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Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (174)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

School system creates post to coordinate construction

Kent Parent has been named the director of capital projects and safe schools for Henderson County public schools, a new administrator position serving under the direction of the Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services John Bryant. Parent’s new position will provide overall leadership and management of the district’s capital improvements program and safe school initiatives, including planning, design, contracting, construction, and program monitoring and evaluation. He moves to the new role on July 1. “I’m excited to get into the planned building projects for Henderson County public schools, and to work with principals and local law enforcement to improve school safety in our district,” Parent said. Specific to capital projects, Parent will identify new site and facility needs as well as remodeling needs, oversee contractors, anticipate and develop strategies and programs that respond effectively to anticipated needs and the changing educational environment, prepare and monitor capital fund expenditures, and more. Regarding school safety, Parent will serve as the school system’s representative on departmental issues with external agencies, evaluate the district’s overall security program, update school safety plans, review incident reports, serve as liaison with local law enforcement regarding the School Resource Officers’ program in elementary, middle and high schools, and more. Parent is currently the principal of the Henderson County Career Academy (formerly Balfour Education Center), where he has served as principal since 2011. He began his education career with Henderson County public schools in 2005 as a business teacher at Balfour Education Center, then served as assistant principal at Flat Rock Middle from 2006-2007. Parent moved to West Henderson High in 2007, where he served as assistant principal and athletic director until 2011. Prior to his work in education, Parent served with the U.S. Army Military Police from 1983-1994. He holds a bachelors degree from Worcester State University and a Masters in School Administration from Western North Carolina University.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Closed door budget-craft eliminates amendments

RALEIGH — Republican legislative leaders’ decision to hold secretive budget deliberations was bad politics, and could further motivate angry Democrats to flood the voting booth this fall, political observers say. GOP leaders counter that the budget they unveiled Monday night merely makes some minor adjustments in the two-year agreement enacted last year. In their view, Democrats used similar tactics when they had a lock on the General Assembly. And the spending plan for the upcoming year is fiscally sound, including higher pay for teachers and state employees, more tax cuts, and a boost in state rainy-day savings — a tough budget to reject in an election year, Republicans say. Even so, analysts say the choice to offer the budget as a conference committee report, allowing no amendments, gives Republicans, with supermajority margins in both legislative chambers, a tactical advantage. “I certainly think that they recognize there’s energy on the Democratic side," said Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer. Cutting the process short will deny Democrats a high-profile platform in budget debates to criticize GOP policies. “I think this could be the real test this November — how far a party can go in using absolute power to their advantage,” Bitzer said. “It’s hard to compare, but it feels like the Democratic side is having their 2010 kind of a year.” Then, Republicans gained control of the General Assembly after more than a century of Democratic rule. Rather than amend the 2018-19 budget, Republican legislative leaders chose to strip language out of an old insurance bill, and replace it into a conference report with the $23.9 billion General Fund budget proposal. The Senate Joint Appropriations/Base Budget Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday to review the report. Lawmakers can only vote up or down on the budget. Democrats condemned the tactic on Twitter last week and through the weekend. “The disregard for the spirit of the democratic process is breathtaking,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake. “There is a real fear of civil discourse from #ncga leadership.” “Perhaps we can make it much more ‘efficient’ for #ncga leadership” to pass a budget, said House Minority Leader Darren Jackson, D-Wake. He sarcastically suggested Republican lawmakers “could just sign a proxy [and] let just a handful of people write it and then approve it.” “Transparency is a hallmark of a democratic republic, and when the process is done behind closed doors, and only presented for ratification where the votes are already there, it raises real questions about the civic process,” Bitzer said. Shelly Carver, a spokeswoman for Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, disagreed with the critics. “The purpose of the short session is to adjust the two-year state budget that was fully vetted, debated, and passed over a six-month period last year — not to write an entirely new plan,” Carver told Carolina Journal by email. “Lawmakers of both parties will have the opportunity to vote on the bill, and make their voices heard,” Carver said. “But we fully expect legislative Democrats and Gov. Cooper will attempt to use this to justify their opposition to a budget that will include a fifth consecutive teacher pay raise and substantial tax relief for millions of North Carolinians.” Joseph Kyzer, spokesman for House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, defended the budget process. “As appropriations leaders have emphasized, the legislature is only making adjustments to the biennium budget passed last year based on the state’s $356 million revenue surplus and record reserve fund,” Kyzer said. “This year’s state budget will continue to deliver strong investment growth in North Carolina’s priorities like education and public safety while maintaining tax relief for families and businesses,” Kyzer said. The process Republicans chose is legal, but unconventional, according to Gerry Cohen, former General Assembly special counsel. He told the News & Observer he researched budget bills dating to 1985. This is the first instance when amendments will be prohibited on the House and Senate floors. Over 34 years, only three times did one chamber adopt the other’s budget without amending it. But former House Majority Leader Paul “Skip” Stam recalls Democratic power plays. “We protested loudly” as a minority party in 2007, the Wake County Republican said. Republican senators urged their House counterparts to pass the Senate’s budget unamended. Minority House Republicans sought nine Democratic colleagues to join them, backing the Senate budget so it wouldn’t go to a conference committee. House Democratic leaders foiled the scheme. The ensuing conference report contained a half billion dollars of new spending neither the House nor Senate had approved separately. It also created land transfer taxes that failed in both chambers. “I won’t say there was no debate, because we debated it hard. But just like this one, there will be debate but no amendments, and no real part of the process,” Stam said. In 2004, Stam said, Democrats brought a budget conference report to the House floor for an immediate late-night vote. He objected, and then-House Speaker Jim Black allowed less than an hour to review 500 pages of budget documents before voting. N.C. State political science professor Andy Taylor said Republicans’ decision to budget by conference report is not surprising. Power has crystallized for many years among a small cadre of leaders who control budget decisions, the legislative process, committee appointments, and district maps. Some veteran lawmakers who weren’t part of the negotiations still don’t know what’ll be in the final package and have bristled at being excluded. Retiring state Rep. John Blust, R-Guilford, in late April spoke about that concentration of power. In a letter to House and Senate Republicans dated May 10 he strongly urged colleagues to reject a budget dropped into a conference report. He said Republicans have accelerated abusive practices Democrats started. “It is elementary that each citizen of this state is entitled to equal representation in the chambers that make the laws which those citizens are bound to follow,” Blust wrote in the May 10 letter. “This is fundamental constitutional law and fundamental to the very essence of a republic. It should never be abused or traded away for any reason short of a public emergency.” The conference process shuts out minority party members, Taylor said. But rank-and-file majority members also are affected because they can’t offer amendments. Taylor said there’s no question the budget will pass. But it’s unclear if it will get the 60-percent vote needed to override a gubernatorial veto. Some Republicans upset about being excluded from the process, and what’s put in the spending plan, may vote no. Rep. Jeff Collins, R-Nash, who’s also retiring at the end of the session, said the conference committee approach would be OK merely to tweak the budget. But the Republican caucus is split. If big policy issues or objectionable spending items were inserted, he might vote against it. UNC-Greensboro political science professor Thomas Little said legislative leaders may prefer a speedy process, but it doesn’t inspire faith in representative government. “It’s not a healthy process for democracy. If your argument is efficiency, democracy’s not efficient. That’s not one of its qualities. Never has been, never will be,” Little said. “The quality is representation and responsiveness, and you don’t get either with this.”   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Budget includes 6.5% teacher pay raise, local appropriations

Seven years ago, when the recession forced the Legislature to make deep budget cuts, landslide mapping in Western North Carolina was among the victims.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Alberto to soak us again

Subtropical Storm Alberto, which is on course to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Memorial Day, is likely to bring heavy rain, flooding and potentially landslides to the already saturated southern Appalachian mountains, the National Weather Service and local emergency managers said. Over the course of the next three days Henderson County area could see an additional 5-8 inches of rain, Henderson County Emergency Management Director Jimmy Brissie said in an advisory Monday morning. The heaviest rain should be Tuesday.The heaviest rain is forecast for the upslope of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the French Broad River is likely to flood again, the National Weather Service said. "Flash flooding of streams and creeks may develop very quickly under these circumstances," the National Weather Service said. "Landslides will be quite possible — especially in mountainous terrain known to be prone to landslides, and even along some steep slopes where landslides have not occurred for many years." Here's the local forecast from the NWS: Monday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog before 11am. High near 75. Northeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.Monday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog after 9pm. Low around 64. East northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog before 10am. High near 75. Southeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 65. South southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 77. South wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.Wednesday night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 3am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 70%.Thursday: A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Chance of precipitation is 60%.Thursday night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.Friday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.   Read Story »

Flat Rock News

LIGHTNING REVIEW: Talented cast overcomes script to deliver big fun

Presented with the proposition that a board game can serve as the foundation of a musical theater production, you might wonder what’s next — a movie exploring the inner motivation of an emoji?   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Volunteers? Yep, horse event needs thousands

Fun facts about what it takes to put on the World Equestrian Games, shared by Carly Weilminster, national press officer for TIEC and WEG: • Horses will fly into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in container-like box stalls that they will board in their home environment. Upon landing at GSP, horses in the stalls will be driven to TIEC and quarantined, waiting for health clearance from the USDA. • Security is a top priority, with local, state and national agencies involved. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, international security firms, crisis teams and local emergency management. The World Equestrian Games are considered a Level 1 event based on the number of people attending, Weilminster said. WEG is among the largest international sporting events taking place this year. That list includes the Winter Olympics in South Korea, the FIFI World Cup in Russia and the Tour de France. • Yes, there will be celebrities. Jessica Springsteen has made the short list for Show Jumping-Individual, so you might see her mom and dad in the crowd. Be on the lookout, too, for the Bill and Melinda Gates, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheik Hamdan, whose discipline is Endurance. Alas, you won’t be seeing Prince William or Prince Harry. They have other things going on in their lives right now.   • Major media from around the world will arrive Sept. 9 and 10. The equestrian disciplines will start daily at 9 a.m. and conclude by 6 p.m. to meet international broadcast deadlines. • NBC will provide exclusive coverage of the WEG through its NBC Sports and Olympic channels and live streaming. The final discipline of the games, show jumping, will be broadcast live on Sept. 23 on NBC before the NFL game that evening, Weilminster said. The Detroit Lions take on the New England Patriots that evening, according to NBC’s broadcast schedule. • Each of the competitors’ teams has its own entourage of veterinarians, farriers, groomers and stewards, but TIEC has also reached out to local farriers and veterinarians in case they are needed. • St. Luke’s Hospital in Columbus will be used for non-trauma cases, and it will staff a satellite hospital at TIEC. Spartanburg Regional, a Trauma 1 facility, will be the other hospital on call. • If you speak more than one language, the games need you. Volunteers and staff who are multilingual will help athletes, media and spectators from more than 75 countries. TIEC needs 3,000 volunteers to fill 9,000 shifts during the games in such areas as the horse show, food and beverage, welcome center, parking, shuttles, the spectator experience and more. On-line applications will be accepted through early September. To volunteer, visit https://volunteers.tryon2018.com and create a volunteer profile.You will be contacted by email.      Read Story »

Henderson County News

Crews hustle to finish facilities

In 111 days, it’s showtime for the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC). The world’s biggest equestrian event – the FEI World Equestrian Games – kicks off with opening ceremonies the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 23. It’s a one-and-done event for this venue – the WEG has never repeated at any site over its 28-year history – and all the workers in hard hats, concrete panels, steel girders, rebar and heavy construction equipment kicking up clouds of dust suggests it will be a miracle if it all gets done on time. Carly Weilminster, national press officer for WEG, isn’t worried. She says she and her team like the adrenaline rush of having to get done in 22 months what other venues had 48 months to complete. TIEC secured the games in November 2016 after Bromont, Canada, withdrew from consideration. “We’ve been working 24/7 365 since then” to complete spectator venues, an indoor riding arena, lodging for athletes, trainers, stewards, grooms, veterinarians, judges, officials and other WEG employees as well as parking lots, roads and infrastructure. The construction push is for the athlete village, which is expected to be finished by opening, Weilminster said, and a resort hotel to open later, perhaps in September. Construction is complete on the indoor riding arena, formerly the covered arena. TIEC will close for the month of August in the final push to get everything completed by September, she said. Work on the satellite parking lots is on schedule, she said. The main stadium is under construction, with permanent and temporary seating for 20,000 and sponsor boxes that will feature bird’s eye views of competition in the stadium as well as on the cross-country course — a former golf course — and other arenas. Construction on the Tryon center started in 2014, when Mark Bellissimo, a graduate of Middlebury College and Harvard Business School and the owner of Equestrian Sport Productions, and several partners purchased 1,600 acres in Polk County as a site for a year-round equestrian center to go with his other centers in Wellington, Florida and Parker, Colorado. The construction footprint at TIEC is small now but will continue to grow, Weilminster said. More than 500,000 people are expected to attend over the two weeks of the games, she said. It’s a ballpark guess, as they won’t have official numbers until the end of the games. But with an expected 30,000 to 50,000 spectators per day, TIEC will welcome the world to its doors – via those international and US visitors and international media broadcasts. It’s a global market for horse-lovers and sponsors, with an expected 75 countries represented in the competitions. Major sponsors include Longines and US Trust and Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch. The FEI World Equestrian Games, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is the property of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body for horse sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining world championships in the Olympic disciplines of jumping, dressage and eventing, the Paralympic discipline of Para-equestrian dressage, and driving, endurance, vaulting and reining.The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were hosted in Stockholm in 1990. The first games to be organized outside Europe were the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. The games were in Normandy in 2014. With lodging, tickets, and the influx of people from around the world, the WEG at TIEC will have an “economic impact and a lasting impact for the region,” Weilminster said. “Mark’s vision is to include everyone who loves horses,” not just fans and participants in the high-profile equestrian disciplines, she said. The purchase of general ground passes will be launched in July “so that people can just come to the venue, to experience the place and the event and the horses but not necessarily because they are equestrians,” she said. For more information about TIEC and the World Equestrian Games, visit https://tryon2018.com/-30-           Read Story »

Henderson County News

Tourism industry braces for Equestrian Games stampede

It’s less than four months to the opening ceremonies for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) at Tryon International Equestrian Center, and Henderson County is feeling good about the games and their projected economic impact.   Read Story »

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