Community News

LOCAL BRIEFS: 10 Eagles, dementia workshop, hospital visitation restrictions

Hendersonville Troop 601 recognized 10 Eagle Scouts at a recent Court of Honor. The new Eagles are Camden Collie, son of Page and Netta Collie; Daven Lundgren and Elek Lundgren, sons of Tracy and Poppy Dyer; Hampton Hicks, son of Dr. John Hicks and Dr. Anna Hicks; David Lilly, son of Dr. Edward Lilly and Lillian Lilly; Ben Bryant, son of Daniel and Susan Bryant; Pierce Harper and Ivey Harper, sons of William and Andrea Harper; J.T. Smith, son of Jerry Smith and Dr. Anne Smith; and Aaron Swift, son of Seth and Christina Swift. Scoutmaster of Troop 601 is Bill Harper. Chartered in the 1930s as Troop 1, today’s Troop 601 is thought to be the oldest continuously operating troop in Henderson County.

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 16, 2025

‘Learning to Dance with Dementia’ set for March 13

FLAT ROCK — Originally scheduled in October three weeks after Hurricane Helene, a free dementia workshop is back on the calendar at the Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness.

“Learning to Dance with Dementia: When to Lead, When to Follow and When to Get Out of the Way” will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in the Parish Hall across the street from the church, 1905 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock.

Led by dynamic dementia consultant Mary Donnelly, the interactive session offers insight and strategies to help caregivers navigate the delicate balance of communicating with a person whose brain is changing.

Dementia has and is touching so many of our loved ones, including event organizer Ronnie Doty. “I began this journey of dementia with my husband,” Doty said. “I used every resource available so I could know what lies ahead. If you are informed about the disease you can become a much better caregiver.”

A past board president for MemoryCare, a nationally-recognized nonprofit clinic in Asheville, Donnelly founded and coordinates the MemoryCaregivers Network, writes a bi-monthly e-newsletter, Caregiver Network News, and is part of the teaching staff for their annual caregiver education series. She facilitates five support groups, provides family consulting across the country, offers on-site staff dementia training for long-term care facilities and is a lively speaker on dementia-related issues.

Those who wish to attend the program must RSVP by visiting http://bit.ly/dancewithdementia. For more information call the church office at 828-693-9783.

Spike in respiratory triggers visitor restrictions

An increasing number of influenza cases and other respiratory illnesses has triggered visitor restrictions in all inpatient areas at Pardee Hospital, UNC Health Pardee announced on Monday. During this time, the following restrictions will be in place:

• Limit of two visitors per patient
• Visitors must be 18 years or older
• Individuals should avoid visiting the hospital if they have respiratory symptoms or any of the following: headache, muscle aches, cough, fever, sore throat, or a runny or stuffy nose

“Our top priority is always the health and safety of our community,” said Dr. Greg McCarty, Pardee's chief medical officer. “These temporary restrictions are necessary to prevent further spread of respiratory illnesses and ensure our healthcare providers can continue to deliver the highest level of care.”

While wearing a mask remains optional at UNC Health Pardee, it is strongly encouraged during periods of increased flu-like illnesses. All visitors should use hand hygiene before and after visiting patients and entering or leaving the hospital. Alcohol-based hand rub dispensers are available throughout the building. For more information on visiting policies or the latest updates on the hospital’s response to respiratory illnesses, please visit pardeehospital.org.

City gets interest free loan to repair utilities

Among the lessons learned the hard way from Hurricane Helene is that the need for aid is easy to demonstrate. A first-hand tour will do the trick.

“I have never seen such severe and extensive damage in the western part of our state,” state Department of Environmental Quality Director Mary Penney Kelley wrote to city utilities Director Adam Steurer in a letter awarding the city a $3 million interest-free loan. “The force of water it took to sweep away infrastructure, carve out river channels and deposit silt across our riverside streets and buildings was astounding. I am similarly amazed by the hard work that you and your community demonstrated in the aftermath to take care of each other and begin to put things right again.”

“As soon as reports came in on the devastation,” Kelley directed her department to activate emergency loan funding and waive program fees. The $3 million loan is intended to bridge the gap between the city’s expenditure of money to repair the water and sewer system and federal reimbursement for the work. Payback is not required “until the earlier of June 2030 or receipt of federal disaster relief,” Kelley said.