Blog - Randolph Record

18 Jun

City of Asheboro approves 2025-26 budget

Ryan HenkelGovernment, NewsAsheboro City Council, City of Asheboro, Donald Duncan

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro City Council approved its 2025-26 operating budget, which is balanced at about $75.7 million, at its June meeting. Of that, the general fund is balanced at approximately $50.5 million, which is approximately a $2 million increase from the prior year, mostly due to personnel expenses, city manager Donald Duncan said. “We’re going to do a base pay increase for every full-time employee of $2,000, except for fire and police, who are getting a $3,000 increase because that is where our biggest deficit is in trying to recruit and keep good talent,” Duncan said. Essentially half of…

18 Jun

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Brady Collins

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Brady Collins, prep baskteball, prep football, Prep golf, Providence Grove Patriots

Providence Grove, football, basketball, golf Collins excelled throughout the school year, capped by his All-Piedmont Athletic Conference status in boys’ golf as a senior. Collins had big impacts during his career in football and basketball as well. He also had been a member of the baseball program. A linebacker, Collins was among the state’s leading tacklers during the 2024 regular season in football. Collins was the PAC runner-up in golf. He was a multi-time all-conference selection in football and golf. He was picked for all-conference in basketball for 2023-24.

17 Jun

Trinity hires alums as new coaches

Randolph RecordSportsMichael Sink, prep baskteball, prep soccer, Trinity Bulldogs

Molly Welch TRINITY — Molly Welch will be the new girls’ basketball coach at Trinity following the tenure of coach Michael Sink. Welch, a 2008 Trinity graduate, is a former assistant coach for the program from 2009-11 under her mother, Renee Croker Hayes. The Bulldogs are coming off an 8-17 season under coach Michael Sink. The team’s last winning season came in 2016-17. Welch has been back at Trinity since 2023 in various positions, including girls’ golf coach. She coached girls’ basketball at the middle school level. The appointment of Welch was one of several announced for Trinity teams. Each…

16 Jun

Time with ZooKeepers can be period of transition for transfers

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, Rylen Stockton, summer college baseball, transfer portal

Rylen Stockton (ZooKeepers photo) ASHEBORO — When Rylen Stockton signed up to play this summer for the Asheboro ZooKeepers, he was a member of UNC Asheville’s baseball team. Yet a couple of weeks ago when it was his turn to go to the plate for the ZooKeepers, the introduction said he plays for Maryland. That’s part of the evolving nature of collegiate summer baseball. “I just committed to Maryland a few days ago,” Stockton said June 3. So after one season with UNC Asheville, the catcher from Sarasota, Florida, will be heading elsewhere in August when he reports for his…

16 Jun

Randolph County Agricultural Center construction reaches late stages

Bob SuttonNewsrandolph county, Randolph County Agricultural Center, Taylor Wright

The main sign is up as work continues in advance of the opening of the Randolph County Agricultural Center. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — The opening of the Randolph County Agricultural Center is a few months away. Construction work is in the late stages on the 104 acres purchased by Randolph County in 2016. “Folks are definitely getting more curious about what’s out there,” Taylor Wright, the agricultural center’s coordinator, said last week. Wright said a fall completion should be in the works after initial projections had targeted an opening for this past January. The site is off…

15 Jun

Post 45 seeks good blend with returners, newcomers

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Jackson Hill, Liberty Post 81, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh

There’s a different mix in the Randolph County Post 45 dugout this year for American Legion baseball. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – There might be good pieces to the puzzle for Randolph County Post 45’s baseball team. It’s largely a new roster from a year ago, so manager Ronnie Pugh will see how it all comes together after seeing encouraging results during the first stretch of the season. There are players representing numerous high schools in the area and that’s the blend Post 45 will be counting on this summer. “We played against or with each other for…

14 Jun

Graduating classes grow around Randolph County

Bob SuttonEvents, NewsAsheboro City Schools, Asheboro High School, commencement, Education, Randolph County School System, Southwestern Randolph High School, Stephen Gainey, Uwharrie Charter Academy, Wheatmore high school

Big graduating classes were among the themes for high school commencements this spring in Randolph County. The largest class was at Asheboro High School with 352 graduates. That marks the school’s biggest class in 25 years. Most high school commencements in the county were held this week, though there were a couple earlier. Within the Randolph County School System, there were 1,075 graduates across eight high schools. RCSS, citing a transition from one student information system to another, was unable to provide a school-by-school breakdown of graduates. The schools in RCSS include six traditional high schools (Eastern Randolph, Providence Grove,…

12 Jun

Water main break causes lane closures in Asheboro

Randolph RecordNewsAsheboro, traffic, water main

Workers try to fix a water main break on North Fayetteville Street in Asheboro on June 12. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Southbound lanes on North Fayetteville Street were closed to traffic Thursday because of a water main break. The lanes closure extended from Presnell Street to Salisbury Street. This stretch is part of U.S. 220 Business. There are four lanes in that area. Two of the lanes were closed. This wasn’t far from the area of a closed bridge on West Salisbury Street due to an automobile wreck June 3.

12 Jun

Changes come for Liberty’s farmers market

Bob SuttonEvents, Newsfarmers market, Kolby Riddle, Liberty

The farmers market in Liberty is located along West Swannanoa Avenue. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) LIBERTY — The farmers market in Liberty has new rules this year as organizers hope to jumpstart interest. Kolby Riddle, director of the parks and recreation department for Liberty, said the farmers market near downtown is somewhat evolving. “It kind of depends,” Riddle said in reference to the turnout of vendors. “Some of them may come and stay for an hour. You might get five or six.” Riddle said rule changes require certain certifications for vendors selling food items such as meats or eggs.…

12 Jun

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Jay Richards

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Class 2-A, Jay Richards, prep track and field, Randleman Tigers, State meet

Randleman, track and field Richards was the Piedmont Athletic Conference’s champion in the pole vault and he excelled in several postseason competitions. He finished his high school career last month by placing fourth in the Class 2A state meet. That marked an improvement of two spots from his junior season. Richards also played on the Randleman football team as a receiver and defensive back. *** *** *** Photo: Randleman pole vaulter Jay Richards had another strong season. (Jann Ortiz / For Randolph Record)