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One family, 10 HHS graduates over 22 years

Henderson County News

Waverly Inn's Sunday brunch now open to the public

Strawberry and Mascarpone French Toast Bake, Caprese Italian Sausage Quiche Beet, Crispy Goat Cheese and Arugula Panini will be on the menu this weekend when the Waverly Inn opens its Sunday brunch to the public for the first time. The 1898 inn has been serving overnight guests for 119 years. "Now the general public can access the same great food that our guests have raved about," innkeeper Mike Burnette said in a news release. Brunch is served from 10:30 a. until 2 p.m. each Sunday and features a fixed price menu for $18.98 that includes four courses and all beverages (coffee, tea, juices, milk, lemonade and sodas). Menu will be posted on the Café at Waverly Inn Facebook page each week and at cafe.waverlyinn.com. Here is this week's menu: The baked starter is Honey Thyme Lemon Scones SALAD, choice of:Fruit tossed in citrus mint dressingSpinach salad with strawberries, toasted almonds and poppy seed vinaigrette SOUP, choice of:Vegetarian- Carrot gingerMeat- White bean chicken chili MAIN, choice of:Strawberry and Mascarpone French Toast BakeCaprese Italian Sausage QuicheBeet, Crispy Goat Cheese and Arugula PaniniDessert is Vanilla Panna Cotta with Ganache and Orange Syrup Chef Lily Krupp will feature “familiar favorites infused with twists of the unexpected” at brunch, Burnette said. Krupp began her cooking experience at the award winning Never Blue in downtown Hendersonville and was most recently the executive chef at Ivory Road in Arden. The inn will take both reservations and walk-ins. Call 828.693.9193 to make reservations or with questions. The oldest operating inn in Hendersonville, the Waverly is owned by Mike and Tracey Burnette.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Driver in fatal crash remains in jail under $200,000 bond

The driver in a crash that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old East Henderson High School senior in December remains in jail two weeks after his arrest on a charge of second-degree murder. Matthew Joseph Schmieder, 36, of Hendersonville, was arrested May 16, one day after a grand jury issued an indictment on the second-degree murder charge in the high-speed crash that killed Derek Lane Miller on Kanuga Road three days before Christmas. Judge Athena Brooks set a $200,000 bond during a first appearance in Henderson County District Court on Thursday morning and as of Tuesday morning the accused had not been able to make bail.Schmieder, who initially had hired criminal defense attorney Roy Neill, was rolled into the courtroom in a wheelchair. In an affidavit of indigency, he declared that he had living expenses of $545 a month and assets of $3,600, including $600 cash and a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee worth $3,000. Judge Brooks appointed assistant public defender Beth Stang to represent him.The State Highway Patrol said Schmieder was driving 60 mph when he attempted to pass a vehicle on a double-yellow line and collided head-on with a 1991 Chevrolet pickup driven by Miller, who died as a result of the crash. Schmieder was airlifted to Mission hospital in Asheville and hospitalized for four weeks with multiple injuries.Schmieder, an accountant, was not charged with driving under the influence or driving with a suspended license and his blood alcohol level has not been made public. But District Attorney Greg Newman told Judge Brooks that alcohol, marijuana and tranquilizers were a factor in the fatal crash.“All of those issues are going to be included in the second-degree murder case,” Newman told the Hendersonville Lightning the day before Schmieder’s District Court appearance. “When I first took the initial call it occurred to me and to the state trooper that there may be a criminal case, it may be more than a traffic case going bad with an unfortunate fatality. I asked the SBI. they were the actually the ones that did the investigation along with the State Patrol.”There are “a number of different components to the evidence,” Newman said. “We charge what we can support. This is a criminal case and we’re going to treat it that way.”Schmieder had numerous speeding tickets and other traffic violations since age 17, according to a search of public records by the Lightning last January. The search turned up a total of 15 traffic violations or cases resulting from moving violations such as failure to appear in court or failure to pay fines from 1998 to last November.He was stopped for driving 80 mph in a 50 mph zone and failing to stop for a siren and flashing lights in Henderson County January 1980. He received eight more speeding tickets from that time until 2013, according to court and Division of Motor Vehicles records. He was also caught driving 84 mph in a 65 mph zone in 2013 in Rutherford County. In 2005, a Laurel Park police officer charged him with possessing a half-ounce of marijuana after a traffic stop, records show.Troopers investigating the crash said they suspected Schmieder was under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the crash, which occurred at 8 o’clock at night on Kanuga Road a few hundred yards from Schmieder’s apartment on Maxine Lane.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Man charged with car break-ins, meth possession

Hendersonville police on Tuesday charged a 19-year-old local man with four felonies relating to car break-ins and possessing meth. Through aggressive investigations from patrol officers and with the support of our community, officers of the Hendersonville Police Department were able to identify and obtain warrants on a suspect for a series of vehicle break-ins that occurred in the Hyman Avenue area of the city, Chief Herbert Blake announced. Ramize Ramirez of Hendersonville was arrested after a vehicle stop on May 30 on Monday afternoon. He was charged with one count of Breaking and Entering of a motor vehicle, one count of Unlawful Obtaining of a Credit Card and one count of Financial Credit Card Fraud. He was also charged with possession of methamphetamine at the time of his arrest. He was jailed under a $19,000 bond. Investigations into other related cases are ongoing by patrol officers and detectives, Blake said. He reminded residents that almost all vehicle break-ins occur in unlocked vehicles and warned them to lock their vehicles and conceal valuables or items that may thieves steal.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Presbyterians settle split for $600,000

The congregation of the former First Presbyterian Church, which voted to leave the Presbyterian Church USA denomination in June 2013, and church members that voted to remain with PCUSA have reached a property settlement that allows the departing congregation to keep the church building in exchange for a payment of $600,000.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

KnollsCam: Coyote spooks deer

Thomas Brass's wildlife camera on top of Haywood Knolls caught a deer scared off by a coyote. Click here for the video.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Don't eat the ice cream

Ice cream first or ice cream for dessert?   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Sheriff's deputies seek armed robber

The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on the whereabouts of Michael Caldwell Angram. Angram, 29, has been charged with armed robbery in an incident that occurred on May 11. He is known to frequent the Harris Street area in Hendersonville. Angram is considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff's office said. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Angram is asked to immediately contact the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office at (828) 697-4911.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

LIGHTNING REVIEW: Treadway and Dyar shine in 'Tuna Christmas'

If you've seen “A Tuna Christmas” before, you know one of the thrills is anticipating the familiar lines from familiar characters and the incredibly fast pace.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

School system honors county teacher of the year

Carly Allman’s “eureka moment” came when she found that her love of science equaled her love of educating. She knew she wanted to be a teacher, Scott Rhodes, chief human resources officer for the Henderson County school system, told a roomful of teachers and administrators gathered at the Hendersonville Country Club Friday. Allman, an East Henderson High School biology teacher, was honored during the luncheon as the county’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. “She believes learning should not be tied to a clock,” Rhodes said. “It should be tied to making sure students understand the material. Learning is the constant, time is the variable, and she has always been there for her students.”Allman is always willing to meet with students outside of the classroom as often as needed to make sure they fully understand the class material.“She’s focused on building strong relationships with students,” he added. Allman thanked her fellow educators.“I am very humbled and honored,” she said. “I love what I do. I love all my students. I give everything to my kids and coworkers, who I want to give credit for instilling love for the subject and building relationships with my students.” Hundreds of East Henderson High students and faculty gathered at the football stadium, holding balloons and hand-written signs as Allman returned to the campus.“I love the way she taught and the way she is,” said Joseph Russell, a senior who had Allman for biology. “She’s just an awesome woman in general. If I could go another year and be in her class again, I would immediately.”Mackenna Williams, another senior, said: “I had Ms. Allman when I was a sophomore for anatomy class, and she was just a really inspirational teacher. She taught us so much, and she just really cared about us. She’s an awesome teacher.”Teacher Lauren Caffee agreed. “This is my first year at East,” she said. “I can tell you that Ms. Allman immediately made a great impression on me. She was so welcoming, and one of the very first things that I noticed about her was her passion for her students and how much the students responded to that. They really do love her, as you can see from the celebration today, and I think a lot of that is because of her dedication. She’s done a lot to revolutionize the way we do smart period here and the way we help remediate our students and also provide enrichment for them, which has been a really great influence for the school. She’s so focused on making sure that our kids get what they need. She’s really just a great person.” During the luncheon, sponsored by Park Ridge Health, West Henderson High School senior Samuel Littauer delivered keynote remarks that thanked teachers for their devotion. “You are here not only because of your ability to teach but because of your ability to inspire,” he said. “The lessons you are teaching now, (students) will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”The nominees for Henderson County Teacher of the Year included: · Holly J. Kolarova, Apple Valley Middle · Suzanne I. Burnette, Atkinson Elementary · Anthony D. Johnson, Balfour Education Center · Theresa V. Parks, Bruce Drysdale Elementary · Grace Quick, Clear Creek Elementary · Aramis D. Mugica, Dana Elementary · Thomas J. Savage, Early College High · Melissa T. Duncan, Edneyville Elementary · Margaret Melonie Watts, Etowah Elementary · Tony W. McMinn, Flat Rock Middle · Amy Youngblood, Fletcher Elementary · Andrea M. Smith, Glenn C. Marlow Elementary · Tara A. Anderson, Hendersonville Elementary · Walter L. Cottingham, Hendersonville High · Katherine J. Gash, Hendersonville Middle · Cody S. Merriman, Hillandale Elementary · Holly S. Bader, Mills River Elementary · Lucy R. Joyce, North Henderson High · Ashley Q. Wellman, Rugby Middle · Ryan J. Mitchell, Sugarloaf Elementary · Diane L. Norgan, Upward Elementary · Jason R. Livingston, West Henderson High   Read Story »

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