Electrician in Mineral Springs, NC

HOT SPRINGS - For many Hot Springs residents, the remote area can cause some difficulties in acquiring products and goods for every day needs. Residents are often forced to travel to one destination for groceries, another for things like health and beauty products, and then another for a hot coffee and a sandwich.

Now, though, all those products are available at a one stop shop, at Vaste Riviere Provisions in downtown Hot Springs. Keith, 48, and Sarah Calloway, 40, bought the business Nov. 2. The gourmet market/grocery store opened in 2020.

"We want it to be a place where there's a varied selection of food and beverages, but also retail products and products from local artists/artisans, and great food," Sarah Calloway said. "We found some mints from Paris. Our bagels are from New York. There are plenty of things that are super, super local. And then, we mixed in a few things that also give people the opportunity to experience something different."

Showcasing local artists is a point of emphasis for the Calloways, as they are former Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) members from their time as beekeepers.

Keith Calloway was born and raised in Barnardsville, but the couple gained interest in acquiring the Hot Springs business after a September 2022 stay at the Magnolia House.

Keith Calloway previously operated a studio in the South Slope neighborhood of Asheville for his bamboo fly rod shop. Sarah Calloway's experience in the hospitality industry made the couple a perfect fit for Hot Springs, the Calloways said.

"We loved the location with the rivers for fly fishing," Keith Calloway said. "I had been in food and beverage before - I have managed a few restaurants in the past - and she has bed and breakfast experience."

The upstairs building has three 900-square-feet, two-bedroom, one-bath suites that the couple rents out as short-term rentals, too.

"I had managed a bed and breakfast, so upstairs with the suite really appealed to me," Sarah Calloway said. "It's kind of like a nice little mesh of everything. He grew up in Asheville when Asheville was smaller, and then I'm from a small town (in Pleasant Garden, outside of Greensboro, North Carolina). So, it's nice to be a part of a community that's small. We come out here and we feel like we've gotten to know a lot of people. It's nice to be a part of the community."

Community response

The Calloways said they've received a lot of encouragement from residents and business owners in the roughly two months they've owned the business.

"It's been really nice that people have given us feedback of things that they'd liked about it previously, and then as we've made some changes to make it feel warmer and hopefully more inviting, people have really responded well and given us great feedback," Sarah Calloway said.

"Somebody was like, 'Make sure you keep this certain type of fish,' and we're like, 'OK, gotcha.' So, everybody's really been great. The other businesses in the area, we all know that we're supportive of each other, and it's nice to feel that out of the gate. Everybody's been super welcoming in terms of businesses and the community. That's really something that makes it, like, every day feels like this wonderful place to be, and a wonderful moment to be part of this community."

According to the new owners, a number of customers said Vaste Riviere was their preferred destination for wine, so the Calloways have keyed in on maintaining that connection.

"The former owners really had a major focus on wine, and one of the things that we heard from locals was that this is where they came to for wine," Sarah Calloway said. "We wanted to make sure to continue to have a good offering. Keith has been really educating himself on the different wines and forming good relationships with vendors to be able to offer a really nice collection. We have a little bit for everybody."

"We like to try to bring in stuff that you can't go to Ingles and buy - something different," Keith Calloway said.

Offering quality products is a main focus for the new owners.

"With the retail products and any of the grocery or market items, we try to make sure that it's not something you're getting from Amazon or Ingles. These are things that really we can source here and have as a specialty market. So, that's been fun."

On Dec. 18, Vaste Riviere offered the first Sunday brunch.

"Sunday brunch is a good way to let our talented team get a chance to play and get creative," Keith Calloway said.

The owners said they plan to offer an ever-changing variety of menu items, including daily specials.

"We want our menu to be driven by the season, and what's fresh and what's good, and what our team can create with it," Sarah Calloway said. "I can say I'm not a chef, so I'm glad that they have minds that spin in those directions and can get creative and offer delicious dishes."

Hot Springs resident Robert Tully has lived in the town for 11 years. Many Vaste Riviere staff members affectionately call Tully "the consigliere" of Vaste Riviere.

"Vaste Riviere is great, and now it's even more so built to what people in the town want," Tully said.

The specialty market's new owners reciprocated the excitement.

"It is such a blessing to be a part of the community and to be able to offer this," Sarah Calloway said. "Our team is awesome. It's really wonderful, so we're thrilled."

Vaste Riviere Provisions is located at 158 Bridge St. in Hot Springs.

HOT SPRINGS - Mayor Abby Norton said building a new wastewater treatment plant in Hot Springs was at the top of her list of goals when she was elected in 2019.

Last month, Norton found out her wish would be realized as the Hot Springs Town Board received word it will receive up to $4 million to complete the project by 2026.

"I've been trying to get something done with this sewer plant since I got elected," Norton said. "I saw that email and I went, 'Yahoo.' There are a lot of things that are in bad shape in Hot Springs, but that sewer plant, I think, is the main thing."

The North Carolina Collaboratory at UNC Chapel Hill, in partnership with the UNC Environmental Finance Center, reviewed the application submitted by the town of Hot Springs for a proposed wastewater project and determined this project is eligible to receive grant funding under the Innovative Highly Treated Wastewater Pilot Program, Norton said.

The town will use American Rescue Plan funding for the new plant, according to the mayor.

"It's a big deal," Norton said, adding that McGill Associates, an engineering firm working with the town as part of its wastewater Asset Inventory Assessment grant it received in 2019, helped the town secure the funding.

"I've been pushing for grants and getting them to apply for a grant that I think we might be able to get, and we finally got one."

Background

According to Norton, the town applied for a state grant in 2022 but was rejected.

In the Madison County Board of Commissioners January 2022 meeting, Norton and Karen Kiehna, a grant administrator with McGill Associates, appeared before the commissioners to request $3 million for a new wastewater treatment plant.

Kiehna said upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant will benefit the town and the county as a whole.

"The ability to accept additional wastewater flow and to support economic growth is critical to the town of Hot Springs and to Madison County," Kiehna said. "Hot Springs is crucial to the continued development of tourism for Madison County, and the resulting positive economic impact. Upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant to accommodate the economic growth and improvements to the sewer collection and treatment system are critical to the protection of the water quality for the French Broad River, Spring Creek and to enhance the opportunity for economic growth."

In July 2021, the Hot Springs Town Board voted to suspend new sewer connections after rainfall in June and July 2021 caused the town to reach higher than state-recommended usage levels.

More: BOC talks Hot Springs' waste plantMadison commissioners debate Hot Springs' request for waste treatment facility upgrades

More: Board halts new sewer connectionsHot Springs Town Board votes to temporarily stop new sewer connections

More: Another new sewer connection haltHot Springs reinstates new sewer connection moratorium; this time for 6 months

The state recommends a town maintain an average of 80% capacity.

According to Norton, during that summer, the average per-day output was higher than the 80% threshold, as the current wastewater treatment plant operates an 80,000-gallon capacity and the average output throughout a nearly three-week period was close to 78,000 gallons.

The mayor said the new plant will remedy this problem, as the grant will allow the town to build a plant with a 200,000-gallon capacity.

The Hot Springs mayor said one of the stipulations of the funding is that it must be used by Dec. 31, 2026.

Norton said no timeline has been offered on when construction of the new plant will begin.

"We, as a governing board, are thankful for this opportunity to provide improved service to our citizens in the future and look forward to working with the Collaboratory to make this proposed project a reality," Norton said.

HAMLET — Teena Robinson of Mineral Springs Elementary School was named the Richmond County Schools Teacher of the Year.

“It was a complete shock,” Robinson said about earning that distinction Thursday afternoon. “I’m just so overwhelmed with gratitude and honor.”

A veteran teacher with 15 years of experience,, three of them in RCS, Robinson said her favorite part of teaching is meeting students and forming a connection and a rapport with them.

RCS teachers were nominated by their schools in the spring for the award. Dr. Julian Carter, associate superintendent of human resources, said it’s the stated goal from the NC Department of Public Instruction that all nominees demonstrate outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.

“The teacher of the year should be dedicated and highly skilled, a candidate proven capable of inspiring students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn this year,” Carter said, adding that Robinson greets all students and staff with a smile and is always willing to lend a hand.

Carter read a response from Robinson that all candidates were asked – How would you like to be remembered by your students?

“It is my desire that they remember their time with me with a smile on their face and can say they felt safe, loved, valuable capable and smart in my classroom,” Carter read Robinson’s response. “I would for students to remember that I always put relationships first, as I believe learning will follow once trust has been established and connections are in place.”

For the 17th year in a row, Scott Griffin of Griffin Automotive Group presented the Teacher of the Year with a check for $5,000.

Other nominees included Elizabeth Summerlin (Rockingham Middle), Melody Bruce (Ninth Grade Academy), Anna Sanford (Richmond Early College), Ralph Butler (Hamlet Middle), Michelle Austin (Fairview Heights), Brittany Hinshaw (L.J. Bell), Emily Danner (East Rockingham), James Tindall (Ashley Chapel), Lindsey Poston (West Rockingham), Misty Morgan (Washington Street), Keith Parsons (Richmond Senior), Leiah Jarrell (Ellerbe Middle), Blair Small (Cordova Middle) and Gina Simmons (Monroe Avenue).

The 2022-23 Assistant Principal of the Year is Wendy Wallace, and the Principal of the Year is Jim Butler, both of RSHS.

Teacher of the Year candidates were entered into a raffle for a year long membership to Evolution Health Club and two $500 checks from Blake Altman Real Estate and Wesley Jackson Real Estate for classroom supplies.

To support the Richmond County Daily Journal, subscribe at https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/subscribe or 910-817-3111.

Reach Matthew Sasser at 910-817-2671 or [email protected] to suggest a correction.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has placed into service one of the nation's most advanced green microgrids in the Madison County town of Hot Springs.

The Hot Springs microgrid consists of a 2-megawatt (AC) solar facility and a 4.4-megawatt lithium-based battery storage facility. The microgrid not only provides a safe, cost-effective and reliable grid solution for serving the Hot Springs area, but it will also provide energy and additional bulk system benefits for all customers.

This will include reliability services to the electric grid, such as frequency and voltage regulation and ramping support and capacity during system peaks.

"Duke Energy has numerous smaller microgrids on our system, but this is our first microgrid that can power an entire small town if its main power line experiences an outage," said Jason Handley, general manager, Distributed Energy Group.

Hot Springs, with a population of just over 500, has limited rerouting options should an outage occur. During its testing phase, Duke Energy's microgrid was able to pick up the town's entire load from a black start without any help from the energy grid – using only the solar and battery storage to restore power. The microgrid served the town's load while the company gathered data.

"Through energy storage and microgrids, Duke Energy can enable the integration of more renewables onto the grid and help improve reliability while keeping costs affordable for customers and the communities we serve," added Handley.

Duke Energy worked with the technology company Wärtsilä, who supplied the battery energy storage system for the project. The microgrid utilizes Wärtsilä's sophisticated energy management system, the GEMS Digital Energy Platform, for integrated control of both the solar and energy storage facilities.

"The Hot Springs inverter-only-based community microgrid is a great step forward for Duke Energy and our customers. This project has reduced the need for equipment upgrades in an environmentally sensitive area," added Handley. "We are using lessons learned from this first-of-its-kind installation to take to our other microgrids under construction in Indiana and Florida. At a larger scale, microgrids bring more resiliency to the energy grid for our customers."

Duke Energy has been active with microgrids and battery storage, with over 60 megawatts connected throughout Duke Energy's regulated areas. In Asheville, Duke Energy operates a 9-megawatt lithium-ion battery system at a substation site in the Rock Hill community – near Sweeten Creek Road. In Haywood County, the company has a 3.8-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery and 10-kilowatt solar DC microgrid installation serving a communications tower on Mount Sterling in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Duke Energy contact: Randy Wheeless24-Hour: 800.559.3853Twitter: @DE_RandyW

SOURCE Duke Energy

HOT SPRINGS - In the past, Hot Springs has lacked an establishment that specializes in possibly the most popular food option in history: pizza.

Soon, that will change, as Vinyl Pies Pizza owners Karen and Gary Goss hope to open the pizzeria and sports bar by the end of September.

The vinyl record-themed pizzeria will offer specialty pies, listed as its "Greatest Hits," while patrons can customize their pies in the "What I Like About You" portion of the menu. The shop will also offer two dessert pizzas, according to Gary Goss.

"The unofficial town motto is 'Where Mayberry meets The Twilight Zone,'" Karen Goss said. "So, we said 'Pizza, plus a throwback theme - magic.'"

The Gosses, who also own Iron Horse Station, helped organize the "80s weekend" theme party earlier this year, from Feb. 25-27.

A pizzeria in Hot Springs

The idea to open a pizzeria in Hot Springs was one many years in the making.

"When we got here, we knew Hot Springs needed pizza," Karen Goss said. "Gary told everybody, 'You should do a pizza shop.'"

"People would ask me, 'What would you do here?' and I'd go, 'Open a pizza shop,'" Gary Goss said. "I told them, 'You open it, and you'll make a fortune.'"

Now, years later, the Gosses and their business partners Marty Martin and his girlfriend, Ashley Skipper, will embark on the business venture.

Years ago, Martin was in town visiting the couple. The idea to open a pizzeria started out as simply a pipe dream.

"Marty came and was here one night, and he said, 'Let's get pizza,' and we all started laughing," Karen Goss said. "I think I came up with the 'Vinyl Pies' name, and Gary came up with the pizza idea. We told (Martin), and he said, 'That's genius. I'll do that with you guys tomorrow.'"

According to Gary Goss, the long treks to neighboring towns for pizza was another incentive for bringing a local pizza shop to Hot Springs.

"Here's the problem we had: Everybody goes on these huge waits," Gary Goss said. "We've got families camping that say, 'I just need something fast for the kids,' and we know it's 45 minutes to Weaverville. But now, we can produce a quality, brick oven pizza in 10 minutes."

The Gosses manifested their dreams in buying Iron Horse, too. While the couple bought the building Aug. 31, 2018, the dream started in 2008.

"We came (to Iron Horse) to get away from the beach craziness," Karen Goss said. "We ate here, and we loved it. We were obsessed. We thought the town was so quirky and different. We sat in the back booth, and we split a meal, because we wanted to have enough money to tip.

"Gary sat in that back booth and said, 'We're going to buy this one day.' I just laughed and said, 'We can't buy two dinners.' We just laughed. That was in 2008. A decade later, we bought it."

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Martin and Skipper have been working on establishing the restaurant's decorations, which features rock lyrics and memorabilia from 2Pac, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Idol and many others. The pizzeria is even adorned with old records, including some on the base of the ceiling fans.

"We wanted that feel of 'quirky,' but inclusive and diverse," Karen Goss said.

To honor the Bridge Street building, located in the site of the former Capital Bank, the Gosses plan to keep the ATM outside of the building and will sell their T-shirts and clothing merchandise out of the former bank's vault.

Bringing you football, karaoke, more

The Vinyl Pies management team are all avid sports fans and hope to attract other fans to the restaurant.

"We're sports people, for sure," Karen Goss said. "There's nowhere in Hot Springs where people say, 'We've got to get the game.'"

Martin said he plans to be behind the bar serving drinks, and the Vinyl Pies team's plan is to offer a wide variety of events to bring in more customers.

"We're going to do a lot of things where people can come," Martin said. "A few nights a week, we're going to do something - whether it's a chicken wing night, karaoke, Thursday Night Football, college football, or Sunday Night and Monday Night Football."

The Vinyl Pies team will cook its pizzas in "Brick House," a 7,000-pound brick oven.

"We heat by gas," Gary Goss said. "You can do heat and wood. You can do just wood. But to maintain the temperature, we went with gas."

Goss said the total cook time for a pizza will take between four to six minutes.

"That's why we went with a brick oven - you can get in and out," said Goss, who has worked in restaurants for his entire adult life.

While the Gosses are thrilled to open their second restaurant in Hot Springs, the town's residents are equally excited.

Hot Springs resident Robert Tully has lived in the town for 11 years. Tully, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and grew up in New York City, said the town is very excited about the new pizzeria.

"We need pizza in Hot Springs," he said. "They have pizza in other spots here, but this is going to be pizza. Real pizza."

Karen Goss said that enthusiasm and camaraderie is just another aspect of what she loves about Hot Springs.

"Another thing I love about this town, is that everybody's been so supportive," Karen Goss said. "I was a little worried (about the reception), but people could not have been more supportive. We love celebrating everyone in the town."

For the latest updates, including on the restaurant's "The Vinyl Countdown" to its opening, follow Vinyl Pies Pizza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vinylpiespizza, and on Instagram at hwww.instagram.com/vinyl_pies_pizza/.