News

 A popular program helping veterans visit monuments in the nation's capital is starting back soon.

Since 2006, Blue Ridge Honor Flight has taken veterans to visit monuments in Washington, D.C. to honor their service.

GUARDIANS HELP VETERANS ON HONOR FLIGHT VISIT TO WAR MEMORIALS

Their next flight will be on April 27, leaving from Asheville Regional Airport.

Originally focused on Word War II veterans, the flight now includes three veterans from World War II, seven Korean War veterans, over 80 Vietnam War veterans, and Gold Star family members.

On Saturday, April 13, Blue Ridge Honor Flight held two orientation meetings, one in Hendersonville and the other in Asheville. The meetings allow veterans to meet their guardians who will be accompanying them while on their tour of the nation's capital. In addition to getting familiar with each other, the meetings also laid out what to expect on the journey.

President and Founder Jeff Miller says that once back home, the organizers are calling on the public for a big welcome home.

“We deplane at this huge hangar and the veterans come out, lead in by bagpipes and stuff and people can be there to clap and welcome the veterans home, give them something proper, give them a good, fresh positive memory to kinda push down the bad ones," Miller explained.

BLUE RIDGE HONOR FLIGHT TAKES VETERANS ON EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER IN D.C.

If anyone is worried about the construction at the airport, organizers says on April 27, starting at 7:30 p.m. they’ll have free parking and shuttle service at Gate 7 at the Ag Center. Anyone who wants to can come and give the veterans a warm welcome home.

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSBlue Ridge Honor Flight taking to the skies again April 27; warm welcome planned back home (wlos.com)

 Henderson County health officials says an outbreak of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has been reported.

A release from the Henderson County Department of Public Health on Thursday said the department has confirmed a current outbreak of 27 cases.

The health department is currently working to identify and notify those who may have been exposed. Officials say most cases are among school-aged children.

"Pertussis is an infection that affects the airways and lungs," the health department said in their release. "It spreads easily when someone coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually develop within 5 to 10 days after exposure, but sometimes take as long as 21 days. It causes a severe cough that can last for weeks or months, sometimes leading to coughing fits or vomiting."

The health department said families are encouraged to make sure their vaccinations are up-to-date.

"Protection against pertussis from the childhood vaccine, DTaP, decreases over time," the release said. "Older children and adults, including pregnant women, need to get a pertussis booster shot called 'Tdap' to protect themselves and infants near or around them."

If you need the Tdap vaccine, contact your healthcare provider or call the Health Department at 828-692-4223 for assistance.

For more information on pertussis, visit www.cdc.gov/pertussis/.

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSHenderson County health officials report outbreak of whooping cough cases (wlos.com)

 The lead suspect in a shooting over the weekend in the Hillcrest community of Asheville was arrested Wednesday, April 24, in Henderson County, thanks to multiple agencies working to apprehend the 23-year-old man who, it turns out, was wanted for federal probation violation.

Juve Markie Lequan McAlpin, 23, who Asheville police say was out on federal probation when he allegedly shot a juvenile in the leg on April 20 on Atkinson Street, was located and taken into custody by Henderson County Sheriff's Office deputies on Wednesday. He is being held without bond in the Henderson County Detention Facility.

McAlpin has been charged by Asheville Police Department with the following:

• Warrant: Federal Probation Violation
• Assault With A Deadly Weapon With Intent To Kill Inflicting Serious Injury
• Shooting into Occupied Property
• Possession of Firearm by Felon

McAlpin has been charged by Henderson County Sheriff's Office with the following:

• Possession of Firearm by Felon
• Resist, Delay, Obstruct

On Saturday, April 20, APD officers responded to Mission Hospital for a report of a juvenile with a gunshot wound. An investigation led officers to discover the shooting took place at an apartment complex on Atkinson Street. An extensive investigation also led detectives to identify and charge McAlpin in connection with the shooting, after which it was discovered he was wanted for a federal probation violation.

A spokesperson for Asheville Police Department said Thursday that when HCSO deputies made contact with McAlpin, he fled on foot, but he was taken into custody shortly after. During the arrest, he was found to be in possession of a .38 revolver.

Records show that McAlpin has a lengthy criminal history. In 2021, McAlpin was one of six people charged in a federal case to reduce gun violence in Asheville.

The North Carolina SBI has also partnered with APD and HCSO in the investigation.

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSSuspect in Asheville weekend shooting of juvenile arrested in Henderson County (wlos.com)

 The City of Hendersonville’s seasonal mulch giveaway program will shift to a new schedule starting May 1^st.   

Starting May 1, 2024: 

• Wednesdays 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 
• Thursdays 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 
• Fridays 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 

This schedule will continue until May 30^th or until the material is gone.  

The remaining April event dates are Thursday, April 25^th from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM; Friday, April 26^th from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM; and Saturday, April 27^th from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.  

The mulch will be distributed at the old Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 80 Balfour Road in Hendersonville. The Public Works Department will have a staff member on-site to operate the backhoe and load the material. 

In addition to mulch, the City will be offering composted leaves as a separate material. These leaves were collected during the fall of 2022, ran through a grinder, and composted for a year. This compost should be an excellent addition to your vegetable and flower gardens.  

Commercial vehicles are not allowed, this includes dump trucks and any other marked commercial trucks or trailers.  

For questions about this program, please contact the Public Works Department at (828) 697-3084. 

Senate Passes Funding for Ukraine, Gaza; No Funding for U.S. Border Security

TUESDAY NIGHT - April 23, 2024

The U.S. Senate passed the massive $95 billion foreign aid bill that provides funding for Ukraine and Gaza, but does not include any funding for U.S. border security measures. The vote was 79-18. The lawmakers who voted against the Johnson-Schumer-Biden bill include: Barasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R-TN), Braun (R-IN), Budd (R-TN), Cruz (R-TX), Hagerty (R-TN), Hawley (R-MO), Johnson (R-WI), Lee, (R-UT), Lummis (R-WY), Marshall, (R-KS), Merkley (D-OR), Rubio (R-FL), Sanders (I-VT), Schmitt (R-MO), Scott (R-FL), Vance (R-OH), and Welch (D-VT). Click here to read my book on how to take back America from the Uniparty.

With seed money from the County Board of Commissioners, the Henderson County Education Foundation will formally launch a new mentorship program to reduce or eliminate the population of disconnected youth (opportunity youth) by providing individualized support through one-on-one mentorship.

Created to support the development of students in Henderson County Public Schools, the Henderson County Pathfinders Program (HCPP) is an innovative mentorship program that places middle and high schoolers with a mentor who will provide individualized support to students throughout their journey from grades 7 to 12. It developed as a result of a public community meeting held in the summer of 2023 and was inspired by a similar program in Rutherford County.

Slated to kickoff in August 2024, the program’s first director is a veteran educator of Henderson County Public Schools, Maggie Gilliam. For 30 years, Gilliam served as a teacher, instructional coach, and an administrator within the district. She was most recently the assistant principal at East Henderson High School before retiring in 2023.

Trained volunteer adult mentors will meet with students individually to review things such as student grades, course selection, attendance, behavior, post secondary plans, participation in extracurricular activities, and SAT/ACT registration. 

While the program will initially begin in Flat Rock Middle School and East Henderson High School, the goal is to see it expand to all ten middle and high schools.

The Board of Commissioners is helping jump start the program with a $50,000 donation. Board Chair Rebecca McCall said the board challenges other municipalities within the county to also provide monetary support to the program.

“We all have a responsibility to see that the youth of today become responsible citizens and leaders of tomorrow. They all need guidance and support to get there," she said.

McCall said she is also hopeful that Henderson County residents will see the program as a worthy cause for financial support. 

“I am excited to see the Pathfinders program get off the ground at East Henderson and Flat Rock Middle. It has been proven that one caring adult can make all the difference in a young person’s life, so to have a dedicated mentor work with a student over the course of five years will have a huge impact on success in school and beyond,” said Mark R. Garrett, Superintendent for HCPS.

To learn more about the program or to make a donation, visit the Henderson County Education Foundation website at www.hcefnc.org

Hendersonville City Council Member Debbie O’Neal Roundtree announced that she will resign from the Hendersonville City Council, effective May 1, 2024. Council Member Roundtree provided the following in her

resignation announcement: “After careful consideration I have decided it is no longer possible for me to properly serve the needs of those who elected me.” The City of Hendersonville appreciates Council Member

Roundtree’s service on City Council since 2021 and her many years of service to the Hendersonville Tree Board. The City of Hendersonville will provide information on filling the vacancy as it is available.

County Commissioners last week on Wednesday occupied the last few seats on the 13-member Farmland Preservation Task Force, along with county commission chair Rebecca McCall, and David Hill as co-chairs.

11 other board members or agencies are already currently in representation of this subject. The Commissioners have adopted the charter bylaws for the advisory board, which will hold it's first meeting next month

on May 13th. The tarheel state ranks and comes in second in the entire nation in projected loss of farmland, to commerical, and residential development. WHKP, local and area news, will have more information later, as

the task force moves forward.

 STORY BY WHKP'S TYLER SAMS.

 The City of Hendersonville’s Strategic Housing Plan Steering Committee invites the community to attend and participate in the 2024 Affordable Housing Summit.

On Thursday, May 16, 2024, a free event will be held from 5:30 PM to 7:45 PM at the Hendersonville High School auditorium located at 1 Bearcat Blvd. The evening will feature acclaimed housing policy expert and author, Shane Phillips. The summit is open to non-profit service providers, members of the business community, government leaders, affordable housing advocates, community members, and anyone committed to expanding and improving housing in Henderson County and across the WNC region.  

This program is FREE and open to all. Current residents and those seeking residency in Hendersonville and Henderson County are encouraged to attend. 

Featured speaker Shane Phillips is a researcher, public speaker, and consultant on housing policy and affordability. He manages the Housing Initiative within the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, focusing on research, policy analysis, and education, and he co-hosts the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast, a biweekly interview show that translates emerging research for a non-academic audience. He’s the author of The Affordable City, published in 2020, which advocates for a three-pronged approach to solving the housing crisis — Supply, Stability, and Subsidies — and offers more than 50 recommendations for advancing those priorities. Outside of his role at UCLA, Shane has presented to audiences across the U.S. and abroad, written for major publications including the Los Angeles Times and Atlantic, taught at the University of Southern California, and worked with local governments and organizations to identify context-specific solutions to their housing challenges. Originally hailing from Seattle, he earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington and masters degrees in public administration and urban planning from USC.   

Visit www.hvlnc.gov/housingplan for updates on the summit as well as information on the City of Hendersonville’s strategic housing plan development process. 

 In preparation for the arrival of the Ecusta Trail and to improve pedestrian and bike connectivity, the City of Hendersonville will be completing a series of improvements on the south side of Downtown Hendersonville. Milling and repaving work will begin next week followed by new pavement striping, bike lane and signal installation, and sidewalk improvements occurring later in the year. 

The first step in the process will be milling and repaving West Allen from Main to Church, Caswell from King to Church, and South Main Street from Allen to South King Street. The milling and repaving are scheduled to start early on Monday, April 22 and continue until late evening on Tuesday, April 23. Main Street from Allen to Barnwell will also be closed on Friday, April 19, to remove obstructions ahead of the paving and sidewalk improvements. The paving schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions. 

Temporary pavement markings will be added to the streets until permanent markings are completed. Bike lanes will be striped on the west side of South Main giving Ecusta Trail and other cyclists a dedicated path to reach the Hendersonville Welcome Center and downtown Hendersonville. 

Additional improvements including pedestrian and bike signals, lane delineators, ADA concrete curb ramps, and sidewalk improvements will be ongoing and completed by City of Hendersonville Public Works staff throughout the summer and fall of 2024. 

To learn more, visit

https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/projects/south-main-street-bike-and-pedestrian-improvements.