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Wildfire closes main roads in Lake Lure

Henderson County News

Wildfires close Chimney Rock, other state parks

Chimney Rock State Park and other state parks in the N.C. mountains are closed because of nearby wildfires or to deploy employees to the firefighting effort, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation said Friday. Several state parks in western North Carolina have been closed to allow additional staff and resources to be deployed to fight wildfires in South Mountains State Park and in and around Chimney Rock State Park, the In addition to those parks, where fires have burned approximately 1,000 acres in both locations, the division has closed New River, Gorges, Elk Knob, Lake James and Mount Mitchell state parks and Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. People planning to visit other state parks in the western part of the state are advised to check the division's web site at http://www.ncparks.gov/ before making the trip. The parks will reopen when the fires are contained or extinguished and staff are able to return to their assigned parks. A handful of staff will remain on duty in the closed parks for security purposes. "It is never an easy decision to close parks, but our utmost priority is the protection of life and property in the parks and the surrounding communities," Mike Murphy, director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, said. "The dedicated park rangers, maintenance staff and other staff from our agency are working diligently and cooperatively with partner agencies and the local communities as part of this effort." The division has also expanded its burning ban on all fire, including charcoal, to all parks west of Interstate 95.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

HHS graduate called to global trouble spots

If there’s trouble in the world — of the intractable, decades long, genocidal magnitude— David Tolbert gets the call.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

HHS alumni induct three to Hall of Fame

Tom Shipman said surprise was his main reaction when he learned he had been inducted into the Hendersonville High School Hall of Fame.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Total fire ban in effect for Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests

ASHEVILLE, NC- November 10, 2016 - The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests are implementing a TOTAL FIRE BAN due to the extremely dry conditions, high fire danger, and little chance of rain in the immediate forecast. Beginning on November 10, 2016, the following restrictions are in place for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests until further notice: Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire (including charcoal based fire whether in a grill or not) is NOT ALLOWED anywhere on the National Forest. The use of commercially available portable lanterns, stoves, or heating equipment that utilize gas or pressurized liquid fuel is allowed. The updated order expands the restrictions issued on October 28, 2016, to include restrictions in fee-area campgrounds. This restriction only pertains to the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, however, the State of North Carolina has also issued a burn ban for 25 western counties. Everyone has a part to play in preventing wildfires. Do not have open flame anywhere on the forest and be very cautious about activities that could produce fires such as extinguishing tobacco products or operating equipment without a spark arrestor. For more tips, go to https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos. More than 20 wildfires are burning on over 17,000 acres across the Nantahala National Forest. All fires are being investigated for suspected arson. Please call the National Forests of North Carolina at 828-257-4200 if you have information about persons setting fires or bragging about setting fires. If you see someone starting a fire, call 911.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

'Annie,' 'Joseph Dreamcoat,' 'Tuna Christmas' headline '17 Playhouse lineup

"Annie," "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and the popular "Tuna Christmas" headline the 2017 season of the Flat Rock Playhouse.   Read Story »

Mills River News

German manufacturer bringing 46 jobs to Mills River

MILLS RIVER — A German company that makes specialty nonwoven material used in many technical applications will begin hiring 46 employees in late 2017 and will begin operations in mid-2018, the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development announced. Norafin Industries announced plans to build their first North American manufacturing facilityon a 14-acre site on School House in Mills Road, adding to the community's run of new plant openings over the past several years. Norafin will invest $18.1 million on the 75,000-square-foot plant. The establishment of a North American manufacturing facility will allow Norafin to better serve existing clients, penetrate new markets, and provide a solid platform for continued future growth, the partnership said. The company has maintained a sales presence in Asheville over the past decade. Norafin was established in 1980 in East Germany, making Mildenau, Germany their headquarters since 1997. Norafin is a leading manufacturer of specialty spunlace nonwovens used in many technical applications. One such application is heat and flame resistance barriers used in protective apparel for firefighters. “When you see the guys going out and attacking the fire, those suits often contain 2-3 layers of Norafin product,” stated André Lang, President of Norafin. Other applications serving industrial, medical, and filtration markets require different, but equally as demanding, performance criteria. The company began their search for a North American location in March 2016. They explored sites throughout western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina before settling on the land in the farm community. “We learned that this site reminds them of their home in the Saxony region of Germany — the mountains, the valley and the community,” shared Henderson County Commission Chairman Tommy Thompson. The company plans to start site work in early 2017, which will be followed by vertical construction. By late 2017, the company will begin hiring, with production expected to begin by mid-2018. “We are grateful, as always, to have our community and state supporting quality jobs in Henderson County. The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina went above and beyond to help quantify our cost advantage, which pairs well with our unparalleled quality of life,” said Will Buie, Chair of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Cattle farmer pleads guilty in French Broad pollution

A Buncombe County beef cattle farmer pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to criminal violations of the Clean Water Act, Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Henderson Oil donates $8,000 to schools

Henderson Oil Co. on Wednesday announced the award of $8,000 in ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grants to 16 Henderson County public schools, supplying elementary, middle and high school principals with extra money for literacy and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teaching materials and programming. Atkinson Elementary, Bruce Drysdale Elementary, Clear Creek Elementary, Dana Elementary, Glenn C. Marlow Elementary, Hillandale Elementary, Edneyville Elementary, Mills River Elementary, Upward Elementary, Flat Rock Middle, Hendersonville Middle, Rugby Middle, East Henderson High, Hendersonville High, North Henderson High, and West Henderson High each received $500 to fund school-specific local programs. Mills River Elementary and Hillandale Elementary will put the funds toward participation in the 5th grade outdoor education program, Muddy Sneakers. Atkinson Elementary, Dana Elementary Flat Rock Middle, Hendersonville Middle, East Henderson High will use their $500 checks to update math and science materials and lab equipment. Upward Elementary and North Henderson plan to use their funds for math fluency programs while Bruce Drysdale Elementary will use its $500 on its literacy fluency program. West Henderson High will use its funds to continue the school’s Science Olympiad team and program, while Clear Creek Elementary will spend the $500 on an interactive family science night and Glenn C. Marlow Elementary will jumpstart its new STEM Club with the funds. Edneyville Elementary’s $500 grant will supplement its robotics team, and Rugby Middle School plans to use the funds in its Project Lead the Way program. Awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, 4,300 ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grants totaling $2.15 million were awarded to schools across the country this year in a matter of 75 minutes. Although the grant application window opened at the height of the gas pipeline break in mid-September, ExxonMobil Territory Manager Pablo Salmon helped Henderson Oil Company secure 31 of these $500 grants for a total of $15,500 – more than half of which were granted to HCPS. Salmon said he knows Henderson Oil Company’s President Bill McKibbin, Vice President Barry Edwards, Vice President & Controller Paul Jordan, and Administrative Assistant Connie Edwards are very active in the Henderson County community and look forward to distributing the grants each year. Superintendent Bo Caldwell thanked Henderson Oil Company and ExxonMobil, stating, “This is what makes Henderson County so great: the school system and the community coming together.”     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (105)

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

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