540-AM WRGC

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Urges Citizens to be on the Lookout for Outdoor Marijuana Growing

Cody Phillips — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:40:44 +0000

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is requesting help from the citizens for identifying possible outdoor marijuana grow locations across Jackson County. Outdoor grows are popular due to our wooded areas across Jackson County and large acreage of National Forests. Anyone noticing frequent trips by potential suspects carrying water, plastic buckets, or other growing materials into or around our county without noticeable valid reasons can be investigated. Any suspicious activities will be investigated. Please make reports to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Crime Stoppers at (828) 631-1125 or email at crimestoppers@jacksonnc.org, and may remain anonymous.

Jackson County to be Awarded Grant from NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund

Cody Phillips — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:57:17 +0000

During Monday nights regularly scheduled meeting of the Jackson County Commissioners, County Manager Chuck Wooten annoucned that Jackson County has been awarded a $435,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The grant is a State 1 to 1 match of County funds, meaning the cost for this portion of the Greenway Project is estimated at around $870,000. County Manager Wooten said that even though the money has yet to be officially awarded, he expects the money to be in hand to begin the project in the next few months. County Manager Wooten went on to say, “We do not have the letter in hand that officially notifies us of that but we have received the calls and have been told that it was approved in the current funding cycle. That means that funds should be available on July first, so both those projects are shovel ready. It’s Just a matter of our engineers updating the documents for bidding and we should be ready to go to bid soon and see some construction begin on that in early summer. I think that’s an exciting project, we have been waiting for a long time to see the Greenway move forward in Jackson County and I think the idea of a bridge at Locust Creek is going to be a homerun, it will be something the County can be really proud of”.

Poor Housing Trends Expected to Change in Jackson County

Cody Phillips — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:14:57 +0000

Recent trends show positive gains in our area’s housing market. Like many other areas across the nation, Jackson County has seen a significant decrease in housing activity over the past several years including home sales and new construction. Recent numbers released regarding the first three months of this year show that those trends may be changing. WRGC spoke with Jackson County Commissioner Doug Cody about those numbers, and the Commissioner had the following to say, “We are getting an up tick in our home construction. We were number one west of Buncombe County in the first quarter in permits for homes over $400,000 in value. That shows us that the second home market is returning and we are happy about that”. Commissioner Cody went on to say that even though we have not yet seen a full return to the housing market, these numbers are very promising especially regarding the labor force and future tax revenues. “Those homes to be constructed, they have to have the labor to do it and the materials both of those are good things as they help give people jobs. The revenue from sales tax for materials is a big thing and down the road tax values will increase and that will keep pressure off us to cut services or raise taxes. This is something we have looked forward to happening for the past 2 years so hopefully it’s turning around”.

Carolina West Sports Medicine Provides Free Physicals for Local Student Athletes

Cody Phillips — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:06:08 +0000

Carolina West Sports Medicine recently provided free pre-participation sports physicals to 1,000 local students. The physicals were held at MedWest-Harris serving Smoky Mountain High School and Cherokee High School students and Jackson County rising 7^th and 8^th grade students. Physicals were also held at on-site locations serving Swain County High School, Robbinsville High School, Blue Ridge School, Highlands School and Rabun County High School. In Addition to staff from Carolina West Sports Medicine, several local healthcare providers donated time for the physicals, including Dr. Jud Garbarino, medical director for Carolina West Sports Medicine, Dr. Martin Senicki, and physician assistants Hannah Hill, Alexis Willey and Robin Pope with Sylva Orthopedic Associates, Dr. Todd Davis with the Center for Family Medicine in Franklin, Dr. Christian Moretz and physician assistant Jamie Ellington with Wellspring Family Practice and Dr. Cliff Mault. Volunteers also included staff from Sylva Orthopedic Associates, Health Professionals of the Future (HOSA) students from Smoky Mountain High School, and employees of MedWest-Harris. Carlyle Schomberg, director of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at MedWest-Harris/Swain/Franklin was quoted as saying, “We’re pleased to serve our local student athletes with sports physicals at no cost to the family. Our physicians, trainers, therapists and staff care for these kids all year round on the field and on the court and we want to do everything we can to make sure they’re safe”. Carolina West Sports Medicine provides daily sports medicine coverage including game and practice coverage for local schools and physician coverage for Western Carolina University Athletics, Call (828) 586-7934 for information or visit www.medwesthealth.com.

Webster Enterprises Anticipates Growth

Cody Phillips — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:59:25 +0000

WRGC reported several weeks ago on Webster Enterprises announcement of hiring two new management personnel along with one executive staff promotion. In the announcement Webster Enterprises stated that the new management level positions were due to the Board of Directors anticipation of the expansion and growth of their operation over the next two to three years.

When asked about the new positions and how the new and unexpected growth had made them necessary, Webster’s’ Executive director Gene Robinson answered with the following: “Its part of a revitalization plan we implemented some two and a half years ago. The hiring of the two people and the creation of Assistant Executive Director are part of a succession plan. We want to make sure we have a plan in place that will help carry us forward and meet the needs of the organization and the needs of the community. The growth we are looking at in the next four to five years is expected to double the physical size of our plant and those three positions are critical. We have to have good people in those positions and we feel the people we got are excellent”. While the expectation of doubling the size of their operation in just a few years is quite ambitious, it’s nothing new for Webster Enterprises. Gene Robinson explained that when he returned to the company as Executive Director two and a half years ago Webster Enterprises only employed thirty-five to forty people. Now they employ seventy-five and, at the time of this writing, they are taking applications for four additional positions. Webster Enterprises growth is getting to a point where they are seriously considering adding a second shift to meet production demands. A sewing division was added in the fall of last year and Gene Robinson expects a large amount of Webster Enterprises future growth will come from that new market.

Webster Enterprises was founded in 1976 to provide training and job skills for people with disabilities and that has not changed. Although, it is a common misconception that they only employ the handicapped. Part of their job training program for disabled workers includes having them work side-by-side with fully abled workers on the same production lines, so this means that Webster Enterprises projections of doubling their operation size in the next few years is good news for both disabled and able bodied job seekers in Jackson, Swain, and Macon counties.