Free Daily Headlines

News

Set your text size: A A A

News

Holiday Tour of Inns is Sunday

Henderson County News

ABC donation helps Safelight start teen crisis line

Safelight has received a grant in the amount of $10,000 from the Hendersonville Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to help start a new crisis hotline for teenagers. Safelight Executive Director Tanya Blackford accepted the check from Hendersonville ABC Board member Marcie Kane. “Part of the mission of the ABC Board is to strive to support responsible alcohol consumption within the community it serves, with an emphasis on adolescent deterrents,” Kane said. “We hope this Teen Crisis Hotline will be a vehicle where alcohol or drug abuse can be identified and addressed by trained specialists, as it impacts a teen or a teen's family.” “We are very grateful for the support of the Hendersonville ABC Board and their belief in Safelight’s mission,” Blackford said. “Teens who experience or have trauma, in particular from physical or sexual abuse are more likely to engage in risky behaviors and are at greater risk for dating violence, substance misuse, or suicide.” The 24-hour hotline will not only receive phone calls but also texts. “Being able to get help and have someone listen to you is incredibly important," Blackford said. "This service will identify teens who may need ongoing help and be able to partner them with the appropriate resources. Partners such as Henderson County Public Schools and the School Based Health Centers operated by Blue Ridge Health will be crucial to ensuring that students have the ongoing care and support they need.” Raising more than $10 million since its inception in 1955, the Hendersonville ABC System gives back to the community in a variety of ways, including education and prevention of underage drinking. Safelight provides hope and healing for families in Henderson County affected by trauma. The organization responds to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse by offering free, confidential help for adults and children. By removing barriers to getting help, Safelight’s many programs heal lives and create a safer, healthier community. For more information, visit www.safelightfamily.org.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

Train buff pushing passenger service to Asheville

Larry Morton’s survey of visitors to Hendersonville depot is decidedly unscientific, one might even say biased toward an answer he likes hearing. If you could, he asks visitors to the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club exhibit at the historic depot, would you take a train to Asheville?“Overwhelmingly, they say, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ I’m telling you, I am getting a lot of enthusiastic response to this,” Morton told the Seventh Avenue Advisory Committee on Monday night.Morton knows that the threshold question is the same one that supporters of a rail-to-trail project must get answered. Would the owner of the tracks, Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, allow a use other than its sole stock-in-trade — freight service? When Morton put that question to Darl Farris, general manager of the Blue Ridge operation, he didn’t get a no.Farris’s answer, Morton said, was: “We wouldn’t be averse to thinking about passenger service.”“A green light went off in my head” and he started seriously pursuing a push for Hendersonville-to-Asheville passenger service.Morton, who is president has taken on the sales job practically fulltime. He’s made presentations to the city’s Downtown Advisory Committee and the Western North Carolina Rail Committee and talked to officials in the rail division of the NCDOT.“I’m doing one tomorrow for the Asheville Multimodal Transportation Commission and I’m doing one for the Tourism Development Authority. Those are the ones that I have scheduled so far.”Kansas-based Watco Transportation Services, one of the largest short line operators, in the U.S., bought 92 miles of track from Norfolk Southern in 2014. The Blue Ridge Southern Railroad reaches as far west as Dillsboro. The southern-most point is East Flat Rock. Although he did not sound like he was ready to start boarding passengers, Farris did not completely dismiss the idea either.“I talked to Larry a little bit about his ideas,” he said. “I have not had an opportunity really to listen to all of his ideas. Watco is a freight railroad. Our business is freight. But at the same time we’ve got business-minded people that are willing to listen if there’s a business model out there that might fit and might be mutually beneficial. We are a growing company and we’re aggressively looking for business opportunities.”Morton appeared before the Seventh Avenue Advisory Committee, which oversees improvement in the historic district, in part because he wanted to warn the group to make sure Maple Street improvements don’t interfere with the needs of a passenger excursion train.“In your plans to do Maple Street I would hate to see you do something and we wind up with a passenger train coming through here where you would have to rip up what you’ve built because of parking,” he said.He said it wouldn’t be practical to use the depot for boarding because it contains the model railroad exhibit. He envisions instead a shelter for passengers and he said Farris was receptive to the idea.“When we talked about this I asked him, ‘Would you be opposed to us building passenger shelters on your right of way?’ He said, ‘No, not at all.’”Morton’s idea would be to have a morning and afternoon trips Wednesday through Saturday, with stops on Seventh Avenue and Biltmore Village. One of his ideas is that the train conductor would notify the Biltmore Estate of how many passengers were on board with plans to visit the attraction so Biltmore could send a shuttle. The class 2 track between the two cities allows passenger trains to travel up to 30 mph — faster than driving, Morton said, adding, “I timed it.”“Asheville and Hendersonville are big tourist towns,” he said. When he pitched the idea to Henderson County Tourism Development Authority executives, they were “crazy about it,” he said. “Everybody I’m talking to is wildly enthusiastic to get this done.”   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (156)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning. You will read our exclusive story on an effort to start a Hendersonville-Asheville commuter train and our scoop on friction on Seventh Avenue over an alley that's getting busier because of construction and foot traffic at the Rescue Mission. We've got the latest news on the Kanuga Road widening project. There are also pages and pages of local and business briefs, the popular Stuck in the Late Middle by Bill Humleker and Ask Matt by Matt Matteson as well as the weekly TV Guide and Sudoku.You've got to get a copy because it's only in print and it's only in your Hendersonville Lightning.Here’s where you can pick up a LightningHendersonville• 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 •Ingles, Spartanburg Highway • McDonald's, Spartanburg Highway• Norm's Minit Mart, Spartanburg Highway• Hendersonville Co-op• Burger King/BP, Spartanburg HighwayIngles Supermarket, Highland LakeSouthside Hendersonville(Greenville Highway)Carolina Ace HardwareWhitley Drug StoreFlat Rock/East Flat Rock• Flat Rock Post Office• 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 2Hendersonville(Kanuga Road)• Hot Dog World, Kanuga Road• Mr. Pete's Market, Kanuga Road• Norm's Minit Mart, Kanuga RoadHendersonville(Fifth Avenue)Hendersonville Post officeFifth Aenue ShellLaurel Park• YMCA H'ville, Sixth Ave & Oak Str• Laurel Park Village, Rite-Aid.• Energy Mart Exxon, Brevard Road at Daniel DriveDixie Diner, Brevard RoadHighway 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, EtowahHighway 191(Haywood Road)• Joey's New York Bagels, Hwy 191• One-Stop Store #8, Haywood Road (Hwy 191)• Dollar General, Hwy 191 & Mountain RoadMills River• Triangle Stop, 4197 Haywood Road, Mills River• Mills River Family Restaurant. Food LionInglesPage 3Eastside 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 CafeHighway 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 CafeHighway 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-26Southern & 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

Edwards to run for re-election to state Senate

State Sen. Chuck Edwards announced on Tuesday that he would run for re-election next year, saying he wanted to continue his work in Raleigh to boost the economy, lower taxes and promote more efficient government.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Partnership aims to boost minorities' access to college

A philanthropic organization dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible for Latino and African-American students on Monday announced a partnership with the Henderson County public schools and the local chapters of the NAACP and El Centro. Modern States Education Alliance recently launched “Freshman Year for Free,” the first-ever catalog of tuition-free online courses for 40+ core collegiate freshman subjects, enabling learners to earn traditional academic credits at more than 2,900 major colleges and universities. Taught by professors from leading schools, Modern States’ free courses prepare students for the well-accepted Advanced Placement and College Level Examination Program exams offered by the College Board. “The Modern States courses provide a wonderful opportunity for our students to earn college credit tuition-free,” said Jan King, the school system's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “District administrators believe in providing our students with alternative paths to college. Modern States is another resource we can offer to help them define and reach their college, career and life goals.” To help enroll additional participants in the Modern States program, the Henderson County NAACP is developing a coalition of partners to assist with promoting, tutoring, mentoring, monitoring and otherwise motivating prospective enrollees. “We are developing a promotional program in collaboration with local high schools to assist in ensuring that students are aware of the Modern States opportunity,” NAACP chapter secretary Harold Hellickson said. “We hope other NAACP chapters in North Carolina and elsewhere will join us.” As part of the partnership, El Centro of Henderson County, an organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive community for Latinos, will assist high school students with realizing their educational goals. “We have leaders in different areas of the community and are effective in helping get the word out,” said Carolina McCready, co-director of El Centro of Henderson County. “We think this is really exciting.” Earlier this year, Modern States announced it will pay the College Board test fees for the first 10,000 students who complete a Modern States course. The offer enables learners to earn a single college credit or up to a full year's worth of credits for free, reducing the cost of a traditional four-year college degree by 25 percent. “Many students across the nation want a college education but can’t afford it. I founded this philanthropy to help make a college education accessible for everyone,” said Steve Klinsky, founder and CEO of Modern States. “I am enthusiastic about our new partners in North Carolina.” The Modern States courses are taught by faculty members from some of the nation’s best universities, including Columbia, Purdue, Rutgers, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Baruch College, University of Texas and Cal Berkeley. Modern States aspires to help more than one million learners earn credit at no tuition cost, saving students and taxpayers approximately $1,000 per course and over $1 billion in total, while also creating a practical “on-ramp” into the traditional college system for anyone who seeks it.     Read Story »

Fletcher News

Whooping cough, flu season prompt visitor restrictions

The increasing number of cases of highly infectious whooping cough and the onset of flu season has prompted area hospitals to impose visitation restrictions.   Read Story »

Flat Rock News

Time, location changed for funeral of former Flat Rock mayor

Because of the snowstorm, the funeral service for Terry Hicks, the former mayor of Flat Rock, has been moved from the United Universalist Fellowship church to the Grand Old Hall at Highland Lake Inn and postponed until noon.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

'No excuse' for slide that makes light of drug overdose, sheriff says

Sheriff Charlie McDonald is strongly condemning a slide leaked from an interoffice email that mocks the use of the drug overdose treatment Narcan, calling the image "a tasteless attempt at humor" that he had not authorized and had never seen. An image under the title "Laugh of the Day" shows the drug being sprayed from a syringe. A tagline underneath says, "Robbing Darwin of his bountiful harvest since 1971." The image and the phrase implies "that the many lives that have been saved by the timely use of Narcan to reverse the deadly effects of opioid overdoses were not worthy of being saved," McDonald said in a statement his department sent to media organizations on Friday afternoon. "This was the first time I was aware of the existence of this slide." The slide had appeared in an interdepartmental email about crime analysis information on May 23, he said. The sheriff became aware that someone had leaked the image to news organizations. "As families struggle with the sudden loss of their sons, daughters, mothers and fathers our Sheriff in Henderson County thinks this opioid crisis is funny," an anonymous source said in an email to reporters and editors who cover Henderson County. The picture, the email writer continued, suggests "Charlie McDonald thinks these deaths are funny and by this picture thinks lives should not be saved. Time for a change in Henderson County." Nothing could be further from the truth, McDonald said in the news release. "The Henderson County Sheriff's Office has worked very hard to lead the way in combatting the devastation inflicted on our community by this nationwide crisis," he said. "We were one of the first law enforcement agencies in our area three years ago, to train and equip our deputies with this life-saving tool. To date we have over 20 reversals of opioid overdoses by Henderson County deputies and detention staff. I am aware that every person saved is someone's child, parent, spouse, neighbor or employee caught in a desperate web of addiction from which, I am certain, they desire to be free. I am well aware of the resulting heart-ache, pain and gut-wrenching despair that addiction brings to those who struggle with this disease." As for the slide and the subordinate who included it in an email to deputies, McDonald said there's "no excuse for it, regardless of the intention ... I am told it was an attempt at dark humor but it was in no way humorous and I know it does not reflect the true heart of the actual sender." The department dealt with the issue according to its policy and guidelines, McDonald said, although he did not identify the sender nor specifiy what consequences the sender faced. "As Sheriff, I accept the fact that this happened on my watch, in my agency, by one of my employees," he said. "It showed a lapse in judgment and has been appropriately addressed." He called the episode "an opportunity for humility, true remorse and lessons learned. I assure you that all have taken place and I apologize that in this instance there was a failure to maintain the highest standards of what I believe is 'a brotherhood in pursuit of excellence.'"     Read Story »

Henderson County News

NCDOT proposes three roundabouts in south gateway plan

Dramatic changes are in store at Hendersonville’s south gateway if new traffic patterns proposed by state transportation engineers win approval.   Read Story »

News Archive