listen live
Tyler Sams

ON AIR STAFF
Tyler Sams
full schedule

on the air
clear sky 48° Mar 28's Weather
Clear
HI: 53° LOW: 44°
Your Forecast

News

Mary Virginia Barnett Ashe died on November 5th after a long illness.

Mary was a lifelong resident of Henderson County, known and loved by many.

She was employed by WHKP RADIO in Hendersonville from 1952 until her retirement in 2019, a total of 67 years.

Mary was the daughter of Allen Francis Barnett and Frances Irene Taylor Barnett of Mills River.  Her family inclluded brothers Jimmy, Jack, Joe and  an infant Johnnrnett. Her sister, Shirley Dockery, preceded her in death on January 6th of 2023.  She is survived by three sons - Dennis Marvin Ashe of Hendersonville; Daniel Allen Ashe of Ollympia, Washington and David Lee Ashe of Rutherfordton along with two great grandchildren, four grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Mary was employed by WHKP RADIO in Hendersonville from 1952 until her retirement in 2019, a total of 67 years of the station's 77 year history and was one of the stockholders for a number of years. She was a faithful member of Refuge Baptist Church for many years and later attended Sunday School at Hendersonville First Baptist Church. 

Mary was a faithful servant of the Lord all her life and a wonderful mother and homemaker.  She loved working in her home and yard as well as being a gracious hostess to both newcomers and family members, equally welcome in her home.

A memorial service will be held at Mills River Presbyterian Church at 10 AM on Wednesday, November 15th.  

In lieu of flowers, the familly requests that donations be made to Four Seasons Hospice.

TODD STARNES RADIO SHOW HEARD WEEKDAYS 12 til 3 PM ON WHKP AM 1450 & FM 107.7

Newsmax Launches Todd Starnes Show
Newsmax launched “The Todd Starnes Show” last week. The one-hour show will be broadcast on the network’s N2 platform. Viewers will be able to watch live at 3 p.m. eastern on Newsmax.com and the network’s social media platforms.

Newsmax also announced plans to simulcast the third hour of “The Todd Starnes Radio Show.” Viewers will be able to watch that show on Newsmax.com at 2 p.m. eastern.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the great team at Newsmax,” Starnes said. “Chris Ruddy has built an incredible brand – a truly fair and balanced network.”

Printpack is set to permanently close its facility in Hendersonville at the end of the year, according to paperwork filed at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The closure will mean 90 employees will lose their jobs.

A similar announcement was made in 2012 when employees were told by officials that the plant would be closing, but it never happened.

Printpack still has a facility in Madison County.

 

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSClosure of Hendersonville plant by year's end will leave 90 without jobs | WLOS

 

Over 200 people packed the Thomas Auditorium at BRCC Thursday night for the Henderson County Planning Board vote to approve or deny Tribute Development Company's proposal at the Etowah Valley Golf Course.

Voting to approve the project's master plan to build 200 homes on Etowah Valley Golf Course was Hunter Marks, Jared Owenbey, Linda Bradley, Jim Miller and chairman Steve Dozier. Voting to deny the project was Rick Livingston,Bruce Hatfield and Robert Griffin.

The developers application to build a 200 lot subdivision primarily on what is now the South Course at Etowah can move forward now and all three nine holes at Etowah will most likely remain open for at least a year.

 

 Emergency crews  were called to the scene of a Henderson County home after two people were trapped Thursday afternoon in a partial retaining wall collapse.

Officials at a home on Lindsley Court tell News 13 crews were repairing a retaining wall on the property when part of it collapsed, trapping two people.

One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries with the second extricated and airlifted to Mission Hospital around 11 PM

Some of the agencies assisting include Edneyville and Dana Fire departments, Henderson County EMS, Henderson County Rescue Squad and Henderson County Sheriff's Office.

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOS1 person rescued after part of retaining wall collapses, crews trying to free 2nd person | WLOS

 

NORFOLK, Va. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Beddingfield, a native of Zirconia, North Carolina, serves aboard a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Beverly Taylor,
Navy Office of Community Outreach

Beddingfield graduated in 2018 from East Henderson High School.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Zirconia.

“I credit my hometown for my work ethic,” said Beddingfield. “It also taught me to be a team player and to care about others, not just about myself.”

Beddingfield joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Beddingfield serves as a fire controlman aboard USS Ross.

“I joined the Navy because my brother was in the Navy and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” said Beddingfield. “I also wanted to do something to better myself and help others.”

Ross, a guided-missile destroyer, provides a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments.

A destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.

More than 300 sailors serve aboard Ross. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. Their jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, alongside a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.

Serving in the Navy means Beddingfield is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is important to national defense because it is a global force for good that extends beyond just protecting our country,” said Beddingfield. “We can deploy anywhere in the world that suffers from war or humanitarian crisis.”

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to trained sailors and a strong Navy.

Beddingfield has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“My proudest accomplishment was being a part of my ship’s mission in Rota, Spain,” said Beddingfield. “I had the honor of helping refugees process into Spain from Afghanistan.”

As Beddingfield and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.

“Serving in the Navy has given me a way to better myself,” said Beddingfield. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without being in the Navy.”

Beddingfield is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my family,” added Beddingfield. “My mother, brother and wife have supported me through so much.”

 A North Carolina audit has uncovered several school districts -- including Henderson County -- failed to comply with student attendance laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2021, the General Assembly passed a law requiring the state Department of Public Instruction to contract with the auditor’s office to analyze data on six districts — two large, two medium and two small. The auditor’s office chose Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Winston Salem/Forsyth, Johnston County, Robeson County, Henderson County and Hyde County.

According to the report released earlier this month, state attendance data was “not complete or accurate” for five of the six districts, leaving Henderson County as the only one to be fully analyzed.

During the 2020-21 school year, many students took online classes because schools weren't providing in-person instruction.

State Auditor Beth Wood’s report has sparked debate among state and school officials even as attendance and test scores have been improving.

"Instead of recommendations to get students back to school, our agency and six of our school districts have been unnecessarily reprimanded," state Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a news release.

Henderson County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Garrett also took issue with the report.

"It is disappointing to go through an audit only to feel as though it was a wasted opportunity for improvement," Garrett said in a statement. "We would recommend that any future analysis pf student attendance be constructed in a manner that is beneficial to the organizations being monitored."

The audit found that 87% of the students in the Henderson County schools identified as chronically absent during the 2020-21 school year and didn't otherwise leave the system before the year's end were either promoted to the next grade or graduated from high school. Chronically absent was defined as someone who missed 10% or more of the days in which they were enrolled.

Auditors analyzed the attendance data for 13,044 students who attended district schools during the 2020-21 school year and determined that 7,071 of 13,044 (54%) students had three or more unexcused absences during that time.

According to the report, 2,563 (20%) of all students had between three and five unexcused absences, 1,620 (12%) of all students had between six and nine unexcused absences, and 2,888 (22%) of all students had 10 or more unexcused absences.

According to the report, Henderson County Public Schools had 1,647 (13%) chronically absent students during the 2020-21 school year, representing an increase from 4% of all students chronically absent in the 2019-20 school year and 8% in 2018-19.

Not only were 1,647 of 13,044 (13%) students chronically absent, 481 of 1,647 (29%) chronically absent students missed more than 45 days (more than a quarter) of the 2020-21 school year -- a significant increase compared to school years 2019-20 and 2018-19 when 34 (6.8%) and 91 (8.6%) chronically absent students missed more than 45 days of the school year.

Auditors analyzed 1,522 chronically absent students and determined 1,327 (87%) were either promoted to the next grade or graduated.

 

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSState, Henderson County educators blast COVID-19 school attendance report | WLOS

 

The League of Women Voters of Henderson County (LWVHC) will
host Dr. Amanda Sturgill, author of Detecting Deception - Tools to
Fight Fake News, on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 4 pm on
Zoom.
Fact checking and verification is an essential part of journalism.
Dr. Sturgill draws from present day news examples to help people
recognize the most common bad arguments public figures make.
Detecting Deception is an essential tool for training citizens,
including future journalists, to build stories that recognize faulty
arguments and hold their subjects to a higher standard.
Dr. Sturgill is an Associate Professor of Journalism at Elon
University, teaching storytelling to undergraduates, content
marketing and digital strategy to interactive media graduate
students and undergrad analytics students; and performs
research in emerging communication technologies.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information
and to register on Zoom go to our website: www.lwvhcnc.org.
LWVHC welcomes all members of our community.

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today introduced the Unemployment Integrity (UI) Act to reform unemployment benefits and promote Americans getting back to work by including interview requirements for those seeking unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

This legislation would require states to establish the following minimum interview requirements for UI claimants:

  • Respond to, schedule and attend an offered interview at an agreed-upon time.
  • Complete any other reasonable request as part of the hiring process (e.g., drug testing, skills assessments).

“Throughout Western North Carolina, I’ve heard from multiple business owners about the challenges of hiring new staff. Employers offer competitive wages and benefits, receive plenty of applications and schedule interviews, but many applicants never show up to interview for the job, yet still draw unemployment benefits. These no-show interviews are draining small businesses of valuable resources when they’re already stretched incredibly thin,” said Congressman Edwards.

“To improve accountability and prevent abuse of the unemployment-benefit system, I introduced the Unemployment Integrity Act, which will require states to establish an interview requirement for anyone seeking UI benefits. This bill will empower workers, businesses and consumers by helping folks get back to work and contribute to our nation.”

The UI Act further instructs states to give employers an avenue to voluntarily report UI claimants who are violating work-search or interview requirements. The Department of Labor (DOL) must also conduct a study on the effects of increasing the minimum number of audits for federal unemployment compensation and adopt an increase in the total number of audits if the study shows it will improve states’ administration of unemployment benefits.

"Thank you, Congressman Edwards, for introducing the Unemployment Integrity Act legislation which will benefit small-business owners by curbing unemployment fraud. Your efforts on our behalf are much appreciated," said Nathaniel E. Cannady, president, Council of Independent Business Owners.

“The NC Chamber supports this policy to protect the integrity and solvency of our unemployment insurance (UI) system,” said Jake Cashion, vice president of government affairs, NC Chamber“This bill would improve connections between unemployed workers and employers with job openings by assuring that unemployed workers are available for work and respond to job openings and interview opportunities. Congressman Edwards was one of the business leaders who helped us champion reforms in North Carolina a decade ago, and we appreciate his continued leadership on the issue.”

Stephanie Ferguson, director, Global Employment Policy & Special Initiatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce said“The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports reforms to the unemployment insurance (UI) system that will improve the program for businesses and workers alike. The Chamber applauds Congressman Edwards for introducing the Unemployment Integrity Act and working to strengthen work search requirements and UI program integrity.”

Background

  • Unemployment reforms in 2012 established nationwide work-search requirements.
  • DOL estimates at least $163 billion in unemployment fraud since 2020.
  • Fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a gap in the unemployment benefits system, where claimants are required to search for and accept work, but have no obligation to attend an interview when offered – the single most important part of a job search.

North Carolina radio and television broadcast leaders announced the launch of the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum, a non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the state's broadcasting legacy.

North Carolina is home to a number of legendary broadcast personalities, including Andy Griffith, born in Mount Airy, Charles Kuralt and David Brinkley from Wilmington, Jim Nantz, ABC sportscaster from Charlotte, and National Public Radio newscaster Carl Kasell from Goldsboro.

The museum is seeking assistance from the public and people who worked in broadcasting to collect artifacts, documents, photographs and recordings that chronicle the history of prominent radio and television stations, broadcasters, programs and events. Through exhibits and collections, the museum seeks to highlight the contributions made by North Carolina broadcasters in shaping the industry and the state's culture landscape.

A distinguished group of broadcast professionals leading the effort include Don Curtis, CEO, Curtis Media Group; Jim Goodmon, CEO, Capitol Broadcasting Co.; Wade Hargrove, media lawyer; Harold Ballard, Broadcast Engineer; Caroline Beasley, CEO, Beasley Media Group; Carl Venters Jr., Broadcast Executive; David Crabtree, CEO, North Carolina Public Media; Dr James Carson, Broadcast Executive; Jim Babb, Broadcast Executive; Cullie Tarleton, Broadcast Executive and former member of the N.C. House of Representatives; Dave Lingafelt, Broadcast Executive; Carl Davis, Jr., Broadcast Engineer; Jim Heavner, Broadcast Executive; and Mike Weeks, Broadcast Executive.

The North Carolina Broadcast History Museum website will serve as a digital repository accessible by the public that will grow in content and importance as items are gathered and displayed. The museum website is under construction and available at https://NCBMuseum.com. Future plans include a brick-and-mortar facility for education, inspiration and enjoyment.

 Locally, Radio Station WHKP has maintained a large selection of antique radios which can be inspected by the public Monday through Friday's from 8 AM until 5 PM at the WHKP BROADCAST HOUSE, 1450 7th Avenue East in Hendersonville.