Friday, October 18
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Author: Scott Pelkey

Sep202023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Survivor of April Plane Crash Returns Home from Hospital

Survivor of April Plane Crash Returns Home from Hospital

Local
LEVEL CROSS N.C. - After surviving a plane crash in April of this year and spending 5 months in the hospital, Jimmy Foecking was greeted by friends and members of the community as he returned home today. On April 11th, 2023, Foecking was one of two people in a single-engine Vans RV-12 aircraft that crashed into a hill on the side of US Hwy 421, south of Greensboro Executive Airport in Guilford County just after 11 a.m. According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot had taken off at 11:03 a.m. and conducted a touch-and-go landing before landing back at the airport and picking up a passenger. At 11:27 a.m. The aircraft took off again and climbed for around 30 seconds, until video surveillance showed the airplane immediately stopped climb...
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Sep202023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
One Year In, Construction on Asia on Schedule

One Year In, Construction on Asia on Schedule

NC Zoo
Construction is underway on the new Asia expansion at the NC Zoo. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. - One year after breaking ground, construction on the Asia expansion at the North Carolina Zoo is on track, but with the planned opening still years away there is still a lot of work to be done.  General construction on Asia is halfway complete with Rodgers Builders, the general contractor for the project, reporting no significant delays thus far. Work constructing the buildings and infrastructure is expected to be completed by fall of 2024. Once Asia’s construction is complete, the work of turning ten acres of gravel, dirt, and concrete buildings into a new continent is where the Zoo’s work will really start, says Diane Villa, Director of Communications & Marke...
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Sep142023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
No One Injured in Commercial Fire in Asheboro

No One Injured in Commercial Fire in Asheboro

News
ASHEBORO N.C. - The Asheboro Fire & Rescue Department says no one was injured in a commercial structure fire in Asheboro yesterday morning. According to a press release, at 08:35 a.m. fire crews were dispatched to 2520 N Fayetteville St in Asheboro for a report of a comercial structure fire. The first unit arrived on scene just three minutes after being dispatched at 08:38 a.m. and reported finding a single-story commercial metal building with heavy smoke showing. Ten crews with a total of twenty-two fire personnel were able to get the fire under control by 09:01 a.m. Asheboro Police Department, Randolph County Emergency Services, and Duke Energy were all on scene providing assistance, and Westside Fire Department sent a fire crew to Station 1 to fill in until units ...
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Sep82023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Tropic Watch – Hurricane Lee

Tropic Watch – Hurricane Lee

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C. - Forecasters will be keeping a very close eye on Hurricane Lee over the weekend to see if forecast models predicting the storm will make a turn out to sea will be accurate. Current Location / Strength Over less than 24 hours, Lee intensified from a tropical storm into a category 5 hurricane with reported winds of 160+ mph. That rapid intensification is the quickest any system has gone from a tropical storm to a category 5 hurricane in Atlantic hurricane season history. (NOAA / NWS - National Hurricane Center) Lee is currently located around 750 miles to the east of San Juan, Puerto Rico (18.2N 54.5W), and is moving WNW at 13 mph. This morning Lee encountered some wind shear resulting in sustained winds falling below 160 mph dropping Lee back down to a category ...
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Sep12023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
All Clear – No Threat Found at Asheboro High School

All Clear – No Threat Found at Asheboro High School

Breaking News
An officer with NC Probation and Parole blocks off W Walker Ave as students return to the high school after the all clear. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. - Police have given the "all clear" and reported no one was injured after a threat to Asheboro High School triggered an evacuation of the school and a lockdown of all Asheboro City Schools this morning. According to a press release from the Asheboro Police Department, at 9:21 a.m. this morning an individual called the police department's headquarters and stated they "had placed bombs inside Asheboro High School," and that they were "armed with a weapon and would enter the school." School resource officers at the high school were notified and law enforcement personnel from Asheboro Police Department, Randolph ...
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Aug292023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Tracking Hurricane Idalia [UPDATED]

Tracking Hurricane Idalia [UPDATED]

Weather
Last Update: 8/30/23 1:30pm ASHEBORO N.C. - Idalia made landfall around 7:45 a.m. Eastern time along Florida's Big Bend, near Keaton Beach, and is currently moving at 30 mph up the southeast coast. Here is everything you need to know about local impacts. Confidence / Expected Changes As of Aug 30th, 11:30 a.m. briefing by the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh there have been no significant changes to the forecast for Randolph County. Forecasters say confidence is HIGH that the event will occur and MODERATE regarding impacts. Timeline Impacts in central North Carolina, including Randolph County, are expected to start as soon as Wednesday afternoon and continue through Friday afternoon. Local Impacts Heavy rainfall and gusty winds will...
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Aug252023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Asheboro Fire Responds to Vehicle Fire at Energizer Plant 1

Asheboro Fire Responds to Vehicle Fire at Energizer Plant 1

Breaking News
Firefighters put out a vehicle fire at Energizer Plant 1's employee parking on Aug 25th, 2023. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. - Asheboro Firefighters are on the scene of a vehicle fire in the employee parking lot at Energizer Plant #1 that triggered an evacuation of the plant after the fire alarm was triggered. At around 6 p.m. on Friday Aug 25th, 2023, Firefighters with Asheboro Fire/Rescue responded to Energizer Plant #1, located at 800 Albemarle Rd, for a vehicle fire in the employee parking. The fire alarm at the plant was triggered and employees were evacuating as firefighters worked to extinguish the vehicle fire. It's unknow at this time if there are any injuries or what may have sparked the fire. This is a developing story, and more information w...
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Aug222023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Black Bear Sighted Roaming Around Asheboro

Black Bear Sighted Roaming Around Asheboro

Breaking News
Screenshot of Ring doorbell camera video shared to Facebook showing the bear in a front yard. (Lisa Marie Brookes via Facebook) ASHEBORO N.C. - A black bear was spotted in Asheboro this morning and has been the talk of the town on social media. Here is what you need to know. This morning, Lisa, a local resident in Asheboro who lives near Cliff Road, received a notification on her phone that her ring camera had spotted an animal. "I said to my husband I think there is a bear in our yard! He thought I was crazy at first, then he looked and said holy cow you are right," she said in a message to a reporter. Randolph County Emergency Services says that they received a call at 7:03 am on Gardiner Rd in Asheboro. That caller reported a bear walking toward Shannon Rd. Animal Contr...
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Aug222023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
NC Zoo to Say Farewell to Flamingos

NC Zoo to Say Farewell to Flamingos

NC Zoo
Flamingo at the NC Zoo [Acme News Archive Photo] ASHEBORO N.C. - The North Carolina Zoo is planning to say farewell to its flock of Flamingos who are leaving for South Carolina at the end of September. The North Carolina Zoo announced yesterday that they will be transferring their flock of 15 Chilean flamingos to the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina sometime at the end of September. "While it is sad to see the flamingos leave the Zoo, we are happy to know they will join a flock of 19 Chilean flamingos already at the Greenville Zoo," said the Zoo on Facebook. "Flamingos are social birds that live in large flocks in the wild. We are very thankful to the Greenville Zoo for accepting the entire flock, as several of these birds have been together for over 25 years." View t...
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Aug172023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Kyle Petty to Share Songs & Stories in September Sunset Series

Kyle Petty to Share Songs & Stories in September Sunset Series

Events, Local
ASHEBORO N.C. - Kyle Petty is scheduled to share his own original music and probably a few remarkable stories at the Historic Sunset Theater in early September, as part of the Sunset Signature Series. Kyle Petty is best known for his NASCAR career, either through his work as an analyst and cast on ”NASCAR America,” pre- and post-race NASCAR Cup and Xfinity coverage on NBC and USA Network; his weekly radio show, "Fast Talk" on the Performance Racing Network, or his past as a NASCAR Driver with eight wins and 173 top ten finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series. He also leads his annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, one of the country’s most popular charity motorcycle rides, which raises money and promotes Victory Junction – a camp for children with chronic and serious m...
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