have been several tough issues during this term and all have been handled professionally and in the best interest of the public. There are several important projects to be resolved in the next few years and I believe that my background and experience will provide valuable benefit to the taxpayers of Henderson County." A native of New Jersey and graduate of the University of Wyoming, Lapsley, 69, worked for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District before taking a job in 1974 with the Hendersonville water department. He joined the private sector in 1981 and throughout his career led the design and engineering of dozens of site preparation jobs for residential subdivisions and commercial and industrial development across Henderson County and Western North Carolina. On the Board of Commissioners, he has insisted that both the School Board and the Hendersonville City Council the support commissioners' decision to build a new Hendersonville High School instead of renovating the current building, has repeatedly called for returning part of the county's hefty fund balance to taxpayers and has been a persistent advocate for more Henderson County influence in regional water and sewer expansion plans. A past member of the boards of Pardee Hospital, the Social Services department, Four Seasons hospice, the Rotary Club, YMCA, the Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Land Conservancy, he was also a past chair of the Partnership for Economic Development. Currently he serves on the county Transportation Advisory Committee and was recently elected chair of the French Broad Metropolitan Planning Organizations, which sets transportation project priorities for Henderson, Buncombe, and parts of Madison and Haywood counties. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the UNC Health Care System in Chapel Hill. Active in the community but a political novice at the time, Lapsley won 57 percent of the vote to defeat incumbent Larry Young in the Republican primary in May 2014. Filing for the Board of Commissioners and other races opens Feb. 12. The District 3 seat covers western Hendersonville, Mills River and northwestern Henderson County.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Four Seasons Politics

McGrady 'very disappointed' with Buncombe over MSD vote

Defying the wishes of Henderson County commissioners and state Rep. Chuck McGrady, the governing board of an Asheville-based sewer system on Wednesday shot down a proposal to merge with a Henderson County-owned system and add three Henderson County representatives to the MSD board. The Metropolitan Sewer District voted 10-1 against the new makeup after board members from Buncombe, Asheville and other Buncombe towns served by the utility questioned the motives of McGrady and Henderson County officials. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Henderson County Commissioner Bill Lapsley, who attended the meeting and spoke in favor of the change. The lopsided vote was a stunning setback to the efforts of Henderson County to promote a cooperative, regional approach to providing water and service through a governing body with representation from a broad customer base. Given the decisive no vote, Lapsley said he did not see how the issue would be revived. “It’s off the table. They voted 10-1 not to do it,” he said. A state law McGrady sponsored last spring would have required the Metropolitan Sewer District to add the Henderson County representatives had it voted to merge with the Cane Creek Sewer District, as McGrady and the Henderson County commissioners wanted. The Cane Creek Sewer District, a county-owned utility, serves 3,700 customers in northern Henderson County. McGrady, a former Henderson County commissioner, and the current Board of Commissioners, with Lapsley in the lead, have argued for what they paint as regional cooperation. The attempt to think beyond city and county lines — and put more Henderson County officials on governing boards — is viewed with suspicion by Asheville city officials. McGrady also attended to advocate for the merger and new board makeup. “Sewer ought to be handled on a regional basis and these political boundaries we have I don't think are the way we ought to handle sewer — or water for that matter, but we're just here about sewer,” McGrady said, according to a report in the Asheville Citizen-Times. The Cane Creek Sewer District is a collection system, not a treatment system. It owns the sewer lines that carry sewage to the MSD plant in Woodfin, which treats the effluent for a fee. Henderson County officials have long complained that Cane Creek customers pay higher sewer rates than MSD customers. ‘Oh, this is a conspiracy’ Adding three members from Henderson County, MSD members said, would give Henderson County a disproportionate share of the overall membership board. The county would have 20 percent of the appointees on the 15-member board, on behalf of a Cane Creek customer base that amounts to just 7 percent of the total. Lapsley scoffed at the notion that adding Cane Creek to the MSD and adding Henderson County representatives was anything more than a straightforward effort at regional cooperation. “There would be one from Mills River, one from Fletcher and one of the county commissioners to represent the unincorporated area so that all the customers in the Cane Creek district are represented,” he said. “We weren’t going to have county people to vote together to take over MSD. That’s absurd. That was said. ‘Oh, this is a conspiracy.’ Several people said that. ‘There’s a sinister thing going on here. Henderson County — they've been pretty belligerent about this.’” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and other MSD board members suggested last month that the MSD ought to withhold support for the change until it becomes clear what if anything the Legislature will do about city- and county-owned utilities. McGrady pushed through another bill this year that calls for a study of local utilities, their rates and governance. Manheimer and other Asheville officials fear that study will be used to justify putting municipal and county water and sewer systems under state control. “I really think that all that goodwill was torpedoed when Chuck got his new study committee, which is clearly starting that fight all over again,” said Barry Summers, an activist on Asheville area water issues who opposed a bill McGrady sponsored that would have turned over Asheville’s water system to the MSD. (The state Supreme Court invalidated the law in 2016.) “Over the past year he’s been talking about how he’s got another way to get it done,” Summer said. “It was exactly a year ago that he said ‘there’s more than one way to skin the cat.’” Summers thinks Henderson County lost support from the Buncombe officials when word got out about the new legislative study committee. On Nov. 15, a week after the committee’s formation and scope of work was announced, the MSD took up the proposed Cane Creek merger and voted to postpone a decision. “They brought it up at that board meeting,” Summers said. The tenor of the discussion was, “That’s looking at regional of water and sewer and we all know what that means,” he said. “They figured he was very likely taking another swing at not just Asheville but he’s talking about taking control of Hendersonville’s system, too. So everybody’s realizing he’s really going for this.”   McGrady ‘very disappointed’ McGrady, who called Summers “venomous,” acknowledges he continues to look for ways to guide Buncombe and Henderson counties and the cities of Asheville and Hendersonville to more regional solutions in water and sewer. Asheville and Buncombe officials ginned up opposition in a mistaken interpretation of his motives, he said. “Basically no one had a problem with Henderson County joining MSD,” he said. The city (of Asheville) had said that for a long time. Buncombe County has said that for a long time.” Then Asheville officials began spreading the word that the change in the makeup would cause Asheville to lose a seat on the MSD board. “I didn’t realize there was any problem until a month ago,” McGrady said. “I get a call from Mayor Manheimer and she’s saying there were problems here, Henderson County was going to be overrepresented.” Manheimer also expressed concern about the legislative study committee. “That was very problematic because I had done exactly what I told people I would do,” he said. McGrady said his goal last spring was to try to create “a mechanism reflecting agreements with respect to water.” “I was really surprised that Mayor Manheimer now was expressing this concern that was part of the stuff being put forward by the activist known as Barry Summers,” he said. “She made the motion” to delay action on the Cane Creek merger. “I’m very disappointed,” he added. “I feel like Asheville reneged on its agreement. I’m very disappointed with Buncombe County.” McGrady expressed frustration with the parochialism that characterizes water and sewer issues, in the form in this case of one representative asking, “What’s in it for Asheville?” “I said it’s good policy. We ought to deal with these things on a regional basis. Henderson County is giving up control of sewer to work in a regional manner. It makes sense. We have to work on water and sewer and transportation and other things on a regional basis.” For now, that looks like a remote possibility. A legislative tweak to make the agreement more palatable to the MSD members is unlikely, at least in the near term.“It would take unanimity among the affected parties, which would mean all the Buncombe County and all the Henderson legislators would have to be for it,” McGrady said. “And then getting it through in the short session would be hard and moreover I’m not even sure I’ve got the stomach for it.” From Henderson County’s point of view, status quo sustains rate inequity. “Let’s keep the rates up in Henderson County while giving us no representation,” he said. “And then they wonder why they can’t get cooperation on issues they care about.” The MSD vote comes three years after Henderson County Commission Chair Michael Edney and Manheimer worked out an agreement to resolve a 20-year-old dispute over a water plant the city of Asheville built on the Mills River. In exchange, Asheville gave a 137-acres site in Bent Creek to Henderson County. When the Asheville City Council and Henderson County Board of Commissioners settled the dispute, it appeared that the two bodies could be ready to work more cooperatively on regional utility issues. Manheimer even made a symbolic gesture after the council vote, fastening a pin depicting the Henderson County Historic Courthouse on her lapel above a city of Asheville pin. Wednesday’s stunning smackdown of the sewer system merger could reignite the mistrust that has long bedeviled any chance of regional cooperation. The 10-1 vote, Lapsley said, suggests that Asheville “has no interest in joint venturing with Henderson County on any utilities.”     Read Story »

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