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AVL breaks records for summer travelers

Henderson County News

Local high schools honored for graduate rates

Henderson County Early College, West Henderson High School and Hendersonville High School were three of 70 North Carolina schools recognized for exceptionally high 2015-16 cohort graduation rates. Early College was one of 62 schools in North Carolina with a four-year cohort graduation rate of 100 percent in 2015-16. West Henderson High, with a rate of 96.7 percent and Hendersonville High, with a rate of 95.6 percent, were among high schools in North Carolina recognized for achieving a cohort graduation rate of 95 percent or higher. State Superintendent June Atkinson honored the schools at a special ceremony in Durham on Tuesday. A four-year cohort graduation rate measures the number of graduates who started together as freshmen and completed high school in four years. This is the second year in a row that Early College has been in the state’s “100% Graduation Club,” and the second year in a row West Henderson High has been recognized for a graduation rate of 95 percent or higher. All three high schools outperformed the state average graduation rate of 85.9 percent in 2016. “Henderson County Public Schools are committed to educating leaders who are college-ready and prepared for the real world after high school,” said HCPS Superintendent Bo Caldwell. “We’re very proud of our consistently high graduation rates, which are testaments to the efforts of our students and teachers.” According to a N.C. Department of Public Instruction news release, the state’s cohort graduation rate has climbed significantly from 68.3 percent in 2006, and students statewide are meeting higher expectations and achieving at higher levels. “Thirty-five percent of the graduating class has college credit, 140,000 business and industry credentials were earned, and nearly 139,000 students received a diploma endorsement certifying that they achieved a high level of preparation for career, college or both,” Atkinson said in the NCDPI release.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Meadows poised for run at leading House conservatives

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows could be moving on to a higher profile role in Washington — assuming he wins re-election on Nov. 8.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Pardee hosts lunch and learn on cancer support

Pardee Hospital will host a free UNC Cancer Network Lunch and Learn videoconference series for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, in Pardee Hospital’s video conference room.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Art to meet the sky in downtown Hendersonville

The ArtScape Hendersonville Committee, the Art League of Henderson County, the Arts Council of Henderson County and Downtown Hendersonville is seeking sponsors for the 2017 ArtScape banners, a new public art project downtown. The sponsors are inviting local artists and artisans to participate in the juried art competition, Where Art Meets the Sky. Selected artwork will be reproduced on 40 banners that will then hang on posts on Hendersonville’s Main Street and Avenues for a year beginning in April of 2017. The project’s objective is to create an outdoor gallery experience helping to make Hendersonville an art destination.After viewing a similar exhibit in Old Town Winchester, Va., Hendersonville artist Costanza Knight saw the display as an opportunity to showcase the arts here.Sponsorship opportunities will help finance ArtScape. The cost of the banner sponsorship is $175 if paid by Dec. 31 and $200 after that. The banners will become the property of the sponsors and will be given to them at the end of the yearlong display in March of 2018. Sponsorship applications are available online at the Arts Council website www.acofhc.org. For more information about sponsorships, email artdog@miriamhughes.com. The ArtScape Hendersonville Facebook page and website is scheduled to launch next week.In December the committee will call for artists ages 18 to submit work for this project. Submissions will be juried by a panel made up of art professionals. The artwork will be photographed and digitally transferred directly onto 36x24-inch vinyl banners. The artist’s work and name will appear on both sides of the banners along with that of the sponsor of the banner.In April, in addition to the installation of the banners, the artwork used to create the banners will be displayed at two local galleries during an opening reception. The artwork will be for sale at that time.For more information contact Costanza Knight at knightcolor@gmail.com.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Marching Knights win top honors at Cedar Cliffs

The North Henderson High School Marching Band earned the “Band of the Day” distinction in the Cedar Cliffs Classic Marching Band Competition at AC Reynolds High School, claiming the Grand Champion crown among all classifications. The band also won best Music and Drum Majors in their class and earned 2nd place in Guard and Percussion. In addition to the “Band of the Day” distinction, the Marching Knights finished 2nd in their class at Enka High School and earned 2nd overall for the 17 bands in the first four classifications, as well as tops in Guard and Drum Major. The Marching Knights competed at the Western Carolina University Tournament of Champions on Oct. 22 and will wrap up the season at home, showcasing bands from North Carolina and South Carolina at a competition at North Henderson High on Saturday, Oct. 29. Admission is $7.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

County says no to alumni-backed plan for HHS

Henderson County commissioners rejected a recommendation by the Henderson County School Board to move Edneyville Elementary School ahead of the Hendersonville High School in the construction schedule in a letter that also raises the possibility of closing the Edneyville school   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (103)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning. You'll read our profile of Sheriff Charlie McDonald and why he has launched a re-election campaign two years before his current term ends, why there's no campaign for the local option quarter-cent sales tax and why the Henderson County Board of Commissioners says the Hendersonville High School construction should be ranked ahead of Edneyville Elementary School on the construction timeline. Here’s where you can pick up a Lightning Hendersonville• Hendersonville Lightning Office, 1111 Asheville Hwy• Pop's Diner, 5 Points, North Main Street• Triangle Stop, 701 North Main Street• The 500 block of North Main Street(First Citizens Bank / Mast Gen. Store)• Black Bear Coffee Co., Main Street• The 300 block of North Main Street(McFarland's Bakery / Mike's on Main). Pardee Hospital in the lobby. Flat Rock Playhouse, downtown(100 block of South Main Street) Southside Hendersonville(Spartanburg Highway)• Hairstyles by Charlene, Joel Wright Drive• McDonald's, Spartanburg Highway• Norm's Minit Mart, Spartanburg Highway• Hendersonville Co-op• Burger King/BP, Spartanburg HighwayIngles Supermarket Southside Hendersonville(Greenville Highway)Carolina Ace HardwareWhitley Drug Store Flat Rock/East Flat Rock• Flat Rock Post Office• Flat Rock Bakery• Zirconia Post Office• East Flat Rock Post Office• Orr's Family Restaurant, Spartanburg Hwy• Energy Mart Exxon, Upward Road & I-26• Triangle Stop, 754 Upward Road & I-26Village Café and PubPage 2 Hendersonville(Kanuga Road)• Hot Dog World, Kanuga Road• Mr. Pete's Market, Kanuga Road• Norm's Minit Mart, Kanuga Road Hendersonville(Fifth Avenue)Hendersonville Post officeFifth Aenue Shell Laurel Park• YMCA H'ville, Sixth Ave & Oak Str• Laurel Park Village, Rite-Aid.• Energy Mart Exxon, Brevard Road at Daniel DriveDixie Diner, Brevard Road Highway 64(Brevard Road)• Horse Shoe Post Office• Mr. Pete's Market, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Blue Ridge Pizza, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Etowah Shopping Center, Etowah Highway 191(Haywood Road)• Joey's New York Bagels, Hwy 191• One-Stop Store #8, Haywood Road (Hwy 191)• Dollar General, Hwy 191 & Mountain Road Mills River• Triangle Stop, 4197 Haywood Road, Mills River• Mills River Family Restaurant. Food LionIngles Page 3 Eastside Hendersonville and Four Seasons Boulevard• Norm's Minit Mart, Dana Road• Fatz Cafe, Dana Road & Four Seasons Blvd• Grocery Outlet, off Four Seasons Boulevard• McDonald's, Four Seasons Boulevard• Energy Mart Exxon, Four Seasons BoulevardMustang Cafe Highway 64 East(Chimney Rock Highway)• Triangle Stop, 2545 Chimney Rock Road, Hwy 64-E• Mr. Pete's Market, East, Hwy 64-E • Griffin's Store, Edneyville, Hwy 64-E• Edneyville Post Office. Griffins Store, EdneyvilleShell station, 64 East and Sugarloaf RoadIngles, Howard Gap RoadMoose Cafe Highway 25 North(Asheville Highway)• The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop, Hwy 25-N• Triangle Stop, Hwy 25-N, Balfour• Mountain Home Post Office• Fletcher Post OfficeInglesNaples Post OfficeTravel Plaza, US 25 and I-26 Southern & Eastern Henderson County, Polk County• Dana Post Office• Rosco's Grocery, Green River• Saluda Post Office• Triangle Stop, 1487 Ozone Road, SaludaAll Henderson County Ingles StoresAll Henderson County Post Offices   Read Story »

Henderson County News

AVL raises short-term parking rate

Asheville Regional Airport is raising the short-term parking rate during its parking deck construction in order to discourage parking of more than four hours in the lot. The rate will remain at $1 for each half hour up to four hours to accommodate short-term users of the airport. After four hours, a new flat rate of $25 per day will be charged, double the current daily maximum of $12.50. The reason: Long-term overnight parkers are using the short-term spaces, leaving limited parking for visitors who only need to be at the airport for a short period of time, such as those who are picking up a passenger or conducting business at the airport, the airport said in a news release. The changes are the result of the parking garage construction project, which has temporarily reduced the number of short-term parking stalls. The new fee goes into effect on Nov. 1. The new fee structure for the short-term lot is temporary, and will be in effect until the new parking garage opens next year. When opened, the garage will offer 1,100 convenient parking spaces directly in front of the airport terminal to serve all customers' needs. "It is a positive step forward for the airport to construct a parking garage, but there are operational issues that we must address in the interim," AVL Executive Director Lew Bleiweis said in a statement. "One such issue is making sure all those using the airport — travelers and short-term visitors — have ample parking available to them." A new pre-paid shuttle lot is located directly across the street from the main entrance. Travelers may opt to park in this lot, pre-pay $6 per day for the planned duration of their trip, and a shuttle will deliver them to and from the front door of the terminal. The shuttle operates around-the-clock. Also available to travelers is the traditional long-term lot near the terminal and the credit card-only lot past the terminal on the right. Both of these lots are available for $1.50 per hour, up to a maximum of $8 per day. Those picking up passengers may use a convenient cell phone waiting lot located past the terminal on the right. There is no charge to park in this lot, but visitors must wait in their vehicles until their passengers arrive, and then exit the lot and drive to the terminal curb to pick up passengers.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

LIGHTNING RECOMMENDS: School Board

This School Board election season has brought a welcome change for voters who dutifully study the candidates and go to the polls. The 2016 election has issues that matter locally — and that the School Board can influence — and it has an abundance of smart, energetic candidates, both incumbents and challengers.   Read Story »

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