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Apr52024 by Randolph News NowNo Comments
NC Zoo warns of high attendance this weekend due to Spring Break

NC Zoo warns of high attendance this weekend due to Spring Break

NC Zoo
Visitors to the North Carolina Zoo view Johnthan the Chimp. (Acme News Archive) ASHEBORO — The North Carolina Zoo is warning visitors to plan ahead and be aware of expected higher than normal attendance through this weekend due to spring break. On April 1st, 2024, the N.C. Zoo officialy switched to spring hours, adding an extra hour, now remaing open until 5 p.m. Early spring has historically been the busiest time of year for the Zoo and officals says they anticipate high attendance through April 7th, due to spring break. In the interest of safety and preserving a positive vistor experience, and likley also to avoid traffic jams stretching out to the roundabout at the entrace again, the Zoo says they will be limiting access to the property when parking is full. "If you arrive...
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Apr42024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Everything you need to know about Monday’s total solar eclipse

Everything you need to know about Monday’s total solar eclipse

Local
https://youtu.be/2MJY_ptQW1o Watch the NASA livestream of the eclipse on April 8th from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT ASHEBORO — On Monday, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, and while Randolph County isn’t in the path of totality, it will still be an astronomical event worth witnessing. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. To fully witness a total solar eclipse, including seeing the “ring of fire,” you’ll need to be within a 115-mile-wide area stretching from Texas to Maine called the path of totality.   None of North Carolina is in the path, so no one in the state will see the moon fully cover the sun. In Randolph County, astronomers say the moon will cover around 80% of the sun, ma...
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Mar62024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Ready to ‘Spring Forward’? Daylight Saving Time Starts this Sunday

Ready to ‘Spring Forward’? Daylight Saving Time Starts this Sunday

Local
Daylight Savings Time (Stock Photo / Randolph News Now) ASHEBORO N.C. - Daylight Saving Time starts this Sunday as most of the country 'springs forward' for the annual trade where we all lose an hour of sleep, in exchange for more daylight in the coming spring and summer months. When Does the Time Change Daylight Saving Time starts on Sunday, March 10th, 2024, at 2 a.m. As clocks 'spring forward' 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m. Daylight saving time for 2024 will end on Sunday, November 3, 2024, 2:00 a.m. According to a poll by the Assoicated Press in 2021, "Forty-three percent want to stay on standard time year-round, while 32% prefer to see the clocks remain on daylight saving time.  Only 25% percent like the existing state of affairs in most of the country, shifting back and f...
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Feb132024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Vote for the NC Zoo for BEST ZOO in USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards

Vote for the NC Zoo for BEST ZOO in USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards

NC Zoo
(Image provided by the N.C. Zoo) ASHEBORO N.C. - The North Carolina Zoo is asking for your vote after being nominated to compete against twenty other zoos for the title of 'Best Zoo' as part of USA Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards for 2024. A panel of experts with USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards nominated their top 20 picks for the best zoos in the United States. Among those picks was the North Carolina Zoo. The nomination coincides with the Zoo's 50th anniversary this year. In a post on social media, the NC Zoo Soceity said that "chosen by industry connoisseurs and USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards editors, we're honored to be among the nominees." Now it's up to the public to vote. You may vote once per day through Monday, March 4 at noon ET. The top The 10 win...
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Feb102024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
NCDOT Needs Feedback on Proposed Trail Expansion Project in Randleman

NCDOT Needs Feedback on Proposed Trail Expansion Project in Randleman

Government, Local
Map of proposed expantion from Great Trails State Implementation Report. RANDLEMAN N.C. - The N.C. Department of Transportation is seeking public input on plans to extend the Deep Rivier Trail in Randleman. The proposed project would extend the existing 1-mile Deep River Nature Trail in Randleman on both ends, creating a 5.6-mile trail segment along the Deep River that includes a scenic natural surface trail loop in a Deep River oxbow near Randleman Lake. The Deep River Trail expansion is one of 10 projects identified as part of the Great Trails State Implementation Report as having the most impact and being most ready for implementation. NC DOT says the projects were chosen for their equity benefits and connectivity to the larger state trails network. The project cost is est...
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Jan312024 by Randolph News NowNo Comments
NC Zoo | Desert Dome Welcomes Pair of Rare African Birds

NC Zoo | Desert Dome Welcomes Pair of Rare African Birds

NC Zoo
[Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. – The Desert Dome at the North Carolina Zoo recently became the new home to a pair of rare African birds. Several months ago, two Von der Decken's Hornbills arrived at the North Carolina Zoo. Jake, the male, who came from the Los Angeles Zoo, and Zuri, the female, who came from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in New York. After spending around a month in quarantine, a standard precaution, the pair were introduced to each other and now reside together in the Desert Dome. Von der Decken's Hornbills (Tockus deckeni) are a distinctive species of birds found in the arid regions of East Africa, particularly in Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. The birds distinguishing feature, is its large bill, also called a horn.  “For them it's a to...
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Jan162024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Arctic Air Mass to Bring Frigid Temperatures and Threat of Winter Weather this Week

Arctic Air Mass to Bring Frigid Temperatures and Threat of Winter Weather this Week

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C. – The National Weather Service in Raleigh is warning that an arctic air mass will bring frigid temperatures tonight and into Wednesday, with more dangerously cold temperatures and the threat of winter weather later this week. According to forecasters at the National Weather Service in Raleigh, a cold front will move across the region today bringing cold rain. Behind that cold front an arctic air will move into central North Carolina mass bringing frigid air and gusty winds of 15 to 20 mph tonight. Here in Randolph County, temperatures tonight and into Wednesday morning will plunge to 17 degrees, with windchill values reaching as low as 7 degrees, and that’s just round one. Round two comes Saturday night into Sunday morning when temperatures will again drop to as...
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Jan82024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
NWS Issues Watches Ahead of Heavy Rain, Wind, Flooding Risk Tuesday

NWS Issues Watches Ahead of Heavy Rain, Wind, Flooding Risk Tuesday

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C. – Ahead of expected heavy rain, strong winds, and the threat of flash flooding on Tuesday the National Weather Service office in Raleigh has issued a Flash Flood Watch and Wind Advisory for much of central N.C. including Randolph County. According to forecasters, a strong storm system will bring widespread heavy rain, gusty to damaging winds, and the threat of a few tornadoes to central N.C. on Tuesday January 9th, 2024. Severe weather is expected to begin to arrive in Randolph County starting as soon as noon on Tuesday and is expected to continue until late into the night. WIND - South or southeasterly winds will increase to 15 to 25 mph, with gusts between 35 and 45 mph expected during the afternoon and evening Tuesday. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured...
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Jan52024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Winter Weather Advisory – What to Expect in Randolph County

Winter Weather Advisory – What to Expect in Randolph County

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C.  – The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for portions of central North Carolina, including Randolph County. Here is what you can expect. A period of light freezing rain is set to impact the northern Piedmont, mainly along and north of I-85, from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Here in Randolph County, forecasters are predicting around 0.02” of ice accumulation. Temperatures will remain right near the freezing point through the morning hours on Saturday and any freezing rain is expected to transition to rain by 4 a.m. Total rainfall for Saturday is expected to be around half to three quarters of an inch. The risk of isolated flash flooding cannot be ruled out from Saturday morning through early afternoon. Combined with...
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Jan42024 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
North Carolina Zoo Set to Temporarily Close for Staff Training and Safety Drills

North Carolina Zoo Set to Temporarily Close for Staff Training and Safety Drills

NC Zoo
Emergency Services Vehicles near Junction Plaza at the NC Zoo. (Scott Pelkey / Acme News Archive) ASHEBORO N.C.  – The North Carolina Zoo along will all its public walking trails will be closed to the public from Monday January 8th through January 12th for staff training, including required safety drills and maintenance. As an accredited Zoo through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the North Carolina Zoo is required to conduct various safety drills involving its staff. These drills cover a wide range of scenarios, from protocols for handling animal escapes to responding to diving incidents, to fires, animal bites, and more. “Employees need to drill and practice their responses so that they are prepared in the event of an actual situation,” said Diane Villa, the Zoo’s D...
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