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Homeowners pan Balfour Parkway corridor

Henderson County News

House candidate against gerrymandering, for Medicaid expansion

Gayle Kemp, a retired attorney and law enforcement instructor from Fletcher, announced her candidacy for the District 117 state House seat on Tuesday. Kemp vowed to bring her 30 years of legal experience and her deep concern for fairness and equality to the job of representing District 117, which covers the northern two-thirds of Henderson County.“Local communities know what is best when it comes to issues like water and sewer and local voting districts,” she said. “Democracy is preserved when each person’s vote is counted," she added. "Democracy is preserved when voting districts are fairly drawn to allow the voters to choose their representatives rather than the other way around. Extreme gerrymandering must stop.” “Democracy is preserved when all citizens are guaranteed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These Democratic standards and values are best served when everyone, rural or urban, white, black, Hispanic or Native American, rich, middle class or poor, can expect a living wage for working forty hours a week.” She believes that Western North Carolina has been left behind when it comes to economic growth. “We have talented folks here. They need to be valued and paid for their labor.”“Rejection of Medicaid expansion makes no common sense when our tax dollars are sent to Washington DC but could be used here for people who need healthcare and to increase good-paying healthcare jobs," she said.A mother of three and grandmother of three grandsons, she is active in her community and works toward goals like community libraries to teaching children to sew at 4H clubs. Kemp plans to file for election at the Henderson County Board of Elections on Wednesday at 9:30 am.For more information on Gayle’s campaign, please contact her 828-551-6169 or by email at gaylekemp@gmail.com. The address for Gayle Kemp for State House is P.O Box 126, Hendersonville, NC 28793. Gayle’s Facebook page and website are under development.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Meadows, state treasurer headline GOP convention

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows and State Treasurer Dale Folwell will headline the annual convention of the Henderson County Republican Party at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at Apple Valley Middle School. “We believe this year’s Convention will be one of our best," said party Chair Merry Guy. "We have seen so much enthusiasm this year for conservative candidates who support our platform. I think the tax cuts and booming economy have helped encourage Republicans to get involved because they know they can make a difference.” Republican activists will also hear from primary candidates and conduct party business. "Delegates are elected at precinct level and from there are eligible to move up the levels of organization, even to the National Republican Committee delegate level if elected," Guy said. “We hear so much about the delegates sent to the RNC to nominate our Presidential candidates, but few understand that they started as credentialed delegates at the Convention in their own precinct and county before they could move up.” For more information visit http://hendersoncountygop.com/ or call 828-693-6040.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Escapee dies after crashing stolen pickup

A Gaston Correctional Center minimum custody inmate who left his outside work assignment was killed Monday afternoon when he crashed a stolen pickup truck on I-85. David A. Woods, who was reported missing at 12:50 p.m., was driving a city of Lowell Ford pickup truck when it crashed at Exit 14 off Interstate 85 at approximately 2:15 p.m. The Gastonia Police Department is investigating the accident. The Division of Prisons will investigate the circumstances surrounding his escape. Originally from New Hanover County, Woods, 46, was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and convicted on May 25, 1995.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Henderson Oil Co. gives schools $500 grants (2)

Henderson Oil Co. awarded a total of $7,500 in ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grants to 15 Henderson County public schools on Jan. 29, giving elementary, middle and high school principals extra funds for necessary materials and programming.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

THE NEXT BIG THING: Balfour Parkway maps debut Tuesday

Renee Kumor recalled the first time she heard Jon Laughter describe a new version of the Clear Creek Connector, which had died amid an uproar from businesses and neighbors. Many local leaders involved in transportation planning were demoralized at the defeat of the proposed east-west artery, which would have whisked cars from I-26 to Asheville Highway and Haywood Road, bypassing downtown. Laughter, an engineer and Hendersonville City Council member, was undeterred. He sketched out a new route that would accomplish the same thing, without destroying a new office center and a city park and provoking the politically active voters in the retirement communities centered on Haywood Road at Blythe Street. The Balfour Parkway, he called it.“Had we done it the next day, no one would have said anything,” Kumor said.She meant that the path back then, 18 years ago, was sparsely developed. But one way to find out just how developed a piece of land has become is to draw a line through it signifying a new road. The NCDOT has done that and for the first time residents will get a look at just where the Balfour Parkway would run. The corridor for several potential paths is 1,000 feet wide — four times as wide as the roadway’s planned width of 250 feet. “It’s going to get people’s attention because it’s going to impact their lives I think,” said Henderson County Commissioner Bill Lapsley, who chairs the French Broad MPO, the regional transportation planning agency. “It’s a brand new road as compared to widening Highway 25 or 176. Those were improvements of an existing road. Balfour is a brand new road in a new location and we haven’t had that since Four Seasons Boulevard or the completion of I-26. So it’s a big deal.” Controlled access highwayThe controlled access parkway would be built in three segments — U.S. 64 East (near Walmart) to I-26, I-26 to Asheville Highway and Asheville Highway to N.C. 191, which is also scheduled to be four-laned. Only the I-26 to Asheville Highway is funded, with right-of-way acquisition scheduled for 2022 and construction in 2024.In a process that’s reminiscent on a more limited scale to the Duke Energy plan to run high-powered transmission lines through the county, the NCDOT has notified property owners within the 1,000-foot corridor that their land could be needed for right-of-way. As with the Duke Energy proposal, that wide net will capture many landowners who probably won’t be affected, depending on what route the NCDOT ultimately chooses. During a recent meeting, county Transportation Advisory Committee members expressed the hope that residents learn about the Balfour Parkway early. Even though projects like the Kanuga Road widening, U.S. 64 improvements through Laurel Park and the Highland Lake Road widening have been in the planning stages for years, residents were stunned and upset when they received notification that the projects were coming up.“In the end I don’t think it probably will impact 100 property owners directly,” Lapsley said. “It’s doing the right thing.”Traffic engineering studies and growth indicate that road improvements are needed. Now, more than in the past, Lapsley said, the state is funding highway projects based on demonstrated need.As governor, Pat McCrory imposed a rating system based on traffic counts, congestion and safety “‘so the selection process for projects is a lot less political than it was 10 years ago, which as it turned out has been favorable to Henderson County because our projects get the points and are justified.”   Need identified in the 1960sJim Crafton, who spent 15 years on the Transportation Advisory Committee, has seen Henderson County wait while state road money went to urban areas.“I think it’s very much needed,” he said of the Balfour Parkway. “If you go back to 1967, the DOT indicated that a northern bypass was still the most useful thing we could do for transportation. The Clear Creek Connector went by the wayside. Then Jon Laughter came up with the design for that years ago. I hope it comes to fruition. Certainly it will take the traffic off Church and Seventh (U.S. 64). Now all the traffic has to go through the center of town.”He’s seen residents rise up against the projects that are close to construction.“You’ve always got the obstacle of what’s there now,” he said. “What do have to do to create the new space for the road and that’s always a challenge.”But Crafton is not sure that the Balfour Parkway will generate as much as opposition as the widening projects have.“Once people get a look at where it’s supposed to go and an idea of where it’s going as it relates to them they may or may not have a lot to say about it,” he said. “There’s opposition to the roundabouts the DOT is promoting in town. Sometimes the greatest opposition comes from people that live there but they overlook that a lot of people have to travel through there. The DOT is charged with providing adequate and safe ways for travel.”Laughter, the father of the Balfour Parkway, gets little notice now. But he’s happy to see the project move closer to reality.“I think it’s a little bit north of where I anticipated it being, but I don’t see any problem with that,” he said. “I envisioned it being 100 percent controlled access and that was talked about in Clear Creek. I think that’s important but I don’t know what the DOT is looking at. It would be a fast way to get to N.C. 191. It’s not anything you’d want a bicycle on. If you’re doing 70 mph and you hit a bicycle you probably wouldn’t know it. We need something that will move traffic east and west.”Although Laughter doesn’t sound like he’s eager to take credit, he appreciates the fact that some people remember that he first sketched out — and named — an alternative to the doomed Clear Creek Connector. “It is a big deal to me,” he said. “I’m just trying to live long enough to see it come to fruition.” * * * * * The NCDOT is hosting a public meeting on the Balfour Parkway from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Cascades Mountain Resort, 201 Sugarloaf Road. For information click here  or contact Jennifer Fuller at 919-707-6050 or jmfuller@ncdot.gov.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

At 101, Lou Miller has the key to aging

Listen up, seniors. If a trim, fit and sunny 101-year-old can’t deliver the secret of longevity, who can?Jeff Miller’s aunt, Lou Wells Miller, arrived at the dry cleaners on North King Street on Monday to enjoy cake and ice cream, a big stack of birthday cards, well-wishing and hugs to celebrate her 101st birthday, which was Feb. 16.What’s the secret? the Lightning asked.“Exercise,” she said. All kinds. Keep moving. “Everybody at Carolina Village lives forever.” Wow.What’ll she have at the bar? “Water, no liquor.”What’s her favorite food? “Yogurt.” (This is getting depressing.)How about dessert? “I’d say ice cream.” What kind? “Butter pecan.”How is she liking the current president of the United States? “I’m all for him.”Favorite TV show? “Jeopardy.”She’s a voracious reader, we hear. What does she like to read? “Biographies.” Of Americans or everyone? “All kinds. … I enjoy reading the newspaper.”That certainly would account for a long and happy life.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

McMinn honored for 25 years of service

In its first 11 years, the Hendersonville Rescue Mission had 11 directors — simple enough arithmetic to arrive at an average tenure of one year and an average stress factor of a lot.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Sheriff McDonald joins Trump in White House school safety talk

President Trump held a lengthy roundtable discussion on school safety on Thursday, surrounded by local and state officials, including Henderson County Sheriff Charlie McDonald. Trump came out in support of denying assault weapon purcahses to anyone under 21 years old, said he supported allowing qualified teachers to carry concealed weapons in schools. "The day before yesterday I got a call from Congressman Meadows office that said,"Hey can you be here in Washington on Thursday. The president wants to meet with elected offiicials and law enforcement because he's trying to get togother ideas and get something moving on this school safey issue while everybody's focused on it.' I had no idea I'd be sitting next toJeff Sessions and (Florida Attorney General) Pam Bondi and meeting Kellyanne Conway. "I think what they're really looking at doing is to bring a lot of ideas and come up with a model that can be be used" across the country, perhaps with the help of federal grants. "I caught that there was a very serious commitment right now and in listening to (Trump) talk I got the impression that's he's commtted," he said in a phone interview from Washington. When he got to McDonald, Trump mentioned the congressman who had recommended the Henderson County sheriff for the school safety talks. “Congressman Meadows is a big fan of yours, that I can tell you, you know who I’m talking about,” Trump told him. "I've been very impressedwith a lot of the ideas I’ve heard and I do think mental health is a serious issue," McDonald said. "It’s affected us across the nation. I know it is in North Carolina. I appreciatre your courage to talk about the fact that I do think there is a place for properly trained people in certain areas as well. I think multilayered securities like an onion has got a lot of facets and I believe you’ve got the courage and leadership to bring all this together. I know there’s a lot of good ideas out there but it’s going to take a lot of courage on the part of leaders of this nation to bring the community together." Trump echoed that. "It’s going to take a lot of political courage," he said. “Some of it won’t be politically correct.” "My deal was that I appreciate the fact that he's got the commitment and courage to entertain some things that maybe people aren't that warm about," McDonald said later. One of only two law enforcement officials invited and the only sheriff, McDonald said he was honored to be a part of the discussion. "I appreciate the congressman" suggesting him for the roundtable, he said. "I told him really him I'm not intersted in something that's just a dog and pony show and he said 'I wouldn't send you there for that.' I was very pleased with the attention it's getting." Sheriff's Maj. Frank Stout said he did not have a lot of details about how the invitation came about but that Meadows, who is close to Trump and is a strong supporter of McDonald, had been a go-between. "It has been a very very short-notice trip," he said. "It was very good opportunity for the sheriff to be invited to Washington." THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. RETURN TO THE LIGHTNING FOR MORE.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Sheriff's deputies seek shooter in Holbert Road murder

Sheriff’s deputies are seeking a suspect in a shooting that killed a 28-year-old Hendersonville man.   Read Story »

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