Local Archives | Page 9 of 17 | Randolph News Now

Sep282022 by Randolph News NowNo Comments

Hurricane Ian & The Triad – Updates

Weather

[ARCHIVED] Last Update: 9/30/22 12:35pm Hurricane Ian from NOAA GOES-16 Satellite. TLDR Ian is just off the Southeast coast, is expected to make landfall along the South Carolina coast later today. This will put Ian on course to move into NC late today, with tropical storm force wind gusts across much of central NC today into tonight. Tropical Storm force winds will be a threat to the local area with gusts of 39 to 57 mph possible.Randolph County Schools and Asheboro City Schools will be closed Friday 9/30. The NC Zoo will be closed on Oct 1st and 2nd, The Asheboro Fall Festival and NASCAR Day scheduled for this weekend have both been canceled. NC Gov has issued a state of emergency. Forecast & Effects Hurricane Ian, located just off the Southeast coast, is expecte...

Sep212022 by Randolph News NowNo Comments

North Carolina Zoo Loses Rhino Olivia

NC Zoo

Photo provided by NC Zoo ASHEBORO, N.C. (NC ZOO) - Olivia, a southern white rhinoceros who has lived at the North Carolina Zoo for more than 30 years, passed away on September 15. Olivia, 54, had lived at the North Carolina Zoo since 1987 and arrived as a breeding pair with male rhino Stan, although no offspring were born. In later years, Olivia and Stan lived together at the Zoo’s spacious rhino annex (off view from the public) in retirement for several years until Stan died in 2019. Since then, Olivia was reintroduced to the other animals on the Zoo’s 40-acre Watani Grasslands and took on the role of “Great Auntie” to the younger rhinos. Southern white rhinos are the most social of the rhino species and live together in groupings called “crashes.” As one of the oldes...

Aug242022 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments

NC DOT To Hold Public Meeting To Discuss 421 Intersection Improvements

Local, Traffic & Roads

New road patterns at Browns Meadow Road and US HWY 421 now has a median taken away the cross over to the mega site at the Toyota Mega site in Liberty, NC on July 18, 2022. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL ASHEBORO N.C. - The NC DOT has scheduled a public meeting to discuss proposed changes to intersections on 421 in Liberty near the Guilford County line. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022 from 5-7 pm at the Liberty Town Hall (239 S. Fayetteville St, Liberty, NC) and is open to the public. The N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to convert three at-grade intersections (conventional/traditional intersections) on U.S. 421 and make other improvements in Randolph County near the Guilford County line. Improvements include: 1. Conversion of at-g...

Aug172022 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments

NC Zoo Breaks Ground On Asia Expansion

NC Zoo

ASHEBORO N.C. - The North Carolina Zoo has officially began construction on Asia, the NC Zoo's first new continent since North America in 1994 after a ground-breaking event this morning. The private event was attended by staff at the NC Zoo along with city, county, and state officials and elected representatives, members of the media, and companies and organizations involved with everything from local tourism to construction. "Asia has been a long time coming" said Walker Moffit, North Carolina Zoo Council Chairman and Asheboro Mayor Pro Tempore. Construction on the 10 acers set to become the new continent is expected to take around 3 years, with the goal being to open sometime around the summer or fall of 2026. While its not yet know exactly how many new animals will be coming...

Aug122022 by Randolph News NowNo Comments

North Carolina Zoo Announces Death of Male Lion

NC Zoo

Photo: NC Zoo ASHEBORO N.C. (NC ZOO)- The North Carolina Zoo sadly announces the death of Reilly, a 23-year-old African lion who had been battling renal disease for several years. Reilly was the oldest male lion in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institution. "He was so tolerant of his rambunctious offspring and was fiercely devoted to his lady lion, Mekita," said Zookeeper Beth Malott, who worked with Reilly for eight years. "Reilly was a one-of-a-kind soul, and his morning roars will be greatly missed." Reilly had been battling renal disease for several years, and with his advanced age and weakened physical state, the animal care team and veterinarians made the heart-wrenching, quality-of-life decision to euthanize him. "Renal disease is not uncommon for a...

Aug62022 by Randolph News NowNo Comments

Libraries to Offer Countywide Dementia Caregiver Training, Sensory Activity Kits

Local

Community Navigator Angi Polito displays the contents of sensory activity kits, available from the Randolph County Public Libraries, that caregivers can use with people experiencing dementia. (Randolph County Public Library) ASHEBORO N.C. (RCPL) – Caregivers for people experiencing dementia are invited to participate in hands-on, multi-disciplinary training workshops presented by the Dementia Alliance of North Carolina at three Randolph County Public Libraries locations on August 30 and 31. Called “Accepting the Challenge,” the training will be offered at the libraries as follows; Archdale Public Library, 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 30; Liberty Public Library, 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 30; Asheboro Public Library, 10 a.m. Wednesday, August 31. The sessions, conducted by Melanie Bunn, R...

Aug42022 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments

Idea For Access Road to McCrary Ballpark DOA

Local

Drone photo of the renovations of McCrary Park from March of 2022 (Scott Pelkey / Acme News Archive) ASHEBORO N.C. - Homeowners around the newly renovated Historic McCrary Ballpark have been vocal against a now dead set of ideas for improving access to the ballpark. On July 26th, 2022, the City of Asheboro held a special meeting to discuss ideas for improving access to the newly renovated Historic McCrary Ballpark. Among those ideas, an access road nicknamed "Power Alley" which would have connected Lexington Rd to Southway Rd, which received vocal opposition from nearby homeowners. Now, just a week after that meeting, any plans the city had to improve access from Lexington Rd are dead. The McCrary Mill built the ballfield in 1946 as a home for the company's Industrial League team...

Jul262022 by Acme News WireNo Comments

Govt Launches Heat.gov As 30 Million Americans Are Under Heat Advisories

Weather

Heat.gov - Website Screenshot ASHEBORO N.C. (RCSVWX)- Today 38,308,317 Americans are under active National Weather Service extreme heat advisories, watches, and warnings. That number comes from the government's new heat.gov website. The National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) officially launched the site today following an online webinar with news outlets from across the country. Heat.gov is a collaboration of NIHHIS’ federal government partners, including NOAA, CDC, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Occupational Sa...

Jul222022 by Scott PelkeyNo Comments

North Carolina Zoo Announces Record-Breaking 1 Million Visitors

NC Zoo

Credit: NC Zoo ASHEBORO N.C. - Today the North Carolina Zoo announced that they broke their all-time attendance record by welcoming 1 million visitors in the 2021-2022 fiscal year ending June 30. If you counted each visitor that came to the NC Zoo last year, out loud, one visitor per second, with no breaks, it would take you 23 days to count all of the the 1 Million visitors who came to the NC Zoo last fiscal year. That breaks the previous record highest fiscal year attendance of 879,990 set in 2018-2019. "We’re thrilled to welcome so many guests from North Carolina and around the world," Zoo Director Pat Simmons said. Coming soon, even more reasons to visit as the Zoo looks forward to building and opening Asia, its first new continent added to the Zoo since the North America ...

Jul202022 by Randolph News NowNo Comments

Heatwave Affecting Midwest On Its Way – ETA: This Weekend

Weather

Daytime High Temps for Sunday July 24th 2022 (NWS) ASHEBORO N.C. (#RCSVWX)- Today much of the central United States including a large chunk of Texas are forecast to see temperatures over 105 degrees, with Dallas Tx expected to reach 107 today. That heatwave is on its way to the Triad with dangerous levels of heat expected this weekend. This weekend the big story will be the heat says the National Weather Service (NWS) who are calling for consecutive days with above normal temps, including the possibility of a few 100F highs and lows barely getting below 80F in some locations. "The hottest temps each day, we`re still likely to see at least a few hours of dangerous heat index values over 100F. And given the strong sunshine and lack of a breezein most places, forecast wet bulb globe t...