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Four Seasons Politics

Edwards, Baldwin spar over immigration, push polls

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Local Cruz headquarters opening today

Ted Cruz supporters are holding a headquarters kickoff and open house at noon today with a pizza party at 4 p.m.   Read Story »

Mills River Four Seasons Politics

After bitter divorce, Mills River faces big tax increase

MILLS RIVER — Mills River taxpayers could face a property tax increase as high as 10 cents per $100 valuation as the Town Council scrambles to provide a “core service” to replace a sheriff's contract the county is terminating.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Four Seasons Politics

Redistricting was 'no plum assignment,' McGrady says

State Rep. Chuck McGrady says he didn’t view his appointment to a special redistricting committee as a plum assignment because he’s never specialized in map drawing and was unenthusiastic about a week of off-season committee work in Raleigh.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

4 SEASONS POLITICS: 11th Dct. Dems debate Saturday

Democratic candidates for Congress debate The Henderson County Democratic Party will host a debate between Tom Hill of Zirconia and Rick Bryson of Bryson City, candidates for Democratic nomination for the 11th Congressional District, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the West Henderson High School Auditorium. Maureen Copelof of Brevard, Democratic candidate for state House District 113, and Norm Bossert of Pisgah Forest, Democratic candidate for state Senate District 48, will also be on hand. GOP women host legislative candidates The Henderson County Republican Women’s Club luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at The Cedars will include state Senate District 48 candidates Lisa Carpenter Baldwin of Fetcher and Dennis Justice and state House District 113 candidate Coty Ferguson.Baldwin graduated summa cum laude from UNCG and earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland and is a member of MENSA. She served four years as a Buncombe County school board member, is on the N.C. School of Science and Math Strategic Planning Action Team and is an active volunteer.Justice, of Fletcher, got his start in politics with United We Stand, America. He considers himself a Lincoln conservative and pushed for common-sense school construction solutions. He was president of the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club and is a former precinct chairman. He has a master’s degree in Sports Management and is a volunteer for local sports teams and youth outreach programs.Ferguson, of Brevard, has served on multiple deployments to Iraq. He is a real estate broker and serves on the Brevard Planning Board and is an active volunteer. He worked with the Division of Employment Security to help veterans gain employment in Henderson and Transylvania counties and wants to see improvements in economic and workforce development.To attend the lunch send a $15 check made payable to The Cedars by Feb. 19 to P.O. Box 2734, Hendersonville, NC 28793. Democrats set precinct meetings The Henderson County Democratic Party announced the annual precinct meetings will be held Saturday, Feb. 27, at the city Operations Center, 305 Williams Street. Times and precincts are:• 10 a.m. to noon: Grimesdale, Hendersonville 1, Hendersonville 2, Hendersonville 3, Long John Mountain, Laurel Park, North Blue Ridge, Northeast, Pisgah View, South Blue Ridge, Southeast, Southwest.• 12:30-2:30 p.m.: Bat Cave, Brickton, Clear Creek, Edneyville, Fletcher, Hoopers Creek, Moores Grove, North Mills River, Northwest, Park Ridge, Rugby, South Mills River.• 3-5 p.m.: Armory, Atkinson, Crab Creek, East Flat Rock, Etowah South, Etowah Valley, Flat Rock, Green River, Horse Shoe, Raven Rock.Carolina Village has not yet been set and will be announced. Apodaca, McGrady named to redistricting panel State Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady have been appointed to a Joint Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting that legislative leaders created to redraw the political boundaries if they lose their appeal of a decision that invalidated the current map.“Even though the State of North Carolina maintains that its Congressional maps are constitutional and remains confident the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately issue a stay, legislative leaders are taking steps to prepare for a possible special session to comply with a federal trial court’s ruling,” legislative leaders said in a news release. “These steps are necessary since the Supreme Court decision is expected to come within days of the lower court’s Feb. 19 deadline to redraw the maps.”Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) announced the appointment on Friday of Rep. David Lewis and Sen. Bob Rucho as co-chairs and Rep. Bert Jones and Apodaca as vice-chairs.The General Assembly is seeking a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court of a federal appellate panel’s ruling that threw out the congressional districts as racial gerrymandering.“Due to the extremely tight deadline imposed on us by the federal trial court, we are being forced to hope for the best but prepare for the worst,” Lewis and Rucho said in the news release. “Hopefully, this is an unnecessary exercise since the overwhelming majority of times our redistricting plans have been reviewed, they have been validated as fair, legal and constitutional – and we remain confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a stay.”   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Advocates fight confusion over voter ID law

Advocacy groups are fighting voter confusion over the new photo ID law amid a shifting landscape of the spring election season brought on by a court decision invalidating the state's congressional map.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Apodaca, McGrady appointed to special redistricting committee

State Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady have been appointed to a Joint Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting that legislative leaders created to redraw the political boundaries if they lose their appeal of a decision that invalidated the current map.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

No fireworks in '16 short session, McGrady predicts

State Rep. Chuck McGrady predicts the upcoming legislative session will be free of political fireworks and legislators will come home in time for the real fireworks.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Council drops effort to arm itself in City Hall

Reversing course on the issue of arming itself at City Hall, the Hendersonville City Council dropped an effort Thursday night to allow council members to bring weapons to council meetings.   Read Story »

Henderson County Four Seasons Politics

Four candidate forums announced

Chamber of Commerce The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidate Forum for the 2016 state Senate and state House of Representatives races at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, at the Chamber of Commerce, 204 Kanuga Road. Candidates are Lisa Baldwin, Chuck Edwards and Dennis Justice for state Senate District 48 and Coty Ferguson and Cody Henson for the 113th state House seat. League of Women Voters The Henderson County League of Women Voters will host a Candidate Meet and Greet on Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hendersonville City Operations Building, 305 Williams St.Voters are encouraged to come meet the candidates for the March 15 primary and the fall election. The program will also include information about the upcoming bond vote. Saturday breakfast Republican primary candidates for national, state and local have been invited to attend the Henderson County Republican Breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Fireside Restaurant on 295 Sugarloaf Road from 7 to 9 a.m. All candidates will be invited to tell about their background and deliver a brief campaign speech.“We had a very large crowd and 24 candidates to show for our January breakfast,” said Bruce Hatfield, who organizes the monthly breakfast. “Everyone is invited. This will be one of the few chances for voters to meet with the majority of Republican candidates for office”For more information call 828 329 4971 or e mail noirs@aol.com Legislative forum The Republican parties of Henderson, Buncombe, Polk and Transylvania counties will jointly host a Republican primary candidate forum for the 48th state Senate and 113th state House 13 seats currently occupied by Tom Apodaca and Chris Whitmire, both of whom are retiring from the Legislature.The forums will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, with the Senate forum at 6:30 p.m. and the House candidates at 8 p.m.Candidates will make brief opening statements, and entertain questions solicited from the audience and presented by the forum’s moderators.Registered Republicans eligible to vote in our upcoming primary elections and all other interested voters are encouraged to attend. For more information, call (828) 693-6040 or visit hendersoncountygop.com.   Read Story »

Four Seasons Politics Archive