Home Care In Fletcher, NC

Mark Fletcher Jr. earned a career-best 115 yards but couldn’t capture the elusive yard he needed most in Miami’s eventual 20-6 loss to N.C. State at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Down by four points at the start of the fourth quarter, Miami entered the red zone and began to feed Fletcher, who rushed up the middle and caught a short pass before the Hurricanes found themselves in a fourth-and-1 on N.C. State’s 3-yard line.

Miami took a timeout. Fletcher said the message was “get it in the end zone.” On the following shotgun play for Fletcher, the freshman running back was met by the Wolfpack’s Shyheim Battle and stopped — a yard short of a first down.

Fletcher briefly protested the call, lumbered off the field, took off his helmet and sat on the bench. As he began to fidget with his gloves, a member of the coaching staff came over and tussled his hair. With only six points on the board at the end of the night for Miami, that was Fletcher’s only consolation.

In his first career start, Fletcher accounted for more yards on the ground than all of the Wolfpack’s running backs combined. Still, this effort was futile, as Miami dropped to N.C. State in the Hurricanes’ third loss of the season.

“I feel like I played great,” Fletcher said. “The O-line made a lot of openings for me. We didn’t get the result we wanted, and we just gotta go back to work.”

For a Miami team that barely pulled off back-to-back overtime victories before dropping to N.C. State, Fletcher has been one of the few bright spots for the Hurricanes. Last week, he ran three straight times in overtime to clinch bowl eligibility for the Hurricanes and propel UM to a 29-26 win over Virginia.

When asked about earning the start Saturday, Fletcher broke out in a grin.

“I worked hard,” Fletcher said. “I earned it.”

While his dominant performance this week wasn’t rewarded with a win, it’s notable considering Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s recent struggles. On Saturday, the fourth-year junior recorded just 21 completions on 38 throws — a season-low 55 percent completion rate — and three interceptions. This is the second straight game Van Dyke hasn’t thrown a touchdown.

When Miami’s offense wasn’t producing on Saturday, Fletcher — who head coach Mario Cristobal said is “beyond his years” — willed his team down the field. The freshman consistently broke multiple tackles and manhandled defenders en route to averaging 5 yards per carry.

“He’s a stud,” Van Dyke said. “He did a great job tonight running hard, being physical, making some tough runs.”

And at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the young “stud” had a chance to put Miami ahead. But instead, Cristobal said N.C. State’s “manned-up” alignment freed up a hitter inside, causing Fletcher to get “scrunched up” on the crucial fourth-down play. On N.C. State’s subsequent drive, the Wolfpack scored a touchdown to go up by 11 points.

Fletcher was asked after the game what his reaction was to the stop. He paused and reflected for a second.

“Nothing really,” he said, later adding, “I was just trying to finish the game at that point.”

That exact mentality is why Miami defensive tackle Branson Deen calls him “our workhorse.”

“He’s a kid that’s always in a good mood no matter what,” Deen said. “He’s just grateful to be here.”

Deen warned Tuesday of the need for Miami to not “let off the gas” in November. While the Hurricanes are currently sputtering at best, Fletcher may just be the engine Miami needs to power through the end of the season.

This story was originally published November 5, 2023, 1:40 AM.

FLETCHER - Sheetz gas stations are now being built in Western North Carolina, with the latest one coming to Fletcher, according to Fletcher Planning Director Eric Rufa.

"According to the permit, the store is 7,197 square feet, plus all the associated gas pumps and canopies," he told the Times-News on Feb. 15. "We're certainly happy to have them in Fletcher. I worked with the Sheetz crew through the plan review. They were great to work with and were very responsive."

The Sheetz will be at 5440 Asheville Highway, just off of Interstate 26, making it convenient for travelers. Rufa said it is at the corner of Asheville Highway and Naples Road. It will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to Sheetz spokesperson Nick Ruffner.

"Every Sheetz location typically employs 30-35 full-time and part-time employees," Ruffner told the Times-News on Feb. 15.

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Wilson-Covington Construction, based in Winston-Salem, has been contracted to work on the project. Ruffner said construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-September.

Sheetz is a Pennsylvania-founded fuel station and convenience store chain and will have a few more locations in Western North Carolina, according to Ruffner.

"Sheetz currently is working through the planning process for three new store locations in the Asheville market,” Ruffner said in a past Asheville Citizen Times article. “We are also excited to announce that we anticipate that our first store in Asheville will open in 2024. Our goal is to continue working collaboratively with local officials and the community to open five stores in Asheville within the next few years.”

The Fletcher gas station and store will be like the other Sheetz stores in North Carolina, Ruffner said.

"The new store will include a restaurant-style experience with self-service kiosks where customers can order from a vast menu - all made-to-order - including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, sweets and more. The store will offer customers seating both inside and outside the store as well as a drive-thru for customers who are on the go," he said.

Most Sheetz stores and gas stations are in the central and eastern part of the state.

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Fueling options will also include electric charging stations. The Sheetz website boasts a made-to-order menu that features a variety of food and beverages, including breakfast items, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, milkshakes, espresso drinks and smoothies.

Other Sheetz locations are in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. The closest ones to WNC are in Hickory.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

FLETCHER, N.C. (WLOS) — For decades, Windsor Forest has been a quiet and peaceful neighborhood in Fletcher. That could change, as a potential build of a 5G cell tower has left residents unhappy.

“Dear Lord, please don’t let this happen,” resident Revonda Buckingham said.

In May, Buckingham, who built her house in Windsor Forest more than 26 years ago, saw a group of workers outside on her lawn.

“I saw people out in my yard,” Buckingham said. “Came out and said, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ And they were taking pictures of the street signs and said they were with a company called Crown Castle.”

The company was scoping the area as a possible site for a 40-foot cellular tower.

NEW CELL TOWER NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY DESIGNED TO BLEND IN

Since that day, residents said they haven’t been able to find out more information.

“To this point, nobody has returned anybody’s calls,” resident Larry Cutrone said. “They don’t answer. They give you numbers that don’t work. They’re not very transparent.”

Fletcher Planning Director Eric Rufa has been in contact with Crown Castle, and he said there are other locations being considered.

However, the telecommunications company has the final say.

“There’s enabling legislation that granted these companies the right to do these types of facilities in public rights of way,” Rufa said.

RESIDENTS FIGHT PROPOSED CELL TOWER IN NEIGHBORHOOD, CONCERNED FOR SAFETY, PROPERTY VALUE

If the tower ends up in the neighborhood, the residents have a list of concerns including health and property value decrease.

“We have neighbors who are real estate agents, and they said this will diminish your property value greatly,” Buckingham said.

“Who wants to buy a house in this neighborhood when you’re looking at a cell tower,” resident Mark Washburn said. “You might as well stack a pile of dumpsters in front of my yard here.”

News 13 reached out to Crown Castle and has yet to receive a response.

Many residents plan to attend Monday’s council meeting to voice their opinions.

Rufa is optimistic the neighborhood could still be left alone.

“They will come, have the follow up with us and work with us on locating these,” Rufa said.

Those involved with creating a petition to not put the tower in place say that by raising awareness with their situation, they hope it decreases the chances that it happens to other neighborhoods as well.

Site Features & Hours

Hours

The Borden Building is a non-staffed facility. If you are interested in renting the Borden Building or the Amphitheater and would like a tour of the facility please contact the Rental Manager at 919-996-4363.

Site Features

Rentals

The Borden Building does not offer an informal reservation system. The facility is booked on a first come first serve basis.

To start the rental process, all applicants must contact and meet with the Historic Sites Rental Manager, Vanessa Jeter.

The Borden Building is available to rent every day from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. excluding holidays.

Rental Rates

Programs and Special Events

Check out our calendar below for more information about programs and special events at the Borden Building at Fletcher Park, Mordecai Historic Park, Tucker House and the Historic Raleigh Trolley!

View the Historic Sites Programs and Special Events Calendar

Volunteering

If you are interested in volunteering at the Borden Building please contact Historic Sites Manager Joshua Ingersoll or view the volunteer information for the Historic Resources and Museum Program.

Membership

As a member you will help revitalize and preserve North Carolina's history. You will also enjoy cross program perks at the City of Raleigh Museum, The Raleigh Trolley, Mordecai Historic Park, Borden, Tucker, and Pope House Museum.

There are many perks:

You can join the COR Museum Friends Group or the Mordecai Square Association; perks convey to each.

Artifacts

The collection at the Borden Building consists of antiques purchased by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department when the structure underwent renovation in 1992, and other pieces donated to the site over the years. Some portraits and photos hanging at Borden feature Fred Fletcher for whom the home was named and children who grew up at the Methodist Home for Children.

FLETCHER, N.C. (WLOS) — Farming is nothing new for Western North Carolina, but sometimes you’ve got to try something just a little bit different.

In Fletcher, there’s one farm that’s moving its operation underground.

“We used to have a whole sale nursery here,” says Brian Upchurch who's been working with plant life of all kinds for years. The land he’s referring to still fosters an assortment of trees and plants. Once he sold off the nursery, he says his son wanted to do something with the farm.

His son came up with an idea: truffles.

It was a new adventure for the farm and a learning experience for Brian and his team.

'FUNGUY' WITH PASSION FOR MUSHROOM CULTIVATION SHARES KNOWLEDGE & HARVEST WITH COMMUNITY

“We’re growing a symbiosis," he says. "It’s not just the host tree, it’s not just the truffle, it’s their interaction.” It's an interaction that will hopefully lead to a new outlook for the delicacy as well as a new appetite for domestically grown truffles. “It’s not enough to produce a truffle, we want to produce commercial quantities to make it viable.”

Brian and his small crew at Carolina Trufferies believe that quality, North American grown truffles can be a viable option for professional and amateur chefs alike.

“It’s a very perishable product," he says. "It has a very limited shelf life. Once it’s frozen it loses value and the attributes that make it desirable. So, the idea is if we can bump up production and get it to market quicker, which given that it doesn’t have to come through customs or import and so forth which is also an added expense for imported truffles. Growing truffles domestically would mean putting a fresher product on tables across the country. The downside is that there’s no supply chain to speak of in the U.S.”

Brian isn’t letting that stop his progress. He’s also learning about truffles most known for growing in European countries that will thrive in North Carolina.

“Most of the research, which is limited, has mostly been in Europe and they’re working with European host trees, European soils, their climate which is different than ours," he explains. "So, we have to adapt to our climate here and the host trees we’re using.”

Inside his greenhouse he shows off one of those trees.

NORTH CAROLINA'S MYSTERY HILL PULLS PEOPLE IN AS 'QUIRKY LITTLE PIECE OF ROADSIDE AMERICA'

“This is a hybrid chestnut. It’s virtually all native American chestnut and enough Chinese chestnut to include resistance to the chestnut blight and we think this is going to be a really good host.” The chestnut may prove to be a good host, but to get to harvest one has to have patience, Brian says.

“It can be six to eight years for Tuber melanosporum which is the the black Perigord truffle."

But the waiting doesn’t phase Brian and his team. They’re even expanding their operation. They’ve already expanded to another, much larger farm, which could end up being one of the largest truffle farms in the country. And while he’s confident that truffles will be a huge success, Brian will be the first to tell you, “It’s exciting. But, you know, it’s a lot of hurry up and wait, because you just don’t know what’s going on underground.”

You can find more information about Carolina Trufferies below: