Business

New Asheboro restaurant to aim for vacation vibes

New Asheboro restaurant to aim for vacation vibes

ASHEBORO — A chef from New York has come to Asheboro to open a restaurant, hoping to put diners in a resort frame of mind. The Bun Hut NC will open within a month at 132 Sunset Ave., offering food and cocktails. It will specialize in Caribbean-Asian dishes. “When you walk in, we want you to feel like you’re on a Caribbean vacation,” said business owner Kermit Raymond Mackey. The new restaurant’s location will be in the former location of Hamilton’s Steakhouse, which has moved to 328 Sunset Ave. Mackey is referred to as “Chef Ray” and he’ll be doing…
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County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Public School System will pay every employee a $5,000 bonus, according to a resolution adopted by the school board on Monday. The resolution says the bonuses will be paid from funds received by the system from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds from the federal government. Randolph County Schools has received nearly $50 million in ESSER funding which was included in the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide premium pay to employees and substitutes to address COVID-related disruptions and staff shortages. According to the school board, substitutes who work…
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School COVID numbers decline

School COVID numbers decline

ASHEBORO — Positive cases and quarantines in schools are on the decline in Randolph County and around the country. In the Asheboro City Schools, 13 positive cases were reported last week resulting in 43 people quarantined. In Randolph County Schools, there were 73 positive cases and 361 people quarantined. Just 10 of the 361 people quarantined were from a school exposure. Asheboro City Schools reported a 33% reduction in positive cases in the first three weeks of October compared to the first three weeks of September. Randolph County reported a 46% reduction in positive cases during the same period. Last…
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Quite a Fair growth spurt

Quite a Fair growth spurt

Andrew Vial of Liberty brought the largest watermelon in North Carolina State Fair history (The North State Journal) Liberty man sets mark with large watermelons ASHEBORO — Andrew Vial calls growing big watermelons a hobby. Yet for the Liberty man, it’s truly a passion. He took another watermelon to a big stage and collected another special distinction. His 341-pound watermelon was the largest ever at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. “You just don’t get melons like that every day,” Vial said. Vial, who calls his remodeling carpentry work his full-time job, said he logs 50 to 60 hours…
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Classic opportunity

Classic opportunity

Local group starts a classic car dealership ASHEBORO — While new car sales are stalled by technology shortages, a new business in Asheboro is focused on vehicles that celebrate carburetors, manual transmissions and American steel. Carolina Classic Cars celebrated their business and showroom opening last week with a grand opening event scheduled for October 16. Carolina Classic Cars bills itself as a classic car dealership and will offer traditional dealership service like financing, service and detailing.  Car collectors Charlie Glass and Mike Allen have been in the classic car business together for five years and have a passion for fine-tuned,…
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Community College System President visits RCC

Community College System President visits RCC

ASHEBORO — North Carolina Community College System President Thomas Stith III toured Randolph Community College in Asheboro last week. Stith, in his first year at the NCCCS helm, has now visited 31 of the state’s 58 community colleges. Stith visited the new Allied Health Center, Continuing Education and Industrial Center, Photography Imaging Center and JB and Claire Davis Corporate Training Center. “We have 58 great community colleges throughout the state of North Carolina,” said Stith in a release from RCC. “We just saw state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, and I’m just so impressed with the programs that are offered here and the…
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County schools honor teacher, principal of the year

County schools honor teacher, principal of the year

ASHEBORO — Katie Husband of Franklinville Elementary is the Randolph County School System 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year. Finalists for Teacher of the Year were Paige Rollins of Eastern Randolph, Philip Schuyler of Randolph Early College, Emily Caudill of Trindale Elementary and Eliza Sanders of Northeastern Randolph Middle. Jamie Armfield of Seagrove Elementary is the RCSS Principal of the Year.
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NASCAR Day returns with big crowds

NASCAR Day returns with big crowds

Randleman Festival roars back to life to celebrate racing heritage RANDLEMAN — Last weekend’s NASCAR Day Festival went off pretty much without a hitch as several thousand people roamed Randleman streets. “We had a perfect weekend for it,” said Jeff Freeman, director of the festival. “The attendance was wonderful.” Saturday’s festival came after the 2020 version was cancelled because of the pandemic. There were precautions taken for this year’s edition, but Freeman said there were largely positive reviews. Asheboro cancelled it's annual Fall Festival for the second year in a row citing concerns over hospital capacity for such a large…
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COVID cases decline in Randolph, nationwide

COVID cases decline in Randolph, nationwide

ASHEBORO — New daily cases of COVID dropped about 35% since September 1 nationwide along with a 25% drop in the number of people hospitalized. In Randolph County, there was an 18% drop in new cases for the week preceding Oct. 3 along with a 79% drop in hospitalizations. Over 75% of Randolph County seniors have received at least one shot of a vaccine and 50% of the population over 12 years old has received one shot. All 100 counties in N.C. are still classified as areas of high transmission.
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