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Field of flags to raise awareness of veteran suicide

Mills River News

Mills River plans park improvements

The Mills River Town Board adopted a $2.5 million budget Thursday that keeps the tax rate at 18 cents per $100 valuation while continuing to fund police coverage, at $646,000 a year, and add improvements to the town park.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Main entrance to hospital closing for a week

The main entrance to Pardee Hospital, at 800 N. Justice St., will be temporarily closed to all vehicle traffic Thursday, June 29, through Wednesday, July 5, to accommodate for routine maintenance and minor construction on that side of the building, Pardee UNC Health Care announced. Pedestrian traffic will still be allowed through the main entry doors from the parking deck. Valet services will remain available to patients and visitors Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. by following the hospital entrance signs upon entering the garage through the Fleming Street entrance. Hospital administrators expect the main entrance to reopen to all vehicles on Thursday, July 6.   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

NC budget grants money for downtown, AVL, Muddy Sneakers

The new state budget contains $100,000 for public improvements to downtown Hendersonville, $200,000 to fight the woolly adelgid scourge that is killing hemlocks, $4 million for capital improvements at Asheville Regional Airport, $100,000 to expand a legal program for veterans and $500,000 for the Muddy Sneakers program among other benefits for the Henderson County area, state Rep. Chuck McGrady announced.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Apple Festival names 2017 Apple Ambassador

A North Henderson High School student has been named Apple Ambassador for this year's North Carolina Apple Festival. The Apple Ambassador, Miranda Rachel Burleson, is the daugher of Andrea Staton-Jacklin and Chris Burleson. The runner-up is Alexandra “Lexi” M. Iurato, who attends West Henderson High School. Her parents are Bob Iurato and the late Tracy Iurato. The other participants and their high school this year were: — Lauren Alecia Maybin (East Henderson)— Sydney Noel Allison (East Henderson)— Virginia Frances Teel (Hendersonville)— Emma Coston Laughter (Hendersonville)— Annie Grace Plott (North Henderson)— Shannon Elizabeth Sellers (West Henderson). Students are required to submit transcripts and list of activities, provide letters of recommendation and write an essay on the Apple Festival and the importance of the apple industry to this area. The Apple Ambassador is selected based on this information and through an interview process. The Apple Ambassador and runner-up are awarded the Evelyn Lutz Hill Memorial Scholarship, named for the longtime  secretary of the North Carolina Apple Growers. Hill was serving as the president of the North Carolina Apple Festival, when she passed away in 2004.     Read Story »

Flat Rock News

Ask Matt ... what caused Kenmure fire

Q. When was that house fire in Kenmure and what caused it? The fire in the gated golf course community occurred on March 10. The Henderson County Fire Marshal’s Office reported that the fire at 119 Popular Loop Drive was caused by lightning. An early morning storm blew through the Flat Rock area around 4 a.m. and the Kenmure home was struck by lightning, igniting a fire in the attic. The storm also knocked out the power to the residence making it difficult to locate what was then a small and unnoticed fire. Kenmure is a gated community and the security guard assisted in reporting the fire at 5:55 a.m. The home is two miles from the gatehouse.Tony Ray, the interim fire chief of Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue Fire Chief following the retirement of long-time chief Gary Brown, said Blue Ridge units arrived in less than 10 minutes after dispatch and eight more mutual aid departments assisted trying to suppress the fire. But the blaze grew to the point where responders had to temporarily back away. “Two of our firefighters were literally blown out the front door of the structure,” Ray said. “With the head start that fire had, it was too far gone.”By the time the fire was brought under control, only the two-car garage was left standing. Two occupants of the home were transported to Pardee Hospital for possible smoke inhalation. The structure itself carried a tax value of $480,200 and the lot is valued at $156,500. The home once perched on a mountain ridge with a majestic western view is now a total loss. The fire was reported almost two hours after the lightning strike. Q. Why did they put up all those overhead blinking lights on US 64 West at Old Homestead Road?Poor visibility. NCDOT spokesperson Dave Uchiyama said the overhead blinking lights were added as a safety feature. Vehicles entering US 64 West from the side road may not be seen from a safe distance because of the lower elevation of the intersection. There are actually five sets of flashing signs – a large overhead flashing sign facing residential traffic on Old Homestead Road and four sets on US 64 West, two are ground-mounted and another two overhead. The entire system cost $30,000. This is the seventh such blinking light system in Henderson County but arguably the most elaborate.Old Homestead Road is a state maintained road that joins US 64 West at a “T” intersection. Based on a quick GIS search I counted some 70 homes whose residents use that intersection.Mike and Denise Pudelski have lived on Prestonwood Drive for 22 years. Both agreed the new safety lights were needed but neither was convinced it would solve all traffic problems. Anytime there is rush hour traffic on US 64, the lights facing Old Homestead never stop blinking,” said Mike Pudelski. “It’s still hard trying to make a left hand turn into traffic. The way people drive, they don’t pay attention.”“You can’t see them until they come over the hill,” said Mary Ickes. “And the traffic is not slowing down.” Ickes lives on Old Homestead Road almost in plain view of Highway 64. She said that even with the blinking lights, the intersection is no safer and NCDOT’s money was ill spent. “We all thought that they were going to put in a regular traffic light,” said Ickes.Dave Place who lives across from Ickes said the lights were confusing and only marginally better. “You can’t just wait for the light to stop blinking before you go.” said Place. “You still have to watch for traffic coming over the hill.” Place, who has lived in his house for 40 years, remembers many serious accidents and is fearful that the new lights will be troublesome. He thinks the sensors in highway 64 should be moved 100 feet further from the intersection to give Old Homestead drivers more time before a car passes by.Just a few yards from one of the new light poles drivers can see a roadside cross marking where a life was lost in 2003. Perhaps a connection.Q. I’ve been seeing survey crews on Kanuga Road from Little River Road to Busy Bend. What is this for? The crews are doing preliminary survey work on a 3.9-mile section of Kanuga Road scheduled for road improvements. Widening Kanuga Road will only be done at locations where deemed necessary. NCDOT has allocated $2.65 million and the work will be done between 2021 and 2025. * * * * * Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.     Read Story »

Laurel Park News

Laurel Park may sell water system to Hendersonville

LAUREL PARK — The Laurel Park Town Council is moving ahead with the idea of selling its water system to the city of Hendersonville, which a report said would save Laurel Park ratepayers money.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Country and classical kick off BMC’s 80th season

The Brevard Music Center Summer Festival officially kicks off its 81st Anniversary Season on Friday, June 23, with a genre-blending opening weekend of performances.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (134)

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

Henderson County News

Tropical storm could sidewipe area

Tropical Storm Cindy could bring heavy rain and relatively high winds on Thursday and Friday, the National Weather Service, although the forecast calls for Henderson County to get only a glancing blow. "The latest track has it going up through Louisiana and the Deep South and over toward Tennessee," said Scott Krentz, a meteorologist with the NWS.  "We’re be on eastern periphery of it. You could see increased rainfall Thursday night into Friday, maybe even later than that. Thursday into Friday you could have 1 to 2 inches, maybe each day. Right now it’s not looking like complete washout." "Winds could be kind of gusty but they’re not going to super strong. We could see gusts of 25 to 30 mph," he said. The bigger concern is waterlogged trees that could fall as the area gets more rain and high winds. “The soil is kind of saturated in a lot of areas," Krentz said. The forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday increasing to 80 percent Thursday night, 70 percent chance Friday and 50 percent through Sunday.     Read Story »

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