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D.A. dismisses charge against WHHS basketball coach

Henderson County Sports

Commissioners make their football championship picks

Henderson County commissioners covered all four choices in their annual college football championship picks, a tradition started several years ago by County Manager Steve Wyatt. The college football playoff includes Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama. "I said last year that my first son and my money went to Clemson and I had to go with Clemson," Commissioner Bill Lapsley said. "I’ll go with them again." Grady Hawkins: "I’m going to go with one of my alma maters: Oklahoma." Michael Edney: "We all know the Georgia Bulldogs are going to win." Charlie Messer, who picked Alabama over Clemson last year, stayed with the Tide. Tommy Thomson, who doesn't follow sports, also went with Alabama. After saying, "I’m going to pull for Appalachian," Wyatt, a big Mountaineer fan, predicted an Oklahoma win.   Read Story »

Henderson County Sports

Marathon cyclist covers miles in the 100s

Larry Oslund has only been a part of the Ultra Marathon Cycling world for three years and has left his mark in dramatic fashion.   Read Story »

Henderson County Sports

WHHS kicks off artificial turf era Friday night

Prep football in Henderson County kicks off a new era when three high schools debut their artificial turf fields over the next three weeks in  intra-country rivalry games.The county’s compass direction schools all have new artificial fields this year for the first time but Hendersonville High School gets in on the inaugural festivities as the visitor in the first game.West Henderson High School opens the artificial turf era this Friday night against Hendersonville. North Henderson High School christens its new field on Aug. 25, when East Henderson High School visits, followed by East Henderson High School, which hosts West on Sept. 1.County commissioners have committed to replacing the grass at Hendersonville High School during the construction of the new HHS.Each school is celebrating the new fields with a ribbon cutting and dinner. Invited were county commissioners, School Board members, administrators, principals, coaches and media representatives.Commissioners agreed to finance the construction last spring if a contractor could fast-track the work to have all three ready for football season. Medallion won the contract for $2.45 million. Commissioners appropriated $2.75 million but cost overruns boosted the overall cost to $2.945 million. The School Board voted Monday night to cover the shortfall of $195,220.The total cost also included engineering fees, new track surfaces and striping and custom field designs.   Read Story »

Laurel Park Sports

Laurel Park hosts music festival, Jump Off Climb

Music lovers can enjoy a popular cover band at one of the area's best outdoor venues on Saturday afternoon and bicyclists ready to burn  quads can race 5½ miles up the mountain to Jump Off Rock the next day. It might be called Laurel Park Weekend with the two events, starting with the popular Jump Off Rock Music Festival. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for the picnic, music and dancing festival organized by the Laurel Park Civic Association and sponsored by Pardee UNC Health Care. Dashboard Blue provides the entertainment. "It's a great band and a great view of the mountains," said Mark Morse, president of the civic association, which raises money for projects to improve the town. "It's the only time of year you can have beer and wine there." A couple of years ago, the association stopped having a barbecue truck serve plates. Now it's a picnic, so people bring their own food, beverages, picnic blankets and chairs. Festival-goers can drop off their supplies and their party and drive down to designated parking. A shuttle is available for those who want a ride back to Jump Off. The association partnered with iDaph events of Asheville to host the first Jump Off Rock Hill Climb, a part of the Lung Buster Time Trial series. The time trial is one of seven cycling events in western North Carolina open to riders who want a professional race experience, no matter how fast they are. All levels and abilities are welcome. The Jump Off race starts at 3 p.m. "Our unique mix of different racing environments allows riders of different strengths and focuses to level the playing field amongst competitors," organizers say. "Also, having seven separate events means that one poor showing won’t decimate your opportunity to do well in the series as a whole. So as to not leave out any cyclist: whether you’re an elite time trailer or a recreational rider on your road bike wanting to prove your merit in our Merckx/Standard division, we have both categories." For more information or to register visit click here. "With younger people and younger families moving in, we've got more bike riders," Morse said. "We thought it would be a fund thing to watch."         Read Story »

Hendersonville Sports

One for the thumb for HMS Lady Bearcats

The Hendersonville Middle School Lady Bearcats soccer team continued its dominance in the Blue Ridge Conference, beating Apple Valley Middle School to finish the season undefeated and claim the conference title for the fifth year in a row.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Sports

Greenway gets blue light emergency phones

If there's trouble on the Oklawaha Greenway, help is nearby in the form of five new emergency phones.   Read Story »

Henderson County Sports

Trainers make county schools safe for sports

Four Henderson County high schools served by Pardee Sports Medicine trainers received the National Athletic Trainers Association Safe Sports School Award, Pardee UNC Health Care announced today. East Henderson High School, Hendersonville High School, North Henderson High School and West Henderson High School each earned the award, which recognizes secondary schools that provide safe environments for student-athletes and reinforces the importance of providing the best level of care, injury prevention and treatment. Athletic trainers Dwayne Durham, Becky Dotson, Glenn Preslar, and Andrew Patterson provide athletic training services to East Henderson, Hendersonville, North Henderson and West Henderson high schools, respectively. Pardee began its sports medicine program in 2015 with the integration of well-established Western North Carolina sports medicine programs. The program expanded its services in 2016 with the addition of Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics (SESMO), a department of Pardee UNC Health Care. The partnership with this group of sports medicine and orthopedic physicians further enhances Pardee’s elite sports medicine program. The goal is to provide high-quality preventive health care to student-athletes and contribute to the health and wellness of our communities. A major emphasis of the program is the utilization of athletic trainers (ATCs) and supporting their role as valuable health professionals. Pardee’s athletic trainers provide coverage at area high school and middle school sports games and practices. Additionally, SESMO orthopedic surgeons are on the field during East Henderson, Hendersonville and North Henderson’s football games. “We are honored that the high school athletics programs we support through athletic trainer coverage have been recognized by NATA’s Safe Sports School Awards,” said Dwayne Durham, MEd, ATC, LAT, director of Pardee Sports Medicine. “This recognition would not have been possible without continued support from the school principals, athletic directors and athletic trainers who work diligently to ensure our student-athletes are safe and have access to excellent medical care.” "We are so very proud that each of our high schools has been awarded with the NATA Safe Sports School Award,” said school system associate superintendent John Bryant. “Such recognition is truly a credit to the exceptional care provided by our athletic trainers through the generous support of Pardee Sports Medicine." “We remain committed to the health and welfare of young athletes in competitive sports,” says NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC. “This award recognizes the contributions and commitment of schools across the country that are implementing safe sports policies and best practices to ensure athletes can do what they love best and have the appropriate care in place to prevent, manage and treat injuries should they occur.” To achieve Safe Sports School status, as East Henderson, Hendersonville, North Henderson and West Henderson high schools did, athletic programs must do the following: Create a positive athletic health care administrative system.Provide or coordinate pre-participation physical examinations.Promote safe and appropriate practice and competition facilities.Plan for selection, fit function and proper maintenance of athletic equipment.Provide a permanent, appropriately equipped area to evaluate and treat injured athletes.Develop injury and illness prevention strategies, including protocols for environmental conditions.Provide or facilitate injury intervention.Create and rehearse a venue-specific Emergency Action Plan.Provide or facilitate psychosocial consultation and nutritional counseling/education.Be sure athletes and parents are educated of the potential benefits and risks in sports as well as their responsibilities.Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and sport-related illnesses. They prevent and treat chronic musculoskeletal injuries from sports, physical and occupational activity, and provide immediate care for acute injuries. Athletic trainers offer a continuum of care that is unparalleled in health care. The National Athletic Trainers' Association represents and supports 44,000 members of the athletic training profession. Visit www.nata.org.     Read Story »

Edneyville Sports

County OKs artificial turf at three stadiums

If the schedule holds, three Henderson County high school football teams will be playing on artificial turf this fall.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Sports

County eyes greenway extension

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners is moving ahead on plans for several possible greenway extension plans. Speakers expressed support on Wednesday for new greenways on Wednesday before the commissioners opened a discussion on bicycle and pedestrian paths countywide. Commissioners accepted a payment of $173,000 from the city of Hendersonville in lieu of the city's commitment to construct a greenway on a Jackson Park sewer line easement. Among the options the staff recommended for use of the money are to: Reconstruct the existing Oklawaha Greenway between Fourth Avenue and Four Seasons Boulevard, a section that is often underwater after heavy rain, at a cost of $260,000. That project would elevate the greenway 3 feet above the floodplain. Extend the Oklawaha Greenway through the park from the Fourth Avenue side to Glover Street, at a cost of $125,000 to $180,000. Extend the Oklawaha Greenway along a powerline easement to the county Athletic and Activity Center, at a cost of $300,000 to $400,000. Construct a bridge over Mud Creek to connect the Fourth Avenue sidewalk to the greenway, at a cost of $300,000. Develop countywide greenway master plan, at a cost of $75,000 to $100,000. "There are several grant opportunities," said County Engineer Marcus Jones, from the state parks and recreation division, the French Broad MPO, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the NCDOT and other organizations. The city payment could be used as seed money to draw down more cash for greenways, County Manager Steve Wyatt said. "This is an opportunity to use the ccity's money and multiply that to perhaps attack several of these projects and get several of these projects done," he said. Commissioner Grady Hawkins said the top priority should be to connect the Oklawaha Greenway through Jackson Park and on to Blue Ridge Community College. A top concern "is safety of bike riders," he said. "I woud like to be able to extend the trail from Berkeley Park all the way to the community college in the hopes that bike riders would get off the roads." Commissioner Bill Lapsley said he would be willing to "carry the flag" at the French Broad MPO, which he serves on, "I just want everybody to understand this is not a click your fingers and it happens tomorrow," he said. "It takes a lot of effort and lot of lobbying to convince the MPO to fund the project." County Business Development Director John Mitchell said the MPO has $4 million for greenway planning. The commissioners acted after eight residents spoke in favor of greenway expansion. "We've been really been gladdened with the greenway and our ability to use it," said Phillip Ellis, a father of two who lives near the Oklawaha Greenway. "Moving to Hyman Heights and having that connectivity has really improved our quality of life." Another Hyman Heights resident, Suzanne Hale, said the greenway is a boon to seniors. "What I love to do is walk on the greenway," she said. "My friends walk and bike there, some of them daily." Some walk and ride for fitness, some because of health problems. "It's really a vibant place for our local environemnt. It's just so special when my grandchildren come to town to be able to take them for a walk on the greenway." Henderson County's high population of seniors benefits from greenways, she added. "As the county plans its budget I really hope you keep the seniors in mind. We love the greenway because it's beautiful, it's accessible and most of all it's flat." Joe Sanders, the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club president who is active in the greenway development plans for Hendersonville, Flat Rock and Laurel Park, said statistics show that greenways can help cut down on motor vehicle traffic. "Forty percent of all trips are 2 miles are less yet 80 percent are driven," he said. "Seventy percent of North Carolinians say they would walk or bike if there was a safe, well-connected bicycle pedestrian network." "I speak today as physician and a greenway advocate," said Dr. Ken Shelton, a radiologist. "Advocates are asking you to make us better by making more greenways connecting us to more people and places." The community could most effectively fight the obesity epidemic through one solution. "If I could write a prescription, it would read, exercise, comma, repeat. The Oklawaha Greenway is popular, extremely well used and short. Our county needs more safe places integrated into our lives that encourage people to ride, run, walk and play." "The value of the Oklawaha Greenway cannot be overstated," said Grey Jernigan of MountainTrue, "for families, health and for quality of life, as alternative transportation and perhaps most importantly for economic development of the county."     Read Story »

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