News

Join the YMCA of Western North Carolina as we celebrate Older Americans Month at Community Healthy Living Day on May 3.

The event at the YMCA at Mission Pardee Health Campus will feature a wide variety of offerings for all ages, including group exercise classes, a shredding truck, prescription drug take back, activities for children, nutrition demos, health screenings, and local vendors.

The Blood Connection will also be on site for a blood drive. Every person who donates blood will receive a $10 gift card. The Blood Connection will also donate $10 to the Y for blood donation.

“You are never too old or too young to participate in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being,” said Diane Saccone, director of healthy aging initiatives at the YMCA of WNC. “If you need help, support, or just a place to get started, community-based organizations like the Y provide the needed guidance to help older adults age well.”

Community Healthy Living Day takes place Friday, May 3 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the YMCA at Mission Pardee Health Campus on Hendersonville Road in Arden.

he Hendersonville Police Department is pleased to announce School Resource Officer Curtis Philon successfully completed the North Carolina Justice Academy School Resource Officer Certificate Program.

Officer Curtis Philon has worked with the Hendersonville Police Department for eleven years. For seven of those years he has served as the School Resource Officer for Hendersonville High School.

“Officer Philon has demonstrated his pledge as a school resource officer by dedicating himself to making the schools safer for our children and the staff that serve them,” said NC Justice Academy Instructor Scott Grantham. Officer Philon is the 241stparticipant to complete the program which involves completing over 400 hours of required training.

“It takes commitment, dedication, vision and a special kind of purpose to achieve this,” said Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake as he presented Officer Philon with his certificate during a staff meeting on April 26, 2019. Chief Blake recognized Officer Philon for the many hours of instruction he had completed as well as his commitment to serving and protecting students, faculty and staff within the Henderson County Public School system.

THIS ARTICLE IS BEING POSTED BY OUR FRIENDS AT THE HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. TIMES-NEWS

By Dean Hensley, Times-News staff writer

For decades, a distinctive, powerful deep voice boomed across the airwaves of WHKP, delivering the news to Henderson County.
On Thursday afternoon, that voice was silenced. WHKP’s News Director and former Mills River Mayor Larry Freeman passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 71.
Freeman had just celebrated his birthday April 7.
WHKP President Art Cooley said Freeman always had such a distinctive voice that he could’ve easily worked for big-city stations.
“I always used to say that Larry was a big-time network-quality announcer. He had a voice that everyone knew,” Cooley said. “He was one of the all-time best news readers. He was like the Walter Cronkite of our area.”
Cooley said Kermit Edney, the former owner of WHKP, hired Freeman when he was still in high school.
“Larry was a student at Hendersonville High School and he came aboard as an intern. He was probably one of the recruits that Kermit worked the most with over the years. Larry didn’t have much talent back then, but Kermit taught him how to vocalize and become a great announcer,” Cooley said.
Freeman left Hendersonville to work with TV stations WLOS and then WSPA in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He left the broadcasting business for some time to work as a funeral director and then later on for the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.

“It was when he was working as an investigator with the Sheriff’s Department that he was severely injured in a car crash. He was riding with an SBI agent as they were chasing a criminal, and their car overturned on North Main Street. They were lucky to get out of the crash alive,” Cooley said.
That left Freeman partially paralyzed and he had to use a walker to get around. He came back to work at the radio station and then tried his hand at politics, becoming mayor in 2013.
He continued his work with WHKP until his passing, Cooley said. He provided news commentaries and also content for the WHKP.com website.
Those who worked alongside him will always remember his strong news sense and leadership.
“Larry was an integral part of WHKP,” Vice President Richard Rhodes said. “He was not only a big voice on the radio, but he was a big voice in our community. He was the Mills River mayor and he also served on the Pardee Board of Directors. He was a good fellow, and we’re going to miss him.”
Afternoon host Tyler Sams spent many nights with Freeman at the broadcast house. Sams broke the news about Freeman’s passing on Facebook Thursday.
“Larry Freeman stepped into his eternal home earlier this afternoon,” Sams said in the post. “This great man was not only a phenomenal broadcaster, but a friend, mentor, and a true example of perseverance in the industry. He will be forever missed.”
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

WHKP’s News & PD/ Larry Freeman stepped into his eternal home earlier this afternoon. This great man was not only a phenomenal broadcaster, but a friend, mentor, and a true example of perseverance in the industry. He will be forever missed.

WHKP'S Tyler Sams reflects on Larry, and the time he spent working with him:

I am incredibly grateful for the years we worked alongside each other. From the late night events coverage, to going out, and chasing stories, from editing, and script writing, Larry was always there to be an encouragement no matter what we were facing as broadcasters at the present time.

Larry Freeman’s legacy will live on, in the building of WHKP, and the “Real Country” studios for years to come. Even though I’m sad, here, I’m also completely overjoyed for my friend, mentor, and PD for so many years, that he is no longer suffering, or in pain. Rest In Peace my friend...until I see you again!!!! You will be greatly missed!!! Please pray for his lovely wife, Karen, and others as they endure this difficult time!

Arrangements will be made at a later time.

New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that increased fatigue and poor physical functioning are leading factors that can result in older adults limiting their driving. But simple steps, like weekly exercise and stretching, can improve safe driving abilities and keep older adults on the road longer.

The AAA Foundation commissioned researchers at Columbia University to evaluate eight domains- depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain interference, physical functioning, pain intensity and participation in social activities - to determine how changes in physical, mental and social health affect driving mobility for older adults. The report found that fatigue and poor physical functioning are most common among older drivers who spend less time behind the wheel.

“Older adults who give up the keys are more likely to suffer from depression than those who remain behind the wheel,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas spokesperson. “It is important that we find ways to keep older drivers in good physical health in order to extend their mobility.”

Research shows that daily exercise and stretching can help older drivers to improve overall body flexibility and move more freely to observe the road from all angles. Physical strength also helps drivers remain alert to potential hazards on the road and perform essential driving functions, like:BrakingSteeringParkingLooking to the side and rearAdjusting the safety beltsSitting for long periods of time

“Some decline in physical fitness is inevitable as we age,” said Wright. “But, research shows that exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to produce positive results.  You can spread out the time you spend being physically active over the course of your day and week.  A few minutes at a time can be sufficient. Simple steps to keep active can keep you driving safely for longer.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends older adults, who are physically able, get between 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week or between 75 minutes to 2.5 hours of high-intensity physical activity. The exercises should include balance training as well as aerobic and muscle strengthening activities. Older adults should consult their doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen. They should also talk with a healthcare provider about ways to combat fatigue. Prioritizing getting at least seven hours of sleep each night can help older adults stay alert behind the wheel.

AAA recommends a series of stretches to improve neck, shoulder, trunk, back and overall body flexibility. As a leading advocate for senior driver safety, AAA also offers a variety of programs and resources to help older adults improve their driving performance and avoid crashes. For more information on AAA resources for older drivers, such as RoadWise online/classroom courses or other programs that help seniors better “fit” with their vehicles, visitwww.SeniorDriving.AAA.com.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper used a round-table discussion with rural hospital executives Wednesday to raise pressure on Republican lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to more uninsured adults.

Executives from seven hospitals met with Democratic governor and expressed support for offering Medicaid to more uninsured adults who can't otherwise qualify because they make too much money. They said the expansion would help them reduce the cost their hospitals bear for uncompensated care.

A bill filed this month by some House Republicans would require recipients of the expanded benefit to pay premiums and meet some work requirements. A similar bill proposed back in 2017, failed amid GOP opposition.

Cooper expressed reservations about the bill's work requirements, but said he wants to work with legislators to hammer out specifics of the actual medicaid expansion.

Partnership Program between Abilities tennis of North Carolina, Henderson County tennis association & Henderson County Parks & Recreation presents:

Abilities Tennis for ages 8 & Up!

Sundays beginning April, 28th at the Hendersonville Country Club, 2:00PM-3:00PM.

Register online at www.hcprd.com.

Hendersonville soccer started slow on Wednesday night, but it didn't matter.

The Lady Bearcats made the needed adjustments and beat Pisgah 4-0 to remain undefeated.

The remedy for Hendersonville was (17-0-1,9-0) was simply to score and Nikki Schedivy did just that. With 14:50 left in the half, the Lady Bearcats finally broke through.

Proud of the Lady Bearcats. Hendersonville will have what might be it's toughest match of the season on Friday. The Lady Bearcats host T.C. Roberson (16-2) on Friday at 7pm.

Henderson County Apple crops, have suffered a bit of damage due to all the heavy rain that has moved across our area recently. WHKP's Tippy Creswell spoke with Henderson County apple farmer Kenny Barnwell. Barnwell  stated, that it has been extremely difficult to get in the fields to spray, fighting fireflies, right in the middle of the bloom when certain products are necessary. The torrential rain has definitely compromised what the apple farms can do. Row crop farmers have been hit especially hard, and trees have actually been down on various fields in Fletcher. Row crop planting will be a challenge. Good blooming though, at this time, and good set of fruit is predicted. Stll quite a while before picking.

I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by family and friends who have been nothing but
supportive as I make the decision about my political future. After a lot of prayer and deliberation
with those close to me, I have decided to announce my candidacy for State House District 113.

I am from the small town of Saluda in Western North Carolina, where I grew up on a
farm, and learned first hand the conservative values that make North Carolina the greatest state
in our nation. After being the first one in my family to go to college, I came back home to serve
the community that had made me who I am. At age 22, I was sworn in as one of the youngest
elected officials in North Carolina history, being elected to the Polk County Board of
Commissioners. After a year of being on the board, I was honored and humbled that my
colleagues would appoint me to be Chairman. For the next year, our board would go on to
oversee a list of accomplishments that include: taking the County unemployment rate to the
lowest it has been in modern history, working with the school board to create a school system
that would become number one in the state, pay increases for County employees, the
construction of a new Law Enforcement Facility, and hosting the largest sporting event in the
United States last year. This event brought millions in economic impact to North Carolina. We
were able to do all of these things without raising the tax rate.
I am a principled conservative who has a vision for western North Carolina and for what I
would like to see done in Raleigh. If I am blessed enough to be your representative, I will stand
up for your second amendment rights guaranteed to you by the constitution. I will fight for the
lives of unborn and the born, protecting the sanctity of life. I will put an emphasis on not only
economic development, but education and workforce development as well; making sure all of
our students have the tools they need to succeed no matter what path they choose. I will do this
by encouraging all paths of education, whether that’s a four year university, a community
college, or one of our state’s great trade schools.
I am proud of where I come from and my record of service. I will continue to stand for
the conservative values I hold dear. I ask everyone for their prayers and support as I begin this campaign, and I encourage everyone to visit our website to learn more at jakefornc.com.

God Bless,

Jake Johnson