News

Celebrating freedom is a local tradition

Celebrating freedom is a local tradition

MILLBORO — Taking the scenic route home can take you through some interesting places in North Carolina. Taking the scenic route in 1999 led Tony Trogdon to start a Randolph County tradition that has lasted 22 years — an Independence Day parade. Trogdon and his wife, Sondra, took a drive to Mount Airy in 1999 on the Fourth of July. They decided to take the long way home and found themselves in the middle of a parade in the town of Shoals in Surry County. The Trogdons saw classic cars, trucks, bicycles, floats, and emergency vehicles parading along a rural…
Read More
New Trinity Middle School to open in the fall

New Trinity Middle School to open in the fall

TRINITY — The opening of the new Trinity Middle School means the end of an era for one local school and a name change for another. When Wheatmore High School opened for the 2009-10, to alleviate overcrowding at Trinity High School, Braxton Craven School and Archdale-Trinity Middle School became the middle school feeders to both high schools. This August, Archdale-Trinity Middle School will become Wheatmore Middle School and Braxton Craven School will not reopen. The name change to Wheatmore Middle will also mean the school colors will shift to the red and white of Wheatmore.
Read More
Zoo ends reservation requirement

Zoo ends reservation requirement

The N.C. Zoo ended the requirement for visitors to make reservations ahead of the 4th of July holiday weekend. Reservations will no longer be required after July 1. The zoo will still require visitors who are not fully vaccinated to wear face coverings and to practice social distancing. When the zoo reopened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations were required to limit the number of visitors to the zoo, which is outside of Asheboro. In recent months, the zoo has welcomed an elephant, a polar bear and 12 red-wolf pups.
Read More
Baker becomes first female officer on sheriff’s Emergency Response Team

Baker becomes first female officer on sheriff’s Emergency Response Team

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office has a female on its Emergency Response Team for the first time in the unit’s history. Deputy Traci Baker completed a rigorous training-and-testing battery to join the team. The tests determined her ability serve high-risk search warrants, handle barricades and take part in other tactical exercises. Members of the team are expected to attend advanced law enforcement training courses and become proficient with specialized equipment to deal with dangerous criminals and situations. Baker began her career with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office after she completed basic law enforcement training in 2009 in the…
Read More
Over 30% of Randolph County is vaccinated

Over 30% of Randolph County is vaccinated

ASHEBORO — The Centers for Disease Control reported that 43,649 Randolph County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Over 64% of the county’s citizens over 65 years of age are vaccinated. The CDC estimates that 47% of the total U.S. population is now vaccinated. In the past week, just 927 people were tested for COVID-19 in Randolph County, which includes those needing testing for travel. There were 20 positive cases and no hospitalizations reported in the last week in Randolph County.
Read More
Asheboro High student awarded Park Scholarship to NC State

Asheboro High student awarded Park Scholarship to NC State

ASHEBORO — Ferdinand “Freddy” Ray Kelley, son of J.W. and Kathy Kelley of Asheboro, was awarded the Park Scholarship to attend N.C. State University in the fall. Kelley graduated from Asheboro High School on June 3 where he served as drum major of the Band and Captain of the Swim, Cross Country, and Tennis Teams. He also served as Science Olympiad team Captain and attended the NC School of Science and Math Summer. He was first chair all-district bassoonist. Kelley plans to major in biochemistry and sociology. The 26th class of Park Scholars was selected from a pool of more…
Read More