Business - Randolph Record

22 Sep

County gives go-ahead to explore projects

Bob SuttonBusiness, Government, NewsCounyt Commissioners, Crystal Gettys, economic development, Kenny Kidd

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County commissioners gave the go-ahead for collaboration to pursue projects in three different votes at the September meeting. Crystal Gettys of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation made presentations for each of the situations. There’s a feasibility study on water and sewer for a site off I-74 and N.C. 311 near Wall Brothers Road. This is a potential industrial park involving about 260,000 acres. Gettys, the business recruitment director for Randolph County EDC, said it’s a marketable site for an industrial park. The $30,000 cost of the study will be split three ways between the City…

22 Sep

Planting Native Trees and Shrubs

Annie MillsBusiness, Entertainmentagriculture, Annie Mills

Late fall is an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs in the south. Cooler fall days are a pleasant time for us work outdoors, plus a fall planting gives roots time to establish, giving you a better performing plant next summer than one planted in the spring. More frequent gentle rains also mean you will not have to spend as much time and labor watering new plants. Woody plants provide a multitude of functions in your landscape, so take some time to think about what purpose you might want your new tree or shrub to serve before planting. Trees…

22 Sep

Asheboro festival nixed amid pandemic concerns, hospital capacity

Bob SuttonBusiness, Entertainment, Government, NewsFall Festival

Autumn staple taken off slate for second year in a row ASHEBORO — Next weekend’s Asheboro Fall Festival has been called off amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. “We critically and thoughtfully made this decision,” said Carolyn Isley, president of the Randolph Arts Guild. “Above all was the health and safety of the Randolph County community.” So it marks the second year in a row that an event that had been a staple in the community for nearly a half-century won’t be held in downtown Asheboro. It had been scheduled for Oct. 2-3. This is an event that had drawn…

22 Sep

County schools extend superintendent’s contract

Randolph RecordBusiness, GovernmentEducation, schools

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Education met Monday and voted to extend the contract of system superintendent Stephen Gainey. The board members said in a release they appreciated the difficulty of navigating the delivery of education during the Covid-19 pandemic and applauded Gainey’s dedication, long hours, and focus during the constantly changing situation. The board extended Gainey's contract through June 30, 2025, and awarded him a salary increase of 4%.

22 Sep

Zoo collecting cell phones … for gorillas

Randolph RecordBusinessNC Zoo

ASHEBORO — The North Carolina Zoo is asking people to donate old cell phones, tablets or music players such as iPods to help gorillas around the world. The initiative, known as Gorillas on the Line … Answer the Call, is part of a worldwide project to protect gorilla habitats. A key component to cell phone electronics is a metal called coltan. One of the few places it can be mined is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the mining destroys habitats.

20 Sep

Water main break causes damage in downtown Asheboro

Randolph RecordBusiness, NewsAsheboro, breaking news, downtown

ASHEBORO -- A water line broke under the downtown water tower in Asheboro today causing localized flooding, a sink hole and damage to a telecommunications structure. The 10-inch water main failed around midday a resulted in damage to a Verizon communications building which was located beneath the prominent water tower. Red mud covered Church Street and cleanup efforts were underway around 1pm. City crews as well as private contractors were on sight to assess and mitigate damage. The downtown water tower houses many telecommunications antennae. No major outtages have been reported. North State Journal has reached out to city officials…

17 Sep

Asheboro Fall Festival Cancelled

Randolph RecordBusiness, Events, GovernmentAsheboro, Fall Festival, Randolph

ASHEBORO -- The 48th annual Asheboro Fall Festival has been cancelled. The annual event scheduled for the first weekend of October will not be rescheduled. According to the Randolph Arts Guild, the sponsor of the event, the decision was made by their board of directors following a meeting with the Randolph County Health Department.

16 Sep

BUDD: Delivering a Critical Win for NC Chicken Farmers

Ted BuddBusiness, Opinions

Even though hyper-partisan legislation has dominated Congress this year, I’ve remained focused on identifying ways to support the largest industry in North Carolina: agriculture. As you may know, I grew up on my family’s cattle and chicken farm in Davie County, and I still live there with my wife and children. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many farmers saw a significant decline in their business. As a result, Congress swiftly established the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This important relief program within the CARES Act helped farmers across America who suffered a 5% or greater price decline as…

15 Sep

Boutique adds to Ramseur business landscape

Bob SuttonBusiness, Newsboutique, business, downtown, Ramseur, shopping, small business

RAMSEUR — Hannah Harper’s vision for a thriving boutique began to come together even during the challenging days of the pandemic. When she realized that expansion was feasible, she wanted that growth to happen in a place where she’s comfortable. So downtown Ramseur became the destination for Stella Laine Boutique. “We just grew so fast and we were looking for something much bigger,” Harper said. “I was trying to bring something like this here.” A grand opening for the business is scheduled for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Weatherly Square store. Harper, 24, began the business online in 2020.…

09 Sep

Safely sharing the road with farm equipment

Blake Szilvay | For the Randolph RecordBusiness, Governmentagriculture, farming, NC State

ASHEBORO — During the Spring and Fall, the volume of farm equipment appearing on the road increases significantly. In the Fall, farmers are working hard to harvest crops in a narrow window of time with unpredictable weather. They rely on large equipment designed to aid them in these tasks, equipment that is not designed to match the speed of a common automobile on the road. Generally, this equipment will be travelling no more than 30 mph. Public roads are dangerous with passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles interacting. Adding farm equipment increases accident risks for farmers and for motorists. Studies in…