News

Mayor David Smith to offer views on Asheboro’s growth

Mayor David Smith to offer views on Asheboro’s growth

Mayor David Smith, waving along the rail, takes part in a past Asheboro Christmas parade. (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Mayor David Smith of Asheboro will provide his impressions of the city’s direction during a program for the community next week as his fourth term in office winds down this year. Smith will provide a presentation “Asheboro Transformed: Building a Better Future in a Time of Change” on Wednesday (Feb. 19) on the Randolph Community College campus. “It’s incredibly valuable to spend time looking back on the projects and innovations that the City of Asheboro has undertaken during my time…
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Commissioners approve incentive package for concrete manufacturer

Commissioners approve incentive package for concrete manufacturer

ASHEBORO – Randolph County is aiming to attract a new manufacturing business with the approval of a new economic incentive package. At its Feb. 3 meeting, the Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved an approximately $92,000 economic development incentive package for a concrete manufacturing company to establish a facility in the county. While the name of the company wasn’t revealed, the project is titled Blue Crab. “Their goal is to construct a precast concrete manufacturing facility to serve the southeast region as the company expands their customer base,” said Crystal Gettys, Randolph County EDC’s business recruitment director. “It’s a 100-year-old…
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Input sought for Randolph County transportation survey

Input sought for Randolph County transportation survey

ASHEBORO — The deadline for Randolph County residents to submit a completed survey regarding a regional transportation plan is Feb. 15. It’s part of the Randolph County Comprehensive Transportation Plan. A Comprehensive Transportation Plan is a long-range view that will assist local governments in making transportation decisions for the next 25-30 years. This includes aspects such as highways, bicycles, pedestrians and public transportation and rail. Amy Rudisill, public information officer for the county, said among the goals of the survey is to prioritize future projects. The survey is conducted in a partnership with the county, Piedmont Triad Rural Planning Organization…
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Kayser-Roth plant to close in Asheboro

Kayser-Roth plant to close in Asheboro

 Kayser-Roth will be ending manufacturing operations at this location in Asheboro within a few months. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — Kayser-Roth will close a longstanding factory in Asheboro this spring, meaning the loss of 116 jobs. The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice with the North Carolina Commerce Department last week and pointed out that workers had been notified. In the notice to the state, Kayser-Roth CEO Gianni Orsini wrote: “Kayser-Roth has decided, after painful consideration, to cease operations at its Asheboro, NC facility. Ongoing cost pressures have led to a reconsideration of Kayser-Roth’s facility footprint and resulted in this…
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RCSS seeks to hire more bus drivers

RCSS seeks to hire more bus drivers

ASHEBORO — The need for bus drivers is ongoing within the Randolph County School System. Superintendent Stephen Gainey said the latest push to attract more drivers isn’t an alarm as much as a reminder that the topic remains on the minds of school administrators. “Our No. 1 job is taking care of children,” Gainey said. “We have to get them to school.” As of last week, there were 26 positions open that include responsibilities as bus drivers. That’s a reduction from a few years ago when the problem became heightened. “It has been a pretty steady need since the pandemic…
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Controlled burn means progress for Randolph CC, training for firefighters in Liberty

Controlled burn means progress for Randolph CC, training for firefighters in Liberty

Firefighters pose in front of the house in Liberty at Saturday’s controlled burn on Randolph Community College’s new property. (Liberty Fire Department) LIBERTY — A controlled burn of a building on Randolph Community College’s Liberty campus served multiple purposes Saturday. The event marked a step in the plan to further develop RCC’s Liberty property. Shah Ardalan, president of RCC, called the event part of the process in moving toward the college’s mission. “This controlled burn is more than a training exercise,” Ardalan said. “It is a tangible representation of our commitment to Access and Success for Randolph County and beyond.…
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REMC awards grants to area educators

REMC awards grants to area educators

Here’s Jessica Hoffmire with Uwharrie Charter Academy Elementary School students showing the grant certificate from the Randolph Electric Membership Corporation. (REMC photo) ASHEBORO — Five educators in schools in Randolph County are recipients of grants through the Randolph Electric Membership Corporation. Bright Ideas grants support classroom projects in the subjects of agriculture, science, art, music and more in local schools throughout REMC’s service territory. “We commend these educators for striving to make learning fun and engaging,” said Nicole Arnold, REMC's communications and public affairs manager. The grants associated with schools in Randolph County went to: ** Kristen Toscano of South Asheboro Middle School for…
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Randolph County’s ACT, SAT scores lower than state average

Randolph County’s ACT, SAT scores lower than state average

ASHEBORO – Randolph County saw a bit of a dip in some of its college-ready standardized testing. The Randolph County Schools Board of Education was presented with the prior year standardized testing data at its Jan. 13 meeting. The county has historically trailed the state in terms of average scores. However, the schools are seeing a gradual decline in overall scoring average within the county as well. “In 2024, the average ACT score for Randolph County was 16.6, which was just a slight decline from the prior year average of 16.7,” said Meredith Weipert, Director of Testing and Accountability. “In 2024,…
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Asheboro alters traffic at intersection

Asheboro alters traffic at intersection

Here's the intersection of Worth Street and Main Street in Asheboro. (City of Asheboro photo) ASHEBORO — There's a new all-way stop at the intersection of Worth Street and Main Street in Asheboro — and more all-way stops could be on the way. The change is a provisional conversion, according to city officials. It's part of a potential cost-saving switch, assistant city manager Trevor Nuttall said. The city announced the decision to analyze the intersection after reviewing traffic data and assessing the cost to replace an out-of-date signal. A replacement would be estimated to exceed $70,000. "The equipment, which is at least 30 years old,…
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New RCEDC official ready to support industry growth

New RCEDC official ready to support industry growth

David Hursey (Courtesy photo) ASHEBORO — David Hursey sees vast possibilities as he takes over as the new Existing Industry Director of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. “There’s a lot going on here,” Hursey said. “By and large, the county has been well-led. One of the things I want to do is promote the good things that are happening.” Hursey, who began in the role at the beginning of the year, will lead RCEDC’s Business Retention and Expansion program, addressing industry-specific challenges. He said that’s where most of his energy will be directed, seeking to assist businesses with growth.…
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