News

Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) has been appointed to serve on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance.   

This committee studies and reviews all unemployment insurance matters, including state unemployment insurance laws, administration of those laws and any need for clarification, technical amendments, repeal or other change to make the laws concise, intelligible and easy to administer.

“I am honored that my interest and work to grow our state’s workforce has been noticed by the citizens of my district, and the Senate’s leadership. Ensuring the health of North Carolina’s Unemployment Fund Reserves in order to withstand any future economic downtown is of paramount importance to the survival of our businesses,” Edwards said in a news release.

“We can’t allow this fund to be raided as the governor is proposing, nor can we repeat the mistakes made just a few years ago that left the fund $2.86 billion in debt. From this new post, I can help ensure those mistakes are not repeated.”

The committee is directed to study and review all unemployment insurance matters, workforce development programs and re-employment assistance efforts of the state.

The committee’s duties and powers include the following:

--Study the unemployment insurance laws of North Carolina and the administration of those laws.

--Review the state’s unemployment insurance laws to determine which laws need clarification, technical amendment, repeal, or other change to make the laws concise, intelligible and easy to administer.

--Monitor the payment of the debt owed by the Unemployment Trust Fund to the federal government.

--Review and determine the adequacy of the balances in the Unemployment Trust Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Reserve Fund.

--Study the workforce development programs and reemployment assistance efforts of the Division of Workforce Solutions of the Department of Commerce.

--Call upon the Department of Commerce to cooperate with it in the study of the unemployment insurance laws and the workforce development efforts of the state.

Upcoming Hendersonville Road Closures   

The City of Hendersonville would like to make the public aware of two upcoming road closures.

On Sunday, March 17, Downtown Hendersonville will be hosting the Seventh Avenue Criterium bike race. This event will include street closures in the Seventh Avenue district beginning on March 17 at 7:00am. Locust Street will be closed between Seventh Avenue and Lynn St.; Lynn St. will be closed between Locust and Maple; Maple will be closed between Lynn and Seventh; and Seventh will be closed between Maple and Locust to create the loop. These roads will be closed until March 17 at 6:00pm and will reopen following the completion of the final race.

A road closure will be taking place on Main Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue. On Tuesday, March 19, the Public Works Department will be closing the road to thru traffic to repair the crosswalk. Weather permitting, the repair work is expected to last three days. The street will be closed at the mid-block, but local traffic will be able to reach businesses on the block from each end. Traffic should be back to its normal pattern on Friday, March 22.

Bent Creek Road Temporary Closure

Pisgah Forest, NC- March 14, 2019- The Pisgah Ranger District will close a portion of Bent Creek Road, FSR 479, from Ledford Branch Trailhead to the Blue Ridge Parkway for maintenance starting Monday, March 18, 2019.

Contractors will use large trucks and heavy equipment to gravel and grade the road. Visitors can expect increased traffic and should use caution in the area. Work is expected to be completed by the end of March.

Avery Creek Road (FSR 477) and Wash Creek Road (FSR 500) from North Mills River Campground to Trace Ridge Trailhead have reopened.

The district is also reopening the following seasonally closed roads starting March 15, 2019.

Courthouse Creek
FSR 140

Yellow Gap Road
FSR 1206

Wash Creek Road
FSR 5000
From the North Mills River Campground to the Trace Ridge Trailhead.
Wash Creek Road
FSR 5000
From the Trace Ridge Trailhead to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Headwaters Road
FSR 475 B
From the north end of the road to the Sunwall Trailhead. The south section of the road will remain closed due to road maintenance.

On all Forest Service roads, emergency closures due to weather or resource conditions can occur at any time. For current road conditions and status, contact the Pisgah Ranger District at 828-877-3265 Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the Blue Ridge Commons shopping center off Asheville Highway behind the Oil Well   

Favillas authentic New York Pizza comes to the Blue Ridge Commons shopping center off Asheville Highway behind the Oil Well.

Favillas has been very successful with their Asheville location,and are now pleased to bring their authentic Italian food to Hendersonville.

Scammers  are calling residents and impersonating utility company staff, claiming to be collecting on late bills. They may even falsify their caller ID information to make it appear as though the call is coming from Duke Energy.

A spokesman for Duke says, because we do occasionally contact our customers by phone, it can be difficult to tell a scammer from a real Duke Energy employee. Here are some tips:

If a caller specifically asks you to pay by prepaid debit card, this is a red flag. Prepaid debit cards are like cash and the transactions cannot be reversed.
If you feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call us at the number on your utility bill. This will ensure you are speaking to a real Duke Energy representative.

What can I do to protect myself against fraud?

Don’t assume the name and number on your caller ID are legitimate. Caller IDs can be spoofed.
Never share your personal information, including birthday, Social Security number or banking account information.
Never wire money to someone you don’t know – regardless of the situation. Once you wire money, you cannot get it back.
Do not accept offers from anyone, including those claiming to be Duke Energy employees, to pay your bill or provide any other service for a fee.
Do not click links or call numbers that appear in unexpected emails or texts – especially those asking for your account information. If you click on a link, your computer could become infected with malware, including viruses that can steal your information and ruin your computer.
Occasionally, Duke Energy MAY call you to discuss your account. If we do, we will provide you with information that only you and Duke Energy would know in order to validate that our call is legitimate. If, after receiving the information, you are uncomfortable providing personal information by phone, or if you believe the call is a scam, hang up and call the company directly at 800.777.9898.
Duke Energy customers who have delinquent accounts receive multiple notifications from the company over the course of several weeks prior to electric service disconnection – never just a single notification one hour before disconnection.
Duke Energy never asks or requires customers who have delinquent accounts to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid electric service disconnection. Customers can make payments online, by phone, by automatic bank draft, by mail or in person.
If you’re concerned there may really be a problem with your power, contact Duke Energy by calling the number listed on your monthly bill.

Conservancy Aids Grassroots Land Acquisition Effort
Proposed Green River Game Lands Addition Would Protect Saluda Tract
Once Slated for County Police Training Center   

Last month Conserving Carolina entered into a contract to purchase 81.5 acres of property on Macedonia Road north of Saluda, land targeted by Henderson County in 2018 as the proposed location for a regional police training facility. The County’s proposal prompted a strong response from Henderson and Polk County residents in the Saluda area opposed to the concept. In May 2018, the County dropped its plans to purchase and develop the forested tract, which adjoins the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission’s Green River Game Lands.

In the wake of the scrapped training center proposal, a small group of local residents approached Conserving Carolina to explore the possibility of acquiring the land for conservation in order to forestall other development plans that might threaten the property in future. In early 2019 the property’s owners accepted an offer from the local conservancy, which is now working to raise the $450,000 needed to buy the tract that it hopes eventually to convey to the State of North Carolina for addition to the adjacent game lands.

To date, local contributors have donated over $70,000 toward the purchase. Conserving Carolina is seeking a total of $100,000 from local donors and is pursuing the remaining $350,000 from outside sources including the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

"The enthusiasm, energy, determination and teamwork that we experienced with each person involved in the Save Saluda effort last year created the force which prevented the gun range from becoming a reality,” said Susan McHugh, one of the leaders of the local group formed in 2018. "With the support we are receiving from Conserving Carolina, our hope now is that the community rallies around the opportunity to preserve the beauty and the environmental value of this property for years to come"

The Macedonia Road property is entirely forested, with streams and wetlands that protect waters that flow into the nearby Green River. Its protection will add to the existing wildlife and recreational corridor located on the Green River Game Lands. Addition of the property to conservation ownership will also ensure protection of scenic views from Interstate 26, which runs near the property’s southern boundary.

The Hendersonville-based land conservancy has been working on a series of projects to expand and protect the 15,000-acre Green River Game Lands, which straddle the Henderson/Polk county line in the area of the Green River Gorge, a rugged landscape of steep ravines, coves, and old-growth and mixed hardwood forest which boasts the some of the most popular whitewater rapids in the eastern United States.

In 2017, Conserving Carolina worked with Henderson County to acquire 69 acres on the western end of the Game Lands that is being developed into a County-owned nature park below Lake Summit to be named after “Chief” Frank and Calla Bell, pioneers of the region’s summer camp industry. In 2018 it worked with Polk County and the Wildlife Resources Commission to add 900 acres to conservation at Little White Oak Mountain, on the eastern end of the Game Lands. Six hundred acres were added to the existing Game Lands and 300 acres are being developed into an expanded county park by Polk County Parks and Recreation department.

According to Conserving Carolina executive director Kieran Roe, “Acquisition of the Macedonia Road tract will enhance protection of the Green River, one of our region’s natural treasures, and the public land network that safeguards its wild and scenic character. Strong support of the project from our local community will do a great deal to improve our prospects for obtaining additional outside support.”

Saluda-based Saluda Community Land Trust assisted the grassroots effort to oppose the police training center in 2018 and is partnering with Conserving Carolina in raising funds for the land purchase. Conserving Carolina has through April 30th to raise the additional $30,000 in local contributions that it needs to proceed with the purchase. Those interested in supporting the project are invited to go to the organization’s website, www.conservingcarolina.org/greenriver, to learn more.

Conserving Carolina is a local land trust dedicated to protecting land and water, promoting good stewardship, and creating opportunities for people to enjoy nature. Learn more and become a member at conservingcarolina.org.

PUPPY COVERED IN CHEMICAL BURNS CARED FOR BY BROTHER WOLF ANIMAL RESCUE; POLICE SEEK ABUSER   

(Asheville, NC - March 13, 2019) An abused puppy named Hope is now in the loving care of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue after being found in a trash bag outside of a McDonald’s in Tennessee, covered in what appear to be chemical burns.

Brother Wolf learned about the puppy shortly after she arrived at Friends Animal Shelter in Newport, TN. For the past several months, Brother Wolf has been assisting the shelter with efforts to assess and rebuild their resources after an abrupt leadership change that left them scrambling to provide adequate care for their animals.

“What happened to Hope is horrific,” says Audrey Lodato, Brother Wolf’s Director of Animal Care. “Thankfully, since we have been helping Friends Animal Shelter through their transition, they knew they could call us for help. We were able to ensure that Hope would get the urgent treatment she needed in order to have the best chance at survival. At just 2 months old, she has already known so much fear, pain, and suffering. We wanted her to finally know love and compassion, for perhaps the first time in her life.”

During an initial exam by Brother Wolf’s veterinarian, Dr. Megan McAndrew, it was determined that Hope’s treatment would include pain medication, antibiotics, topical ointments, wound flushes, and potential surgeries.

“Unfortunately, we recently discovered that her damaged skin is sloughing,” says McAndrew. “It may take up to two weeks to determine the full extent of tissue damage after such a severe burn. This means that we will continue to monitor her very closely over the next week or so. It’s going to be a long road for her, but she is a strong-willed little girl and I am optimistic she’ll have a steady recovery.” McAndrew is fostering Hope through her healing process and is giving around-the-clock care.

In addition to working to save Hope’s life, Brother Wolf has been working with the Newport Police Department to help bring her abuser to justice. Anyone with information about Hope’s case is urged to call (423) 623-5556.

“We’ve been blown away by the incredible support we’ve received to help Hope in her recovery,” says Lodato. “Medical care is our biggest expense each month and we’d never be able to provide this level of care without community support.” Make a lifesaving donation towards the care of Hope and other animals like her at www.bwar.org/donate.

Hope is just one example of the animals in Brother Wolf’s care who are in the process of healing from their own emotional or physical traumas. In January, a dog named Nova was brought to Brother Wolf by a good samaritan who had convinced a breeder to surrender her. She was nearly hairless from mange and bloated from parasites. Thanks to the dedicated care of staff and her foster parents, Nova made a full recovery and was recently adopted into a loving home.

Through their Adoption Center, mobile spay/neuter clinic, and pet retention programs, Brother Wolf anticipates positively impacting the lives of approximately 10,000 animals this year. To learn more about Brother Wolf and to support their No-Kill mission, visit www.bwar.org.

City Mulch and Compost Giveaway to Begin on March 15th

The City of Hendersonville has scheduled their seasonal mulch giveaway program to begin on Friday, March 15, 2019. Mulch will be available for pick up on Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. This schedule will occur for approximately eight weeks, or until the material is gone.

The mulch will be distributed at the old Waste Water Treatment Plant located at 80 Balfour Rd. in Hendersonville. The Public Works Department will have a person on site to operate the backhoe and load the material.

In addition to the mulch, the City will be offering composted leaves as a separate material. These leaves were collected during 2017 and 2018, ran through a chipper several times and then composted for a year. This material makes an excellent addition to vegetable and flower gardens.

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

“Pistol-Toter” Forrest Jarrett Speaks at saluda Train Tales™    

In 1952, just married and a recent graduate of Berea College, Forrest Jarrett from Madison County was drafted. While serving in the army in the Mojave Desert during a training exercise, he broke his back and was in a full-body cast for a month. He was discharged from the army in May 1953.

Crippled, he was not able to return and take up farming and ranching in Madison County like his family had done for decades. He was married with a toddler to care for so he started looking for a job. Jarrett’s father’s good friend, Jesse James Bailey-Southern Railway division chief in Asheville, and former Madison and Buncombe County sheriff- helped him and his first job was a relief watchman and then soon as a patrolman.

Jarrett spent 37-years as the chief policeman for Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Jarrett will share tales with the audience at Saluda Train Tales about his 37-year storied career on Friday, March 15 at 7pm. He will thrill the audience with his stories of moving coal, grain, automobiles, and dried coconut; protecting railroad property from vandals, thieves, striking mine workers, and angry truckers; investigating train wrecks; winning over local police and Washington bureaucrats and sharing the lifestyles of diverse cultures.

Forrest Jarrett was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, signed by Gov. Pat McCrory. The Long Leaf Pine is the state’s highest honor for public service. He was awarded this distinction for his national successes in police diplomacy, his support of cultural institutions, including the Depot in Marshall and the Madison County Arts Council, and his continuing role cutting through bureaucracy with friendly connections.

Hearing that the old train depot in Marshall, NC was facing destruction, and after “orders” from his mother to tell his railroad buddies not to destroy the depot, Jarrett was able to secure a lease agreement between the railroad and the town of Marshall, NC for the old depot for $1 a year. Because of his love for music, four or five local bands are scheduled every Friday night. There is no admission fee making The Depot accessible to everyone.

Returning to his native soil in 1991 after 37 years as a “railroad pistol-toter,” he and his wife, Alene Ray Jarrett enjoy relaxing on the porch and viewing the distant mountain peaks.

Saluda Train Tales is a free monthly event to educate the community in the importance of Saluda's railroad history and the Saluda Grade. These events are at the Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W Main Street, Saluda, NC 28773. Doors open at 6:30. Presentation is 7pm to 8:30pm. The events are free and voluntary donations are appreciated. Saluda Train Tales is sponsored by the Polk County Community Foundation and Memberships and Donations to the Saluda Historic Depot will enable us to receive incentive grant funds from the Polk County Community Foundation.

Special Agents charge Fletcher man with insurance fraud, false pretense

 North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of James Anthony Bowman, 36, of 98 Vaughn Circle, Fletcher. Bowman was charged with insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense, both felonies.

According to the arrest warrant, Bowman falsely reported to National General Insurance Co. that his Lexus ES 350 was stolen. The insurance company provided Bowman with a rental vehicle and a $9,710 settlement as a result of the claim, the warrant says.

The offenses occurred on July 1, 2018.

Special Agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, along with Buncombe County deputies, arrested Bowman on Feb. 11. He was released on a written promise to appear in court.

Fraud is felt every time consumers pay their insurance premiums. Commissioner Causey estimates fraud costs North Carolinians between 15 and 20 cents on every dollar paid on insurance premiums.

"Insurance fraud affects our economy. Not only does it damage insurance companies, it cheats businesses and consumers too," Commissioner Causey said. "This kind of white-collar crime is unacceptable. That's why I've doubled the number of Special Agents to investigate insurance fraud. Cracking down on fraud will put more money in the pockets of businesses and consumers.”

To report suspected fraud, contact the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840. Callers may remain anonymous. Information is also available at www.ncdoi.com.