News

UNC Health Pardee announces the opening of Pardee Rx. 

According to sources, it's a community pharmacy for Pardee patients, teammates and the general community.

The facility will feature a wide variety of generic and brand-name drugs as well as a complete selection of over-the-counter medications, vitamins, health and wellness needs, pediatric care items, and common medical supplies. The pharmacy is now open adjacent to the Pardee BlueMD primary care office at 1027 Fleming St.

Named as pharmacists are Bryce Caldwell and Kenesha Smith. 

Through Pardee’s affiliation with Pardee BlueMD and its federally qualified health center (FQHC) status, the pharmacy can offer services to all patients, regardless of ability to pay. The pharmacy is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or questions call 828-435-8142.

Henderson County Public Schools (HCPS) proudly announces Alison Garrett, the dynamic Marketing teacher at West Henderson High School, as the district’s North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching’s (NCCAT) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year. 

Garrett's unparalleled dedication and innovative approach to education have distinguished her as a true "force of nature" within the educational community. Since joining West Henderson High School's faculty two years ago, Garrett has propelled the Falcon marketing program to new heights, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment to student success.

"Ms. Garrett exemplifies the spirit of excellence we strive for within our CTE programs," said Scott Moore, HCPS Director of CTE. "Her passion for teaching, coupled with her innovative initiatives, has had a transformative impact on both her students and colleagues."

Expressing her gratitude, Garrett stated, "I am truly humbled by this award. I work with the most outstanding educators, and to be recognized among them is an honor. Together, we strive to provide the best possible opportunities for our students, and I am grateful to be a part of such a supportive and inspiring team."

Garrett's contributions to the marketing program at West Henderson High School have been nothing short of impressive. Through her efforts, she has expanded the program's offerings and provided numerous opportunities for students to develop essential skills for their future careers. As the DECA advisor, students have excelled in events, gaining valuable experience and leadership skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom. This year, 35 students competed at the state competition, 27 of them are new to DECA. Five students will be traveling to Anaheim, CA in April to compete at DECA's International Career Development Conference with over 23,000 students from across the globe. 

In addition to her work with DECA, Garrett is credited with initiating the highly successful service learning event, the Mr. WHHS pageant, which has become a beloved tradition at the school. This event not only showcases the talents of West Henderson students but also fosters a sense of community and philanthropy within the school. At the November 2023 pageant, DECA raised over $21,000 to support HCPS families facing adversity. 

Furthermore, Garrett's commitment to mentorship extends beyond her classroom. She actively mentors a younger CTE teacher, sharing her expertise and fostering professional growth within the department.

"Ms. Garrett's impact on our school community cannot be overstated," said West Henderson Principal Luke Manuel. "Her dedication to our students, her creative teaching strategies, and her leadership within the CTE department make her truly deserving of this honor."

NCCAT’s CTE Teacher of the Year program offers district-level nominees the opportunity to engage in professional development through NCCAT in Cullowhee, where Garrett will be competing alongside teachers from other districts for the honor of NCCAT CTE Teacher of the Year.

By a vote of 4-2 the Hendersonville Planning Board rejected a 60-unit affordable apartment project for seniors at the corner of the Greenville Hiway and Chadwick Avenue on a 2.25 acre tract of land.

Neighbors concerns over parking, traffic, stormwater issues doomed the project, but developer Stephen Drake said they were not stopping in spite of the turndown of an affordable housing project he named "Lofts at Chadwick".

Mills River is losing their Town Manager of five years, Daniel Cobb, to Granite Falls, just six miles from Hickory.

It's a promotion for him, pay-wise where he will make $140,000 annually, compared to $111,000 in Mills River and gives him an opportunity go grow professionally.

Granite Falls is a full service community with police and fire departments along with streets, sidewalks and utilities.

The town council has hired Shannon Baldwin, a former Henderson County commissioner who retired as Lake Lure’s manager, to lead the municipality while council members search for Cobb’s replacement.

The City of Hendersonville 'squashed' a deal for OPPORTUNITY HOUSE that would have become a homeless clearing house.

Instead judge Knight approved the sale of the entire property by Brian Turner of NAI Beverly-Hanks.

The City agreed last fall to buy the property and 19,000 Square Foot Building for $505,000 and keep a 30% ownership interest.  The property has a $2,117,900 tax value.

Neighboring businesses and homeowners objected to the plans for a Connection Center which would have housed up to a dozen non-profits, which led to the City backing down from their investment in the property.

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Don’t be Trashy: Volunteer for the Spring Litter Sweep

RALEIGH – As spring starts, the N.C. Department of Transportation is gearing up for its annual Spring Litter Sweep from April 13-27.

The Spring Litter Sweep, one of NCDOT’s roadside litter removal initiatives, harnesses the power of community engagement to tackle the issue of roadside litter. During the two-week period, residents are encouraged to participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina’s roads.

"We're grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers who step up each year to participate in the litter sweeps," said David Harris, NCDOT’s Roadside Environmental engineer. "Their commitment to helping us keep our roadsides clean is truly commendable. Their hard work and passion contribute to a cleaner, greener North Carolina for generations to come."

In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time picking up litter and collecting trash bags that are filled by volunteers. People interested in volunteering during the Spring Litter Sweep can request gloves, safety vests and bags from their local county maintenance offices.

For those eager to lend a hand, simply reach out to your local litter management coordinator to get started.

Check out the Litter Sweep webpage for all the details.

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The 2045 comprehensive plan for Henderson County has been adopted by the board of commissioners.

Residents are still concerned about the potential of some items, including turning the county’s rural areas into development. Since initial discussions about the plan in 2021, people have expressed pushback.

Those same concerns were voiced at Wednesday’s commission meeting during the public comment period.

“Local citizens want to protect our lands and forests. They have little interest in workforce development," one person said.

“It is unfortunate that this current version doesn’t reflect your constituents' top priority of protecting our forest, farmland and natural beauty," another said.

The plan touches on ideas in areas like housing, infrastructure, land usage and transportation among others.

Other residents want to see more proof in the proposal about turning ideas into reality.

“They don’t tell you much. They’re going to study, consider and all these words that don’t say much of anything,” former Henderson County Commissioner Chuck McGrady said. “It’s all fun and good, for example with land protection, to say you’ll do various things. If you’re going to put in place an effort to acquire easements, that takes money. There’s no commitment. There’s no commitment to fund the things they say they’re going to study.”

However, commissioners thought they could pass the plan partially because right now there are not many items in place regarding land use.

“It doesn't have zoning ordinances in it,” Henderson County Commission Chair Rebecca McCall said. “It doesn’t have a land use plan. It’s just a plan as far as how we want to grow. I think [the Henderson County Planning Department] is prepared to move forward. I think they’re anxious to move forward with the next steps.”

Some things that are in place because of the comprehensive plan are broadband and farm preservation task forces. A counterpoint commissioner said the plan, though approved, can be changed throughout the next 20 years.

“There’s going to be things that come up that will affect the plan,” McCall said. “It can be revised. It’s encouraged to be revised every five years and reviewed every five years. It’s not the perfect plan. It probably will never be the perfect plan. As I look back at the 2020 plan, it’s not perfect either.”

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSHenderson County's 2045 comp plan receives pushback over concerns of rural development (wlos.com)

 AdventHealth has announced its new location for a hospital in Buncombe County.

The hospital system said in a press release on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, that they plan to build the new multispecialty hospital on a property in Weaverville, off US 25/70 west of I-26.

In the 2022 North Carolina State Medical Facilities Plan, state officials said there would be a need for 67 additional hospital beds in the Buncombe, Madison, Yancey and Graham County service areas by 2024. HCA Healthcare, Novant Health and AdventHealth all applied to build the beds and filed certificates of need with the Division of Health Service Regulation in June 2022. A spokesperson for AdventHealth Hendersonville said on Nov. 22, 2022, the hospital received notification from state health officials that its Certificate of Need application had been approved.

Original plans had the new AdventHealth hospital being built at the Enka Center off Smokey Park Highway, but in April 2023, a spokesperson for the hospital said that would not work: "After going through our due diligence, we discovered that the location we had named in the application would not work for a hospital for AdventHealth Asheville."

Mission Health filed an appeal to the state’s decision, and in a press release Tuesday, AdventHealth said this appeal led to a trial in the fall of 2023, adding that the judge in the case is "expected to make his decision in that trial in the next few weeks."

Advent said the new location of their hospital would be "strategically positioned to make it easier for people throughout the service area to get care in a convenient location."

“We are confident in the State’s decision to award AdventHealth Asheville the CON for the new hospital," President and Chief Executive Officer for AdventHealth Hendersonville Brandon Nudd said in Tuesday's release. "With the purchase of the property in Weaverville, we are ready to move forward building this hospital."

STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSAdventHealth announces new location for Buncombe County hospital (wlos.com)

The City of Hendersonville has scheduled its seasonal mulch giveaway program to begin on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Mulch will be available for pick up on Thursdays and Fridays from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM and on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon. This schedule will continue until May 30^th or until the material is gone.  

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.  

For the first time this year, the initial two weeks of the giveaway will be exclusively for City residents. Please have your ID ready for verification upon arrival. 

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. 

 An investigation is underway in Hendersonville after authorities responded to a structure fire in late February.

A spokesperson for the city of Hendersonville said the incident happened on Feb. 20, 2024 around 4 a.m.