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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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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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Aug152023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
NC Zoo Says ‘Opps’ – Corrects Sand Kittens Sex and Name

NC Zoo Says ‘Opps’ – Corrects Sand Kittens Sex and Name

NC Zoo
One of three Sand Cat kittens born in May of 2023 at the NC Zoo. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. - Apparently, determining the sex of a kitten can be difficult, and the North Carolina Zoo says they "made an oops" when they announced the sexes of their trio of sand Kittens born in May. On June 2nd, 2023, the Zoo anounced the birth of three sand cat kittens. Several weeks later, in a press release, the zoo revealed the sexes of the kittens, one male and two females, as well as an online poll to allow the public to choose names for the tiny desert felines. The public naming poll had more than 15,000 responses with the winning names being chosen as Amira and Cleo for the females, and Jabari for the male. Now, the Zoo says they made an "oops," when they determi...
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Aug122023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Summer Underway at NC Zoo

Summer Underway at NC Zoo

NC Zoo
ASHEBORO N.C. - With Asia not expected to be completed until 2026 it's easy to think there isn't much to do or see at the North Carolina Zoo this summer, but you'd be wrong. From adorable babies, an impressive dog show, and newly renovated habitats, this summer is the perfect time to take a trip to the Zoo. Canine Champions for Conservation Alyssa Buller watches as one of her dogs performs during the Canine Champions for Conservation attraction at the NC Zoo. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] Chris Collier and Alyssa Buller will be at the North Carolina Zoo this summer with their highly trained dogs for a show that features jumps, obstacle courses, and other demonstrations. Collier and Buller have performed all over the country, and their dogs have even been featured on sea...
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Aug72023 by Randolph News NowNo Comments
Tornado Watch Issued as NWS Warns of Severe Weather Threat [UPDATED]

Tornado Watch Issued as NWS Warns of Severe Weather Threat [UPDATED]

Weather
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN UPDATEDClick Here or scroll down to see the latest update ASHEBORO N.C. - The National Weather Service Office in Raleigh has issued a Tornado Watch admit warnings of the threat of severe weather expected today. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, has placed most of central North Carolina under an Enhanced Risk of severe weather today. An Enhanced Risk indicates there is a larger area with widespread chances of low-to-moderate intensity severe thunderstorms. Local forecasters at the National Weather Service Office in Raleigh say that they are expecting a line of severe storms to move across NC between 3pm and 11pm with widespread damaging winds, isolated tornados, and heavy rain causing minor flooding in some areas. As of 2 pm this...
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Jul252023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Dangerously High Temperatures Forecast for Later This Week

Dangerously High Temperatures Forecast for Later This Week

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C. - Forecasters are warning that dangerously hot temperatures are expected across much of central North Carolina later this week and into the weekend. Starting Wednesday and into Thursday, heat and humidity will roll into the area with highs in the lower 90s and heat-index values reaching into the mid-90's. The real threat from dangerous heat starts on Friday and extends through Sunday. Heat advisory and/or warnings are expected during this time as hot temperatures combined with high humidity will push heat index values into the upper 90s to above 100 degrees over central NC, according to forecasters with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. For Randolph County, the hottest temperatures are expected Friday and Saturday with temperatures hanging around 96 degrees ...
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Jul182023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
NC Zoo Working to Secure Funding to Rebuild Aviary

NC Zoo Working to Secure Funding to Rebuild Aviary

NC Zoo
A sign outside the entrance tells guests the Aviary is closed. [Scott Pelkey | North State Journal] ASHEBORO N.C. - The Aviary at the NC Zoo is going to be demolished, but the Zoo is working on securing funds and putting together plans to rebuild. With its ninety-three species of birds, hundreds of tropical plants, and an environment that mimics the tropical rainforest, the Aviary was a guest favorite since it first opened in 1982.  In January of 2022, when the Zoo announced the Aviary would be closing due to the threat of Avian Flu, guests expected it would be temporary. Around the same time, a team of engineers was brought in to conduct an inspection of the building and the results were not good.  “The Aviary is a very humid environment, it's a very rough environme...
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Jul172023 by Randolph News NowNo Comments
Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Triggers Air Quality Alerts

Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Triggers Air Quality Alerts

Weather
ASHEBORO N.C. - Smoke from Canadian wildfires is bringing hazing conditions across North Carolina and triggering air quality alerts, again. The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection, located in Winston-Salem, has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Fine Particles until midnight on Monday, July 17. Randolph County falls into this area. As of 3 p.m. PM 2.5 levels, which describes fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are 2.5 micrometers and smaller, were at 123 ppb (parts per billion) at the closest air quality monitoring station to Randolph County. That places the county under a Code Orange alert. Code ORANGE is Unhealthy for Sensitive groups meaning children, elderly, and those with lung and/or heart ailments need to limit their pro...
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Jul142023 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments
Historic Franklinville Church Comes Down – Members Plan to Rebuild

Historic Franklinville Church Comes Down – Members Plan to Rebuild

Local
Franklinville United Methodist Church is being torn down after one of its walls collapsed. (PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL) FRANKLINEVILLE N.C. - Members of the Franklinville United Methodist Church are saving what they can as the church is demolished following a wall collapse last week. On the night of July 6th, 2023, emergency crews responded to the Franklinville United Methodist Church on S. Main St after receiving a report of a commercial fire. Arriving units reported didn't find a fire, but rather a partial structure collapse of one of the walls of the church with a strong smell of gas. Initial reports of the collapse being caused by an explosion from a gas leak were dismissed as the cause. The gas leak was believed to have been triggered by an A/C unit falling onto a ga...
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