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Moss column: Tate guided a surge of job creation

Henderson County News

Tate looks back on 10 years of selling county to industry

Having led Henderson County’s industrial recruiting efforts since 2007, Andrew Tate agreed to an exit interview with the Hendersonville Lightning at Southern Appalachian Brewing Co.   Read Story »

Laurel Park News

Laurel Park police make arrest in bank robbery

Laurel Park police have arrested a suspect in an Aug. 18 bank robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank during which a robber threatened bank employees with a knife. An intense investigation by the Laurel Park police, making use of video surveillance from multiple sources and witness interviews, led to Marquis Dechane Harrison as a suspect, the town said in a news release. Investigators secured a warrant for Harrison’s arrest on one count of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.Chief Bobbie Trotter thanked the FBI, Hendersonville Police Department, Fletcher Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Officefor their assistance in this case.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (148)

You won't want to miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning.    Read Story »

Henderson County News

Ask Matt ... where have all the flowers gone

Q. Why did they take out all the yellow lilies and other plants in the median of U.S. 64 near the interstate and replace them with stone? It seems that it’s all about safety. NCDOT is responsible for maintaining the median on U.S. 64 and it was decided that it would be easier and safer for their crews to maintain a median with river rock rather than plants because of the close proximity to passing traffic. Keith Blazer with the state’s highway department said that they had many complaints about the appearance of the plants which were showing some considerable age.The river rocks were placed on permeable fabric to control weeds. Twice a year highway employees will spray the rock beds with a herbicide. This can be done from the safety of trucks. That may be an important factor since the traffic on U.S. 64 near the overpass is 37,000 vehicles per day. I have heard from several citizens who fear that the rocks will become dislodged and present its own safety problem. Also, there is the concern that the median will again become a magnet for cigarette butts, bottles, cans and broken auto parts.The rock bed, approximately, one half mile in length, cost the State $25,000 to install. NCDOT used four different vendors, at least one of which gets their rocks (natural quartzite) from the Pigeon River near Newport, Tennessee. Out of curiosity, I asked geology professor Jackie Langille at UNC-Asheville how long it would take to smooth the stones in the median. She said that there are many varying factors such as the type of rock and the velocity of the stream so the timescale can range from hundreds to even thousands of years.There were some mixed signals regarding the plan according to sources at the city of Hendersonville. It seems that NCDOT’s first choice for the median was not a rock bed at all. Instead they were going to dig out the lilies and install small trees, shrubs, and flowers. Somehow the plan turned to stone. Q. What’s the listing price for the vacant lot directly across from the new courthouse? It would make a great park. It’s actually two lots. The 0.65 acres on the corner of Third Avenue and Grove Street is listed for $1.1 million. If you are interested, call Gwen Bowers with Southeby’s Real Estate. Local businessman Hasan Mansouri acquired the property in 1996. It is listed on the county tax books for $459,900. Mansouri purchased the Woodfield Inn eight years ago, renamed it Mansouri Mansion and made improvements. It has yet to enjoy the level of success that the former historic inn once had.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Expanded honor flights making sure that no veteran is forgotten

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On an Honor Flight, no one misses a chance to say thank you.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

McGrady to seek re-election

Rep. Chuck McGrady announced on Tuesday that he will seek re-election to another term in the North Carolina House of Representatives following meetings with Henderson County business and community leaders. McGrady has served in the state House for seven years and is a former Henderson County Commissioner and Flat Rock Village Council member. “After consulting with a wide-range of Henderson County’s business and community leaders following the recent legislative sessions, I’ve decided to seek re-election,” McGrady said. “There is still work to complete on some difficult water and sewer issues affecting Henderson County, and my background in local government and as an environmental leader make me uniquely qualified to help resolve these matters.” “Similarly, Henderson County’s craft brewers, cideries, and wineries seek changes to outdated state regulation of alcoholic beverages, and as co-chair of the House Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, I’m well-positioned to help them continue to grow.” These industries have a statewide annual economic impact of over $3 billion and provide tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. McGrady admits to having vacillated on re-election in 2016 and this cycle. Two years ago, he said he was ready to retire if state Sen. Tom Apodaca would stay on. But when Apodaca, a more senior member, resigned in the summer of 2016, McGrady stayed on. This year, he said he would have been ready to go if a qualified candidate had come forward. “While it has been a great honor to represent District 117 in the NC House, I hadn’t expected to run for re-election again,” McGrady said in the news release. “However, several well-qualified leaders in Henderson County indicated that they were not yet ready to run for the House seat in 2018. By 2020, I expect that several strong candidates will step forward to run for the seat.” McGrady is co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which writes the state’s annual budget. In recent years, he’s played an important role in securing funding for a number of local-area projects, including a new medical school, improvements at the DuPont State Recreational Forest, and renovations to both the WNC Farmers Market and the WNC Agricultural Center. He’s worked closely with Henderson County’s economic development arm, the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, to attract new companies to Henderson County by reforming burdensome state regulations on business. District 117 includes about two-thirds of Henderson County, and freshman Rep. Cody Henson (R-Transylvania) represents southern Henderson County. Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson), who represents all of Transylvania and Henderson Counties and part of Buncombe County, is also a freshman, having replaced Sen. Tom Apodaca in 2016. McGrady is the senior Republican House Member from western North Carolina and is a key lieutenant to House Speaker Tim Moore, who has tapped McGrady for a number of leadership posts. Former House Speaker and current U.S. Senator Thom Tillis also named McGrady to key positions, including co-chair of the House Education Appropriations Committee and, following the coal ash spill in the Dan River in 2014, the House’s lead sponsor of North Carolina’s first-in-the-nation coal ash management law. “Henderson County has been blessed by a series of strong legislators that have represented the county over the past three decades — including Republican Senator Tom Apodaca and Democratic Senator Clark Plexico, and Republican Representatives Larry and Carolyn Justus — all of whom served as committee chairs while serving in the legislature. I’m seeking reelection, in part, because Henderson County needs my experience and seniority in the legislature at this time.”       Read Story »

Henderson County News

Judge denies bond reduction for father of murder defendant

A Superior Cout judge on Monday turned down a bond reduction request by the father of accused murderer Phillip Michael Stroupe II, siding with District Attorney Greg Newman, who objected to any change in the bond from its current level of $500,000. After a short hearing, Judge Mark Powell refused to lower the bond, meaning Phillip Michael Stroupe will remain in jail. His trial has not been set. Defense attorney Jason Hayes represented Stroupe. Stroupe is charged with accessory ffter the fact to first degree murder, a class C felony, and has been in custody since his arrest on July 30. His son, Phillip Michael Stroupe II is charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping in the death of Mills River resident Thomas Bryson. Investigators say the senior Stroupe parked and drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway when his son was on the run from authorities in Pisgah National Forest, attempting to signal him by flashing his lights and honking his horn. Investigators in McDowell County, where Michael Stroupe was captured and jailed, said in arrest warrants that the son tried to send his father to move the victim's body before it was found in a cornfield in Arden.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

IAM online auction open until Tuesday evening

Although its Taste of Hendersonville fundraiser on Tuesday night is sold out, IAM is holding an on-line auction that offers golf outings, collectable sports items, out-of-town vacation packages, handmade quilts, crafts, art, gift baskets and more. Help support Henderson County residents in crisis by bidding in the online auction. To bid, click here.   Bidding ends at 7:15 on Tuesday, Oct. 10. IAM provides assistance to Henderson County residents who are in financial crisis by offering food, clothing, funds, guidance and referrals in an atmosphere of compassion and respect. For more information, call 697-7029.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Travel Channel rates Sky Top among best U-pick orchards

FLAT ROCK — Sky Top Orchard is one of five U-pick orchards featured in the Travel Channel's list of apple farms "that the whole family can enjoy."   Read Story »

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