Bob Sutton - Randolph Record

18 Apr

County lures manufacturer to former Hughes Furniture site

Bob SuttonNewsDarrell Frye, randolph county

ASHEBORO — A manufacturer that has been mostly based in Mid-Atlantic states is coming to Randolph County. Gillespie Precast is expected to bring about 60 jobs to a location in the southwestern part of the county on High Pine Church Road based on this week’s announcement. Gillespie Precast is a family-owned and operated precast concrete manufacturer serving utility and site contractors in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. “While we had several locations within North Carolina and Virginia targeted in our expansion plans, once we walked the property at High Pine Church Road it was abundantly clear to us…

13 Apr

Matchups set for spring break baseball games at McCrary Park

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Eastern Randolph Wildcats, Faith Christian, McCrary Park, Prep baseball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Wheatmore Warriors, Zookeepers

ASHEBORO — High school baseball teams from six counties will appear during the ZooKeepers Classic this week. Most of the scheduled 14 games include at least one team from Randolph County. Ten teams will play at least one game. There were slight schedule changes from original versions. Beginning Monday, there will be five days of competition, all with predetermined matchups at McCrary Park. The event is no longer a true tournament format, but it allows for more schools to participate and for coaches to better plan the week when some players might not be available. “Coaches said they want to…

08 Apr

Youth-related Easter events dot schedule around Asheboro

Bob SuttonEvents, NewsAsheboro Easter Eggstravaganza, Bicentennial Park, Easter

ASHEBORO — The Easter Eggstravaganza for area youth is scheduled for Saturday at Bicentennial Park. Presented by the Asheboro Cultural & Recreation Services, this is a free event from 10 a.m.-noon in downtown. “It’s a short and sweet thing we do every year," said Kelli King, program coordinator with the department. Ages 1-10 can participate in the egg hunt, while all participants receive a complimentary goodie bag as they leave. Hunt times are at 10 a.m. for younger groups (up to age 7) and 11 a.m. for older participants. “We do different times just because I don’t want a 4-year-old trying to grant eggs with…

07 Apr

Luther takes job with Asheboro girls’ team

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Prep Basketball, Wes Luther

Wes Luther (Courtesy photo) ASHEBORO — Wes Luther sees the challenges ahead for the Asheboro girls’ basketball program but also envisions the possibilities. So that was enough to put him back in charge of a high school varsity team as a head coach. “The job came open,” Luther said. “It gives me an opportunity to lead a program again and put my stamp on it.” Luther is a former boys’ coach at Providence Grove. He spent the past two seasons on the staffs with Asheboro’s football team and boys’ basketball team. This is Luther’s first assignment with a girls’ basketball…

04 Apr

Woodle’s sprint title boosts Asheboro in Randolph County championships

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Chase Farlow, Elijah Woodle, Freddie Mercado, Jalaya Showers, Jalial Timmons, Mirianna Corea, prep track and field, Randleman Tigers, Scarlett Hildreth, Ty Moton

Asheboro's Elijah Woodle had a busy and productive day in the Randolph County championships. (Jann Ortiz / For Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — Asheboro maintained its stronghold on the Randolph County Championships in track and field, though the boys’ team had a cast of some different point producers in Tuesday's meet. The Blue Comets were team champions for both boys and girls at the South Asheboro Middle School track. Asheboro senior Elijah Woodle wanted to prove he was the fastest in the county and that worked out for him. He won the 100-meter dash champion in 11.13 seconds. “It just makes…

03 Apr

Job fair in Randolph County designed for veterans

Bob SuttonEvents, Newsjob fair, Randolph County Veterans Services

ASHEBORO — A job fair combined with other information for veterans is scheduled for Saturday at South Asheboro Middle School. The Veterans Resource and Job Fair will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at South Asheboro Middle School. The event, which is sponsored and organized by the Randolph County Veterans Services Office, is designed exclusively for veterans, providing valuable resources and opportunities to enhance their lives post-service. Rita Honeycutt, veteran services officer, said this is a first-time event in the county. She said this is an opportunity for interaction and information that might not always be so accessible in rural areas for…

01 Apr

UCA’s Alston places second in wrestling nationals; Others post winning records

Bob SuttonSportsAiden Burkholder, Ayden Sumners, David Lambright, Dominic Hittepole, Jose Flores, Joseph Trahan, Lorenzo Alston, prep wrestling, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state champion, Trinity Bulldogs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles, Wheatmore Warriors

Lorenzo Alston of Uwharrie Charter Academy came close to winning a national tournament. (Randolph Record) Lorenzo Alston of Uwharrie Charter Academy finished as a runner-up in the National High School Coaches Association’s national tournament during the weekend at Virginia Beach Sports Center in Virginia Beach, Va. The three-time state champion had the highest finish of any North Carolina entrant in all of the boys’ high school divisions. Alston, a North Carolina State commit, competed in the 145-pound division for juniors. Alston mostly breezed through the bracket until falling by 6-4 to Pennsylvania’s Michael Turi in the championship bout. Turi is…

31 Mar

Mayor touts growing pride in Asheboro’s rise

Bob SuttonEvents, Government, NewsAsheboro City Council, City of Asheboro, David Smith, John Ogburn, Randolph Community College

Randolph Community College honored a pair of city leaders during last week’s mayor’s report on campus. Mayor David Smith and former city manager John Ogburn were recognized with gifts. Left to right are RCC board of trustees vice chair James Goudy, RCC president Shah Ardalan, Smith, Ogburn and RCC board chair Reynolds Lisk. (Randolph Community College photo) ASHEBORO — David Smith said he was pleased with how his presentation to the community was received last week. The soon-to-be-retiring mayor of Asheboro gave a report to citizens as his time as elected official has entered its final year. “I just highlighted what we’ve…

25 Mar

Wheatmore wrestler Hittepole cherishes process of reaching championship moment

Bob SuttonSportsClass 2-A, Dominic Hittepole, Kyle Spencer, nchsaa, prep wrestling, state tournament, Wheatmore Warriors

Wheatmore junior Dominic Hittepole became a state champion last month after coming one victory short of that goal a year earlier. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) TRINITY — Wheatmore wrestler Dominic Hittepole won matches on a regular basis for several months. Yet it seemed like a long climb, waiting for the moments that would define his season. “I’m ready for February,” he said in late January. “I’m really excited where I’m at. It matters a lot. There are a lot of people doubting me. I can’t end up in that runner-up position I was in last year.” So he took…

24 Mar

Highway construction begins on major project in Asheboro

Bob SuttonNewsAsheboro, N.C. 220, NCDOT, road construction, U.S. 64

The road widening involving U.S. 64 in Asheboro will mean ongoing construction for several years. ASHEBORO — Work on widening of the bypass from U.S. 64 to N.C. 49 in Asheboro has started and construction on the project is expected to last for several years. “It’s a lot of work,” said Cary Fine, the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s resident engineer for Randolph County. This project will widen U.S. 64 to multi-lanes, from the Asheboro bypass to east of interchange at N.C. 49, replace the low clearance bridge on N.C. 49 that goes over U.S. 64, and modify ramps at…