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Henderson County News

Fletcher teen charged with threat against Rugby Middle

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Fletcher teen after a report of a threat made through social media against Rugby Middle School on Sunday. Hunter Scott Aly, 17, was arrested Sunday and been charged with making a false report concerning mass violence on educational property and two counts of communicating threats. Aly’s bond has been set at $9,000. A first appearance was set for today in Henderson County District Court.   Read Story »

North Carolina News

State officials break ground on $110M Apodaca science building

There is an empty lot behind the Natural Sciences Building on Western Carolina University's campus. It's covered in grass and on Friday afternoon it was muddy. During a groundbreaking ceremony, Western Carolina and an all-star lineup of state officials praised the $110 million building that will rise from the site over he next three years. The new building, named for former State Senator Tom Apodaca, will contain 182,989 square feet and be six stories tall. The Natural Sciences Building that it will replace dates back to 1970s. Apodaca retired from the North Carolina Senate in 2016. Apodaca is one of the more well-known alums of Western Carolina University. Having graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Economics. “I never went in the science building,” Apodaca told the crowd, provoking laughter. “I made it a point not going into the science building when I was at Cullowhee.” Despite the jokes, Apodaca certainly does see the merit in higher education having sponsored such legislation during his time in the NC Senate. One such bill was the Access to Affordable College Education Act from 2016. He has a scholarship endowment at WCU. The Pilar C. Apodaca Schalorship is named for his grandmother, a second-generation American from Mexico. According to WCU's website, the scholarship is granted to students of high academic performance, good citizenship and community service with a preference given towards Hispanic Americans. After the groundbreaking ceremony, WCU officials Apocada's colleagues in the North Carolina Senate. Tom Belt, coordinator for WCU's Cherokee Language Program, delivered a Cherokee blessing. Speaking to his accomplishments as a member of the NC Senate was president pro tempore Phil Berger, who jokingly described his colleage as part teddy bear and part grizzly bear because you would never know which one you were going to get. Berger also joined in on jokes about Apodaca having a science building named after him. “Everyone knows that economics is referred to as the 'dismal science,' so this building is perfectly apt for someone who is a economic minor,” Berger said. “Tom understands that college is a significant investment that leads to higher paying jobs, a better-skilled workforce and stronger local economies. He knows that escalating costs and rising student debt are threatening the value of that investment. That’s why, as a state senator, he spearheaded the NC Promise program, which guarantees in-state undergraduate students at three public universities across our state – including Western Carolina University – pay just $1,000 in tuition each year.” The tuition plan starts this fall at WCU and at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Elizabeth City State University. UNC system President Margaret Spellings noted that Apodaca had always supported his alma mater. “Growing up in North Carolina, you went to Cullowhee, forged a deep bond with your school, then stayed in the region and launched a highly successful career creating companies, serving the state and ultimately succeeding at the highest levels of state government,” Spellings said. “And at every step along the way, you gave back to your alma mater, lifted it up alongside you and fought for it in Raleigh. And you’ve delivered results for this university, just as you delivered results for the entire UNC System and for the entire state.” Made possible through funding from the 2016 statewide $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum, the Apodaca building will replace WCU’s existing, 1970s-era Natural Sciences Building. Construction will begin later this year, followed by completion and occupancy by June 2021. The building will include five stories of laboratory, classroom, assembly and office space, with the sixth story serving as a “mechanical penthouse.” It will feature a large, 150-person lecture hall, a science commons area on the first floor and a rooftop plaza for astronomy observations. The WCU Board of Trustees voted in December 2016 to name the building in honor of Apodaca in recognition of his years of service to and support of the Western North Carolina region and the university, including his time as a member of the WCU Board of Trustees and his extensive advocacy for the university in the General Assembly.     Read Story »

Hendersonville News

County GOP meets on Saturday

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows and State Treasurer Dale Folwell will headline the annual convention of the Henderson County Republican Party at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Apple Valley Middle School. “We believe this year’s Convention will be one of our best," said party Chair Merry Guy. "We have seen so much enthusiasm this year for conservative candidates who support our platform. I think the tax cuts and booming economy have helped encourage Republicans to get involved because they know they can make a difference.” Republican activists will also hear from primary candidates and conduct party business. "Delegates are elected at precinct level and from there are eligible to move up the levels of organization, even to the National Republican Committee delegate level if elected," Guy said. “We hear so much about the delegates sent to the RNC to nominate our Presidential candidates, but few understand that they started as credentialed delegates at the Convention in their own precinct and county before they could move up.” For more information visit http://hendersoncountygop.com/ or call 828-693-6040. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the time of the event as 11 a.m.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

City names finance director

The City of Hendersonville announces the promotion of John Buchanan to the position of Finance Director. According to Assistant City Manager Brian Pahle, “John stood out as the clear candidate for the position and has demonstrated his knowledge and skills through his leadership and multiple financial process improvements for the City”. Mr. Buchanan began working for the City of Hendersonville as an Accounting Supervisor in January 2015. John has two Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, one in accounting and the other in management from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a North Carolina Certified Local Government Finance Officer (CGFO). John will be asked to lead an outstanding Finance team which includes two additional Certified Government Finance Officers. “We welcome John to the position and look forward to his continued leadership”, said Pahle.   John began his duties on March 1.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

YMCA to manage Patton Park and Pool

The City of Hendersonville is partnering with the Hendersonville Family YMCA to manage Patton Park and Pool for the next three years, effective immediately.Hendersonville residents will enjoy the same level of park access they have now, with the same hours of operation, but with more activities. The Y will offer swim lessons and swim team, youth sports, and summer day camp, as well as programs for families and active older adults."Year-round programming means more staff will be on site more often, and those extra eyes will ensure that the park and pool are safe for individuals and families," said City of Hendersonville Public Works Director Tom Wooten. "Current amenities will be enhanced, making Patton Park an even more attractive City asset."The Y is excited about working with the City to expand services at Patton Park and Pool, said Dr. John M. Bryant, chair of the Hendersonville Family YMCA Advisory Committee and associate superintendent of the Henderson County Public Schools. "This partnership between an exceptional nonprofit and the City of Hendersonville is the perfect example of what makes Henderson County great," Bryant said. "It aligns with the Y's pillars of focus – youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility – and gives us the ability to ensure that we're serving kids in our community, creating safety around water opportunities, and educating kids, not just providing them a fun and exciting opportunity over the summer. I'm so proud to be a supporter and encourager of the work the Y is doing in this community."The Y operates more than 2,000 pools nationwide, and invented the concept of group swimming lessons more than a century ago. "Thousands of Hendersonville residents have learned to swim at the Y over the years," said Hendersonville Family YMCA Executive Director Josh Simpson. "Managing Patton Pool gives us a greater opportunity to educate the next generation about water safety and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming."The City will continue to manage pavilion rentals. The Y will have priority access to the pavilions during the summer months between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., but will work with the City if a daytime rental request is received. Rentals at night and on weekends will not be limited during summer months. The Y will handle group reservations of the sports fields.Registration for swim lessons, summer day camp, and youth sports such as soccer, flag football, and lacrosse are now open at ymcawnc.org. New and existing YMCA members who purchase an annual pass to Patton Pool before May 24 are eligible for a $20 credit toward YMCA programs. For more information, please contact the Hendersonville Family YMCA at 828 697 9622.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Council OKs Sylvan Terrace rezoning

The Hendersonville City Council on Thursday authorized a rezoning that would allow a developer to build six single-family homes on 1.67 acres in Sylvan Terrace. The rezoning came despite neighbors' concerns about increased traffic on winding and narrow Sylvan Boulevard. Several neighbors attended a city Planning Board meeting but only one person raised questions at the council meeting on Thursday night. The Planning Board voted 4-2 to recommend that the City Council OK the rezoning. “It’s a very peaceful, quiet neighborhood and we’re all just thinking about the construction trucks,” said Kathleen Menck, of 905 Sylvan Blvd. “Our street is already a small street.” Property owner Chuck Anderson requested the rezoning from R-15 to R-10 for the sloping property on Sylvan Boulevard east of Orleans Avenue and north of Knollwood Drive. Anderson, a home builder, wanted the change to a higher density not to add more homes but to gain the flexibility on where the houses can be built, landscape architect Scott Bolyard told the Planning Board. The current R-15 zone requires residential lots to be at least 15,000 square feet. The requested to change to R-10 zoning would allow 10,000-square-foot lots, or a quarter acre, and smaller setbacks and buffers and would make it easier to fit six single-family homes on the high-end of the parcel, Bolyard said.       Read Story »

Henderson County News

U.S. 64 at Valley getting high-visibility crosswalk

School crossing guard Kim Bertram had an easy gig when he started directing traffic at Bruce Drysdale Elementary School.“Traffic has changed a lot,” he said. “I used to have a nice white belt. Now we have neon jackets.”They’re needed, he said, because of the way “the traffic comes flying” at his current post, on U.S. 64 at North Whitted and Valley streets, where he directs traffic for Hendersonville elementary and middle schools. Cars race by on heavily traveled U.S. 64, endangering schoolchildren. Bertram noted that a Ninth Avenue traffic study in April 2016 recommended that the state install a high visibility crosswalk. “So that’s what I’d like to have happen,” he said. And it looks like that will.Bertram visited associate schools superintendent John Bryant to ask for help. “I went back for a follow-up and he told me (NCDOT District Engineer) Steve Cannon said we will install ASAP next week. It’s been a long icy winter,” Bertram said.He thanked crosswalk guard supervisor Anita Lockhart and police Capt. Bruce Simonds for their support. Simonds sent more police cruisers to the scene.“But it’s still not quite safe and a car flies right by me,” Bertram said. “There’s a patrol car 200 feet away and the cars still fly.”     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Two sentenced for car break-ins in national forest

U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced David Duane Banchetto, 43, of Gastonia, to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a series of car break-ins at Pisgah National Forest, announced R. Andrew Murray, United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Banchetto was also ordered to pay restitution to all the victims for the costs of the vehicle repairs and for the value of the property that was stolen.Greg Wiest, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and the Carolinas and Sheriff David A. Mahoney of the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Banchetto and co- defendants, Elija Antwon Hope, Heather Nicole Postell, Montzerrath Tello-Aguilar and Kaleb Alexander Weaver engaged in a scheme to break into cars at Pisgah National Forest, to steal credit cards, debit cards and other items from vehicles parked in the area. Court records show that on June 29, 2017, law enforcement began to receive reports of multiple vehicle break-ins in that area. In the days that followed, at least five vehicle breaking and entering cases had been reported. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered surveillance videos and pictures from local businesses where the stolen credit/debit cards had been used. On July 16, 2017, law enforcement arrested the five co-conspirators after a suspicious vehicle was reported in an area of Pisgah National Forest. According to court records, law enforcement determined that Banchetto was the person responsible for breaking out the windows of the vehicles from which the items were stolen. On November 22, 2017, Banchetto pleaded guilty to destruction of property on national lands.Tello-Aquilar was previously sentenced to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. The remaining three co-defendants, Hope, Postell and Weaver, are currently awaiting sentencing.In announcing today’s sentence Judge Reidinger referred to the national forests and parks of the Western District of North Carolina as “national treasure” and property of all citizens, noting that these types of crimes deter people from coming and enjoying them. The Transylvania Sheriff’s Office and HSI led the investigation.In a separate case, Judge Reidinger also sentenced today Mack Blaine Whittle, 32, of Anderson, S.C., to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release for a series of car break-ins at Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway in June 2017. Whittle was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims for the costs of the vehicle repairs and for the value of the property he stole. According to court records, Whittle broke into parked vehicles, stealing cash, debit cards and other items, including a firearm. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Whittle had attempted to pawn unsuccessfully some of the stolen items, including the firearm. Law enforcement also determined that Whittle had a prior conviction and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Whittle’s co-defendant, Lisha Nicole Minor, admitted that she had been with Whittle when the vehicle break-ins occurred, and that she had been using her cell phone to look up the values of some of the stolen items. She was also sentenced today to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release.U.S. Attorney Murray thanked the U.S. Forest Service, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office and the Brevard Police Department for their investigation of the case.Assistant United States Attorney Richard Edwards, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted both cases.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Forecast calls for high winds, low of 29

Henderson County could see wind gusts as high as 48 mph Friday as a strong cold front moves into the region tonight, the National Weather Service said. The chance of rain drops and lows will return to the 30s as the wind-packing front moves through. Winds of 16 to 23 mph overnight are expected, with gusts as high as 41 mph. There's a chance we could see a tenth of an inch of ice. Friday should be sunny with a high of 51 that will feel much colder. Winds from the northwest will be 22-28 mph with gust as high as 48 mph.  Friday night the low will drop to around 29 with gusts as high as 41 mph.Saturday should be sunny, with a high near 51. Sunday should remain sunny with a higher of 56. Duke Energy said had crews ready to deploy in case of power outages. It issued the following advice: Stay away from downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders). Keep children and family pets away from areas where lines may have fallen (backyards, fields, school yards, etc.). If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. Report all power line hazards to Duke Energy or your local emergency services department or agency.     Read Story »

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