News

Jeff Wells, Mills River town manager for the past four years, announced his resignation at the Town Council meeting Thursday with an emotional resignation letter that highlighted his staff and the deep relationships he’s formed during his tenure.

Wells will be moving to Waxhaw to take over as planning director for the town.

Wells told the town council,  “Mills River is a special community with outstanding people. I look up to each of the council members, current and past, whom I have had the privilege to work with.”

His last day will be April 12. Council members held a closed session following the meeting to begin the process of searching for his replacement.

Wells shared a special appreciation for his staff, saying they work hard every day in civic service to the town and have made his job an easy one over the years.

“Our advisory boards are second to none in their service to the community,” he said. “I have also enjoyed working with all my peers throughout the county and beyond, as relationships have always been very important to me.”

Any manager is only as good as their staff, he said, and the staff at Mills River has been the best he’s had the privilege to work with.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your town manager,” he said. “I look forward to continuing the relationships that I have made here. They are truly special to me.”

"KERMIT EDNEY REMEMBERS"--FOR 5 STAR REAL ESTATE PROS-

Starting Friday March 1st WHKP's long running "Where Fitz Left Off" by Kermit Edney will have a new sponsor. 5 Star Real Estate Pros will sponsor this look back at Henderson County history "during the WHKP years". every weekday morning at 7:10am.

In addition to the actual radio broadcast, all of Kermit's programs are archived and available on the WHKP.com web site.  .Go to whkp.com then "listen" then "listen library"FOR and all of the shows are there for you to hear at your pleasure.

DETOURS REMAIN AN OPTION   

The North Carolina Department of Transportation engineers have re-opened one lane of traffic in each direction along Interstate 40 around a rockslide near the Tennessee state line.

The lanes are set to open on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, almost a week after the slide first closed the road Friday, Feb. 22. NCDOT engineers say they will open one lane in each direction at 2 p.m.

NCDOT officials said during a noon press conference that the speed limit in the area will be reduced to 45 MPH, and drivers should be careful as they travel through the work zone.

Travelers should expect delays for the next six weeks while repairs are completed in the area.

Detours will remain an option for many travelers while the work is completed. The detour route uses I-40, I-240, I-26, and I-81 through Asheville and Johnson City. The distance from Asheville to the I-40/I-81 junction in Tennessee is about 50 miles longer than driving through the Pigeon River Gorge.

Westbound detour: Motorists should take I-240 West to Exit 4-A to I-26 West. Follow I-26 West to I-81 South. Then follow I-81 South to reaccess I-40.
Eastbound detour: Motorists should take Exit 421 to I-81 North. Follow I-81 North to Exit 57A (I-26 East). On I-26 East, follow signs for I-240 East to reaccess I-40.

Blue Ridge Community College Unveils New Brand

In celebration of its 50thanniversary, Blue Ridge Community College unveiled a new brand, Education Elevated, during a presentation to more than 200 faculty and staff today.

“Backed by months of research, the new brand provides an opportunity to tell the depth and breadth of our story as we enrich students’ lives and meet the workforce needs of Henderson and Transylvania Counties,” said Laura B. Leatherwood, Ed.D., president of Blue Ridge Community College. “For instance, a recent economic impact study commissioned by the College revealed that we added $187.6 million in income to our region and supported one out of every 19 jobs in our community last fiscal year.”

The College partnered with Formation PR + Brand to develop the new brand. Beginning in the summer of 2018, the Formation team conducted brand research, which included both primary and secondary research, as well as digital marketing analysis. Primary research consisted of brand perception surveys sent to faculty and staff, students, parents, community members, and high school guidance counselors. More than 500 survey responses were received during the primary research phase, including a large percentage from Blue Ridge faculty, staff, and students.

“Education Elevated is in alignment with our statewide marketing efforts, which highlight increased awareness about the life-changing opportunities available through community colleges,” said North Carolina Community College System President Peter Hans. “I’m so proud of my hometown college and all they do for the people of Henderson and Transylvania Counties.”

Following the brand research, Blue Ridge and Formation created a Brand Council comprised of nearly 20 faculty, staff, and students at the College to provide feedback on the initial brand logos, concept, and messaging. “I enjoyed participating in the brand’s creative process, and appreciate being asked for input before the final brand was created,” said Lilly Blankenship, member of the Brand Council and student of Blue Ridge Community College.

In the College’s new logo, there are “three summits” in the visual mark that represent both its core student programs – Job Training, College Transfer, and Continuing Education – and its brand pillars – Quality, Affordability, and Access.

“Education Elevated was developed from the valued feedback of our community, and it reflects how we are growing and evolving on our path forward to prepare students for 21stcentury success in the workforce or at four-year colleges and universities,” remarked Lee Anna Haney, director, marketing and communications at Blue Ridge Community College.

According to a recent Gallup/myFutureNC survey, North Carolinians believe that education beyond high school, including a college degree or professional certificate, is a path to a better life for their families, but there are concerns about the overall cost and, therefore, access to college. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of North Carolina employers value a community college degree.

Leatherwood added, “Blue Ridge Community College can help students overcome obstacles and pursue their future, today. We focused our brand pillars on our ability to offer a real-life, affordable, and accessible education with more than 100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates; more than 200 online courses; fast-tracked job training; hundreds of scholarship opportunities; and low-cost tuition.”

In the months ahead, marketing activations reflecting the new brand will be visible in the community, and Blue Ridge Community College encourages community members to join the brand conversation at #BlueRidgeElevates. To learn more about the brand, visit blueridge.edu/Education-Elevated.

About Blue Ridge Community College

Blue Ridge Community College is a two-year, post-secondary institution that elevates the educational experience to prepare students for 21st success in the workplace or at four-year colleges and universities. Providing real-life, affordable, and accessible education, the College offers more than 100 degrees, diplomas, and certificates; more than 200 online courses; and fast-tracked job training. Blue Ridge is dedicated to enriching students’ lives and meeting the workforce needs of Henderson and Transylvania Counties. To learn more or apply, visit blueridge.edu.

Pardee UNC Health Care Delivers CPR Training Kits to West Henderson High School

Pardee UNC Health Care delivered four hands-only CPR training kits to West Henderson High School on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The kits included mannequins and replacement supplies for student CPR training. Since the 2014-2015 school year, North Carolina has mandated that all students must complete first aid and CPR training before graduating from high school. The training is provided through their health education program.

In partnership with the American Heart Association, Pardee supports this initiative in Henderson County Public Schools by providing training equipment necessary for students to gain this lifesaving skill. The schools teach teens how to perform hands-only CPR on mannequins, so they feel confident with CPR should they ever need to administer it. Pardee met with Henderson County Public Schools officials to determine how to best distribute the CPR supplies this year. West Henderson had the greatest need. Most middle schools already teach the course, but a few high school health classes provide the training if students were unable to complete the training in middle school.

“Knowing hands-only CPR can save a life, which is why Pardee provides training supplies to our local schools,” said Susan Odom, administrative director of cardiovascular services at Pardee. “When someone is in cardiac arrest, receiving hands-only CPR can double or triple their chance of survival.”

Pardee UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953 and is managed by UNC Health Care. The hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, three urgent care locations and five orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit www.pardeehospital.org.

The Henderson County's sheriff's office is seeking the public's health in identifying two people investigators say were involved in several larcenies from motor vehicles in a gym parking lot in Mills River on Friday.

Shortly after, the suspects attempted to use the stolen credit cards in Traveler’s Rest. They were seen in a white SUV — possibly a Honda CRV or a Kia Sorento. If you can identify these individuals or have any information, please contact Detective Travis Pierce at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office

The United Methodist Church Tuesday voted to maintain its opposition to same sex marriage,and gay clergy.  
The special four day session held in St.Louis was comprised of 800 clergy,and lay leaders from around the world.  
The vote 53% in favor of the "traditional plan".One voting member stated "I am happy to go back to the members of my church and tell them we voted in favor of the bible."  
The United Methodist Churc is the largest mainline Protestant church in the United States.  
One Pastor W.Martin Nicholas of Sugar Land Methodist in Texas stated "I am pleased with this vote and can only hope the denomination will turn to serving the poor,and the sick,instead of fighting over LGBT issues."  

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST:

:  In a contentious meeting years in the making, the United States’s third-largest faith community voted to emphasize its opposition to same-sex marriage and gay clergy — a decision which was cheered by conservatives in the global church, especially in Africa, but was deeply disappointing to many Americans who were eager for change.

Many American ministers in the United Methodist Church already perform same-sex marriages and approve of the ordination of LGBT people as clergy, although the Protestant church’s rules officially forbid these marriages and ordinations. Many Methodists hoped that the church would amend those rules this week. Instead, a group of more than 800 clergy and lay leaders from around the world voted to affirm the church’s traditional view of sexuality — and to punish disobedient clergy more harshly than before.

“The United Methodist Church will very soon lose an entire generation of leadership in the United States,” lamented Kimberly Ingram, speaking at the meeting on behalf of Methodist seminaries and theological schools, who argued that their students strongly approve of including LGBT people fully in the church. “The future of the United Methodist Church in this country is at stake.”

But presented with several options during a four-day special session on the future of the church in St. Louis, the delegates picked the “traditional plan,” with 53 percent voting in favor. Other options would have allowed local churches to choose their stance on sexuality for themselves, or would have split the church into separate denominations.

The choice raises the question of whether churches that hoped for a different outcome will leave the denomination. The United Methodist Church is the largest mainline — meaning nonevangelical — Protestant church in the United States. Most other mainline Protestant churches do perform LGBT marriages, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Each of those denominations lost some churches to more conservative faith groups when they decided to affirm same-sex marriage.

[Is God male? The Episcopal Church debates whether to change its Book of Common Prayer]

The United Methodist Church, unlike those denominations, is worldwide, not almost entirely American. Nearly one-third of the church’s membership is in Africa, and speakers from outside the United States — including Liberia and Russia — were among the most vocal proponents of the traditional plan.

Jerry Kulah, head of the UMC Africa Initiative, said he was sorry the church had spent so much time and money debating questions about homosexuality. “The progressive groups are loud, but they don’t have the numbers,” he said. If the church had voted to affirm LGBT inclusion, he said, it would have become a “laughingstock” in Africa.

“I’m happy to go back to old ladies and old men in villages who received the Bible from missionaries and let them know that the Bible hasn’t changed,” he said.

But Will Willimon, a retired Methodist bishop and a prominent theologian at Duke Divinity School, said that preaching to the “old” is a failure of the church.

“We’re sending a signal we are here to minister to the spiritual needs of the elderly,” he said, adding that he has trouble explaining this debate to his adult children.

Willimon had advocated for the “one church plan,” which would have allowed local ministers to choose their stance. “The traditional plan is a misnomer,” he said. “We really have nothing in our tradition to justify this sort of punitive, exclusionary mentality.”

[The United Methodist Church appointed its first transgender deacon]

The question of sexuality has caused deep rifts among Methodists for years. After the topic nearly split the church in two at the denomination’s regular quadrennial meeting in 2016, bishops called for this week’s special session focused solely on resolving the question of sexuality and church unity.

As it became clear Tuesday afternoon that the meeting would end with the approval of the traditional plan, some expressed joy and relief.

W. Martin Nicholas, pastor of Sugar Land First Methodist Church in Texas, said he was pleased with the outcome and he now hoped the denomination would turn its attention to serving the poor and the sick, instead of years more fighting over LGBT issues. "It allows energy and effort to be channeled and focused in the right direction,” he said, but noted the disappointment that many delegates felt. “I dislike seeing people injured and feeling raw -- this shouldn’t be a victory lap.”

Others, on the floor of the stadium where the former St. Louis Rams once played, turned to questions about how a church might exit the denomination now, a tricky issue involving the ownership of church property and other logistics. And some voiced their sorrow and rage.

Dawn Taylor-Storm, a delegate from Pennsylvania, trembled as she said at the microphone: “I speak for all who are at home feeling betrayed, harmed, undermined by this work. . . . This conference is not a full expression of who we are as United Methodists. And hear me, friends. Resurrection happens on the third day, not because people voted for it. Resurrection happens on the third day because the movement of God could not be legislated. You see, God does not depend on a majority vote!”

The end of the meeting was rushed: The Methodists needed to leave, because a monster truck rally was scheduled next in the stadium.

HENSON REPRESENTS MILLS RIVER PREC INCTS IN WESTERN HENDERSON COUNTY IN THE NC STATE HOUSE            

CAROLINA PUBLIC PRESS IS REPORTING

Judge Fritz Mercer ruled against state Rep. Cody Henson during a domestic violence civil hearing Tuesday at the Transylvania County Courthouse in Brevard.

A North Carolina legislator committed domestic violence against his estranged wife, a judge found Tuesday during a civil proceeding, awarding her a yearlong domestic violence protection order.

After a Tuesday court hearing lasting several hours at the Transylvania County courthouse in Brevard, Judge Fritz Mercer ruled in favor of Kelsey Henson, wife of state Rep. Cody Henson, R-Transylvania.

Kelsey Henson said she is relieved with the outcome of the hearing, during which she presented copies of harassing text messages and records of phone calls between her and Cody Henson as evidence.

“After multiple, multiple, multiple times, I asked him to stop,” she told Carolina Public Press after the hearing.

“He continued and refused to have any regard for my boundaries or well-being.”

Kelsey Henson’s attorney, Ben Scales, noted after the ruling that the judge was convinced the lawmaker had acted inappropriately.

“The judge said from the bench, it’s clear that (Rep. Henson) just refused to give up on the relationship despite the fact that she told him repeatedly that she didn’t want to get back together with him,’” Scales said.

The order of protection requires the legislator to refrain from domestic violence. However, domestic violence is already illegal, and Henson is already under investigation for related criminal allegations.

The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a complaint involving the legislator, Sheriff David Mahoney told CPP earlier this month. Sheriff’s Office records indicate that this is a cyberstalking complaint from Kelsey Henson.

State statute says repeated messages intended to abuse, threaten, terrify, harass or embarrass a person are considered cyberstalking.

“Some people don’t think that’s abuse, or that it’s domestic violence,” Kelsey Henson said of repeated texts and phone calls. “But it is mental abuse, and that’s what the judge stated.”

CPP attempted to reach Rep. Henson for his comment on how this ruling and the ongoing sheriff’s investigation may affect his political career but did not hear back from the lawmaker before deadline.

“Now that we have this order, I’m not going to be tormented on a daily basis,” Kelsey Henson said. “I can continue being a good mother and put this craziness behind me.”

While granting the order, Judge Mercer had the option of requiring Rep. Henson to give up firearms while the order is in effect. The judge chose not to do this in Henson’s case. During one of several phone calls Kesley Henson made to 911 about issues with Rep. Henson, she told responders that he did have access to guns.

Rep. Henson is currently serving his second term representing Transylvania and Polk counties, as well as the southern portion of Henderson County, in the N.C. House of Representatives

In a press conference Tuesday morning, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced that Buncombe County would no longer hold detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating that a detainer request is not a valid warrant.  

"The sheriff's office will continue to comply with all applicable state and federal laws, however we do not make or enforce immigration laws. That is not part of our law enforcement duties," Sheriff Miller said.

The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office will continue its policy of not participating in or assisting ICE raids, and deputies will not gather information on immigration status. Deputies will also not ask any questions about citizenship.

"It is vital that members of our immigrant community can call the sheriff's office without fear when they are in need of assistance from law enforcement," Sheriff Miller said.

Activists hail the sheriff's action as a good first step.

"There's a long history of mistrust between communities of color and law enforcement, and having a directive of this sort addresses those issues and starts building trust," CIMA co-director Coco Alcazar said.

Trust in a community where people have been detained and taken away without a day in court.

"We need an immigration policy that makes sense," Asheville/Buncombe NAACP president Carmen Ramos-Kennedy said. "I don't think we, as a community, as an organization, should be giving up our community members to ICE, that simple."

Others said they attended the news conference in support of families whose loved ones have simply disappeared.

"For us, as people of faith, it's about human dignity, human respect. That is something we found in Jesus," the Rev. Todd Donatelli, dean at Cathedral of All Souls.

Miller says his policy directive is simply a mandate to follow the letter of the law, that once a person serves their time, they will be released from his jail and not taken into custody again based on an ICE detainer request. Miller says those are not legal warrants, and also not in line with how he wants to operate his agency.

"If ICE, the FBI, DHS or any other law enforcement agency provides a valid criminal warrant, that person will be handed over to that agency," Sheriff Miller said.

The sheriff's office has been operating without a 287 (g) agreement in place for many years.

Since December, new sheriffs in Mecklenburg and Wake Counties have reversed a policy that notifies ICE about the legal status of inmates in county jails. The Durham County Sheriff's Office also ended the practice of honoring ICE detainers.

Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin said Henderson's contract is up in May. He said he doesn’t have the staff to handle contract requirements that stipulate that a trained deputy should be on duty 24/7 to question a suspected undocumented immigrant

FROM WHKP NEWS EARLIER COVERAGE:    

THE LOCAL CONTRACT WITH ICE EXPIRES JUNE 30TH    

Is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement a good thing or a bad thing...and is it good and worth the money for Henderson County? Those questions are not fully resolved yet, according to Sheriff Lowell Griffin..

In a detailed interview on the ICE issue with WHKP News, the sheriff said he’ll make a decision of renewing the county current ICE contract with federal authorities “when the time is appropriate...the current contract does not exire until the end of June.”

Griffin clarified that the ICE current contract the county has with federal authorities allows the sheriff’s department, if they have officers who are certified to do so, to determine the immigration status of an individual once that individual is booked into the detention facility for whatever reason. And if it’s found that the individual is in the country illegally, a “detainer” can be placed on the individual until the federal immigration authorities can take custody of the individual and make a decision on going forward with formal proceedings.

The issue is, says the sheriff, with the increasing demands in our county jail, the county does not have adequate personnel to meet those demands and requirements.

“We don’t really have the personnel to cover the “day to day” tasks in the jail”, said the sheriff. “And when you add to that the the ICE program, I have to send officers out of state for just over a month at a time to be trained for certification to continue the ICE program.”

As for the possibility of not renewing the ICE contract, Sheriff Griffin emphasized “We are in no way looking to become any type of “sanctuary” county, we are still going to work with federal agencies, and we are still going to detain those we need to detain”, said Griffin...”But there’s actually an ICE office in Hendersonville just a few blocks away”, he saidl, speaking of the former doctor’s office across from Pardee Hospital at Sixth and Justice Street and he said there are other duplications of services. “So there are a lot of things to consider and we will be considering those as we move closer to making a decision about this program.”

Griffin points out the county gets no federal funding assistance for this...the total cost of handling these “federal detainers”, he says, “...comes on the backs of Henderson County taxpayers.”

Griffin says ICE is targeting those who have a criminal history and who are here illegally. He points out the sheriff’s department has no involvement at all in local ICE raids, and has no warning when they occur...but he emphasizes ICE is targeting specific individuals who are wanted or are here illegally and who pose a threat to the community.

As for the whole immigration issue, Griffin said our lawmakers “...need to push forward with some comprehensive solutions as far as the immigrations laws are concerned.”.

As for ICE, Griffin says “They probably do a better job than anyone realizes. The problem is they (ICE) have very poor public relations concerning getting the word out about those they have arrested. However, as a local law enforcement agency we have absolutely no authority to go out into the field and assist the ICE operations in the field”

“Our contract, says Griffin, “deals only with potential criminal illegal immigrants, after they’ve been arrested and once they come into the county detention facility.”

And it’s that contract the sheriff will be considering, along with county commissioners, as we get closer to the expiration of the current ICE contact this summer.

By Larry Freeman and Tippy Creswell  

Hendersonville Symphony presents “Young at Heart” concert   

Do you remember the first time you heard the thunderous, live music of a symphony orchestra? Or, perhaps you are looking for the chance to give that excitement and wonder to a young person in your life. The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra can do this for you on Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. with a concert for the entire family!

“Young at Heart,” the next concert in the Symphony’s 2018-2019 season, will feature such selections as “Tubby the Tuba” and “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” from the animated film “Fantasia.” This performance is guaranteed to delight and enchant the young – and those young at heart!

Featured soloist at the concert will be the 2019 winner of the Hendersonville Symphony’s Young Artist Competition, Aaron Lipsky of Asheville. Aaron, a clarinetist, received First Prize in the annual competition and will perform the third movement of Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2.

A single, general admission ticket to the March 16 concert is $40 for adults, $20 for adults under age 40, and $10 for students. Group discounts are available. Tickets can be purchased by calling 828-697-5884 or by visiting www.hendersonvillesymphony.org.

The concert is generously sponsored by Lake Pointe Landing and the Audrey Love Charitable Foundation, with Young Artist Competition sponsorships from Laborde Eye Group and Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Pyles.
A native of Asheville, Aaron began playing clarinet at age 11 in his sixth-grade band program. A sophomore at A.C. Reynolds High School, he is a three-time member of the N.C. All-State Honors Band. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, Aaron attended the Brevard Music Center (BMC) Summer Institute and Festival, where he was the youngest student in 2017, and a BMC Scholar in 2018. He played principal clarinet in the Brevard Concert Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart and Ken Lam. He was a semi-finalist in the Brevard Music Center 2018 Concerto Competition and is a two-time recipient of the Ione M. Allen Music Scholarship. Aaron is the founder and Artistic Director of Clarinet & Friends, a chamber music organization that gives concerts of different styles of music around Western North Carolina. Aaron is the grandson of American Composer Phillip Rhodes.

The Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1971, exists to enrich the Hendersonville and Henderson County communities with live symphonic performances and music education opportunities for youth and adults.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hendersonvillesyphony.org, or call the Symphony office at 828-697-5884.