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Planning Board endorses Walmart's color change

Henderson County News

GE agrees to sale that includes East Flat Rock plant

Business association leaders expressed cautious optimism that a proposed sale will be OK for the General Electric East Flat Rock plant, a manufacturing stalwart that has provided good jobs with benefits for more than 60 years in Henderson County.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Starting Dec. 1, emission inspections end for motor vehicles here

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is reminding motorists that starting Dec. 1 emissions inspections will no longer be required in Henderson County and 25 additional counties. In the fall, the Environmental Protection Agency approved a reduction in North Carolina counties required to perform yearly vehicle emissions tests. Starting Dec. 1, this will bring to 78 the total number of counties in North Carolina that will no longer require annual vehicle emissions tests. Fifty-two counties have not required vehicle emissions inspections since 2006. The approval was a result of the passage of Senate Bill 131 (Regulatory Reform Act of 2016-2017) by the General Assembly during the 2017 long session. Details of the plan can be found on the NCDEQ website. By law, a motor vehicle must pass an annual safety inspection before it can be registered in North Carolina or the registration can be renewed. All North Carolina counties will still require the safety inspection. Also after Dec. 1, emissions inspections will still be required in 22 North Carolina counties. Those include Alamance, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Onslow, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Union and Wake counties. There are three options available to customers who reside in one of the 26 counties no longer requiring emissions inspections and who have failed emissions inspections prior to Dec. 1. Those options include:Visit a local License and Theft Bureau officeCall the DMV Customer Contact Center at 877-421-0020Visit a License Plate Agency and present the vehicle inspection report from the inspection stationA list of counties required to perform yearly emissions inspections, as well as information on emissions and safety inspections, is available on the NCDMV website.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Blue Ridge Humane Society names new director

Angela Prodrick has been named executive director of the Blue Ridge Humane Society and officially began her new role on Nov. 26, replacing Lutrelle O'Cain, who retired. Prodrick comes on board as the shelter celebrates a record adoption year. “For the last three years Angela has been an invaluable member of the Blue Ridge Humane Society family,” Blue Ridge Humane Society Board of Directors Chair Caroline Gunther said in a news release. “Angela’s passion for our mission is evident and I am elated to have her continue with us in her new role.” Prodrick, a graduate of New York State University at Geneseo, brings a wealth of knowledge to the role with more than seven years’ experience in animal welfare. Prior to taking the position of Community Outreach and Volunteer Director with Blue Ridge Humane in 2015, Prodrick worked at the Seneca Park (New York) Zoo and as Humane Education Manager at Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester. During her tenure with Blue Ridge Humane, Angela created and facilitated our volunteer programs, the community pet food assistance program, the pet rehoming incentive, pet helpline, vaccine clinics, as well as our Meals on Wheels Pet Pals program, Safe Haven, Reading to the Rescue and school-based animal humane education programs. She is a member of the Association of Professional Humane Educators, a 2018 graduate of Vision Henderson County, and a volunteer as a Raptor Care/Interpreter & Education Docent at the WNC Nature Center. Prodrick resides in Hendersonville with her rescue cat Ampersand and Laverne, a BRHS rescue dog and frequent visitor at local elementary schools.“It is a true honor to be offered this opportunity,” Prodrick said. “I have called Blue Ridge Humane Society home for the last three years. During that time I have seen the number of lives we saved increase each year. As we look to 2019, I am confident that we will continue to expand our reach and better serve the pet and pet owners of our community. I look forward to working in my new capacity with our dynamic team of volunteers and staff as we continue to dedicate ourselves to our mission: to save the lives of those who have no voice."   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Six advisory boards endorse countywide greenway plan

Clearing a major hurdle, Henderson County’s new Greenway Master Plan won the endorsement of the county Planning Board on Nov. 15, the fourth advisory board to bless the blueprint for a 71-mile network of paved trails. Last week, the Transportation Advisory Committee also blessed the plan, making six county boards to do so. Planning Board members asked questions about funding, how the county would get around unwilling landowners and whether rail company Watco would be willing to give up the track for a greenway. After a brief discussion, the board voted unanimously to recommend that the county commissioners adopt the greenway plan.“This is just the first step,” said Hunter Marks, a Planning Board member said who served on the Greenway Master Plan committee. “It’s a concept, it’s a plan of what we see down the road. There’s a lot of details, we’ll get to those details. This can be a game changer. Things like greenways help attract people, and I just think this is a really important step for the county.”Grady Hawkins, the county commission’s liaison to the Planning Board, said money is the biggest hurdle to a project of this magnitude.“When we were talking about right of way, we have already looked at running out of Jackson Park over to Blue Ridge Community College,” he said. “We explored some options there to go down the sewer line by the airport and it looked reasonable until we got to the end of the runway and we decided we didn’t want to mix it up with landing planes. It’s quite a challenge to have a 30-year plan. I would think we would at least realize the challenge that’s ahead of us on these projects and go after them — particularly the money.”Drafted over a six-month period, the 87-page plan envisions priority greenways, destination greenways and connection greenways that link parks and other destinations, such as the Carl Sandburg home and the Sierra Nevada and New Belgium breweries (in a segment connecting to Buncombe County greenways).The county’s plan would be woven into greenway plans that have been adopted or are currently under study in Fletcher, Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Mills River and Flat Rock. Funding could from a variety of sources.“It’s a mix of grants, public funding, nonprofit organizations such as Conserving Carolina and even groups like the TDA,” Chris Burns, the greenway committee chair, told the Planning Board. The Tourism Development Authority is setting aside revenue from a quarter-cent of the county’s hotel tax for greenway development. The master plan is one of the threshold assets any applicant for greenway money needs.“One of the first things they ask is, ‘Do you have a comprehensive plan in place?’” Burns said. Burns and John Mitchell, the county’s director of community and business development, assured the Planning Board that land acquisition would be on a voluntary basis. The process would be similar to what the state has used in developing the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.“Typically what happens is they would use a public right of way or they’d stick with the road” to go around unwilling landowners, Burns said. “The hope here is that over the years as people see that a lot of those concerns by property owners really don’t pan out, they are over time going to allow the trail to come through their property.”During a public comment period, three people spoke in favor of the greenway plan.While Hendersonville is known as a retirement community, the fastest growing demographic moving to the county is 33 and under, said Steve Gwaltney, a banker who moved to the area eight years ago. Greenways are one of the tools the county needs to recruit young workers, he said.“There are competing communities for the workforce that do not have the natural resources,” he said. “They don’t have our mountains, they don’t have beautiful rivers but they have greenways.”“It does invite industry,” Planning Board Chair Steve Dozier said. “The funding is not secure. It’s something that will take a lot of work and a lot of effort from many people to secure funding for it.”In an online survey, 93 percent of respondents said they approved or strongly approved of the greenway plan while just 2 percent opposed it. The most represented age group was 75-74. When asked what was the most important factor to consider in greenway planning, 55 percent chose “connection to other destinations.” Almost 600 people responded, which was the heaviest response of any recent county survey, planners said. Besides the Planning Board and Transportation Advisory Committee, boards that have endorsed the master plan are the Environmental Advisory Committee, Parks and Recreation Board, Board of Health and the Tourism Development Authority. Asheville-based land planning consultants Equinox is studying two greenway segments — northern and southern extensions of the Oklawaha Greenway. The planners are on track to present a report to the Board of Commissioners in December or January. * * * * * To read the greenway plan and respond to the survey click here.       Read Story »

Henderson County News

Junk Man’s Christmas 
concert benefits IAM

Guitarist and singer Peter Mayer of the Peter Mayer Group and Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band is bringing his 19th annual Stars and Promises Christmas Tour to Grace Lutheran Church on Friday, Nov. 30. Mayer’s band will perform timeless carols, original songs and stories from 7 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the magical Christmas season.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

Symphony serves up 'Holidays at the Movies'

The silver screen is decked out in red and green this holiday season, as the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra presents “Holidays at the Movies” Saturday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Community College’s Concert Hall. The concert is sponsored by Carolina Village.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

New theater company moving into former Playhouse space downtown

A new company has signed a lease for the former Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown space and plans a heavy schedue of professional theater, musical performances and children's theater starting in February. The Center for Art & Inspiration opens its doors at 125 S. Main on Feb. 23. Founded by theatrical writer and producer Jeanie Linders, the venture also will include a pop-up Malaprop’s bookstore, the renowned independent bookstore in downtown Asheville, and The Artful Cup Coffee Bar featuring the gourmet roasts of Independent Beans of Hendersonville's Historic Seventh Avenue District, the center said in a news release. The Center will include professional theatre from Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre under the direction of Broadway veteran Jimmy Ferraro (including My Big Fat Italian Murder Mystery, The Improper RoyalTea Murder and Murder on the High C's) to The Center Stage "Star" Series featuring "Liberace," "Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis," "John Denver," and "Barbra." International touring shows to be presented by The Center at Blue Ridge Community College's Bo Thomas Auditorium include In The Mood, a 1940s Big Band Musical Revue and the original London production ABBAMANIA. A Repertory Theatre Troupe will be showcased in Off-Broadway's Buyer and Cellar and Church Basement Ladies. Locating to The Center from Ft. Lauderdale, Dream Child Productions will bring a season of shows for children under the direction of founder Andrew Fiacco. Included in family programming will be events such as Disney's FROZEN Sing-A-Long. Also on the opening schedule are the Hendo Story Club, a series of creative art classes including Zentangle, Images in Words, Peeps & Chix H20 Color, plus Stand-Up Comedy 101 and 2ND SUNDAYS with musicians, storytellers, author talk-backs and more. "It's an ambitious schedule," Linders said in a news release, "but we have a team of professionals who are very committed to making this happen for our area. Having a meet-and-greet facility that can serve as a community destination for arts, entertainment and the opportunity to meet like-minded people has always been a dream of mine." "I believe that the continued growth of Henderson and nearby counties will make The Center the go-to alternative for top quality offerings in our backyard as opposed to down the road in Asheville," she said. Linders is the writer of Menopause: The Musical, a comedy that has played in more than 450 U.S. cities and another 300 worldwide. She believes there's room for more professional theater in the region, even though residents here already have access to performances at the Flat Rock Playhouse and in Greenville, S.C., and Asheville. "The truth of the matter is, there's an audience that is looking for a different type of performance and that's what we're offering," she said. "We're very excited about what the potential is here. What we do is totally different than what Flat Rock does so I don't think we're in competition with Flat Rock at all." Tickets are now on sale at www.thecenterai.com. Special pre-opening discounts, group sales savings and other information are available by calling 828-697-8547. The Center for Art & Inspiration including Malaprop's Books and The Artful Cup Coffee Bar will be open Tuesday through Sunday.   Read Story »

Saluda News

Event marks Carolina Special’s last run up Saluda Grade

SALUDA — After 53 years of running from Charleston to Asheville and beyond to the mid-west, the “Carolina Special” passenger train made its final run up the Saluda Grade 50 years ago on Dec. 5, 1968.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

City remembers firefighter who died in pool hall fire

“Heroism and Sacrifice” is the aptly named sculpture in Raleigh that honors all of North Carolina’s fallen firefighters. The name of Floyd A. Jackson, Jr. adorns the memorial as the City of Hendersonville’s only firefighter to have lost his life in the line of duty. Today marks the 68th anniversary of Firefighter Floyd A. Jackson Jr.’s death. “We continue to live on through the legacy of Firefighter Jackson,” said Chief Joseph Vindigni of the Hendersonville Fire Department. “We will always remember the sacrifice he made for the citizens of Hendersonville and surrounding communities.” On Sunday, Nov. 26, 1950, Jackson answered his final call responding to a basement fire that had broken out below the Brunswick Lunch and Billiards at 241 North Main Street. At approximately 6:15 a.m., Jackson, 31, fell through a weak area in the floor as he was working at the scene. Shortly after falling into the basement, a pool table slid through the opening in the floor, landing on Jackson and killing him. Firefighter Jackson was laid to rest on Dec. 3, 1950, at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville. In addition to Floyd Jackson’s name appearing at the state memorial in Raleigh, his name can be found on the Hendersonville Fire Department Station 1 Dedication Statue and the Henderson County Fire and Rescue Memorial located at 851 N. Main Street.   Read Story »

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