Henderson County News
The N.C. Department of Transportation has clossed one of two eastbound lanes on Interstate 26 for an emergency repair.
Read Story »
Henderson County News
A former Flat Rock jewelry shop owner was sentenced to more than three years in prison after her conviction on charges that she defrauded wholesale jewel suppliers of more than $400,000 worth of merchandise.
Read Story »
Henderson County News
Have you ever purchased a whole chicken, cooked it and then cut it up in a way that left meat on the bones or was just really messy? Now is your chance. Joe and Linda Brittain of Brittain Farms will demonstrate the right way to butcher a chicken at the Mills River Farmers Market on Saturday. They will repeat the demonstration each hour beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Mills River Farmers Market is located at 94 School House Road, Mills River, on the campus of Mills River Elementary School. The market supports local farms and farmers supplying high quality, local, and sustainable produce, dairy, meat, and handmade goods; most vendors are within 20 miles of Mills River. Mills River Farmers Market is the only market in Henderson County that accepts SNAP/EBT benefits allowing lower income families to have access to a variety of quality produce, meat, and dairy.
The market is held each Saturday from May through October from 8 a.m. to noon. A special “Holiday Market” is held in November highlighting local crafts, late fall/early winter produce and seasonal items.
City leaf pickup starts Monday
The city of Hendersonville will begin fall leaf collection for city residents on Monday, Oct. 17. Collection will continue until the end of December. Residents are asked to rake their leaves as close to the street, curb or sidewalk as possible without placing the leaves in the road or on the sidewalk. Residents do not need to call for this service. Leaf piles are picked up from homes about every 10 to 14 days but depending on the volume of leaves placed out for collection the piles could be picked up sooner or later than that time. Leaf pickup is separate from the city brush collection so residents need to keep the brush and leaves in separate piles. Residents are asked to not bag their leaves. For information call the Public Works Department at (828) 697-3084.
Contractor to remove dead trees on greenway
Work will begin on the Oklawaha Greenway Trail on Oct. 12 between Patton Park and Seventh Avenue to remove some dead trees and hazardous limbs over the trail. Trees that have been evaluated by a certified arborist and deemed unsafe will be removed. Epperson Tree Service of Saluda won the bid to complete the work. The project is expected to span five working days or more. That stretch of the trail will be closed while work is under way.
New EMS station opens in Fletcher
Henderson County’s new Emergency Medical Service (EMS) station is now open in Fletcher. The station is currently scheduled to operate 12 hours a day/seven days per week and was approved by the Board of Commissioners in the FY16-17 budget to handle the increasing number of emergency medical calls occurring countywide.
The new ambulance and crew are based at the Fletcher Fire & Rescue Main Station thanks to the cooperation of the department. Locating the new ambulance in Fletcher will help address overall EMS call volume and decrease response times to emergency calls, EMS officials said.
Farmers can apply for Ag Options grants
WNC Agricultural Options is now accepting grant applications from farmers diversifying or expanding their businesses. The program helps offset farmers’ risk of starting ventures or growing new operations with $3,000 and $6,000 grants. The application deadline is Nov. 14.
The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has notified WNC AgOptions leaders that the program will be funded for another two years. The commission expects to increase the amount of funding so that WNC AgOptions can give more farmers grants in 2017 and 2018 than in recent years.
Since 2004, WNC AgOptions has awarded more than $2 million to 456 farmers. The program serves a diverse array of farmers, including many noteworthy agritourism projects.
As a result of their grant-funded greenhouse, Randy and Carol Edmundson in Henderson County can now grow all their own vegetable starts for their 100-acre vegetable farm. The project saved them thousands of dollars and ensured they have healthy, disease-free transplants, which they could not guarantee when purchasing from other sources. This year they have also produced more vegetables than in the past and increased overall sales.
Applicants should contact their Cooperative Extension agents by Oct. 14 to set up an appointment to discuss their projects. Applications are available at www.wncagoptions.org or at local Cooperative Extension Centers. Extension Agents remain a resource for farmers throughout the year as they complete their projects.
Potential applicants are encouraged to attend grant information sessions in which program coordinator Jennifer Ferre explains the application and answers questions about the grants. Locally a session will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station.
Habitat to dedicate Dodd Meadows center
Henderson County Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the grand opening of the new Community Center at the Habitat subdivision in East Flat Rock on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows and Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Tommy Thompson will cut the ribbon during the ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. in Dodd Meadows at East Blue Ridge and Crest roads. Tours of Habitat homes under various stages of construction will also be offered.
The project was completed through a Community Development Block Grant with the North Carolina Department of Commerce in collaboration with Henderson County. Complete with a meeting room and a fully equipped kitchen, the community center will be made available as a meeting facility to Henderson County non-profit organizations and will become the center of activity for Habitat homeowners. Additional plans for the community include a nature trail, community gardens, playgrounds, and sidewalk systems.Sponsored by Park Ridge Health, the event, from 4 to 6 p.m., is free and open to the public. Please RSVP at 828-694-0340.
Read Story »
Henderson County News
Tractor Association hosts Fall Harvest Days
The Apple Country Engine and Tractor Association will present WNC Fall Harvest Days and 31st Annual Antique Engine and Tractor Show Oct. 20-22 at the WNC Ag Center.“Power of The Past” features all makes of tractors and farm equipment including antique tractors, hit’n’miss engines of all sizes, tractor pulls and vendors selling parts. The event includes three full days of more than 250 vendors/exhibitors, tools, antiques, collectibles, toys and odd stuff. The Parade of Power (featuring anything with a motor that moves on its own) is 2 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tractor pulls for farm tractors 1964 and earlier is 11 a.m. Saturday. Kids Pedal Pull (afes 5-12) is noon Saturday.Admission is $8/day or $20 for a 3-day pass. Children under 12 are admitted free with paid adult. For show rules and more information visit applecountry.org.
El Centro presents ‘Day of the Dead’
El Centro of Henderson County will celebrate the Day of the Dead Festival Sunday, Oct. 30, from 3-6 pm at Los Reyes at 810 South Grove Street.The first Day of the Dead celebration drew approximately 600 people and 24 community organizations, a taco truck and 100 prize winners. The festival, a free event focused on children, will include raffles, candy, contests, arts and crafts (sugar skull painting) games for the children, music, folk dances, traditional altars, typical Mexican appetizers and food for sale, information booths and a lot of fun for all.The event includes a brief explanation of the meaning behind the symbols found on the traditional Day of the Dead altar, a contest for community members to create their own altars and volunteers dressed in typical day of the dead costumes. In addition there will be a costume contest for kids ages 2 to 15.
Congregational Church Hunger Walk raises $17k
First Congregational United Church of Christ raised more than $17,000 for this year’s Henderson County Hunger Coalition annual Hunger Walk, the church announced.“One-fourth of our active church membership was on our Hunger Walk team,” said the event’s coordinator, Roy Harris. “We wish to thank the generous folks both in our congregation and throughout the community who sponsored these participants.”For more information, visit fcchendersonville.org.
Read Story »
Henderson County News
A healthy dose of Girl Power awaits patrons on the Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage in Beehive, the musical revue that showcases the songstresses of the 1960s. The era is viewed largely through the eyes of singer Shaleah Adkisson, who reminisces about teen life during that time.
Read Story »
Henderson County News
The Arts Council of Henderson County awarded $3,000 in prizes to artists participating in the 57th annual Art on Main Festival Oct. 1-2 in downtown Hendersonville.
Awards were announced during an artists reception by Arts Council board chair John Patrick McAfee and Christine Mariotti, AIS manager. Diane Hopkins-Hughs, Gary Lee Huntoon, and Nancy Williamson were judges for the festival, deciding cash prizes worth a total of $3,000.The winners were:• Best of Show ($1,000), Ray Jones, Asheville, Wood• 1st Place, Fine Art ($500), Chris Bruner, Taylors, S.C., Photography• 1st Place, Fine Craft ($500), Paula Marksbury, Athens, Tenn., Glass.• 2nd Place, Fine Art ($300), Brian Kuehn, Pisgah Forest, Pastels• 2nd Place, Fine Craft ($300), Deborah Bryant, Cashiers, Fiber/Leather• Honorable Mention ($100), Beth Gaudreau, Waxhaw, Fiber• Honorable Mention ($100), John Gunther, Abingdon, Va., Fiber• Honorable Mention ($100), Susie Murphy, Hugo, Texas, Oil/Acrylic• Honorable Mention ($100), Roberto Vengoechea, Black Mountain, JewelryThe Art on Main Fine Art / Fine Craft festival is presented by the Arts Council of Henderson County with major support provided by Morris Broadband. For more information contact The Arts Council at 828-693-8504 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The web address is www.acofhc.org. Read Story »
Henderson County News
Luis Hernandez, a fifth grader at Sugarloaf Elementary, wore a blue and white striped tie to a birthday party for the Henderson County Education Foundation. He stood in front of the gathering at the Historic Courthouse and praised a foundation-sponsored program, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids.“At Sugarloaf Elementary we talk about legacies.” Hernandez said. “I want to leave a legacy of leadership and kindness at my school. I want to inspire others to leave a legacy of leadership and kindness as well.”Hernandez and another fifth grader, Leiann Marshall of Dana Elementary, represented the Leader in Me program while Emily Williams thanked the foundation for a music program.The Berrian Fund benefits students enrolled in strings programs. Through the program, Emily has met musicians her age. It has enabled her to pursue her passion of music.The Education Foundation celebrated its 30th birthday on Thursday with the endorsements by the public school students, cupcakes and the unveiling of a new logo, featuring a heart inside the symbol of both teaching and Henderson County farm heritage, the apple.The event included keynote speakers Paul Knott, the foundation’s executive director, and Associate Schools Superintendent John Bryant. County Commissioner Michael Edney read a proclamation honoring the foundation.HCEF is committed to expanding its programs to all of the elementary schools in Henderson County, but as of now Dana and Sugarloaf Elementary are the only two who have adopted such programs.The foundation used the milestone to launch a new fundraising initiative, “$30 for 30 years,” to encourage the community to give. All of the proceeds go directly back into the programs the HCEF has established. The celebration was topped off by cupcakes prepared by the Henderson County School System Nutrition Services featuring the new logo in icing.“It’s been a love of mine to see what people who have resources can do to help other people who don’t,” Knott said. “Every kid in school deserves a change to have a good life and through scholarships and grants to students and these programs we talked about today, the Foundation is a great place to be.” Read Story »
Henderson County News
The U.S. Forest Service and the North Carolina Forest Service are warning the public of increasing fire danger in western North Carolina. Read Story »
Henderson County News
Q. I see that there is some activity in the old Harris Teeter building on Spartanburg Highway. What’s going on?
Read Story »
