Blog - Randolph Record

09 Mar

Election contests set after filing deadline

Randolph RecordGovernmentcounty government, election, election filings

ASHEBORO — Following several delays, the election filing period closed Friday. Republican primary voters will see numerous contested elections in local races while the only Democratic primaries will occur at the state and federal levels. Highlights on the GOP primary ballot include two contested county commissioner races as well as a three-way primary battle for sheriff. Redistricting has resulted in three N.C. House districts and two State Senate districts serving the county. Longtime state Rep. Pat Hurley faces a challenge in the seat she has held for eight terms. The seat being vacated by the retirement of Allen McNeill has…

09 Mar

Commissioners vote leaves courthouse monument in place

Ryan HenkelNewsAsheboro, Randolph County Board of Commissioners

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Commissioners met on Monday to vote on and discuss multiple items on the agenda, in particular ones pertaining to emergency services and the allocation of funding for special projects. As promised at the previous meeting, the board also voted on the status of the Confederate monument standing in front of the historic courthouse. After nearly an hour of public comments related to the Confederate monument, Board Chairman Darrell Frye said he believed it was time to take a vote related to the statue to make the board’s position clear. Commissioner Hope Haywood asked…

09 Mar

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Macie Crutchfield

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Macie Crutchfield, prep sports, softball, Southwestern Randolph

Macie Crutchfield | Southwestern Randolph, softball Crutchfield began her career by pitching a shutout and she added to that list of early accomplishments later in the week. Crutchfield, a freshman, threw a one-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk when the Cougars blanked host Oak Grove 3-0 in their first game of the season. Later in the week, she struck out 15 batters in a 7-0 defeat of visiting Central Davidson. Crutchfield gave up five hits and three walks in her second outing in the circle. On offense in that game, Maddie Varner and Madeline Smith both drove in two…

08 Mar

Miller’s slam gives Blue Comets memorable baseball opener

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Prep baseball

Gage Miller remembers the details of his final at-bat in the season opener for Asheboro’s baseball team. After that, it becomes a little less clear. Miller’s game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning sent the Blue Comets to a 5-3 victory against Chatham Central last week at Kiwanis Park in Asheboro. “That was something different right there,” Miller said. “My teammates were fired up. Came across home plate and we were all going crazy.” Miller said it’s his first grand slam. Of course, it came at an ideal time. The Blue Comets needed his production. “The game…

03 Mar

Four candidates file early for county school board

Randolph RecordGovernmentcounty school board, election filings

Four candidates filed to run for the Randolph County Schools Board of Education, three of them since the filing period resumed last Thursday. Shannon Craven Whitaker of Franklinville, Kurt Melvin of Trinity, Fred Burgess of Climax and Phillip Lanier of Asheboro have formally declared their intentions. Burgess is an incumbent. The filing period was suspended in December, and then reopened last week. Whitaker had put her name in Dec. 6 before filings were cut off based on a ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court. The other three filed last week. The filing period runs through noon Friday. The date…

02 Mar

Prep basketball: Season comes with highlights for area teams

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, basketball, prep sports, Providence Grove, Randleman, UCA

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Alijah Barker shoots the ball against Albemarle’s Walker Wilkins in the first round of the Class 1-A state playoffs Feb. 22 at Uwharrie Charter Academy in Asheboro. Basketball season came to a close for Randolph County boys’ teams in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association by the end of the second round last week. On the girls’ side, only Randleman and Uwharrie Charter Academy made it to the weekend’s third round. Randleman’s season was still going this week. Here are a few notables as the postseason unfolded: Patriots tripped by familiar foe Providence Grove’s boys’ season-ending…

02 Mar

Black returns to Asheboro volleyball team

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, Kim Black, prep sports, volleyball

ASHEBORO – It turns out Kim Black was pulled back to Asheboro High School volleyball after all. She’ll be in her third stint as coach of the program, where she won a state championship, when the season begins in the late summer. “I can’t make any promises except to promise to do my best,” Black said. She’s the all-time winningest coach at Asheboro, holding a 246-97 record as a varsity coach. She directed the Blue Comets to three state finals, including the Class 3-A title in 1994, and eight conference crowns. Black has made the rounds among schools in Randolph…

02 Mar

Randolph County’s deer harvest rates top in state

Bob SuttonStateDeer, hunting, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Deer hunting took place in Randolph County like in no other county in North Carolina. Again. With numbers tallied for the 2021-22 season through the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s electronic reporting system, it showed that 4,422 white-tailed deer had been successfully hunted in Randolph County. That was the most for any county in the state. “There’s a lot of people in Randolph County who hunt,” said Michael King of the NCWRC. “By and large, those out of that group (responsible for the county’s deer hunting total) are from Randolph County or local to that area.” Anson County was second…

02 Mar

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Elizabeth York

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Elizabeth York, prep sports

Elizabeth York | Randleman, girls’ basketball York, a junior guard, had three productive games as the Tigers advanced through three rounds of the Class 2-A state playoffs. She averaged 19 points in those games. It began when York piled up 22 points as Randleman stomped Shelby Burns 64-17 in the opening round. Next, she compiled 24 points in Randleman’s 64-53 victory against Wilkes Central. York tacked on 11 points in a 63-43 decision against Lincoln Charter. Those results left the Tigers with a 25-0 record going into a West Region semifinal against Shelby.

01 Mar

Randolph Hospital relaxes COVID restrictions

Randolph RecordGovernment, NewsCOVID, health, hospital

ASHEBORO — Visitors to Randolph County’s only hospital will have more access and patients will be able to see more visitors after changes announced Monday. Randolph Hospital said in a press release that due to decreased COVID-19 activity the hospital would implement new visitation rules effective Tuesday. Visiting hours will now be 7am to 8pm. Visitors will be screened for COVID symptoms, including a temperature check, and must be 12 years of age or older. Visitors will still be required to wear masks. COVID patients can now have two visitors from 4pm to 8pm while inpatients and emergency patients can…