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Alliance opposing NC 191 widening wants to petition at town park

Henderson County News

Fran Shelton, retired HHS band director, inducted into Bandmasters Hall of Fame

Fran Shelton, who led the Hendersonville High School band for 28 years, was inducted into the North Carolina Bandmasters Hall of Fame on Sunday, becoming the youngest band leader to be honored and the fourth woman.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Attorney blasts, Griffin defends renewal of 287(g) agreement

Under pressure from the Board of Commissioners and Tea Party speakers at board meetings, Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin announced last week he plans to renew a partnership with federal immigration officers to hold undocumented crime suspects in the county jail.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

'Big Red Trio' ready to sing national anthem

Matthew Rogers, Steve Johnson and Philip Wiehe lined up for their final Hendersonville rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon before their debut at the Cincinnati Reds baseball stadium on Monday singing the national anthem.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

A red oak for James Volk

The Hendersonville Tree Board, a North Carolina Forest Service ranger, the Four Seasons Rotary Club and Hendersonville Elementary School third graders and K Kids club members celebrated the planting of red oak for Dr. James Volk on Friday during the city's annual observance of Arbor Day.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

Ray 'humbled, honored' to serve as clerk of court

J. Tyler Ray, who was sworn in as the Clerk of Superior Court for Henderson County on Monday, said he is “humbled and honored and overwhelmed” at the opportunity to serve the public and judiciary in the job.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Drug squad makes bust at Cedar Bluff apartment

Henderson County sheriff's deputies charged a 35-year-old man with multiple drug felonies after executing a search warrant at Cedar Bluffs apartments on Thursday.   Read Story »

Fletcher News

Police arrest driver, passenger after Fletcher chase

Fletcher police charged a 23-year-old Candler man and the 22-year-old driver of a vehicle who led police on a chase that ended at the interchange of I-26 and Airport Road.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

City doles out $99,794 to 27 nonprofits

The Hendersonville City Council approved $99,794 worth of appropriations to nonprofits involved in the arts, health and human services, education and tourism and business promotion during a final budget-drafting workshop on Friday.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Ask Matt ... how much lottery money county gets

Q. What do our Henderson County schools get from the NC lottery and how is it used? Each year the state legislature decides how to divvy up the lottery money. In FY 2018, local education programs received $5,471,546. The biggest slice of the pie, $3,348,747, went for non-instructional support (school staff, custodians, and substitute teachers). School construction got $922,332, prekindergarten (at risk four-year-old children) received $547,665, another $386,343 went for financial aid for students, and $266,459 went to school-provided transportation (bus drivers and gas). Only about a quarter of the gross lottery revenue goes to education; the rest covers winners’ prizes, retailer commissions, and overhead. Distribution among counties is based on public school system population except for financial aid and prekindergarten which is governed by statewide need. Each K-12student roughly gets the equivalent of $370 from the lottery. Tracking a $1½ billion ticket   Many of you have heard of the $1.5 billion winner in the South Carolina Education Lottery. Since that person just came forward to claim the prize money we dispatched a crack news team to the site of the drawing – Simpsonville, SC. We drove down winding country roads passing by large homes that only a lottery winner could afford. And there it was, at one corner of a crossroads, the now famous blue-roofed KC Mart No. 7. The convenience store was hidden behind eight gas pumps, two of which were out of order. Hanging in the front window was a large banner – “We sold a Mega Millions Ticket Worth $1.5 BILLION!” Our fact-finding crew approached a lady standing outside smoking a cigarette. We asked if she knew who won the lottery. “Nope, I only know what I hear in the news,” replied Sabrina. But she did know that the winner was a woman. That was it. Sabrina walked inside, took her position at the grill and started frying a $5.49 Philly cheesesteak for a lunch customer. We continued to talk but still no clues. She thinks the lucky lady who has now claimed the money ($877,784,124 after taxes) does not live in Simpsonville. Sabrina believes the two never met because the ticket was purchased at night. KC Mart’s owner received $50,000 for selling the winning ticket but Sabrina said the grill cooks received nothing. That seemed cold because a “billion dollar ticket winner” banner hung directly over the grill. After filling our tank with cheap South Carolina gas, we headed home without buying a lottery ticket evoking the “lightning never strikes twice” axiom (this publication notwithstanding). Because South Carolina permits lottery winners to remain anonymous, we may never know the identity of the lucky lady. Lottery officials did share one piece of stunning news. It seems that a simple act of kindness by a fellow customer allowed the lottery winner to step ahead in line and purchase her ticket. How lucky! But if she is reading this, be a sport. Return to the scene and drop a couple of Benjamins in Sabrina’s tip jar. And then treat yourself to a nice Philly cheesesteak.   * * * * * Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.   Read Story »

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