Free Daily Headlines

News

Set your text size: A A A

News

In a surprise, Meadows picks up a primary opponent

Henderson County News

Democratic House candidate raps 'unconstitutional redistricting'

Democrat Sam Edney filed for North Carolina House District 113 on Monday, saying the Republican-controlled Legislature is wasting money “defending unconstitutional redistricting” and "weakening our democracy.” A former Transylvania County School Board member, Edney has owned Pisgah Pest Control for 30 years. Since October he has been changing from work clothes and donned his signature bow tie to speak with voters. House District 113 covers Transylvania, Polk and southern Henderson County along the South Carolina line.Edney grew up in Henderson County milking cows and picking apples. With a degree from AB Tech he worked as an industrial engineer for 18 years, 12 of them at Ecusta paper mill. Since buying his pest control business in 1988, the company has grown to three branches with 24 employees. “The millions of NC dollars spent defending unconstitutional redistricting is more than a waste of tax money,” Edney said. “It’s weakening our democracy.” He believes now is the time to invest in public education. “It’s the key to bringing good-paying jobs back to our region. Unemployment may be low, but so are wages.” Edney wants to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, something Gov. Roy Cooper supports and the Legislature steadfastly opposes. “It will create thousands of jobs,” Edney said. “And we need to stop exporting tax dollars to other states. That money could be here at home, taking care of our own elderly and children.” “Also central to my campaign”, says Edney, “is every citizen’s opportunity for a good-paying job, and their right to clean drinking water. Taking care of our environment is vital to our mountain economy.” His Henderson County campaign kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at the Historic Courthouse. For more information visit www.ElectSamEdney.com or www.facebook.com/SamEdney4WNC.                 Read Story »

Henderson County News

New app lets parents track child's school bus

Parents can track in real-time the location of their child's schoolbus with Here Comes the Bus, a mobile device app and website available starting March 1 in Henderson County schools. The free app will allow parents to create user profiles accessible on their smartphones, tablets or computers, and receive notifications on their smartphones when the bus is nearing a customizable location radius. With Here Comes the Bus, parents will have the information they need to send their children to the bus stop at just the right time, helping to protect them from inclement weather and other roadside dangers. With Here Comes the Bus, parents can see the location of their children’s bus(es) both before and after school, and confirm that the bus(es) have arrived at the bus stop, at school, or both. Parents of multiple children enrolled in HCPS will be able to add each child to their accounts, and track each individual child’s bus route. When accessing Here Comes the Bus via the mobile app, parents can receive push notifications (or emails if operating through the website) when the bus they are tracking nears their stop, has been substituted, or when the school system has important information to relay. Here Comes the Bus is powered by Synovia Solutions, makers of the GPS-tracking technology used by Henderson County Public Schools to increase safety and cost savings as it relates to our school bus fleet. Available in three languages (English, Spanish and French), the app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. To sign up or to learn more about Here Comes the Bus, visit http://www.herecomesthebus.com.     Read Story »

Mills River News

Stacey Caskey to run for School Board

Stacey Caskey, a Mills River resident, award-winning teacher, small business owner and college counselor, announced her candidacy for a seat on the Henderson County School Board. With over 28 years of educational experience, Stacey can bring the kind of fresh ideas, solid experience, and practical knowledge that will benefit Henderson County’s students and the community. In 1997, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani chose to visit Stacey’s classroom to open the school year after she was nominated for Microsoft Teacher of the Year. With a strong background in educational technology, Stacey also partnered with Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson at an educational conference that summer. Stacey has an undergraduate degree in Developmental Psychology and began teaching in New York City in 1990. She has since earned a master’s degree in education and two master’s certificates in mathematics and college counseling. “I was very lucky to move to Western North Carolina in 2001, where I taught at Claxton Elementary School for nine years," Caskey said. While teaching at Claxton, she was named Teacher of the Year in 2007. Stacey and her husband, Brian, who was elected to the Mills River Town Council last November, have a daughter, Allison, who is a freshman at West Henderson High School.  "I love my school, my friends, and my teachers," Allison said in a news release. "I would really like to see my mom on the school board. My mom is everyone’s ‘go-to’ for advice, not to mention she has great taste in music.”   An 18-year resident of western North Carolina, she is committed to a nonpartisan partnership with the other members of the School Board. “We must make better curriculum and fiscal decisions because these directly impact our kids,” Stacey said in a news release. She combines a track record of innovation in the classroom with a laser-like focus on the success of her students. Stacey can also bring the goods. “My grant applications have directly led to over $3,000,000 in donations from corporations to be used for technology in the classroom. Grant-writing is one of the keys to increasing resources without raising taxes.” She has written curriculum and numerous grants to improve the educational experience for all students in the community.  Stacey has been recognized as Teacher of the Year by two school systems and maintains professional friendships with many of her former students, celebrating their successes as they move into adulthood. She is also dedicated to the preservation and continued educational use of Henderson County’s historic landmarks, such as the iconic Stillwell Building at Hendersonville High School. Stacey looks forward to introducing a new voice to the Henderson County School Board. “Now is the time for the Board to focus on the needs of our young men and women, to ensure that they aspire to have the best possible future. We need people with real educational experience and practical know-how to enable our kids to reach their dreams.” Eight years ago, Stacey and Brian opened Biltmore Tutoring, where they have worked with over a thousand of Western North Carolina’s best students to improve their grades and college admissions test scores. Stacey also volunteers with ‘Path to College,’ mentoring high school students in Henderson County and helping them bridge the gap between high school, college, and career. “Although 93 percent of Henderson County students graduate from high school, only 28 percent go on to achieve a college degree and that is a huge disconnect. Strengthening our focus on college as well as vocational tracks will benefit not just our students, but everyone who lives here. A school board that understands and promotes that vision is imperative to Henderson County’s future.” For more information on Stacey’s campaign, please visit her website at www.staceycaskey.com or her Facebook/Twitter pages ( www.facebook.com/staceycaskeyforschoolboard/ and https://twitter.com/staceycaskey4nc/ ).   Read Story »

Henderson County News

WCU sets groundbreaking for $110M Tom Apodaca Science Building

CULLOWHEE – Although ground technically was broken last summer during preliminary site preparation for a facility to replace Western Carolina University’s outdated Natural Sciences Building, a ceremonial groundbreaking officially marking the beginning of construction on the Tom Apodaca Science Building is set for Friday, March 2.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Ask Matt ... about banks changing hands

Q. I read where Asheville Savings Bank has merged with First Bank. Which local bank has kept their name the longest?   As far as I could figure, only one bank has kept the same name for more than 25 years — First Citizens Bank but it didn’t start that way. It was First Federal until 1991. For the record, State Employees Credit Union is the oldest credit union in town. BB&T, a relatively new arrival to the county, is one of the oldest banks in the state. Chartered in 1913 in Wilson, BB&T, formerly Branch Banking and Trust, got its name from co-founder Alpheus Branch. Here are some that had recent name changes. Wells Fargo was Wachovia Bank. Bank of America was NationsBank and before that NCNB. Entegra Bank was Macon Bank. SunTrust Bank was First Union Bank and before that Northwestern Bank. HomeTrust Bank was Clyde Savings and Loan. Finally, TD Bank (Toronto-Dominion) was Carolina First Bank, and before that MountainBank. I found five “newcomer” banks that have not changed names: Carolina Alliance Bank, PNC Bank, RBC Bank (Royal Bank of Canada), United Community Bank and Woodforest Bank. Nashville-based Pinnacle bank merged with Bank of North Carolina last June and they closed the branch here. They have a branch in Asheville but no plans to open another Henderson County bank. Asheville Savings Bank has been serving WNC customers for 82 years but that will all change on Monday, March 19, when the old signs come down and bold red and white First Bank signs are unveiled in front of 13 former Asheville Savings banks. Headquartered in Southern Pines, First Bank has been around since 1935 and counts 104 locations statewide. The time and temperature on Sixth and Main will now be courtesy of First Bank. * * * * * This footnote may be of interest to moviegoers. The Oscar-nominated movie “The Post” is based on the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers — a report that exposed the private views within five administrations that the war in Vietnam was unwinnable. One key player who escaped being mentioned in the movie was Assistant Secretary of Defense John T. McNaughton, who worked for Robert McNamara (played by Bruce Greenwood in the film). Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who photo-copied the top-secret documents in 1969, once worked for McNaughton. Lightning readers may recall that McNaughton died in the mid-air collision of Piedmont Flight 22 over Hendersonville in July of 1967, just a month after he was assigned to collect and review the Pentagon Papers. Because of his close friendship with McNamara, many perceived McNaughton to be a war hawk but some have since written that he began to be opposed the war in Vietnam. Because he had considerable influence with Pentagon decision-makers, some historians have wondered if McNaughton’s tragic and untimely death prolonged the war.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Windy Knoll Acres would add 30 homes on N. Allen Road

A developer won tentative approval from Henderson County building officials to build 30 homes on North Allen Road north of the Classic Oaks subdivision. Smith Gilchrist Properties has submitted a development plan for Windy Knoll Acres, which would be served by the city of Hendersonville water system and individual septic tanks. The subdivision on 18 acres would have lot sizes of about a half-acre each and 1½ acres of common space, according to plans submitted to the Henderson County planning department. The number of units is below the standard density of four units per acre and does not require a change from the current R-1 residential zoning. The developer has designed a loop road serving the property to NCDOT standards, meaning it would be conveyed to the state for upkeep once the project is done. The county Technical Review Committee last week OK’d the development under the county’s land-use code for major subdivisions, provided the developer receives NCDOT approval for a driveway cut, said Zoning Enforcement Officer Toby Linville. The application goes to the county Planning Board on March 15.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

Planners recommend quarter-acre lots at Sylvan Terrace project

Neighbors are concerned that a rezoning to allow up to six single-family homes would add traffic to the winding and narrow Sylvan Boulevard.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Developer peeling back history on East Allen Street

What’s old is new again in the 100 block of East Allen Street, where contractors have literally peeled back history.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

MAKE WAY FOR SHARKS: Team ECCO getting new tank on Monday

Moving crews will block off parking on the west side of the 500 block of North Main Street on Sunday night to make room for the unloading of a giant new shark tank for Team ECCO Ocean Center and Aquarium. The tank will be unloaded the next morning and moved into the aquarium in a process that's projected to take 2 to 2½ hours. Interior installation of the 2,000-gallon tank involves intricate plumbing and motor connections. The tank will begin to add water toward the end of next week and will need 10-14 days of “curing” before sharks can be acclimated into the new space. Team ECCO has hand raised all three of their sharks. Once the new shark study tank is in, Team ECCO will also be moving roughly two dozen other fish and animals from holding tanks and into new exhibits.  Their previous homes had to be removed to allow for the tank to be rolled directly through the front doors and over the main floor then into place. This requires the rebuild of five reptile habitats, enlarging the tortoise exhibit, reset of the touch tank, new puffer fish habitat, new extended filtration for the puffer and the 400-gallon eel tanks, new lighting and a complete overhaul of the classroom.    Read Story »

News Archive