Ryan Henkel

18 Posts
Asheboro City Council tackles busy October agenda

Asheboro City Council tackles busy October agenda

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro City Council met for its monthly meeting last week with quite a busy agenda. The council first held three legislative hearings with the first being for an application to apply initial city zoning on more than 2,200 acres of NC Zoological Park and NC Zoological Society property recently annexed into the city limits. “The property was relatively recently annexed into the city limits by an act of the General Assembly and under state law, the city has to apply city zoning to all property within its jurisdiction,” assistant city manager Trevor Nuttall said. Nuttall said the…
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Commissioners approve purchase of property for new elementary school in Liberty

Commissioners approve purchase of property for new elementary school in Liberty

ASHEBORO – Randolph County has taken a big step toward the construction of a new elementary school as the Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of land for the new Liberty Elementary School. At its Oct. 7 meeting, the board approved the purchase of 32 acres of land at a sale price of $62,500 per acre located at 4547 Starmount Road for the site. “The board and myself believe this is the best site for the new school,”  Randolph County School System superintendent Stephen Gainey said. “The feasibility study may require us to buy more, so we’ve been…
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Contract extended for RCSS superintendent Stephen Gainey

Contract extended for RCSS superintendent Stephen Gainey

ASHEBORO – Stephen Gainey, who has been the superintendent of the Randolph County School System since 2013, had his contract extended by the Board of Education for an additional four years with his term now set to end June 30, 2028. “Dr. Gainey continues to lead the Randolph County School System with strategic, long-term thinking and thoughtful attention to the needs of our students and staff,” the board said in a released statement. “Over the last year, Dr. Gainey planned for the future in our county. At the same time, Dr. Gainey elevated the parts of the school system that…
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Asheboro City Council hears multiple property matters

Asheboro City Council hears multiple property matters

ASHEBORO – It was a busy agenda for the Asheboro City Council at its Sept. 5 regular business meeting as the council held five hearings all dealing with zoning or land-use requests. The first was for 0.9 acres of property located at 841 Cross St. to be zoned as an amended B2 (General Commercial) conditional zoning in order to construct a covered seating area, walk-in cooler and outdoor grill at an eating establishment (The Taco Loco). “I’d love to see it go in there, but I personally think they need to show us a little more parking,” council member Joey…
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County accepts UCA’s request for part-time SRO officer

County accepts UCA’s request for part-time SRO officer

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office will be looking to hire a part-time SRO officer following the decision of the Board of Commissioners at the Sept. 3 meeting. The board approved a request made by the Sheriff’s Office on behalf of Uwharrie Charter Academy for the creation of a part-time deputy sheriff SRO position for UCA Elementary School during the 2024-25 school year. The total cost for this new position would be $46,700 with approximately $28,000 going toward the officer’s salary and an additional $19,000 going toward initial costs, program investment fees, operational expenses and equipment, although that cost…
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Randolph Early College recognized again on national level

Randolph Early College recognized again on national level

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Schools Board of Education recognized students from Randolph Early College, which was the top awarded school in the nation at the 2024 Beta National Convention. More than 360 high schools from around the country were represented at the convention. In total, Randolph Early College earned 32 total awards with five first-place finishes in the competition. It's the third year in a row that REC has been the top awarded school in the nation. “We’re here tonight because of students,” superintendent Stephen Gainey said at Monday's board meeting. “We’re here because kids are doing great things…
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Asheboro city manager Ogburn to retire

Asheboro city manager Ogburn to retire

ASHEBORO – At the end of the Asheboro City Council’s regular business meeting last week, long-time city manager John Ogburn announced his retirement. “My decisions and focus have always been on what’s best for the City of Asheboro, and frankly, the search for a new city manager will be more straightforward and easier to achieve than a search for a deputy city manager that could subsequently become the city manager,” Ogburn said. “Given the challenges of recruitment and desiring that the community have the best it possibly can, I have decided that my last active day as your city manager…
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Randolph County commissioners approve legislative goals to go before NCACC

Randolph County commissioners approve legislative goals to go before NCACC

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution Monday to send a list of legislative goals to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners that will be considered to potentially be presented before the NC General Assembly based on their applicability to all 100 counties. Those legislative goals included, “Seeking legislation amending NCGS §106-740 that defines formal initiation of any action to condemn any interest in qualifying farmland within a voluntary agricultural district by State or local public agencies or governmental units to allow for adequate time to hold a public hearing and to investigate and develop…
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RCSS receives two child nutrition grants

RCSS receives two child nutrition grants

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County School System's board of education met last Thursday for a wrap-up at the end of the school year and the acceptance of several grants related to child nutrition. The first was The Dairy Alliance Youth Wellness Program Grant from The Dairy Alliance for cafeteria equipment. The grant provides a refrigerated milk merchandiser for Providence Grove High School and a refrigerated milk dispenser for Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve in order to “maximize student access and consumption of cold milk.” The total value of the equipment provided by the grant is just under $8,000 The second grant, at…
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Asheboro budget won’t increase property tax

Asheboro budget won’t increase property tax

Water and sewer rates to go up ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council has been presented a budget that doesn't recommend a property tax increase. At the board's June meeting, the 2024-25 annual operating budget was set to total $71.5 million. That keeps the tax rate even at $0.71 per $100 valuation. A large portion of the budget — just under $22 million — is set aside for public safety, with Asheboro police getting a $13 million allocation and firefighters nearly $8 million. The budget also includes a 2.5% cost-of-living increase for city employees, funding to implement seven new employees…
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