Free Daily Headlines

News

Set your text size: A A A

News

Ask Matt ... about Publix's plans for drainage

Hendersonville News

City Council deals setback to senior housing

Landowners are looking at other options after the Hendersonville City Council unanimously rejected a land-use change needed for a 129-unit senior living development on U.S. 64 between Hendersonville and Laurel Park.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Playhouse wins $30,000 grant for family theater

The Flat Rock Playhouse has been awarded a grant of $30,000 by the Community Foundation of Henderson County to help underwrite theater's educational initiative and family programming known as Studio 52. In recent years, Studio 52 has produced family shows with such notable productions as The Wizard of Oz, James and the Giant Peach, and most recently, Disney’s The Little Mermaid. "It is a wonderful honor to have been awarded this grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County in recognition of our new Studio 52 Family Series Programming," says Lisa K. Bryant, Producing Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "Our 2017 season is the litmus test for this new initiative and so far the results have been extremely encouraging." "Importantly, this generous grant will allow us to grow our Family Programming further so that we may continue to provide quality theatre and training at an affordable cost to both the students involved and the audiences coming to see them. We are encouraged by the Foundation's generosity, and overjoyed for their support." There are three shows remaining in the 2017 Studio 52 Family Series — You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Pinkalicious The Musical, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. “After the recent completion of the strategic plan by the Flat Rock Playhouse, we are excited to help implement the Studio 52, children and family component of this plan,” stated McCray Benson, President/CEO of the Community Foundation. “The work the Playhouse has completed thus far has placed them on the path for a very positive direction. This is particularly significant for such a key charitable organization in our community.”   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (141)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning. You'll read our coverage of the massive manhunt and murder investigation that resulted in the arrest of Phillip Michael Stroupe II including an hour by hour timeline. You'll read about a candidate declaring for sheriff in 2018 and find out what the next proposed development could be at Horse Shoe Farm. There are also pages and pages of local and business briefs, the popular Stuck in the Late Middle by Bill Humleker and Ask Matt by Matt Matteson as well as the weekly TV Guide and Sudoku.You've got to get a copy because it's only in print and it's only in your Hendersonville Lightning.Here’s where you can pick up a LightningHendersonville• Hendersonville Lightning Office, 1111 Asheville Hwy• Pop's Diner, 5 Points, North Main Street• Triangle Stop, 701 North Main Street• The 500 block of North Main Street(First Citizens Bank / Mast Gen. Store)• Black Bear Coffee Co., Main Street• The 300 block of North Main Street(McFarland's Bakery / Mike's on Main). Pardee Hospital in the lobby. Flat Rock Playhouse, downtown(100 block of South Main Street)Southside Hendersonville(Spartanburg Highway)• Hairstyles by Charlene, Joel Wright Drive• McDonald's, Spartanburg Highway• Norm's Minit Mart, Spartanburg Highway• Hendersonville Co-op• Burger King/BP, Spartanburg HighwayIngles SupermarketSouthside Hendersonville(Greenville Highway)Carolina Ace HardwareWhitley Drug StoreFlat Rock/East Flat Rock• Flat Rock Post Office• Zirconia Post Office• East Flat Rock Post Office• Orr's Family Restaurant, Spartanburg Hwy• Energy Mart Exxon, Upward Road & I-26• Triangle Stop, 754 Upward Road & I-26Village Café and PubPage 2Hendersonville(Kanuga Road)• Hot Dog World, Kanuga Road• Mr. Pete's Market, Kanuga Road• Norm's Minit Mart, Kanuga RoadHendersonville(Fifth Avenue)Hendersonville Post officeFifth Aenue ShellLaurel Park• YMCA H'ville, Sixth Ave & Oak Str• Laurel Park Village, Rite-Aid.• Energy Mart Exxon, Brevard Road at Daniel DriveDixie Diner, Brevard RoadHighway 64(Brevard Road)• Horse Shoe Post Office• Mr. Pete's Market, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Blue Ridge Pizza, Etowah, Hwy 64-W• Etowah Shopping Center, EtowahHighway 191(Haywood Road)• Joey's New York Bagels, Hwy 191• One-Stop Store #8, Haywood Road (Hwy 191)• Dollar General, Hwy 191 & Mountain RoadMills River• Triangle Stop, 4197 Haywood Road, Mills River• Mills River Family Restaurant. Food LionInglesPage 3Eastside Hendersonville and Four Seasons Boulevard• Norm's Minit Mart, Dana Road• Fatz Cafe, Dana Road & Four Seasons Blvd• Grocery Outlet, off Four Seasons Boulevard• McDonald's, Four Seasons Boulevard• Energy Mart Exxon, Four Seasons BoulevardMustang CafeHighway 64 East(Chimney Rock Highway)• Triangle Stop, 2545 Chimney Rock Road, Hwy 64-E• Mr. Pete's Market, East, Hwy 64-E • Griffin's Store, Edneyville, Hwy 64-E• Edneyville Post Office. Griffins Store, EdneyvilleShell station, 64 East and Sugarloaf RoadIngles, Howard Gap RoadMoose CafeHighway 25 North(Asheville Highway)• The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop, Hwy 25-N• Triangle Stop, Hwy 25-N, Balfour• Mountain Home Post Office• Fletcher Post OfficeInglesNaples Post OfficeTravel Plaza, US 25 and I-26Southern & Eastern Henderson County, Polk County• Dana Post Office• Rosco's Grocery, Green River• Saluda Post Office• Triangle Stop, 1487 Ozone Road, SaludaAll Henderson County Ingles StoresAll Henderson County Post Offices   Read Story »

Hendersonville News

20-year-old candidate appeals decision on eligibility

John Moore, the 20-year-old community college student who was ruled ineligible to run for the Hendersonville City Council because of his age, has reversed course and decided to appeal the decision to the N.C. Court of Appeals. Moore, a 2015 Hendersonville High School graduate, said he had hired attorney John Noor of the Roberts & Stevens law firm in Asheville and file an appeal of the Board of Elections decision on July 20 that upheld Elections Director Beverly Cunningham's interpretation of state law on a candidates' age. Although the city's charter sets no minimum age for election to the council, the state Constitution says that qualified voters who are 21 years old "shall be eligible for election by the people to office." The elections board said in a three-page order that Moore, who turned 20 on June 5, will not be 21 on Election Day as required under the state Constitution, which in 1971 added a minimum age of 21 to hold elective office. Moore had declared his candidacy for the City Council in early June.       Read Story »

Henderson County News

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 »

Henderson County News

NCDOT will improve eastbound I-40/I-26 merge

ASHEVILLE — The sometimes hazardous merger from I-40 East onto I-26 East will improve with an NCDOT project to extend the merge lane by 1,000 feet. The N.C. Department of Transportation will begin the work on Tuesday. A 1,000-foot extension — to be completed by Thanksgiving — will allow eastbound drivers extra time and space to merge on to I-26, and reduce congestion heading to Brevard Road and beyond. NHM Constructors of Asheville will install a barrier along the right shoulder in order to complete the $992,000 safety project. Drivers may see a visual difference when merging onto I-26, and all construction requiring a lane closure will be performed during off-peak hours. Transportation officials remind motorists to stay alert, obey all posted signs, and to drive with caution through work zones.     Read Story »

Henderson County News

McDonald gets opponent in 2018 election

Lowell Griffin, a former Henderson County sheriff's deputy, announced on Monday that he will run for sheriff next year. "A dedication to the job and a love for the people have propelled me to announce my candidacy for the position," Griffin said in a news release. "I truly believe that law enforcement should answer to the need of the public and not the needs of an entity. In the coming months I intend to reveal a platform rich with ideas that I believe will alter some current policies of the sheriff’s office to better serve you, the people of the county. "Those ideas include providing job security for the officers who so diligently serve you, a reorganization of the department to better allocate resources to serve the people, increased accountability to the taxpayers, improving agency relationships while maximizing manpower, providing the services that taxpayers fund to ALL communities, and openly confronting the narcotics issues facing Henderson County. My goal is to serve all demographics of Henderson County with the highest quality of service that you genuinely deserve." Currently a captain with the Polk County sheriff's office, Griffin was one of six deputies Sheriff Charlie McDonald sacked a week after he was elected to office in November 2014. Griffin says he was never given a reason for the termination but believes it was for insufficient support for McDonald's campaign for the job. McDonald won election 2½ years after he was appointed in 2012 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Rick Davis in 2011. McDonald has opened a campaign account and plans to stand for re-election next year. A native of Henderson County, Griffin began working for the Henderson County sheriff's office in 1992 under Sheriff Ab Jackson. A Republican, Griffin would face McDonald in the primary election on May 8. Griffin's campaign announcement: I was born and raised in Henderson County. I have lived in the Edneyville / Fruitland area my entire life. I am proud of Henderson County and have fond memories and friends located throughout various parts of the county. I am an alumni of the former Edneyville High School, a heritage that I cherish. I grew up in a very humble home but had parents that offered a lot of love and taught me that respecting others is paramount to my success and the success of our society. This respect has allowed me to befriend many folks throughout the many various communities within Henderson County. I have watched all of these communities grow and develop over the years as I worked to serve the people of this county. I believe that understanding the demographics of the communities within Henderson County is a necessary step in serving the residents here.I developed a work ethic as I grew up working on area farms, putting up hay, harvesting crops, and learning any skill I could along the way. Today I cut my own firewood, mow my own grass, and care for some livestock that I own. I also share wood cutting and lawn mowing responsibilities for my mother with my brother. I have obtained various skills over the years and accomplish most necessary projects myself from construction to mechanical work. I reveal all of this to reveal that hard work, even physical work, does not intimidate me in the least. Hard work has also instilled conservative values. I understand that your tax money is hard earned. I budget and manage my finances in a wise and conservative manner and I intend to do the same with your tax dollars.I enjoy various activities outdoors when I have time but especially enjoy fishing. I also enjoy physical activity and work out regularly. My brother and I also do some mechanical as well as paint and body work on the side. We are currently in the process of some vehicle restorations. I am a member of and attend Mt. Moriah Baptist church in Edneyville. Faith is a guiding principle of my life. I have grown up with my brother in the emergency services and today my brother, Robert Griffin, is a career fire chief with Edneyville Fire and Rescue.Early in life I became involved in local emergency services and found my niche as a public servant. I have currently been an active firefighter / EMT over 35 years. My early years associated with the fire/rescue industry allowed me to really comprehend what it meant to help someone who was experiencing one of the worst days of their life. I developed a servant’s heart and knew that I wanted to be in a profession where I was able to make a positive impact on others. During my time as a firefighter I have served in many capacities including that of chief for many years. The opportunity to serve has been challenging and I have been part of a brotherhood that has experienced some heartbreaking events but it has been overall a tremendously rewarding endeavor. I have been fortunate enough to be the recipient of several awards as a firefighter and still love the feeling I get from serving and aiding those in need. To this day I remain active and leave my activities, my family, and even my bed if I’m available to help someone in need. As with many Henderson County Firefighters I do this giving of my time for both training and responding to emergency calls without compensation. I currently sit on the Edneyville Fire and Rescue Board of directors where my experiences in budget management have been enhanced. In 1992 I entered the profession of law enforcement and accepted a position with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. My time as an officer has also been very rewarding. Again I have witnessed and been involved with many tragic events but overall my career has been very rewarding. I worked with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office serving in various capacities to include a detention officer, civil process server, patrol officer, and investigator and in all divisions served as a supervisor. I also obtained both general and specialized instructor certifications and have instructed both law enforcement cadets as well as veteran officers for over 15 years. During my career I undertook special assignments as a SWAT officer and was one of the founding officers of the Henderson County Bomb Squad where I served as a bomb tech from 2002 until 2014. Throughout my career I have again been fortunate enough to receive numerous awards and again enjoyed my calling to serve the people in Henderson County. During my time at Henderson County I also worked hand in hand with all Henderson County emergency services in the capacity as an incident commander in large scale events. Henderson County was also fortunate enough to have obtained contracts for service from Blue Ridge Community College, Hendersonville Housing Authority, and Mills River Township. My position on the command staff at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office allowed me the opportunity to develop and enhance the contracts with these entities. In 2014 I took a position with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and currently serve there as the Operations Captain and supervise narcotics investigations as well as criminal interdiction.After much prayer and encouragement to do so from citizens of Henderson County I have chosen to enter the race for the position of sheriff of Henderson County and seek the republican nomination. I feel that my main attribute, that which I have proven, is that I have the heart of a servant. True leadership arises from servitude and my experiences in emergency services and law enforcement, both good and bad, have enabled me to develop a vision of what true servitude to the people encompasses. A dedication to the job and a love for the people have propelled me to announce my candidacy for the position. I truly believe that law enforcement should answer to the need of the public and not the needs of an entity. In the coming months I intend to reveal a platform rich with ideas that I believe will alter some current policies of the sheriff’s office to better serve you, the people of the county. Those ideas include providing job security for the officers who so diligently serve you, a reorganization of the department to better allocate resources to serve the people, increased accountability to the taxpayers, improving agency relationships while maximizing manpower, providing the services that taxpayers fund to ALL communities, and openly confronting the narcotics issues facing Henderson County. My goal is to serve all demographics of Henderson County with the highest quality of service that you genuinely deserve.I appreciate all of the folks who have stepped forward to encourage me to pursue this position and are willing to share my passion by serving on my election committee. Those folks include Don Ward (committee chair), Jeff Donaldson (treasurer), Roy Perry, Steve (Boulder) Dalton, Mike Peppers, Bill Hill, Terry Brackett, Dr. Bryan Melton, Frankie Capps, Charlie Galloway, Keaton Jones, and Tim Griffin. Please take a moment to look over my resume and, if any questions remain I encourage you to approach myself or any of my committee members you may be familiar with and ask questions.I sincerely look forward to serving you, the people of Henderson County.   Read Story »

Edneyville News

Edneyville school comes with a bonus

Edneyville is getting a new school that will serve not only grammar school kids but the entire community. Architects on Monday unveiled a design that includes a high school-sized gym that can accommodate community recreation needs as well as the regular phys-ed programs.Construction is set to begin in March with a completion date of Aug. 1, 2019.The goal of the design by the county architects Clark Nexsen was to create a 21st century learning environment, preserve the rural character of the school, capitalize on outdoor activities and maintain a strong relationship with the community, yields a two-story structure with an arc in the middle that allows for a complete view of the surrounding land and mountains. Architects kept the view in mind when designing the building’s orientation.The first floor of the building will contain administrative offices, the multi-purpose gymnasium and the kindergarten and first grade classrooms while the second floor will include second, third, fourth and fifth grade classrooms.The multi-purpose gymnasium will be 1,500 square feet larger than the average elementary school gymnasium, architect Chad Roberson said. The space will have its own entrance, so it can be utilized by the community during weekends when the school is closed.“The new gym will be a big plus for Henderson County recreation on weekends,” said Commissioner Charlie Messer.The site also includes rain gardens, an outdoor amphitheater, a playground, a butterfly garden, an upper and lower terrace, an outdoor dining area and an outdoor art space and reading space. It could also have an outdoor basketball court and a baseball field.The internal structure will allow natural light to enter and will offer many open spaces for teachers to talk with students individually. Cars will reach drop-off and pick-up sites off Pace Road, while delivery trucks use a service road from U.S. 64.When the new building opens for the 2019 school year, contractors will demolish the old school, causing a temporary rerouting of traffic until the site is cleared.Parents, teachers and students have praised the school. During an initial community meeting at the start of the project, 30-40 teachers and administrators met with architects to discuss school design and innovation. Commissioners on Monday unanimously endorsed the design and gave the go-ahead for construction.Sewer service for the project added a big capital expense.Commissioners looked at an on-site drip-irrigation system, a discharge system and a pump station or gravity sewer line to Hendersonville as options. They’re leaning toward the gravity sewer line but plan to look at how to pay for it. Even though that option was the most expensive — at $4.5 million plus and $19,000 in annual user fees — it remains the most reliable option for the long term, engineers said. The line from Edneyville would run next to Clear Creek and a tributary. It would be maintained by the county or the city utility system. It would delay the school’s opening by one year because it takes longer to install and needs acquisition of easements by nearby landowners. The new school can still open on time if it continues to use the current septic system until the sewer line is done. WGLA Engineering recommended the gravity sewer, agreeing that in the long-run it would require less maintenance.The county had allocated just $500,000 for the sewer system. The additional cost could be offset by a potential $1 million grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce and possible contributions from the city of Hendersonville and the WNC Justice Academy. Commissioners agreed to further discuss funding options for the sewer line next month.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

S.C. man charged in old sex abuse case

A man on the run for five years from child sex abuse charges was arrested in Henderson County. Detectives from the violent crimes unit of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office arrested Brooks Gordon Ross, 67, of Greenwood, South Carolina. Ross was charged with one felony count of Sexual Offense with a Child. Ross, who fled the area in 2012 when the allegations were first made, was arrested and waived extradition early today. He was jailed in the Henderson County detention center under a $500,000 secured bond.   Read Story »

News Archive