Home Care In Waynesville, NC

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Megan Brown and Chris Allen are partners in business and life.

What You Need To Know

Today at Waynesville Soda Jerks, they’re bottling strawberry rhubarb soda.

The process starts out with sanitizing glass bottles and putting them on the line.

“The soda coming through the line, comes down through these tubes, fills and caps. It’ll eventually come off of this other side, fully capped, rinsed and onto the labeler,” Brown said.

They started their business hand-mixing syrups and soda water at a farmer’s market. The name "soda jerk" is an old term and comes from a time when soda was dispensed by jerking a tap handle to pour the drink.

“We didn’t know anything about soda, and I actually purchased a soda stream for our home, and we just started playing around with it and thought why don’t we start a small craft soda booth,” Brown said.

Ten years later, that booth is now a business that serves soda in 150 locations in Western North Carolina.

They used to bottle their soda by hand with a manual filler, and it would take 2 weeks to make 17 cases. Now they can do it in 5-10 minutes. “We really just taught ourselves along the way,” Brown said.

Supporting local agriculture is important to the owners, which is why they source local ingredients from the southern Appalachian region. “This is fresh ginger from a farm in Bernardsville, North Carolina,” Brown said.

Waynesville Soda Jerks sells average flavors like concord grape and peach, and special flavors like lavender lemon and blackberry serrano soda.

“This is one of our most unique flavors,” Brown said. “It has spicy peppers in it. It’s sort of a love it or hate it flavor.”

They say what also makes this drink tasty is as simple as their water.

“We’re really lucky to have such fresh water in Haywood County. A lot of business that are in the beverage industry such as us in large municipalities who have to purchase water in, in large tanks to get the quality of water that we just have that comes straight out of the tap,” Brown said.

After the bottles are filled, the team taste tests the batch.

“We all taste it and make sure that the taste is right, and the carbonation level is where we want it,” Brown said.

U.S. Air Force Captain Frederick Mervyn Hall will be laid to rest in Waynesville on Sunday.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — The remains of U.S. Air Force Captain Frederick Mervyn Hall will return home to his family in Waynesville on Oct. 8 to a hero's welcome.

Captain Hall went missing in action while serving in the Vietnam War over half a century ago. On March 23, 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified Captain Hall's remains through laboratory analysis and the accumulation of circumstantial evidence.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.

Captain Hall joined the U.S. Air Force as a member of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 12, 1969, his fighter jet took off from Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam as a part of a strike mission over Quang Nam Province. Captain Hall's fighter jet crashed into a mountain jet while flying through clouds.

While there were search and rescue efforts, there were no signs of survival and searching the ground was not possible at that time because of enemy presence.

It wasn't until May of 1995 that a team found the crash site, but obstacles prevented excavation until March of 2021. At that time, the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons recovery teams began to recover the evidence that ultimately led to the identification of Captain Hall's remains.

“Bringing Captain Hall home will help his family find some measure of closure,” said Lieutenant General Walter E. Gaskin, USMC, Ret., Secretary, NC DMVA. “While missing for more than five decades, he was never forgotten. Although not here physically, he was never far away from the hearts of his family, community, and our nation. His return helps us continue to have faith and hope for those still missing until all are returned home.”

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, just download the free app.

Captain Hall's family will receive him on Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the Greenville Spartanburg International Airport. A military honor motorcade will then escort his remains to Waynesville.

On Oct. 10, there will be a memorial service with full military honors for Captain Hall and then he will be laid to rest at Greenhill Cemetery in his hometown of Waynesville.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Aidan Hoglen loved to play the banjo, among other things.

“He was creative,” his mother Sabrina Greene-Rusk said. “He was a free spirit. You absolutely couldn’t keep him inside the house.”

“He was the kindest, most gentle soul you’d ever meet,” his stepfather JJ Rusk said.

Last week, Aidan became sick. According to Aidan’s mom, doctors said it was Type B influenza.

"I said don’t panic because I’d heard about the flu and COVID-19 and things like that. I said it’s OK, you could just have a cold,” Greene-Rusk said. “He said it’s confirmed Type B, and I’d never heard of that. The urgent care centers here, when he was taken to the doctors, said it was confirmed Type B flu. They gave him ibuprofen and that was it.”

BUNCOMBE COUNTY REPORTS FIRST FLU-RELATED DEATH OF THE 2023 - 2024 SEASON

However, this past Monday, Aidan experienced swelling in his face among other symptoms. His mother took him to the emergency room, where things took a turn.

“What we didn’t know until later is that when we pulled into the emergency room, the doors opened and I went in for help, he was having a heart attack,” Greene-Rusk said. “He went into cardiac arrest. They took him in and immediately started doing CPR going down the hall. At that point, I went into shock.”

Soon after, Greene-Rusk was told her son was in critical condition.

“[The doctor] said, 'I’m not going to lie to you, the flu for children this year is weird, and it’s something horrible,’” she said.

On Tuesday, Aidan passed away after complications of heart failure.

“I would’ve never dreamed in a million years that this would have happened,” Rusk said.

“It happened so quickly,” Greene-Rusk said. “It was cruel.”

MEDICAL DIRECTOR URGES VIGILANCE FOR FLU, RSV, COVID DESPITE WINTER PEAK DECLINE

The family is still awaiting the autopsy, but no matter the results, Aidan’s loved ones have learned not to underestimate any illness.

“This needs to be taken seriously,” Rusk said. “It’s not a joke. I’m going to tell you it’s not a joke. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone. Not even my worst enemy, ever.”

Other local health officials said the same.

“It’s important that people are washing their hands, covering their coughs and staying home when they’re sick,” Buncombe County Health and Human Services Public Health Director Ellis Matheson said. “All these measures together are going to help prevent infection and reduce the spread of infection in our community.”

Aidan’s mother said one thing is going to stick with her going forward.

“The moment he left, every fear I’ve ever had in my life is gone,” Greene-Rusk said. “I’m afraid of nothing. I have to live boldly like he did.”

For more information on how to donate to Aidan’s family, click here.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Planners hope a fast-food restaurant's intention to build in Waynesville jump-starts other businesses to locate in several empty lots along a major corridor into town.

Plans call for knocking down a building at 1870 S. Main St. for a Cook Out restaurant, a fast-food chain known for burgers, fries and shakes.

“Cook Out is a signal to us that our zoning is working,” Waynesville Development Services Director Elizabeth Teague said.

She said a new business locating along South Main Street shows there's interest in developing the area.

“They've purchased the land. They've submitted their applications for zoning approval. The next steps are to move forward towards a building permit. We’re still working with them with landscaping and sidewalk requirements and storm water,” Teague said.

ZONING CHANGE LIKELY TO ADD DEVELOPMENT TO RUSS AVENUE IN WAYNESVILLE

Neighboring businesses like NC Blade see benefits coming from Cook Out patrons.

“They'll get the food. They'll, hopefully, see our sign and want to come in and want to see what we have to offer,” NC Blade’s Tara Jordan said.

She and her husband, Brandon, just located along South Main Street a year ago.

“It's exciting to see other things come in and, hopefully, grow the area,” she said.

That's the hope among town leaders, as well. The South Main Street corridor is one of the few places left for commercial development in town. Some new businesses have come along, but many open spaces remain. Prices, Teague said, have been a challenge.

“What we've heard from our real estate community is that the land values down there and the sales prices are very high. So, it's been hard for some of those properties to move,” Teague said.

There have also been delays over the years in NCDOT plans to improve and widen South Main Street.

“We are, in some respects, waiting on when the DOT moves forward with their plans. And that's going to give the property owners something more solid to work with,” Teague said.

'A WAY TO BRING A LITTLE HISTORY BACK:' HISTORIC WAYNESVILLE ARCH MAKING ITS COMEBACK ON MAIN STREET

DOT officials said right-of-way projects are now set to begin in 2027, with construction starting in 2030.

Teague sees the arrival of Cook Out as a potential catalyst for more in-coming businesses.

“A project like Cook Out helps us to see that sort of future vision coming to fruition,” she said.

The Jordans are ready.

“Big fan of Cook Out,” Tara said.

Because of the small size of the lot, the Cook Out restaurant will be drive-thru and walk-up only.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Officials said heating may have played a factor in a motel fire in Waynesville Wednesday morning, Jan. 17, though the investigation is ongoing.

It was around 7 a.m. when Waynesville Fire Department crews responded to the fire at the Parkway Inn. When they arrived, they found smoke coming from the attic area.

“It appears to have started near...the water heater/boiler for the building. So, in an electrical area," said Assistant Waynesville Fire Chief Chris Mehaffey.

Mehaffey said no one was injured, but the fire did cause some disruption.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON FOR PARTS OF WNC

Fire officials said a handful of temporary workers were staying at the inn at the time of the fire, and they've since been relocated to other accommodations in town.

“I think about five to 10 residents that were displaced, mostly some temporary workers. We did get them relocated; we found accommodations for them,” he said.

In addition to the Waynesville Fire Department, crews from Maggie Valley, Junaluska and Saunook.

“It gives me a real appreciation for the people out there working in the cold and displaced,” said Tim Stevens, owner of Bear Creek Supply across from the motel on Highway 19.

In what he calls his retirement job now, Stevens spent 40 years as a first responder and firefighter in Florida, and he understands the impacts of a fire on a frigid day.

HOW TO KEEP SAFE AND WARM DURING EXTREME COLD

“Really, our concern is for the people that stay there and the business owners on an especially miserable -- on a super cold morning like this when they need shelter," Stevens said. "When the cold hits like this, the county's real good about making things available over at Lake Junaluska; they'll open things up."

For a time, while emergency vehicles lined up along the busy road with water and ice forming, Stevens said he wondered if he would have to open late on Wednesday, but everything worked out.

“We'll try to have a normal day despite the temperatures,” he said.

Whatever the exact cause of this fire, Mehaffey said it serves as a reminder to double-check and keep the area around heating equipment clear.

“That's where we see a lot of problems with fires -- stuff that's going to be running more than it normally does,” he said.

The motel owners said they do have insurance and will make repairs.