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Restaurant magazine profiles Never Blue chef

Henderson County News

Recycling center open Friday, then closed until Dec. 27

The Henderson County recycling center and transfer station will be open on Friday, Dec. 23, closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Monday, Dec. 26, and will reopen on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Those facilities will also be closed Monday, Jan. 2, and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Roundabouts, medians on drawing board for NC 191, US 64 widening jobs

Planned widening projects for U.S. 64 in Laurel Park and N.C. 191 in Mills River are drawing opposition over proposed medians and roundabouts.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Freezing rain possible but won't last

A chance of freezing rain early on Christmas Eve could make for hazardous driving conditions but whatever freezes won't last and there's no chance of a white Christmas.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

WCU names $110M science building for Apodaca

CULLOWHEE – A new $110 million science building at Western Carolina University will be named for former state Sen. Tom Apodaca, a graduate of WCU and staunch supporter of the university during his 14 years in the Legislature. The WCU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the naming of the new science facility and new names for two existing campus buildings during its quarterly meeting on Dec. 9.The board voted to name the new Natural Sciences Building in honor of Thomas M. Apodaca in recognition of his many years of service to and support of the Western North Carolina region and the university, including his time as a member of the WCU Board of Trustees and his advocacy for the Connect NC bond referendum in March 2016 that resulted in a $110 million appropriation for the science building. The current Natural Sciences Building, constructed in the 1970s, lacks the space and the quality of laboratory facilities needed to adequately teach students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM) fields, university officials said.Design is expected to take place throughout 2017. Construction should begin near the site of the current Natural Sciences Building in August 2018, with completion and occupancy in June 2021, followed by demolition of the existing building and final landscaping by November 2021. An official recognition ceremony will be held during groundbreaking for the new building. Elected to the state Senate in 2002, Apodaca rose quickly in the Republican ranks and became the second-in-command to Senate leader Phil Berger after the GOP took control of the Senate in the 2010 election. “I am completely surprised, pleased and humbled by this recognition, and I look forward to the groundbreaking ceremony to express my gratitude and appreciation to the board,” Apodaca said upon learning of the trustees’ action. “It has been my privilege and honor to be of service to my alma mater both as a student and a trustee and to fight for the entire University of North Carolina system and public education during my time in the N.C. General Assembly.”The trustees also voted to change the name of Central Hall to Judaculla Hall, pending endorsement by the Cherokee Tribal Council, to recognize the university’s historic connection to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and to acknowledge the unique heritage and history of the Cherokee people in the Cullowhee Valley that is home to WCU’s campus.When the student residence hall located on Central Drive was completed in 2004, university officials gave it the generic name of Central. The new name, Judaculla, refers to a great giant who, according to Cherokee legend, resided in the Cullowhee Valley along the Tuckaseigee River.Judaculla Rock, located south of campus, is a large soapstone boulder linked to the Judaculla legend that contains some of the best preserved and most significant petroglyphs (rock carvings) east of the Mississippi River.“On behalf of the members of board, we are pleased to be able to recognize the many contributions of Sen. Apodaca to both WCU and to the mountain region, and to honor the university’s longstanding relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians through these naming opportunities,” said Edward Broadwell, chair of the trustees.The board also approved a subtle change in the name of Brown Cafeteria, a 55-year-old facility currently undergoing $22.5 million in renovations to transform a building once used as a cafeteria into a modern dining facility, with office space for residential living administration staff. With the trustees’ action, the structure becomes Brown Hall.In other action, the board approved Vannoy Construction of Asheville as construction manager at risk for a residence hall project on the hill area of campus near Brown Hall.The project may include renovation of the existing 58-year-old Buchanan Hall, an outdated facility with 180 beds, and an addition of space for up to 600 more beds to create updated residence facilities. Or, it could entail the demolition of Buchanan and construction of new facilities of up to 800 beds at or near the site.The project currently is authorized with a $48 million pricetag, but actual construction cost estimates will not be available until advance planning and initial design is complete.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Sheriff's deputies bust six on car theft charges

Henderson County sheriff’s deputies arrested six people on stolen vehicle charges after a joint investigation with the NCDMV License and Theft Division. Arrested in a roundup of suspects on Friday were: Richard Wesley Shrum, 41, of Easy Street in Hendersonville. Shrum was charged with: (3) felony counts of Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Felony Conspiracy and Driving While License Revoked. He remains in the Henderson County Jail under a $65,000 secured bond. Benjamin Edwards, 34, of Ledbetter Road in Hendersonville was charged with: (3) felony counts of Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle, Felony Conspiracy, and Driving While License Revoked. He was jailed under a $34,000 secured bond. Michael Middleton, 31, of Ledbetter Road in Hendersonville was charged with: (3) felony counts of Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle and Felony Conspiracy. He remains in the Henderson County Jail under a $46,000 secured bond. Cynthia (Bracken) McCarson, age 21, of Wren Drive in Hendersonville was charged with: (2) felony counts Obtaining Property by False Pretense and (2) felony counts of Uttering a Forged Instrument. She was jailed under a $40,000 secured bond. Wesley Whiteside, 38, of Windy Hollow Lane in Hendersonville was charged with: (2) felony counts of Obtaining Property by False Pretense and Misdemeanor Larceny. He was jailed under a $17,000 secured bond. Christopher Fleischer, 33, of Heavenly Valley Lane in Hendersonville was charged with: (3) felony counts of Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle and Felony Conspiracy. He was jailed under $40,000 secured bond. Deputies also located and arrested Phillip Lee McMahan of Ledbetter Road in Hendersonville on unrelated child support warrants during the roundup. He was jailed under a $1,600 secured bond. Deputies recovered two stolen vehicles and a stolen registration plate during the roundup. Additional items were seized and more charges are pending as the investigation continues, the sheriff's office said.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Local man sent to prison on manslaughter charge

A Hendersonville man was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, District Attorney Greg Newman announced.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Flu spike prompts restrictions on hospital visits

A spike in influenza-like illnesses is prompting area hospitals to impose visitor restrictions.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

DuPont completes donation of 'donut hole' to state

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and DuPont have completed the company’s donation to the state of 476 acres in DuPont State Recreational Forest, making the so-called donut hole a part of the state forest after years of negotiations. The property was the site of DuPont's X-ray film plant from 1956 to 2002. Demolition of the plant was completed in 2006 and the state Agriculture Department, governor's office and others had been negotiating the land donation.“This property is the final piece for the completion of DuPont State Recreational Forest,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a news release. “The acreage that DuPont generously donated joins property the state acquired in phases between 1995 and 2008, and boosts the size of the forest to almost 11,000 acres.” "I’m ecstatic about the announcement," said state Rep. Chuck McGrady, whose involvement with the DuPont property goes back to efforts in the late 1990s to save it from development. "It is the culmination of lots of hard work over many years by many people. With this acquisition, management and protecting DuPont State Recreational Forest will be much easier." The Agriculture Department has been working with DuPont, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, the N.C. National Guard and other agencies since late 2013 to get to this point, Troxler said. Throughout the process, there also has been consistent local support from the DuPont Forest Advisory Committee, Friends of DuPont Forest and elected officials.“Donation of the remainder of the DuPont-owned land in the area represents another important step toward the company’s goal of safely returning the property to a use that benefits the State of North Carolina, its residents and the public in general,” said Doug Fletcher, DuPont’s business development manager for former operating sites. “The DuPont Company is pleased with the outcome and appreciates the hard work by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to make this happen.” Recreation, National Guard partnership The forest is managed by the department’s N.C. Forest Service. Public uses of the newly obtained acreage could include parking, hunting and a shorter route to Bridal Veil Falls. However, public access will be a few years away as the NCFS develops a long-range plan that meshes with DuPont Forest’s master plan. Sensitive environmental and natural areas are present on the 476-acre site, and any protective restrictions will be included in the final public access plan for the property.Future uses will also likely involve partnerships with the N.C. National Guard. Uses could include shared office space and low-impact training, such as on- and off-trail patrolling, land navigation, mountain terrain familiarization and Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team training.  Officials have said they expect the Forest Service to move its headquarters from a building on Lake Julia to the old plant site, which has parking and would be accessible to the public. Any National Guard training will be coordinated and under permit with the N.C. Forest Service to ensure it is conducted in accordance with the forest’s goals, protection of sensitive ecosystems and to minimize the impact on public use of the property. Final mediation DuPont’s operations making high-purity silicon and X-ray films for more than four decades resulted in soil and groundwater contamination at the site. This has been the subject of many years of investigation and remediation. Although the state now owns the property, DuPont remains responsible for assessing and cleaning up remaining contamination.The state Division of Waste Management has been overseeing remediation activities, which have included the demolition and removal of the former plant, the removal of thousands of pounds of X-ray film waste and the collection of thousands of waste, soil, surface water, sediment and groundwater samples.Earlier this year, DuPont drafted a plan to conduct additional cleanup activities and presented it to the public for feedback. The plan will guide final cleanup activities, which could take several years to complete.Straddling the Henderson and Transylvania line, DuPont Forest contains four major waterfalls along the Little River: Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, High Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The forest also contains five lakes and more than 80 miles of roads and trails that are shared by about 750,000 hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians and other visitors annually. The forest’s habitats include upland oak forests, cove forests, granite domes, riparian areas, mountain bogs, wildlife openings and streams.      Read Story »

Henderson County News

Lightning has early deadlines for holidays

Because of our holiday production schedule the Hendersonville Lightning has early deadlines this week for the Dec. 28 issue. Please submit community briefs and other news items for the Dec. 28 issue by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21. Send to news@hendersonvillelightning.com. For more information call Jan at 828.698.0407. Please send legal ads and display ads by noon Thursday, Dec. 22. Send legal ads to legals@hendersonvillelightning and send display ads to ads@hendersonvillelightning. For information on ads call Melanie at 828.698.0407.     Read Story »

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