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Henderson County News

Scarier than Hillary and Trump!

The scariest thing since the 2016 presidential election campaign happens in downtown Hendersonville today.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Quarter-cent sales tax on ballot with no advocates

If victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan, the local option sales tax is looking very much like the latter.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Sheriff sets table for 2018 re-election campaign

Like all politicians, Charlie McDonald is quick to say that he’s not a politician. But he’s got more evidence than most. To begin with, he did not want the job he has now. After Sheriff Rick Davis’s stunning resignation the day before Thanksgiving 2011 amid a sexual harassment complaint by a female deputy, the Republican executive committee began meeting to find a replacement.“When the former sheriff started having issues I had been away from here for about a year and a half and I had never had any aspirations to become sheriff,” McDonald, 62, said in an interview. “In fact in all honesty, I hate to say it, I probably looked down my nose at anyone who thought they wanted to be sheriff. I guess I didn’t have a lot of respect maybe for politicians in general. I worked for some good sheriffs. Albert Jackson and George Erwin were very good sheriffs. Rick had some really good things going.”McDonald had retired as a captain after a career in which he climbed through the ranks from road deputy to criminal investigations to jail administrator. A SWAT team veteran, he worked after his sheriff’s career as a training consultant in the U.S. and abroad. Back home in Mills River, he had no interest in the sudden opening at the sheriff’s office. ‘Not only no but hell no’ “But the fact of the matter is a couple of different people came to my house and basically said, ‘Things aren’t good and they need somebody.’ Here’s what I was told: ‘The executive committee is going to need somebody to step in and they told me this very plainly. They don’t want somebody from inside because it’s going to look like the same old same old. They don’t want somebody who’s from so far outside that they don’t understand Henderson County. You would be a candidate because you’ve been away and yet you’ve got a history here.’ The first couple of times I was approached I said, ‘Not only no but hell no. Are you kiddin’ me? There’s no way.’”His closest adviser gave him a wakeup call. His wife, Jennie, knew the local law enforcement landscape. Her brother, George Erwin, had been a popular sheriff for 12 years; at the time she was secretary to the district attorney.“About the third time it happened I told Jennie, we were sitting in the living room — I remember it like it was yesterday — and she said ‘What happened?’ I said, ‘Well, you’ll never believe this. So-and-so asked me … and I relayed the story. And she said, ‘What’d you say?’ I looked at her incredulously and I said, ‘I said hell no, Jennie, what did you expect I’d say?’ And she looked at me and all of a sudden I felt like a 3-year-old being scolded by his mom and she said, ‘You’ve had several people ask. You’ve done this for 25 years. Do you not think we should have talked about it and prayed about it and seen (about it) because I don’t think this is happening for no reason.’“And when she said that I told her I would think about it. And this is where everybody will think I’m a nut job but I don’t care. I went out and I prayed about it and the thing that I heard clearly, not a spoken voice, I got an impression from God that said when you’re willing to go risk in that place and you have to rely on me for everything you’ll find what it is you’re looking for. And I knew right then that if I said no, I was still good to go, but if I said yes then I was actually stepping out on a risk to do something I had a potential to fail greatly at but I felt like if I said yes that I would have what I needed.”“I’ll be the first to tell you I was not prepared,” he added. “I didn’t study for this. I didn’t train for it. At times I wondered if I knew what was going on but the fact of the matter is this has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. It’s been the most challenging, the most trying, the most frustrating, the most tragic at times and yet I know that what we’ve accomplished is truly because not only my faith in God but this community. I have people tell me all the time, they pray for me and they pray for this agency.” Stumble at the starting line McDonald’s inexperience showed up early in his 2014 election campaign. A campaign finance filing from his first fundraiser, a successful golf tournament, reported $3,050 in cash donations of more than $50 each, a violation of state law. McDonald wanted to return the donations but state law didn’t allow that. It was a black eye for a candidate who not only looked like Mr. Clean but had tried to make ethics and departmental integrity his brand.This time around, he’s better organized and fully versed on campaign finance law. The reluctant politician is now a formidable incumbent — and he’s taking steps to make sure would-be rivals know the office of sheriff won’t be an open seat two years from now. Although the 2016 election dominates the headlines today, McDonald is already focused on 2018. He kicked off his re-election campaign on Oct. 17 with a sold-out golf tournament at Kenmure Country Club.“I came in as an appointee, so the concept of what it would take to run a campaign was foreign to me,” he said last week when asked why he is starting now. “Two and a half years later I found myself facing opposition in both a primary and a general election and both times I had to start from zero to raise a significant amount of money to get elected.“So we figure with where we are right now I have contacts and resources, so rather than come to folks at the very last minute with a big needs list we’re just trying to make sure for the next several years we’ll probably have an event once or twice a year — things that aren’t under a lot of pressure, just a lot of fun. The golf tournament was incredibly successful. We had a full field and the day it started we actually had a team show up. We were running around trying to find a spare golf cart.” He estimated that the event raised $10,000. ‘We’re all here for the same reason’ One thing McDonald wants to talk about in a re-election campaign is more community involvement in policing and grassroots approach that encourages neighbors to help neighbors. He pointed to the flood recovery in Eastern North Carolina as an example of solutions working best close to home.“The thing that’s going to make the most significant impact is local area governments and communities working together to meet their own specific needs,” he said. “Those are the people who know each other, who know the topography and all the nuances in their community. They can put together their own resources better than Raleigh can put together something and send it to them and have it be a one size fits all. … The office of sheriff is really born out of that community concept. I think really that’s my vision going forward.”He’s on a winning streak when it comes to sheriff’s office funding, which must be approved by the Board of Commissioners. His deputies got a pay raise larger than the countywide cost of living increase. Then commissioners authorized a $20 million training center McDonald insists is needed to stay ahead of threats to the community and deputies’ own safety.“I think we always do,” he replied when asked if he still had more selling to do on the need for the training center. “I believe I owe that to commissioners who stepped out and bought the vision that I had.“I think if people pay attention every day — we’re always hearing about law enforcement training, law enforcement use of force,” he added. “I don’t look at what happens yesterday or today, I look at trends.”McDonald still styles himself as a reformer who has stabilized a department rocked by the Rick Davis scandal. It’s come out the other end stronger and more professional, he says, and he’s learned to surround himself with a command staff and corps of deputies that support his vision.“I think the good thing I have going for me by the grace of God is I’m smart enough to know that I’m not smart enough,” he said. “I also know how to find the right kind of people who are led by the right kind of conviction. I believe we’re all here for the same reason and it’s been a recipe for success. … One of the advantages I know I have is I wasn’t looking for this job when I found it and if I lose this job by doing the right thing then it’s time for me to go anyway.”     Read Story »

Henderson County News

Pisgah announces new head ranger

The National Forests in North Carolina announced the appointment of a new top ranger who will manage operations in the Pisgah Ranger District starting Monday.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Pardee honors three Women of Hope

Pardee Hospital Foundation announced the 2016 Women of Hope award recipients at the 19th Annual Women Helping Women Luncheon held on Friday at Blue Ridge Community College. Delwin Hyder, Karen Orr Haug and Bobbie Trotter were honored at this year's sold-out event, which raised more than $160,000 to help uninsured or under-insured women receive a mammogram or other important health screenings. At the luncheon, which welcomed a record 460 attendees, WLOS News 13 anchor and cancer survivor Jay Siltzer introduced keynote speaker Joan Lunden, former host of Good Morning America, bestselling author and cancer survivor. Every year, the Pardee Hospital Foundation honors at least one woman in the community who has experienced cancer or another serious health condition, and has shared her story of courage and determination. Delwin Hyder has driven Flat Rock Middle School's exceptional children school bus for 38 years. In 2013, she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, between stage 1 and 2, a moderately aggressive form of breast cancer. Hyder underwent a double mastectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy. Though the treatment made her weak and fatigued, she was determined to fight for her family and the children she loved at Flat Rock. She returned to work three weeks after her final chemotherapy treatment. "I couldn't wait to get back to my kids," said Hyder. "That was what got me through. Those kids depend on me." The students at Flat Rock Middle School missed her, too. They sold pink ribbons and donated the money to help Hyder pay her medical bills. Now cancer-free since 2013, she encourages people to count their blessings and women to get yearly mammograms. "Every woman needs to get a mammogram every year, no matter what is going on in their lives. It could save your life," she said. When Karen Orr Haug found a lump in her breast in 2014, she scheduled a mammogram, but the exam found nothing suspicious. Her primary care physician recommended an ultrasound, but again, the radiologist believed she only had a cyst and recommended another screening in six months. Her primary care physician, not satisfied with the diagnosis, referred her to Charles Albers, M.D., FACS, a breast surgeon at Pardee. Though Dr. Albers initially suspected fibrocystic disease, he scheduled Haug for a second screening in two months. At that exam, he found that the lump had grown and rushed Haug into testing, which found she had a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer. She underwent six grueling rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy, 36 radiation treatments and more chemotherapy. By Thanksgiving 2015, Haug was cancer-free. "I'm still here today thanks to Dr. Albers," she said. "I always tell my kids that everything happens for a reason. I think this happened to me to show me that every day is a gift." Bobbie Trotter discovered a lump in her breast in 2012 and knew something was not right. She called her friend Kristy Capps, RN, breast care navigator at Pardee, who scheduled a screening for the next day. The following day, Trotter was diagnosed with breast cancer. She almost immediately began four rounds of chemotherapy, followed by radiation. "All along, my mantra was, 'let's fight this,'" said Trotter. "I was going to beat this and do it as quickly as I could." Engaged to be married at the time of her diagnosis, Trotter and her fiancé decided to move up their wedding day and got married at the gazebo at Laurel Park. Additionally, Trotter had just begun a new job as Laurel Park Chief of Police. "2012 was turning into a big year," she said. "New job, breast cancer diagnosis and a new husband." After beating cancer, she and her husband adopted their son Hayden. "It's been four years now and while I have a hard time remembering the small details of my cancer treatment, what I remember most are the people who helped me and the impact they had on my journey," she said. "My family, the team at Pardee, my friends and the power of prayer are what saved me." She added, "I'm thankful for this diagnosis and my journey. It has made me stronger. And I'm now in a new club of very strong women and men." "Delwin, Karen and Bobbie exemplify what it means to be Women of Hope," said Kimerly Hinkelman, executive director of Pardee Hospital Foundation. "Not only did these women beat cancer, they did so with incredible strength, grace and dignity. We are so pleased to honor them as 2016 Women of Hope and know their stories will inspire others to face challenges with a similar spirit." Pardee Memorial Hospital Foundation was approved as a nonprofit foundation in January 1996. The Foundation exists to educate and inspire the community to support Pardee Hospital. Since its inception, the Foundation has generated more than $30 million in pledges and cash gifts for Pardee services. For more information, visit www.pardeehospitalfoundation.org or call 828-233-2700.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Playhouse actor sets stage for $1M cancer center boost

An actor who has performed for more than 20 years at the Flat Rock Playhouse has become the biggest donor so far to the Pardee Comprehensive Cancer Center, making a cash donation and matching pledge challenge that would total $1 million, the Pardee Foundation announced Friday at the close of its annual Women Helping Women luncheon at the Blue Ridge Conference Hall at BRCC.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Historic panel OKs house on Third Avenue

Downtown Hendersonville will get its first new residential dwelling in memory if a local developer completes the proposed project he presented to a city board last week.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Pisgah Legal lawyers fight war on poverty

There is an ugly truth that lies in the beautiful mountains in which we live. Thousands of children, and their families, are living in poverty. While the percentage varies county by county, on average 25 percent of Western North Carolina children are living at or below the federal poverty line. In Henderson County that number is 22 percent.These are children whose families are homeless or are at risk of homelessness; children who are often hungry and go without medicine, warm coats, school supplies and other essentials; and children whose mothers are abused but cannot afford to leave a violent home.Twenty years ago, the Children’s Law Project at Pisgah Legal Services(PLS) was created to help solve these devastating problems of poverty and to ensure that children in our community have what they need to thrive. Pisgah Legal is a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to improve the lives of individuals and families in crisis in six mountain counties in our region.Over the past two decades, we estimate that Pisgah Legal staff and volunteer attorneys have helped 70,000 children. PLS assisted more than 15,000 people in WNC in the last year alone, including more than 5,500 children. In 2015, PLS helped 1106 Henderson County children avoid homelessness, escape abuse and secure their basic needs.The Children’s Law Project helps address a lack of funding for programs serving low-income women and children in our region. It’s incredible to me that these critical services continue to be underfunded when they are proven to be so successful.An attorney can be a highly effective advocate for a child in crisis. A severely autistic child who has his health care benefits wrongfully terminated can’t fight to have them reinstated, but a lawyer certainly can. When a family is living in dangerous, substandard housing, the children pay the price for sleeping in a dwelling that is filled with black mold or has raw sewage in the crawl space. An attorney can represent that family in court to compel an unscrupulous landlord to make repairs and ensure their home is safe. And for a child terrorized by domestic violence, a lawyer can help his or her mother escape safely – and take the child with her – to build a life free from abuse.Pisgah Legal Services is committed to working with partners across WNC to reduce child poverty and the terrible suffering that comes with it. Earlier this month Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of The Children’s Defense Fund, and a lifelong advocate for children, spoke at the 6th Annual Pisgah Legal Poverty Forum. During her inspiring presentation, I was especially moved by these words – “If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.”The month of October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on you and others from across our region to join with me and Pisgah Legal Services to improve the lives of low-income children and their families who call our mountains home, because they, too, will be our future. Eleanor Owen is a long-time supporter and former Board Chair of Pisgah Legal Services. For more information on PLS visit www.pisgahlegal.org. The Henderson County PLS office is located at 440 South Church Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792 or call 828.253.0406.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

EHHS names new baseball coach

The administration of East Henderson High School has named Daniel Corhn the new head baseball coach for the Eagles, effective immediately. Corhn is presently serving as the head junior varsity football coach, and assistant baseball coach at East. Corhn is taking control of the baseball program at East with five years of experience coaching the Eagles; he’s been the assistant baseball coach for five years, is in his fifth season coaching junior varsity football, and served as junior varsity baseball coach for three years. Born and raised in Henderson County, Corhn grew up watching his mother, Shawn Corhn, coach volleyball, track and field at Rugby Middle, and was an athlete himself at West Henderson High. He graduated from West in 2008 and from Western Carolina University in 2012. “My mom was an educator and a coach for 31 years at Rugby, and both of my sisters are coaches as well,” Corhn said. “It’s always been an aspiration of mine to become a head coach.” Corhn spent the last few years working alongside former head baseball coach Sam Perry, whom he called a mentor and a friend. “We have a lot of potential, and the baseball program in the past few years has been moving in a very positive direction,” Corhn said. “I’m very excited about this season.”     Read Story »

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